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When 1+1 becomes the most extraordinary wine tour – to Burgundy and Champagne

Per Karlsson — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:08:35 +0000

What could be better that a trip to one of the world’s most exclusive red wine regions? Well, perhaps a tour of the world-famous Champagne region? So, what if we combine the two? How can you resist?

We start in Burgundy that has two completely different sides. You might think that the exclusive wines from Burgundy come from a wine region with large and fancy French chateaux. That’s not the case at all.

Burgundy is among the most rural of the French wine regions. Verdant hills that are not very high, a string of villages that are just barely big enough to have a boulangerie (bakery) and a café. But along the narrow “route national” famous names follow famous names. Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Pommard, Meursault…

There are two sides to Burgundy: the so-called “négoce”, i.e. large companies that own a few vineyards but that mainly buy grapes from small grape growers. These are the famous names, Bouchard, Chanson, Drouhin, Dufouleur and so on. The ones that usually find their way onto the shelves in other countries.

The other side is the one where you find the small independent family businesses with often no more than 10-15 hectares (20-30 acres) of vineyard. Our focus is the latter, the personal, soulful small producers who are difficult to find. But after making wine tours in Burgundy for more than 20 years we do have a few addresses we trust.

I can promise some extraordinary tastings with everything from the most prestigious “grand cru” to equally impressive (and less financially challenging) village appellation wines. Sometimes quite jaw-dropping. Even after 20 years.

And then we drive north, with a quick visit in Chablis and on to the luxurious Champagne.

So let me this time give a thought to the bubbles! The bubbles are important in champagne, but for the taste, not the appearance. Is it 40,000, 400,000 or 4 million in a bottle? What does it really matter? Are there a lot of bubbles in the glass or none at all? What does it matter? None, actually. Except perhaps aesthetically.

We recently tasted a different type of sparkling wine than champagne, MCC from South Africa, and found that there was a very big difference between the bubbles in one glass and another. One had lots of bubbles and another almost none? Were they served from two different bottles? No.

How many bubbles there are in a bottle of champagne, or how much bubbles there are in a glass, actually doesn’t matter at all.

How it looks in the glass depends on the shape of the glass, the type of glass melt used in the manufacture, how well the glass is washed, whether it is specially etched at the bottom to generate bubbles (common on modern “champagne” glasses) and much more.

What plays the important role for the taste is the quality of the grapes and the talent of the winemaker, not how many bubbles you can see. (An no, the size or the intensity of bubbles are not a signs of the quality. That’s just a myth.)

The large, well-known houses have industrial process control in winemaking that guarantees precise results. The smaller, family-run producers are more personal with more variety and, above all, more character. That’s our focus! Come and discover.

Come on this exceptional tour to two of the world’s most respected wine regions with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).

Burgundy – Champagne Grand Tour, 23 September – 1 October

Book now!

(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.

Wine Travel at Its Finest

When you travel with BKWine, you travel with true wine authorities: Britt and Per Karlsson. For over 20 years, we have personally created and led hundreds of tours for thousands of wine lovers across Europe, South America, and Oceania. We are the authors of 13 award-winning books, recognised by the Swedish Academy of Gastronomy, Gourmand International, and the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine). Our publications are frequently used as core material in both professional and enthusiast wine education.

Our expertise is globally recognised. We have been named “Best Wine Guide” and “Best Wine Tour Operator” by the Wine Travel Awards, and our journeys have been hailed as the “World’s Top Wine Tours” by the world’s leading travel media. Beyond our tours, we write in-depth on wine for BKWine Magazine and are regular contributors to Forbes.com and frequently serve as expert judges in prestigious international wine competitions. We have also acted as speakers and advisors on wine tourism for organisations, regions and nations including the UN (UNWTO), The World Bank, Vinitaly, Ukraine, the Languedoc and others.

Our mission is to provide you with an unparalleled wine and culinary experience. The gastronomy on our tours is legendary. Because we personally design every itinerary and have visited thousands of estates over the decades, we know exactly where to find the most authentic people and the most unique, hidden gems. We don’t always take you to “the big and famous”—that would be too easy. Instead, we focus on unique rencontres: meaningful encounters with people, wine, and food.

We aren’t here to sell you bottles; we are here to provide a profound wine experience and memories that last a lifetime—all while ensuring you have a truly wonderful time. When you choose BKWine, you are travelling with the experts, with Britt and Per, who created the journey, ensuring you receive the very best experience possible.

Continue reading: When 1+1 becomes the most extraordinary wine tour – to Burgundy and Champagne

The post When 1+1 becomes the most extraordinary wine tour – to Burgundy and Champagne was originally published on BKWine Tours and written by Per Karlsson. Copyright BKWine and BKWine Tours. If you see it published elsewhere in full it has been republished without our permission.

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The home of “the Bordeaux blend“ | wine tour Bordeaux

Per Karlsson — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 08:29:40 +0000

There are “Bordeaux blends” made in many different countries. In South Africa, for instance, Giorgio Dalla Cia made the first one in 1980. It was a bit of a revolution. It was one of the first steps towards premium wines. But the origin and soul of the Bordeaux blend is of course in Bordeaux.

However, in Bordeaux the “blend” can be a little bit of anything. In Medoc it is usually, but not always, dominated by cabernet sauvignon, with the addition of merlot and cabernet franc.

On the Right Bank (e.g. Saint Emilion and Pomerol) merlot dominates. Although in practice it can actually be any variant of the permitted grapes. Sometimes it is 100% cabernet franc. It is extra exciting to explore all this when in Bordeaux.

On the tour to Bordeaux you get to experience both cabernet-dominated and merlot-dominated, and much, much more. Bordeaux is a whole world of wine experiences.

Come and discover French wine and food in Bordeaux on this luxurious wine tour with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).

Book now!

Bordeaux wine tour, 13-19 September

(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books, one of which is on Bordeaux wines.

We can add that we have also written an award-winning book about Bordeaux.

Continue reading: The home of “the Bordeaux blend“ | wine tour Bordeaux

The post The home of “the Bordeaux blend“ | wine tour Bordeaux was originally published on BKWine Tours and written by Per Karlsson. Copyright BKWine and BKWine Tours. If you see it published elsewhere in full it has been republished without our permission.

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Countryside luxury in Burgundy and craftsmanship instead of glitter in Champagne | wine tour

Per Karlsson — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:51:53 +0000

This nine-day wine tour to Burgundy and Champagne gives you some of the best France has to offer of wine and gastronomy.

The landscape in Burgundy is exactly as you would expect; rolling green hills with vineyards on the slopes, a string of small villages with world-famous names (Pommard, Vosne-Romanée, Gevrey-Chambertin…). Burgundy’s “capital”, Beaune, is a small town but thanks to the fame of its wine, it is well-visited, so well-visited that it can sometimes be difficult to get a table at one of the city’s many restaurants.

On the tour, we, of course, spend most of our time out among the vineyards. We mainly visit smaller family producers with more personal wines and more personal visits than the big négociant ones. However, one of them is on the program and there we can inspect an old wall from Roman times (!) in the cellar.

The importance of “grand cru” and “premier cru” should not be exaggerated; it is above all the talent of the winemaker that matters. But of course there will be many grand crus too. At one of our gastronomic lunches there will be a whole series – five or six or was it seven…? It is fascinating to see that this rural and peaceful landscape produces some of the world’s most highly regarded and expensive wines.

Going north we make a stop in Chablis and then continue to Champagne.

Those who think they know something about champagne (the wine) and Champagne (the regoin) often talk about “champagne grand cru” and claim that it’s the best you can find in Champagne. But that’s not really true. “Grand cru” in Champagne was created at the beginning of the 20th century as a tool for price control…

What’s important in making a quality champagne is the work of the winemaker, not primarily what plot of land the grapes grew on – how he takes care of his vines, that he places great importance on the harvest and not least what he does in the cellar. Champagne, more than almost all other wines, is a product of the work in the wine cellar. How to ferment. How to blend wines from different grapes, different plots, different vintages, to get the character the winemaker wants.

