With October’s calendar of events plumping up like local vineyard fruit, I knew I wanted to check out the new Jacksonville rolling stock soon. The Jacksonville Wine Trolley is quickly gaining in popularity. It runs Friday through Sunday, with Oct. 22 as the final chance for tours until next spring.

I found an open day, rounded up the usual suspects and soon found that they were more than willing to join me. Ted and Kay, Denise and Jerry, and Lane and I made plans to don our wristbands and climb aboard about 1 p.m. Sunday.

The six of us had the trolley to ourselves for that time slot, though it can comfortably hold 30 people. Just one day prior, I had printed a rider list at the visitor center, where I work two days a week. We’d had 29 riders signed on for the first ride of the day at high noon, and few were together.

The Jacksonville Wine Trolley tour works on a hub-and-spoke system, with the trolley returning to its hub near the visitor center in town about every 30 minutes. Each winery visit lasts about 80 minutes.

The wineries are located on three routes — Old Stage takes you to Rellik and Hummingbird; Fifth and Main cruises down to Daisy Creek and Awen; and the South Stage route visits DANCIN and Dos Mariposas. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the visitor center the day of your ride. Tickets cost $27 with a 10% discount for five or more or a two-day pass.

Despite what you’re thinking, my goal was not to see how many stops I could tackle. Though I’m fond of a good red, wine sellers will never get rich from me. To be perfectly frank, I anticipated the trolley ride as much as anything.

Most of my readers/friends are painfully aware of my childlike tendencies, and trolley riding is way up there on the whee meter. So, we had Brian Roberts, our most excellent lead trolley driver, shuttle us through two routes before landing at Rellik where we enjoyed a lunch of pear and prosciutto pizza, a good malbec, and lively conversation. Guests of the trolley are entitled to 10% off any bottles purchased that day.

We had plenty of time to eat, drink and be merry. By the time Brian rang the bell for our departure, the timing felt exactly right.

Our next ride took us back to J’ville, where new riders had the opportunity to join us. There is a particularly fun hill you descend when returning to the trolley stop. After a mere one glass of wine, we all lifted our hands and yelled whee.

Next we headed down the Old Stage route, and back to J’ville (whee!), then to DANCIN, where we topped off with various snacks and sweets like semi freddo and something akin to chocolate lava cake, stuffed mushrooms, and just a splash of pinot noir. We noted that they serve an uncommonly delicious brand of tea (Smith) and other beverages for anyone who doesn’t care to drink wine.

The view from DANCIN’s patio, normally a divine expanse, lay shrouded in an unexpected smoke bomb. But after that heaven-sent bomb cyclone that drenched our thirsty valley, the evil destroyer of pleasant events should be but a bad memory once more.

Lane had parked at DANCIN, where I’d picked him up for the adventure. We needed to leave a little early to make a concert at Grizzly Peak Winery in Ashland later. Siskiyou Music Project hosts top-tier jazz concerts a few times a year, and it had been far too long. I told Brian we would not be along on the return trip and thanked him for a wonderful experience.

I fully expect the wine trolley to become one of those must-do experiences. It was even more fun than I expected. For me, visiting our valley wineries is an immersive experience — good friends, local musicians, atmosphere, views, good wine (or Pellegrino), tasty bites and, in this case, riding around in a trolley.