Team-building experiences are a great way to build morale among staff. Yolo County has some of the most unique experiences in the area, including wine and food tasting, farm tours, even excursions on a vintage railroad.
Many professionals have had the experience of participating in a team-building exercise. In fact, team building exercises have many benefits to the workplace culture. They help improve communication by breaking down barriers. They foster improved collaboration and build trust. They encourage creative problem-solving skills and creative thinking. And perhaps best of all, they boost morale and help employees forge positive relationships.
But team building exercises shouldn’t be limited to the cliché ice breakers or trust falls. There are plenty of fun and rewarding activities that can bring your team together, especially in Yolo County. From farm visits to wine tasting, following are some great team building experiences in Yolo County.
Olive Oil Tasting
Located in the beautiful Capay Valley, Séka Hills is known for its estate-grown olive oil. They offer tastings and tours in their expansive olive mill facility, where visitors can get an insider’s view into how olives are grown, milled and finished into extra virgin oils. Groups of ten or more can arrange private tastings and tours of the mill and orchards. They also have event space and a deli menu, not to mention other gourmet foods such as wine, honey, nuts, and beef jerky.
Lavender Farm Tour
Another unique idea to bring your team together is a tour of a lavender farm. Capay Valley Lavender offers seasonal (i.e. spring and summer) tours of its 26-acre farm, where your team can learn all about Lavandula and regenerative farming methods. They also offer hands-on workshops and you can even arrange a group painting session on the grounds. Or, you can sample products made from culinary lavender, such as lemonade, tea, or scones.
Flower Picking & Arranging
The Park Winters Flower Farm offers several options for one-of-a-kind team building. You can wander through their beautiful flower farms and pick your own bouquet during flower season. In the fall, they offer a dried floral experience where you learn to gather and arrange a stunning bouquet. They also have special workshops such as wreathmaking as well as private tours of their gardens. Afterwards, you can enjoy farm-to-table bites and seasonal cocktails in their open-air pavilion.
Sip Craft Spirits
In Winters, Patio 29 is a craft distillery that makes vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey. They have a charming tasting room where you can sample flights of their products or enjoy a craft cocktail. They also have a full kitchen offering small bites and flatbreads, or you can bring in your own food. For large groups, you can rent out the entire facility.
Wine Tasting
For a great team-building activity in the Davis area, consider a visit to Great Bear Vineyards. In addition to wine tasting and tours, they also offer special winery experiences such as cheese and wine pairing, chocolate and wine pairing, yoga, and paint and sips. They also have a Wine Connoisseurs & Vintners Series, where you can make your own blend, learn to harvest grapes and join in a traditional grape stomp. Great Bear also offers reserve wine tasting and barrel tasting, including vertical tastings.
River Fox Train & Railbikes
Another unique team building option in Yolo County is a ride aboard the River Fox Train in West Sacramento. They hold special excursions on the rails, such as a wine tasting train, murder mystery train, or comedy night. You can even rent out an entire train car and discounts are available for groups. Feeling adventurous? You can also glide along the tracks in a pedal-powered railbike.
Yolo 365 Tours
Being that Yolo County is all about agriculture, you may want to consider planning your team building event around food and wine. Yolo 365 offers curated tours of the best wineries, breweries, and distilleries in the charming town of Winters. Tours may also include farm-to-table food and pairings. For groups, you can curate your own itinerary and include farm tours or production facility tours.
Escape Room
Problem solving, communication, and decision-making are all a few of the skills that your team can hone during a team-building outing at an escape room. At Escape Davis, you can choose the level of difficulty — easy, medium, hard — or book the entire facility for all three. Or, you can have the escape room come to you. They have portable escape rooms for up to 10 people, with no travel fee in the Davis area.
Wine Tasting Cruise
If you have a small team, consider a wine tasting boat ride along the Delta with Sacramento River Cruise. The private boat excursions for six features local wine or craft beer tasting as well as cheese and charcuterie from local producers — all on board a vintage New England-style vessel. In the summer, they offer tequila tastings complete with Mexican bites.
Plan Your Yolo County Team Building Event
No matter what type of team-building activity your group prefers, you’ll find it in Yolo County. From food and wine sampling to farm tours, there are sure to be unique team-building activities that will suit every taste. Not only are they fun, they also help promote collaboration, improve communication, and strengthen problem-solving skills. Book your team-building event in Yolo County today!