Champagne is certainly a luxury product and it can, of course, be lovely with a nice gift box and a heavy and worked bottle. But what matters most is how it tastes when you drink it and that has little (nothing) to do with whether the bottle comes in a box or is glittery.

What you will experience on our wine tour in Champagne is the craftsmanship, the incredible range of characters, the importance of the winegrower’s hand.

And, of course, some truly exceptional lunches – there are few others, if any, that can give you these gastronomic wine and food experiences.

Come on this exceptional tour to two of the world’s most respected wine regions with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).

Burgundy – Champagne Grand Tour, 23 September – 1 October

Book now!

(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.

Continue reading: Countryside luxury in Burgundy and craftsmanship instead of glitter in Champagne | wine tour

The post Countryside luxury in Burgundy and craftsmanship instead of glitter in Champagne | wine tour was originally published on BKWine Tours and written by Per Karlsson. Copyright BKWine and BKWine Tours. If you see it published elsewhere in full it has been republished without our permission.

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Chasing Summer: Iconic New World Wine Journeys for 2027 | wine tours

Per Karlsson — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:20:39 +0000

Our 2026 “winter” wine tours were officially sold out, completely fully booked, and are now all over. Secure your very special tour for 2027 today

The wine countries of the New World have been around for a while now, but a pioneering spirit remains.

New wine-producing regions are still being discovered. The New World is not as established as Europe. And since we travel to the Southern Hemisphere in the middle of winter, we arrive to glorious summer/late summer, with ripe grapes and preparations for harvest.

Our focus is wine, so we will visit many wineries, enjoy meetings with winemakers, have fantastic lunches, and also relax poolside.

We experience spectacular landscapes: an unforgettable bus journey across the Andes (South America), the view from Table Mountain (South Africa), and geysers and glaciers (New Zealand).

In the winter of 2026, all three of our long‑haul tours were fully booked, but we now have confirmed dates for 2027.

It is not too early to tell us if you are interested. Planning is part of the joy of travelling—especially for tours like these. Perhaps you would like to add a safari in South Africa, a stop in Singapore or Sydney on the way to New Zealand, or a visit to the icebergs of Patagonia while in South America.

Join us on a very special wine tour in 2027:

Argentina and Chile in South America, 11-24 January 2027
South Africa, 14-24 February 2027
New Zealand, 10-25 March 2027 (programme coming soon)

Detailed programmes now available for South America and South Africa. For New Zealand, look at the 2026 programmes and you’ll get a good idea of what to expect).

Continue reading: Chasing Summer: Iconic New World Wine Journeys for 2027 | wine tours

The post Chasing Summer: Iconic New World Wine Journeys for 2027 | wine tours was originally published on BKWine Tours and written by Per Karlsson. Copyright BKWine and BKWine Tours. If you see it published elsewhere in full it has been republished without our permission.

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Bordeaux is full of surprises | wine tour

Per Karlsson — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:28:02 +0000

Once when I was in Bordeaux, an air-plane fuselage came sailing up the river on a barge. It was even the gigantic Airbus A380 double-decker. It was on its way to the Airbus assembly factory upstream.

There are other strange things too; a bridge that is lifted straight up for larger ships (Pont Chaban-Delmas), large cruise ships dock in the middle of the city along the riverbank, warehouses converted into restaurants and shops, a boat along the river that is specially built to transport an Ariane rocket, or an old three-masted ship (”tall-ship”). Surfers surfing upstream (yes, actually) on le mascaret.

Now you probably rarely see all of this (or even some), but there are many other things that surprise. In Bordeaux, you get to experience some of the best that you can get in French gastronomy, served in private salons in châteaux. Another surprise is perhaps that Bordeaux is a region where you can find fantastically affordable wines. Sure, there are the big, exclusive châteaux (they are also on the tour program), but if you go outside the most famous appellations, the quality is also top-notch, but the prices are on a completely different level. Come on a tour to Bordeaux and let yourself be surprised and delighted.

Come and discover French wine and food in Bordeaux on this luxurious wine tour with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).

Book now!

Bordeaux wine tour, 13-19 September

(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books, one of which is on Bordeaux wines.

We can add that we have also written an award-winning book about Bordeaux.

Continue reading: Bordeaux is full of surprises | wine tour

The post Bordeaux is full of surprises | wine tour was originally published on BKWine Tours and written by Per Karlsson. Copyright BKWine and BKWine Tours. If you see it published elsewhere in full it has been republished without our permission.

BKWine Tours - Discover and Enjoy Wine with Us, the Real Wine Experience

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The Best of Burgundy and Champagne on this wine tour

Britt Karlsson — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:35:34 +0000

This nine‑day journey takes you into the heart of two of France’s most iconic wine regions. First is Burgundy, celebrated worldwide for its refined, expressive pinot noir and chardonnay. Then comes Champagne, the legendary birthplace of the world’s most famous sparkling wine.

Your adventure begins with four nights in Beaune, a small yet wonderfully lively town. Here you will find the historic Hôtel‑Dieu (Hospices de Beaune), charming streets and restaurants to suit every taste. The red wines of the Côte d’Or have long set the standard for pinot noir across the globe, admired for their remarkable elegance.

After Beaune, we go north, and we will make a short stop in Chablis, known for its crisp Chardonnay. We then continue with four nights in Reims in Champagne. Champagne offers a diversity that often surprises. Every producer leaves their own signature on the wine. We get answers to many questions —and we will probably debunk a few old myths along the way.

During this tour through Burgundy and Champagne, we will explore an impressive spectrum of both Burgundy wines and Champagnes, each chosen to highlight the character of the regions.

Along the way, our tastings are complemented by gourmet lunches that further elevate the wines. You will experience two of France’s most iconic wine regions at their very best. Stay tuned for the detailed program, coming soon.

Come on this exceptional tour to two of the world’s most respected wine regions with BKWine, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators (*).

Burgundy – Champagne Grand Tour, 23 September – 1 October, 2026

Book now!

(*) And the only one who has authored 13 award-winning wine books.

Continue reading: The Best of Burgundy and Champagne on this wine tour

The post The Best of Burgundy and Champagne on this wine tour was originally published on BKWine Tours and written by Britt Karlsson. Copyright BKWine and BKWine Tours. If you see it published elsewhere in full it has been republished without our permission.

BKWine Tours - Discover and Enjoy Wine with Us, the Real Wine Experience

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On BKWine’s Wine Photography: Photography on Wine, Food and Travel | BKWine Photography

New Zealand, March 10-25, 2026

Britt Karlsson — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:52:48 +0000

The magnificent discovery and exploration wine tour of New Zealand

— Come to New Zealand with us and enjoy a truly memorable wine adventure in the southern hemisphere.

It’s a long flight to get to New Zealand, so we aim to show you as much of this amazing country as we possibly can. Naturally we’ll experience the wines, but there’s so much more included in this once-in-a-lifetime tour: stunning natural landscapes, fascinating local culture and mouth-watering cuisine.

Our tour starts in Auckland, on the North Island, and finishes in Queenstown, South Island. We’ll be travelling for 16 days and will visit most of the country’s wine regions.

Tour Highlights

16 days + travel days
Many wine visits and tastings
Stunning natural settings, geysers, wildlife…
8,900 EUR

Hawke’s Bay
Marlborough
Central Otago
Martinborough
Lake Tekapo
Auckland
and more

Book Now!

Alternative date, 2027

This tour is also on the wine tour programme on:

Wine tour to New Zealand, 10-25 March 2027

New Zealand has become a well-known and respected wine country in a comparatively short time. The wine industry here began with sauvignon blanc wines from Marlborough. The first sauvignon blanc wines were launched on the market in 1979 and no one could have imagined how successful they would be. Indeed, sauvignon blanc is by far the most planted grape in New Zealand today.

