More Than A Pour

Above: Rolling hills, ancient villages and vineyards in Piedmont, Italy.

The art of wine goes far beyond the bottle. From production methods—harvesting grapes, fermenting and bottling—to the expertise that goes into curating a wine list and building relationships with premier winemakers, quality wine is a product of time, skill and passion.

A tasting at Tenuta Santa Caterina in Piedmont, Italy.

The wine program at Sea Island is a testament to just that. A carefully curated selection of wine ensures that members and guests have access to limited-production and world-class bottles. Each Sea Island restaurant offers a carefully selected wine program. Tavola, for instance, focuses on 100% Italian wines, while Georgian Rooms offers a global, European-driven focus.

Most featured wines are selected not only for their high standards but also because of the personal relationships Head Sommelier Ryan McLoughlin and his team have built with exceptional winemakers, often through firsthand visits to the vineyards.

“I’m very fortunate that my job takes me around the world and allows me to meet these incredible grape growers and winemakers,” says McLoughlin, who shares his expertise with members and guests through a collection of stories rather than a catalogue of labels. “Anyone can walk into a wine shop and pick a bottle off the shelf,” he adds. “We’re telling the story of what makes that bottle special.”

These stories are also brought to life through experiences such as private tastings with a sommelier and wine dinners featuring winemakers, proprietors or founders.

“I don’t sell bottles. I sell stories,” says McLoughlin. “These are incredible experiences that members and guests can take home and say, ‘Wow, I’ve been drinking that wine for years, but now I know Paolo, the owner, and I have a personal connection to this wine.’

A Journey Into Wine

Inspired by these stories, members and guests routinely turn to McLoughlin for advice on which wineries to visit during their own travels. Before long, they were asking for more than recommendations. They wanted a guided, immersive experience. “I always found myself helping guests plan their trips. At a certain point, it just made sense to go with them,” McLoughlin says.

This sparked the idea to create an official offering that combined hands-on expertise and thoughtful travel planning with a signature level of hospitality. The Sea Island inaugural wine trip—a journey through northern Italy created in partnership with Natalie and Adam Richard of Joy of Wine Journeys—launched in fall 2025 and sold out in just 24 hours.

“I saw the itinerary, realized we’d never been to that region of Italy, and signed up that day,” says Louise Williamson, a Sea Island Member who joined the trip along with her husband, Sandy. “The thought of going with a group and having everything already arranged and planned was appealing, and we knew if Sea Island was sponsoring it, it would be completely top-notch.”

Nebbiolo grapes nearing harvest in Piedmont, Italy.

Blending wine education with cultural exploration and impeccable hospitality, the intimate trip featured personalized winery visits, meals with winemakers, Michelin-star dining and unique excursions, including a truffle-hunting outing.

“Everything was taken care of for us, and that made the entire experience feel effortless,” Williamson agrees. “The guides weren’t just taking us places; they had personal relationships everywhere we went. These were friends of theirs. They know their children, their dogs. That kind of access is invaluable.”

The Adventure Continues

This first wine trip hosted by Sea Island was only the beginning. Additional trips are already planned, including a spring 2026 journey to eastern France, a fall 2027 voyage to southern Italy, and a 2027 exploration of California wine country. McLoughlin also has future journeys in the works, with Argentina among the destinations under consideration.

The Williamsons—along with several fellow participants of the inaugural Italy trip—have already booked two additional trips. “The immersion for 10 days is incredible; you make lifelong friends,” Williamson says.

“The idea is giving members the Sea Island hospitality experience that they receive every day here, but in a new locale for them to explore,” McLoughlin says. “The experience isn’t just on the Georgia coast now.”