However, there are many different grapes grown in a variety of soil types and climates on the North and South Islands, meaning that New Zealand boasts a range of wine styles.

Originally known as a cool climate wine producer, New Zealand and its wine industry have evolved, and the differences between the North and South Islands have become clear. The climate between regions varies more than you might imagine, and there are many more wines to sample besides sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, although these grapes alone are well worth the trip.

New Zealand is a small country and hence a relatively modest wine producer, but its industry has continued to grow, year on year, with exports increasing roughly 17% each year. There are currently 38,000 hectares of vines here; Marlborough (25,000 hectares) is the largest wine region.

The country spans 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) from north to south and its landscapes are jaw-dropping. The fact that New Zealand is narrow and surrounded by water affects the climate. Winters are mild and summers are warm but rarely hot, while autumn is often warm and dry, at least in the wine regions. The west coast gets rain but the vineyards on the warmer, drier east coast are sheltered.

As always on our tours, wine plays the leading role, but we have included a number of other activities. Nature will be a key feature of our trip: you will marvel at the geysers in Rotorua, Māori culture and cuisine will be included, and of course our group will discuss food and wine combinations and share many meals together, many of them at wine estates.

We have chosen to travel by bus all the way from Auckland to Queenstown, as this way we will see as much of the country and its marvellous landscape as possible. No trip to New Zealand would be complete without spotting kiwi birds (the country’s symbol) and sheep. Rest assured though, you will not be obliged to take part in the popular sports of sheep shearing or bungy jumping (they don’t spell it bungee here).

All in all, this promises to be an unforgettable road trip.

The tour is led by BKWine co-founder Britt Karlsson, one of BKWine’s internationally-known wine experts, and multiple award-winning wine book author and wine journalist. Once voted Wine Personality of the Year, she is also a columnist for Forbes.com.

Here’s a short video interview that we have made with Emma Jenkins MW, one of the very few New Zealand Masters of Wine, on what’s exciting with the country:

Programme — Wine tour to New Zealand

Preliminary programme.

Contact BKWine for more details.

There may be changes to some details of the programme, e.g. which wineries we visit. We put great effort into making your visits both exceptional and memorable. For this reason we often visit other than the most obvious, big-name producers (where there are often a number of guides employed). Instead we chose to give you a more unique, personal experience at our carefully selected estates, often (but not always) meeting the owner or the winemaker.

Programme overview

Day – – — Departure from home for Auckland
Day 1 — Arrival in Auckland
Day 2 — Waiheke Island
Day 3 — Auckland to Rotorua, geyser, Māori culture
Day 4 — Taupo to Napier
Day 5 — Hawkes Bay
Day 6 — Napier to Martinborough
Day 7 — Martinborough
Day 8 — Wellington, ferry to South Island
Day 9 —Marlborough
Day 10 —Marlborough
Day 11 — The coastal road from Blenheim to Christchurch
Day 12 — Christchurch to Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook
Day 13 — Mount Cook to Queenstown
Day 14 — Central Otago
Day 15 — Central Otago
Day 16 — Departure home
Day – – — Arrival at home

Day – – — Departure from home for Auckland

There are many choices for a route to New Zealand, with or without a pause in another country on your way. If you decide to arrive a few days early we can help you arrange with hotel or other things.

Day 1, Tuesday , March 10 — Arrival in Auckland

Arrive in Auckland, or you may decide to come a few days earlier, as this is a fascinating city.

Auckland is said to have more pleasure boats per capita than any other city in the world, hence its name The City of Sails. Given its spectacular location between the South Pacific Ocean and the Tasmanian Sea, it is easy to understand why many people here are into water sports.

With around 1.5 million inhabitants, Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city. A cosmopolitan destination with an impressive harbour and beaches for swimming and surfing, it also boasts attractive parks, lively nightlife and good shopping, while the restaurants will satisfy even the most discerning gourmet traveller.

You check in at our hotel, M Social Auckland with a fantastic location down by the water, on the bustling Princes Wharf. We will be staying here for two nights.

In the evening we will all meet for our welcome dinner.

Day 2, Wednesday, March 11 — Wine on Waiheke Island

We will have a relaxing day today on beautiful Waiheke Island, a 45-minute ferry ride from Auckland through the Hauraki Gulf. During the ferry ride you’ll be able to admire the view and the many islands of this small archipelago. The ferry docks at Matiatia Wharf. From there starts our discovery trip around Waiheke Island.

Waiheke Island has around 7,000 permanent residents and a host of temporary visitors. The climate is mild, dry and ideal for wine-growing. The modern era of wine growing on the island started in 1978, although vines had been planted here earlier; today, there are about 20 vineyards. Most are quite small in size, but among them are some of New Zealand’s best. Grapes grown here include cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, petit verdot, syrah, chardonnay, viognier and sauvignon blanc.

Waiheke Island is located east of Auckland and is partially protected from the cool and rainy winds from the west, making it both warmer and drier than Auckland. Vines flourish here, as do olive trees. We will visit one or two wine estates on the island, and have lunch at one of them.

We return to our hotel in Auckland and you have a free evening to explore the city.

Day 3, Thursday, March 12 — Auckland to Rotorua, geysers and Māori culture

We check out with our luggage, leaving the hotel after breakfast. We board our bus and start our tour towards the south, heading south-east towards the town of Rotorua.

Rotorua is in a volcanic area known for its geothermal activity, and you will see examples of this during the day. The population here is largely Māori, so this is an ideal opportunity to familiarise ourselves with the culture and history of New Zealand’s native population. We will travel through fertile farmland dotted with grazing dairy cows, passing small villages and farms of different sizes.

On arrival in Rotorua we will have a guided tour of the Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley to explore some of the thermal phenomena including the famous geyser Pohutu, the largest active geyser in the southern hemisphere, which erupts twenty times a day.

With its hot springs, Rotorua has always been a sacred place for the Māori. Our local guide will give us an insight into Māori history and culture and we will learn about traditional crafts such as weaving and wood carving. This will also be our opportunity to see New Zealand’s’ iconic kiwi bird – maybe, because this bird is not easy to spot, even in captivity.

We will have a simple lunch in a café (not included) and after that we will leave Rotorua and travel via New Zealand’s largest pine tree forests to Taupo. We will stop en-route to view the mighty Huka Falls. Huka in Maori translates to “snow” as the water here has the appearance of snow falling as it is forced along from Lake Taupo through the falls on its journey along the Waikato River. It’s noisy and very impressive.

Upon arrival in Taupo we will check in at our hotel, Hilton Lake Taupo beautifully set on the edge of a “steaming” forest (hot springs). The area is a popular holiday destination for New Zealanders.

In the evening we will visit a local family for a Māori cultural experience. The members of the family are affiliated to the local Māori tribe of Ngāti Tuwharetoa and we will be welcomed into “Te Ao Māori”, the world of Māori. We will experience a traditional powhiri (welcome ceremony) and also the essence of Maori culture through a powerful and vibrant haka and emotional songs of people, mountains, lakes and rivers.

We will be served an authentic buffet dinner with cuisine cooked in the hangi pit plus dishes that feature native New Zealand foods such as horopito and kamokamo.

At the conclusion of our evening, our driver will take us back to our hotel.

Day 4, Friday, March 13 — Taupo to Napier, wine tasting in Hawke’s Bay

We check out after breakfast and continue our journey south Our tour continues down to the Hawke’s Bay wine district (located at Hawke Bay – note the small but important difference in name/spelling), arriving in time for lunch at one of the wine estates. The afternoon will continue with another wine visit.

Hawke’s Bay has a sheltered location between the mountains and the sea, and is one of the warmest and driest wine regions of New Zealand. Its rolling slopes covered with vines, olive groves, palms and cypress trees set against the blue ocean backdrop make it one of the country’s most picturesque wine regions. With more than 4,500 hectares of vineyards, Hawke’s Bay is also New Zealand’s second largest wine region. It is warmer than Marlborough, and grape varieties such as Merlot and Syrah thrive here; Chardonnay is also prominent.

Late in the afternoon we check in at Scenic Hotel Te Pania in Napier. It is centrally located and we recommend a walk in the city. Napier is considered unique in the world because of its art deco buildings, erected after an earthquake in 1931 which completely destroyed the city. The reconstruction was done in the art deco style which was fashionable at the time.

Free evening.

Day 5, Saturday, March 14 — Winery visits at Hawke’s Bay

Today we have a full day in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand’s oldest wine region. We will travel south of Napier to the vineyards around the town of Hastings.

Red wines tend to dominate here and are often quite powerful, with good body and structure (some producers make comparisons with Bordeaux). This region is also known for its fruit and olive trees. In recent years, wine producers have discovered that the terroir here is extremely varied, adapting harvest dates and grape varieties accordingly.

There will be three visits today, one of which is combined with lunch. We will go to the beautiful Te Awanga coast south of Napier where there are a number of well-known producers, and to the famous Gimblett Gravels district, with its excellent stony soil.

By late afternoon we will be back at our hotel in Napier.

Free evening.

Day 6, Sunday, March 15 — Napier to Martinborough, wine visit in Wairarapa

Check out in the morning from our hotel with our luggage. Today we continue south, heading to a wine district called Wairarapa which includes the well-known Martinborough.

We will arrive in time for lunch at one of the wineries in Gladstone, one of Wairarapa’s sub-regions, the other two being Martinborough and Masterton. The first vines were planted in Wairarapa in the late 1970s. One of the pioneers was the now well-known estate, Ata Rangi. Wairarapa is a small region of just over 1000 hectares in total, but it features some very well-known producers.

Pinot noir is the most important grape variety grown here, giving wines with texture and body. The sauvignon blanc wines are excellent, and the riesling and pinot gris wines are becoming increasingly popular.

Late afternoon we check in to Parehua Resort Martinborough, a charming hotel surrounded by vineyards where we will each have our own cottage/villa with plenty of space, a fireplace in the salon, garden terrace… The hotel has a cosy bar and a restaurant. If you feel like exercising there are bicycles and an outdoor swimming pool, and you can play pétanque or croquet.

Tonight we will have dinner together at the hotel. This is your chance to taste green lipped mussels, a local speciality known for its distinctive coloured shell.

Day 7, Monday, March 16 — Martinborough

Today we continue to explore Wairarapa. The first estate we will visit is nearby, so you’ll be able to enjoy a relaxing breakfast.

Martinborough is surrounded by small, family-owned vineyards. Our focus today will be pinot noir but also syrah, a grape which does very well in this dry, temperate climate where the autumn is long and sunny, which gives the grapes plenty of time to develop their aromas.

After the morning visit, we will continue to the nearby Magrain Vineyard where we will have a relaxed barbecue lunch in the vineyards, accompanied by the Magrain Riesling and several different Pinot Noir wines.

Mid-afternoon we will head back to our hotel.

The evening is free.

Day 8, Tuesday, March 17 — To Wellington and to Blenheim

Check-out in the morning. We will travel over Rimutaka Hill to the capital city of Wellington, which will take us about an hour.

Wellington is situated at the southernmost tip of the North Island, which is more or less the middle of the country. This well-organised city is the country’s political and administrative centre, and it is built around a large harbour. After a short sight-seeing tour with the bus, our driver will leave us at the Waterfront for a couple of hours of free time. The Te Papa Museum is certainly worth a visit. Lunch is not included in today’s programme so you are free to make your own plans.

In the early afternoon we will head down to the harbour to take a ferry across to Picton, on the South Island. This will be a wonderful cruise through Wellington Harbour, across the Cook Strait and through the picturesque Queen Charlotte Sound. The journey takes about three hours which means plenty of time to maybe spot a dolphin or even an albatross, if we’re very lucky.

We dock at the small harbour of Picton where our bus awaits us. We now have about half an hour’s journey to get to Blenheim, the main town of the Marlborough wine region.

We check in at our hotel, five star Scenic Hotel Marlborough, in central Blenheim where we will stay for three nights, and the evening is free for you to explore this small town which has roughly 30,000 inhabitants.

Day 9, Wednesday, March 18 — Wine visits in Marlborough

Today we have a full day out and about in the vineyards of Marlborough. This is New Zealand’s largest and most famous wine region, and it is almost entirely associated with sauvignon blanc.

It was the intensely aromatic sauvignon blanc character of Marlborough wines that took the wine world by storm in the 1980s. Today it covers 18,400 ha of the region’s total of 25,000 ha. This style is still much sought after, but nowadays one can also find more nuanced wines here. Some producers use oak, others are looking for a crisper style; some harvest their grapes riper to get more body while others like to experiment with wild yeast and skin contact. Marlborough’s other grapes are also worthy of attention, as they show some interesting nuances; keep an eye out for pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling, pinot gris, gewurztraminer, grüner veltliner, syrah and others.

Marlborough has a huge variety of wine estates, from superstar Cloudy Bay, owned by French luxury group LVMH, to small boutique wineries. We will visit three wineries, and have lunch at one of them.

One of the wineries will be the superbly situated Clos Henri in Wairau Valley, an estate with an organic certification. Clos Henri was founded in 2000 by the Bourgeois family, who already had plenty of experience of making wine from sauvignon blanc and pinot noir at Domaine Henri Bourgeois in France’s Sancerre region.

We return to our hotel in the late afternoon, and the evening is free.

Day 10, Thursday, March 19 — Wine visit in Marlborough

Once again, we have a full day of wine tastings in Marlborough, visiting two or three more wineries.

The original vines planted in 1970s were near Blenheim, but the vineyards have now spread east, south and north. However, Marlborough is still a fairly compact region with short distances between the wineries. The conditions here are good for wine growing. The vines get plenty of sunshine and just the right amount of rain. The three sub-regions of Awatere Valley, Wairau Valley and Southern Valleys offer some differences in character, and there are soil variations. Some Marlborough sauvignon has sweeter fruit and perhaps more passion fruit flavours, while others have a crisper, greener tone. However, it is (usually) the winemaker who decides which style of wine he/she wants to make.

Today, one of our visits will be in the Awatere Valley located a short distance south of Blenheim. It is a fairly large farm where the whole family is involved. The vineyard is not that big but the family also has sheep and deer breeding and during our visit the family will show as those aspects of their life too. A very exciting visit. We will enjoy lunch with the winery’s wines in the village’s old train station house which the family recently bought and converted. We will do one more visit in the afternoon at a small producer that makes wine of high quality.

By late afternoon we will be back at our hotel; the evening is free.

Day 11, Friday, March 20 — The coastal road from Blenheim to Christchurch

We check out and leave Blenheim after breakfast. Today, we will enjoy a magnificent coastal landscape and observe birds and seals, as well as having a superb sea food lunch.

An attractive road of about 50 kilometres takes us along the coast from Blenheim down to our first stop in Kaikoura. The road runs so close to the ocean that we can easily observe the local bird life and New Zealand’s fur seals. We will stop for lunch in Kaikoura, a place famous for its top-quality seafood and popular with those interested in whales and other marine life.

The famous New Zealand crayfish, also called lobster, will be on the menu. With some crisp white wine, of course. After lunch we stay on for a little while in Kaikoura. The location is magnificent and it is well worth it taking a walk along the water.

After lunch we continue south across the farmlands of the North Canterbury Plains. We will pass the Waipara wine district where the first vineyards were planted as late as the 1980s.

Early evening we will check in at our hotel in Christchurch, Crowne Plaza Christchurch. Christchurch is the biggest city on the South Island. Some of the buildings that were destroyed during the earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 are being rebuilt, including the cathedral that was built between 1864 and 1904.

Free evening to discover Christchurch.

Day 12, Saturday, March 21 — Christchurch to Mount Cook, the Southern Alps, and glaciers

Today we have full day ahead of us and we will start quite early from the hotel. We continue to travel south, heading through the fertile Canterbury Plains, a significant agricultural community.

We will go west into Mackenzie County where we make a short stop at Lake Tekapo (renowned for its turquoise blue waters). After admiring the picturesque Church of the Good Shepherd at the southern tip of the lake we will continue along Lake Pukaki and soon we will have a glorious view of New Zealand’s highest mountain – Mount Cook – and the Southern Alps.

Our destination for the day is Mount Cook Village, located in Mount Cook National Park. The park comprises 70,000 hectares of ice and snow, five major glaciers and 15 mountain peaks, river beds, and an alpine vegetation of shrubs. Mount Cook (3,754 metres) towers above it all. The mountain is also known by its Māori name, Anorak.

We will have a light lunch together before arriving at Mount Cook.

When we get to Mount Cook Village, we will take a fascinating trip (2½ hours in total) to Tasman Glacier Lake. After walking for half an hour, we take a boat on the lake to explore the icebergs (and walk on them, weather permitting). The Tasman Glacier is New Zealand’s largest glacier.

Back in Mount Cook village, we check in at the Hermitage Hotel and later we will enjoy a buffet dinner together in the hotel restaurant. After dinner, if the sky is clear, we may be able to admire the wonderful starry sky (the southern hemisphere has many more stars than the northern).

Read this article on Aoraki Mount Cook, the glacier, and the excursion on the Tasman Lake, with lots of pictures and videos from this exceptional experience.

Day 13, Sunday, March 22 — Mount Cook to Queenstown

Check out from the hotel after breakfast. Today will be our first visit in spectacular Central Otago, a wine region known primarily for its pinot noir.

But first we will retrace our steps back along the shore of Lake Pukaki, passing the small town of Twizel where many scenes were filmed for the film Lord of the Rings. The road climbs through bleak rugged hills to the summit of the Lindis Pass before descending into Central Otago.

We will make a stop before arriving in Queenstown, close to the small town of Cromwell, in one of Central Otago’s sub-regions. Several wineries are located here including the legendary Felton Road, and Mount Difficulty, another pioneer of the Central Otago wine scene. We will start with lunch at one of the wineries in Cromwell, and there will be a winery visit after lunch. Central Otago is admittedly world famous for its pinot noir wines but there is a lot of other things going on in this exciting wine region. Central Otago was gold rush territory in the 1800s, and the region still has a certain adventurous feel: it is also fast becoming a popular wine region.

Late afternoon we check in at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside. We will stay here for 3 nights. The hotel is right in the heart of Queenstown.

The evening is free to explore Queenstown, a bustling town with many restaurants. It is beautifully situated on Lake Wakatipu.

Day 14, Monday, March 23 — Wine in Central Otago

The area of Central Otago features mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes, and is stunning. However, the climate and landscape are challenging for winemakers and it is important to find the right spots to plant vines in order for them to thrive.

Central Otago sprawls across a vast area and is far more spread out than Marlborough, although the planted area is only 2,000 hectares.

Our bus will take us to Bannockburn and Cromwell. Several wineries are located here including the legendary Felton Road, and Mount Difficulty, another pioneer of the Central Otago wine scene. We will visit two producers in the region. We will have lunch at one of the estates.

We will end the afternoon with a visit to Arrowtown, a town with a colourful history. Many of the original sycamore trees, planted by the gold-miners, cover the town’s cottages and stone buildings with a canopy of gold. In its heyday Arrowtown was a rough and ready frontier town. Today it is an incredibly well-preserved 19^th century town with, for example, a fascinating gold explorer museum. And many cafés and shops.

Late afternoon we are back in Queenstown.

Free evening.

Day 15, Tuesday, March 24 — Central Otago

Today we continue to explore Central Otago, not surprisingly the world’s most southerly wine region.

In the 1970s, few people in the New Zealand wine industry believed it possible to make wine here, doubting that the grapes could mature properly. But the long, warm, dry autumn season compensates for the somewhat unstable, cool spring, and pinot noir does well here, it represents almost 80% of all vines planted in Central Otago. Other important grapes include chardonnay, pinot gris, riesling and sauvignon blanc.

Organic wine, riesling, pinot gris and a wine maker with French roots are on today’s program. And some more!

We will return to our hotel in Queenstown at the end of the afternoon. In the evening we will meet for our last and delicious farewell dinner.

Day 16, Wednesday, March 25 — End of the wine tour in Queenstown

Today it is time to leave New Zealand. The tour ends after breakfast at the hotel in Queenstown, but perhaps you’ll wish to stay on for a few extra days to explore more of this wonderful country. Let us know if we can help you with hotels or other arrangements.

Day – – — Arrival back home

If you are heading home directly you will probably arrive one day later, depending on the length of your flight.

Go For It!

We’d love to have you with us.

More info

We have written a lot about New Zealand and about wine touring in the region, what to do and what to expect.

Read more about travelling in the New Zealand wine regions on our wine travel blog.
You can also find more information on BKWine Magazine on the wines from New Zealand, our online wine magazine.
Our YouTube videos on New Zealand.

If you’d like to see more pictures and videos from this tour, take a look at our Facebook group from these previous tours:

Wine books

We have written more than ten wine books. They have won both national and international wine writing awards.

No other wine tour organiser has a comparable knowledge, competence and experience.

Tour Details — Wine tour in New Zealand

Dates: March 10-25, 2026

Price per person: 8,900 EUR

Single room supplement: 1,700 EUR

Included in the price:

Starting point: Auckland
End point: Queenstown
15 nights in good quality hotels, double occupancy, including breakfast
- Several different hotels as we move through New Zealand. See programme for details
Meals as described in the programme (*) :
- 10 gourmet lunches at wine estates, all including wines
- 2 light lunches at wine estate or restaurant, all including wines
- 5 gourmet dinners, all including wines
Transportation in comfortable coach during all days of visits as described in the programme
Ferry or boat fees for sea crossings mentioned in the programme
All vineyard and winery visits, as per the programme (approx. 20 in total)
Private tastings at wineries
Day trips and other activities according to the programme, including entry fees when relevant
Wine guiding and wine tutoring by expert BKWine guides Britt Karlsson and Per Karlsson, BKWine founders

(*) See below for more important information about our meals.

Not included:

Travel (flights) to the start point (Auckland) and return travel from the end point (Queenstown).

You are responsible for organising your travel to New Zealand, arrival in Auckland and departure from Queenstown.

If you would like assistance organising your flight tickets etc, please contact us.

We recommend taking a few extra days to prolong your vacation in this wonderful destination. We can assist you with booking additional hotel nights if you want.

For this trip to take place we must have a minimum of 16 participants registered at the “book before” date. Maximum number of participants: 25.

Guide

Wine guide: Britt Karlsson, BKWine

Britt is co-founder of BKWine Tours, named World’s Top Wine Tours by Travel+Leisure Magazine. She is the author of The Creation of a Wine, which won the World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals award by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards as well as Best Wine Book of the Year in Sweden in 2010. In 2012 she published Wine and the Environment, voted Best Wine Book for Professionals in Sweden and taking second place in the World’s Best Educational Wine Book awards in 2013. In 2011 Britt was voted Wine Personality of the Year by Munskankarna; she has also been voted one of the five most influential wine writers in Sweden.

Flights

We have chosen not to include the cost of flights in this tour: here’s why. Our clients come from many different countries and continents. By booking your own flights, your have maximum flexibility when choosing how and when to travel.

In many cases it is cheaper to buy flight tickets as an individual than as a tour operator (and we are a small and very specialised tour operator). We have chosen to put all our effort into creating an exceptional tour programme while keeping the costs reasonable, rather than including a flight booking service and then having to cut corners on the tour programme. We believe that this give you much better value for your money.

We will do everything possible to make it easy for you to arrange your travel, and we can put you in touch with one of our travel agent partners if you would like assistance. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding your flight arrangements.

Booking your flight to New Zealand

We suggest that you book a flight that arrives any time during the day of Day 1 (or earlier). In the evening of Day 1 we will all meet for a welcome dinner, and this is the start of the programme. If you choose to arrive earlier, we can help to arrange additional hotel nights at our hotel.

Special cancellation conditions

Please note that special cancellation conditions apply for this wine tour.

Cancellation of your booking can be made according to the following:

More than 60 days before the beginning of the trip: the Traveller pays a fee equivalent to the Booking Fee.
46 to 60 days before the beginning of the trip: the Traveller pays a fee equivalent to 75% of the total price.
45 days or less before the beginning of the trip: the Traveller pays the full fee.

Book This Tour

Book before: ~~15 November 2025~~ No more bookings.

Join us on the New Zealand tour in 2027 instead!

Booking is confirmed by paying the booking fee of 1,500 EUR. Full payment should be received at the latest 60 days before the departure date (see our terms and conditions). Details on how to pay will be sent to you when you register.

It is important that you read our travel booking terms and conditions.

We also invite you to read more on why you should travel with BKWine, about customer protection, and about what you can expect from our wine tours in the section below “More on our wine tours”.

You book by contacting Britt Karlsson, BKWine:

Book on email: info@bkwine.com
Or use the contact form below
Phone Britt: 0033 6 80 45 35 70
Or phone Per: 0033 6 83 51 12 53

We speak English, French and Swedish.

(“33″ is the country code for France. It is usually preceded by + or 00 if you are calling internationally.)

“I want to book this tour” or “I want more info”

* = required

Important: We automatically send you a copy of this email when you submit it. If you have not received it within a few minutes: 1) check your spam folder, 2) consider resending it, you might have misspelled your email address. Or simply send us a normal email using our address noted just above.

Share this tour programme with your friends

Maybe your friends want to come with you on this wine tour? Let them know about the programme and ask if they’d like to join you. Share the info on social networks or send an email to your friends:

More on our wine tours

Why travel with BKWine?

We are Britt and Per Karlsson. We are specialists in wine and food tours and wine tourism, but also experts in wine in general. We are internationally published wine writers and have written ten award-winning wine books.

No other tour operator has a comparable knowledge and experience of wine, wine regions, wine tourism and gourmet travel.

We have organised hundreds of wine and food tours, and this is what we love to do. We take it very seriously – it is not a sideline or a hobby – and what we want more than anything is to share all these wonderful experiences with you.

All our tours are led and managed by guides who have in-depth wine knowledge, and in many cases we lead the tours ourselves.

Thousands of happy customers

Over the years, thousands of wine lovers have travelled with us. Many come back to tour again and again with BKWine to new wine regions. Our record-breaking client has been on more than ten BKWine tours. We are happy and proud to have such faithful customers.

Awards and Mentions

We’re pleased and proud to have received many accolades, including:

“World’s Top Wine Tours”, Travel+Leisure Magazine, the world’s biggest travel magazine
“Best wine tasting holidays”, AOL Travel’s list of top wine tours
“Recommended Wine Tours”, Munskänkarna, the world’s biggest wine appreciation association
“World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals” as well as “Best Wine Book of the Year”, Gourmand International awards, and many other book prizes
Three OIV book awards, International Organisation of Vine and Wine
“Wine Personality of the Year”, an honour bestowed on Britt Karlsson by Munskänkarna in 2011, the world’s biggest wine appreciation association
Inclusion on the Wine Media Power List, by Wine Business International magazine

About the wine producers and wineries we visit

Our aim is for you to experience some of the very best and most interesting aspects of the wine world, in terms of wine and food.

We put great effort into creating outstanding winery visits, and in this way we are quite different to many wine tour organisers. It is not always the most renowned, internationally known estates that offer the best experiences. Organising a wine tour featuring famous names of the wine world is relatively easy: it is merely a question of making lists and ticking boxes. On those kind of “bucket list” wine tours, you rarely meet the winemaker or the owner. You will simply be one of thousands of visitors they receive each year.

We do things differently. With BKWine Tours, you will meet the people behind the label, often the winemakers and/or the owners. Thanks to them, you will have a unique, truly personal experience and an insight into the wine world that no one else can offer. When you travel with BKWine, you are more like a special guest than a tourist.

We have personal connections and unparalleled knowledge thanks to more than 20 years as wine journalists, with 10 wine books published, and as wine tour organisers with more than 30 years’ experience. You can be sure of getting the best wine travel experiences with BKWine Tours.

A true gourmet experience: food and gastronomy

For us, wine and food are intimately linked, and this is a fundamental part of our wine travel philosophy. For this reason, a wine tour with BKWine is always an outstanding culinary experience both for the wine enthusiast and for the gourmet. A BKWine tour is a gastronomic voyage that explores the deep relationship between food and wine.

Customer Protection, Financial Travel Guarantee, and Terms and Conditions

You can always feel safe when you book your tour with BKWine. BKWine has a bonded bank guarantee that gives full protection according to EU and Swedish law. BKWine is a Swedish limited company and as such is regulated by strict rules.

When you book a tour it is important that you read the terms and conditions. BKWine’s booking terms and conditions follow the guidelines developed by the Consumer Protection Agency.

Health, vaccination and allergies

Our tours have no particular health requirements although inevitably we will be walking a certain amount in wine cellars and vineyards. Sensible footwear is a must.

Most of our travel destinations have no particular health guidelines or requirements for vaccinations or medical certificates, but if in doubt, you should always consult a medical professional, vaccination centre or relevant embassy in your country of origin.

We can always accommodate food allergies. However, in order for us to manage such requests you must let us know about any allergies before the tour starts.

Read more in our FAQ and in our Terms and Conditions.

Travel insurance

BKWine does not sell travel insurance. If you want travel insurance, check if your regular home insurance policy includes some kind of travel insurance, or contact your regular insurance company or a travel insurance specialist.

Custom Tours

We also offer custom wine and food tours if you want to travel on different dates, or if you want something different to what we currently offer on our scheduled tours. This tailor-made service can be offered for individuals, companies, professionals, wine tastings clubs etc.

Important information

Our groups are always small. The number of people in the group may vary. The maximum can range from 8 to around 20; check the details in each programme. But our groups are always modest in size. This is important because it guarantees a quality experience and a personal welcome at the wineries we visit.

Read the BKWine Booking Terms and Conditions here. They are important to you!

You are expected to organise your travel independently to the destination for most of our tours, but once you are at the location, we take care of everything.

For more inspiration

Read our wine travel blog. For more, read our online wine magazine the BKWine Magazine with articles from all over the wine world.

And also:

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What do the customers say about BKWine tours?

Newsletter on wine

Subscribe to our free wine and travel newsletter, the BKWine Brief. Each month, it gives you news from the world of wine, restaurant recommendations, tips on our favourite wine producers and much more. It will also keep you updated on forthcoming wine and food tours.

Continue reading: New Zealand, March 10-25, 2026

The post New Zealand, March 10-25, 2026 was originally published on BKWine Tours and written by Britt Karlsson. Copyright BKWine and BKWine Tours. If you see it published elsewhere in full it has been republished without our permission.

BKWine Tours - Discover and Enjoy Wine with Us, the Real Wine Experience

Read more:

BKWine Magazine, on wine, travel and gastronomy
On BKWine’s Wine Photography: Photography on Wine, Food and Travel | BKWine Photography

Bordeaux, September 13-19, 2026

Britt Karlsson — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 14:41:49 +0000

Bordeaux: a classic wine tour destination with luxurious châteaux and ambitious winemakers

— Bordeaux is home to world-famous châteaux and world-class wines, but it’s also home to some exciting new initiatives, important for the future of this outstanding wine region, and some younger, highly motivated winemakers. On this trip we will visit grand cru classé estates, as well as others that are less well-known but equally quality-conscious, taking in the renowned regions of Médoc, Saint-Émilion, and Graves. By the end of the tour we will have discussed viticulture, vinification and vintages, and you’ll be well briefed on the Bordeaux wine scene.

Tour Highlights

6 nights
Private tastings
Gourmet Châteaux lunches
Expert wine guide
Price: 4,480 euro

Médoc
Saint-Émilion
Graves
Sauternes
Entre-deux-Mers

Book Now!

Over five days we will travel around the Bordeaux wine region, visiting prestigious châteaux but also some smaller, family-owned estates.

We will enjoy private tastings at all the châteaux, welcomed by hosts who are delighted to share their passion for fine wine with us.

We will stay six nights in the city of Bordeaux, an elegant, truly beautiful city of just over half a million inhabitants. In the evenings you will have the possibility to explore the many landmarks, sights, and restaurants of Bordeaux at your leisure.

The city of Bordeaux is a UNESCO World Heritage site; read more about it in our City Guide to Bordeaux. We will meet in Bordeaux, which is easy to reach (the city has an international airport and is only 2 hours away from Paris by TGV, the high speed train). You will arrive on Sunday. On Monday morning our bus will pick us up for our first vineyard visits. Saturday is departure day.

This exclusive tour is led by one of BKWine’s wine and travel expert guides. It will be a small group of wine and food lovers, so you will undoubtedly feel like privileged guests at the visits.

Useful tip: Combine this tour with a few days in e.g. Paris before or after the visit to Bordeaux. The 2-hour TGV train journey from central Paris to central Bordeaux is very comfortable and takes you through some beautiful landscapes.

Also worth noting is that we at BKWine have written an award-winning book about Bordeaux, a concise guide to the wines and regions of Bordeaux.

So you will have a hard time finding a more insightful guide to this exciting wine region. More on this below.

Programme — Bordeaux wine tour

Preliminary programme.

Contact BKWine for more details.

Programme overview

Day 1, Sunday — Arrival in Bordeaux
Day 2, Monday — Médoc: Pauillac and Saint Estèphe
Day 3, Tuesday — Entre-deux-Mers and Sauternes
Day 4, Wednesday — Graves / Pessac-Léognan
Day 5, Thursday — Saint-Émilion
Day 6, Friday — Médoc: Margaux and Saint Julien
Day 7, Saturday — Departure for home

Sunday, September 13 — Arrival in Bordeaux

Arrival in Bordeaux. Check in at our 4-star hotel in the city centre.

The city of Bordeaux is the centre of the Bordeaux wine trade. But today you’ll see more beautifully renovated Renaissance or baroque mansions, luxury boutiques and university students than wine warehouses.

Situated on the banks of the Garonne river, Bordeaux is without a doubt one of France’s most elegant cities. What used to be warehouses and car parks have been transformed into a multitude of cafés, wine bars and restaurants. Here you can find everything from Michelin-starred dining destinations to simple neighbourhood bistrots.

When in Bordeaux, there are two “must-do” items for your list. One is to explore the Old Town on foot, soaking up the atmosphere and admiring the many characterful streets and squares. The other is to take a stroll at dusk along the river banks and admire the magnificent Place de la Bourse as the light falls.

This first evening in Bordeaux, we meet for a welcome dinner in the city.

The following evenings are free to explore the city: maybe call in at a bar and try a Lillet, a fragrant, wine-based apéritif created by brothers Paul and Raymond Lillet in 1872? It found fame thanks to an appearance in the James Bond film Casino Royale, and it is still made in the original location today.

Monday, September 14 — The Médoc, la route des Châteaux

Our bus will pick us up at our hotel after breakfast. We will spend the day in Médoc, home to many of the major châteaux and famous for its wines made primarily of cabernet sauvignon.

Here, the vines grow on a narrow strip of land along the Gironde estuary. The vineyards are sheltered from the rain and Atlantic Ocean winds by the pine forest area of Les Landes. The famous gravelly soil, with sand, pebbles and clay spread out in different layers, provides good drainage.

We will drive along the route des châteaux heading north on a spectacular journey, passing many châteaux, some of them looking like they belong in a fairytale. The bus will take us through the villages of Margaux, Saint-Julien and Pauillac, and up to Saint-Estèphe. The vineyards of the famous estates are planted with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and maybe a little bit of petit verdot. The best vineyards have a view over the estuary, or so it is said.

We will visit three different châteaux, including impressive grand cru classé châteaux. At lunch time we will visit a magnificent, family-owned château and start with a private tour of the cellar.

If our visit falls during harvest time, we will see the meticulous sorting of the grapes, a key element in producing top quality wine, carried out when the fruit arrives at the winery. The visit is followed by a wine tasting and lunch. This is an exceptional gastronomic experience on a par with a luxury restaurant meal, the only difference being that you will enjoy it in the calm setting of the dining room of the château. Naturally, a selection of wines will be matched with the various courses.

By early evening we will be back in Bordeaux. A riverside walk is a must. The famous water mirror feature in front of the Place de la Bourse is at its most spectacular at dusk. There are also many excellent restaurants along the newly renovated and redesigned river banks.

Tuesday, September 15 — Entre-deux-Mers and Sauternes

Today, we cross the Garonne River, to Entre-deux-Mers. In Entre-deux-Mers, much of the basic Bordeaux wine is made. But not only. There is a lot of ambition here today and this is where many young entrepreneurs are.

Entre-deux-Mers is a large piece of land that spreads out like a triangle between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. For many, the area is just a transport route to get from the city of Bordeaux to Saint-Emilion. It is a shame because Entre-deux-Mers is a beautiful region with a green and rolling landscape and quaint little villages from the 13th century, bastides as they are called in this area. Many chateaux here deserve much more attention than they get particularly in a time when the big and famous châteaux are getting more and more expensive.

We will visit one or two of the “new wave” chateaux here where very enthusiastic and talented winemakers challenge the “big-and-famous”.

Across the river Garonne from Entre-deux-Mers is Sauternes. The sweet wines of Sauternes are exceptional and world famous. The sweetness comes from the noble rot which gives not only sugar but also a unique taste of honey and spices to the wines. We will visit one of the grand chateaux in the region and learn how these magnificent wines are made, a process that is quite complicated.

Late afternoon we are back in Bordeaux. Free evening. Don’t forget to savour a glass of sauternes with your dessert.

Wednesday, September 16 – Graves / Pessac-Léognan

Today we will visit the Graves region. Graves is known for its high quality red and dry white wines and is named after its fine, pebbly soil which provides both good drainage and heat to the roots of the vine.

We will start the day with a visit to the northern part of Graves, called Pessac-Léognan. In fact, Pessac-Léognan is an enclave in the Graves region and an appellation that was created in 1987. It is close to the Bordeaux city centre and some of the chateaux are today surrounded by suburban housing.

The white (dry) wines of Bordeaux are truly magnificent and well worth trying, particularly as today, less than 10% of wines made in Bordeaux are white. Compare this with 50 years ago, when white wine accounted for half of this region’s production, and you will understand that this is an excellent opportunity to taste some of the best examples of what is a shrinking category (although in recent years it is increasing again a little bit). We will visit a family-owned château where the winemaker/owner makes both white and red wines.

We will stay in Pessac-Léognan for our lunch at a charming Grand Cru Classé de Graves. We will visit the vineyard and the cellar before enjoying a lunch prepared by a talented chef and paired with a selection of excellent wines, creating a gastronomic experience worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant.

After our long lunch we return to Bordeaux in the middle of the afternoon. The rest of the afternoon is free to stroll around and explore Bordeaux and in the evening, you can enjoy the city’s vast choice of restaurants and wine bars. If you haven’t already, do take a walk along the river up to Quai des Chartrons.

Thursday, September 17 — Saint Emilion

Today we will visit the rive droite (Right Bank) of Bordeaux. We cross both rivers, the Garonne, and the Dordogne. Here we find Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. We pass through Pomerol and we will visit two châteaux in Saint Emilion.

The landscape is hillier here than in the Médoc and the châteaux are smaller. We will visit small family estates with high ambitions. We will have the opportunity to walk in the vineyards, and our hosts will explain how they work to get the very best grapes, which is of course of utmost importance to the final quality of the wines.

Lunch will be at a renowned Saint Emilion grand cru classé property with an impressive, state-of-the-art winery and a spectacular limestone cellar, the same stone which over the years has been painstakingly hewn and used to build houses in the area. After the visit, a delicious lunch will be served in the dining room of this small château.

After lunch, we have time for a leisurely stroll in picturesque Saint-Émilion before we go back to Bordeaux. This charming, small medieval town features on the UNESCO World Heritage list and is not to be missed with its ancient town centre with steep and winding streets and underground troglodyte church.

We arrive back at our hotel in Bordeaux in the late afternoon. The evening is free for you to enjoy discovering the city centre. If you have not already done so, take a walk, and admire the magnificent architecture of the Old Town. Don’t miss the Place du Parlement and Place de la Bourse.

Friday, September 18 – The Médoc Peninsula

Today, we return to Médoc for a couple of more visits to great Bordeaux chateaux. We will again take the road north, passing the Bordeaux harbour and the Cité du Vin, an impressive wine museum inaugurated a few years ago.

We will make château stops in the southern parts of Médoc, in Margaux and Saint Julien, said to make softer, more elegant and smoother wines than northern Pauillac and Saint Estèphe. But in reality, it depends perhaps more on the winemaker and the vintage.

The die-hard rumour that red Bordeaux is a tannic wine that requires aging persists although it is only partly (or not at all) true today. The more exclusive Bordeaux wines can still age gracefully for a long time. But even the very best Bordeaux wines today have much softer tannins than 50 years ago and can be enjoyed after just a couple of years. However, structure and tannins are important, that is what makes them such excellent food wines. Which we will have ample opportunity to discover during our delicious chateau lunch.

Late afternoon we are back at our hotel for our last evening in Bordeaux. Early evening, we will meet for a farewell glass of wine and then the evening is yours to spend at your leisure.

Saturday, September 19 — Heading back home

The tour ends after breakfast. Departure.

Go For It!

We’d love to have you with us.

More travel information

Here are some useful pages and guides about this travel destination:

Even more info

We have written a lot about Bordeaux and about wine touring in the region, what to do and what to expect.

Read more about travelling in the Bordeaux wine region on our travel blog.
You can also find more information on the wines from Bordeaux in BKWine Magazine, our online wine magazine.
Our YouTube videos on Bordeaux

Here are a few videos from winery visits in Bordeaux:

The Bordeaux Wine Book

One of the many internationally award winning wine books we, the BKWine Tours founders, have written is on Bordeaux, but unfortunately it is not currently available in English.

As far as we know, no other wine tour operator has a track record of authoring ten or more wine books, so you can feel confident that you will get the most competent and high-quality wine tour with BKWine.

More wine books

We have written more than ten wine books. They have won both national and international wine writing awards.

No other wine tour organiser has a comparable knowledge, competence and experience.

Tour Details — Bordeaux Wine Tour

Dates: September 13-19, 2026

Price per person: 4,480 euro

Single room supplement: 440 euro

Included in the price:

6 nights hotel accommodation, double occupancy, including breakfast in good quality 4-star hotel in central Bordeaux
Meals as described in the programme above (*):
- 1 gastronomic multi-course welcome dinner including wines
- 5 gastronomic multi-course lunches including prestigious wines; most of them private at a wine châteaux
Start and end point: Bordeaux
Bus transport during the whole trip
All vineyard and winery visits
Private, top quality tastings at wineries
Translation from French as needed (some visits may be in English)
Wine guiding and wine tutoring by an expert BKWine guide

(*) See below for more important information on our meals.

Not included:

Travel (flights etc) to the destination and back to your home location.

You are responsible for organising your travel to and from Bordeaux.

If you would like assistance organising your flight tickets etc, please contact us.

We warmly recommend that you plan a few extra days here if you have the time. It is a very interesting place and well worth some regular, non-wine related tourism too. We can assist you with booking additional hotel nights as needed.

Bordeaux-Mérignac is an international airport, but if you want to spend a few extra days in (for example) Paris, it is quick and easy to take the train from Bordeaux to Paris. It takes about 2 hours from Paris-Montparnasse station, or around 3 hours from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. Train tickets are normally released for sale three months before the travel date. It is easy to book train tickets on the internet; book train tickets in France here.

For this tour to take place we must have a minimum of 6 participants registered by the “book before” date.

Book This Tour

Book before: June 1, 2026

Booking is confirmed by paying the booking fee of 900 euro. Full payment should be received at the latest 30 before the departure date (see our terms and conditions). Details on how to pay will be sent to you when you register.

It is important that you read our travel booking terms and conditions.

We also invite you to read more on why you should travel with BKWine, about customer protection, and about what you can expect from our wine tours in the section below “More on our wine tours”.

You book by contacting Britt Karlsson, BKWine:

Book on email: info@bkwine.com
Or use the contact form below
Phone Britt: 0033 6 80 45 35 70
Or phone Per: 0033 6 83 51 12 53

We speak English, French and Swedish.

(“33″ is the country code for France. It is usually preceded by + or 00 if you are calling internationally.)

“I want to book this tour” or “I want more info”

* = required

Share this tour programme with your friends

Maybe your friends want to come with you on this wine tour? Let them know about the programme and ask if they’d like to join you. Share the info on social networks or send an email to your friends:

More on our wine tours

Why travel with BKWine?

No other tour operator has a comparable knowledge and experience of wine, wine regions, wine tourism and gourmet travel.

All our tours are led and managed by guides who have in-depth wine knowledge, and in many cases we lead the tours ourselves.

Thousands of happy customers

Awards and Mentions

We’re pleased and proud to have received many accolades, including:

“World’s Top Wine Tours”, Travel+Leisure Magazine, the world’s biggest travel magazine
“Best wine tasting holidays”, AOL Travel’s list of top wine tours
“Recommended Wine Tours”, Munskänkarna, the world’s biggest wine appreciation association
“World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals” as well as “Best Wine Book of the Year”, Gourmand International awards, and many other book prizes
Three OIV book awards, International Organisation of Vine and Wine
“Wine Personality of the Year”, an honour bestowed on Britt Karlsson by Munskänkarna in 2011, the world’s biggest wine appreciation association
Inclusion on the Wine Media Power List, by Wine Business International magazine

About the wine producers and wineries we visit

Our aim is for you to experience some of the very best and most interesting aspects of the wine world, in terms of wine and food.

A true gourmet experience: food and gastronomy

Customer Protection, Financial Travel Guarantee, and Terms and Conditions

When you book a tour it is important that you read the terms and conditions. BKWine’s booking terms and conditions follow the guidelines developed by the Consumer Protection Agency.

Health, vaccination and allergies

Our tours have no particular health requirements although inevitably we will be walking a certain amount in wine cellars and vineyards. Sensible footwear is a must.

We can always accommodate food allergies. However, in order for us to manage such requests you must let us know about any allergies before the tour starts.

Read more in our FAQ and in our Terms and Conditions.

Travel insurance

Custom Tours

Important information

Read the BKWine Booking Terms and Conditions here. They are important to you!

You are expected to organise your travel independently to the destination for most of our tours, but once you are at the location, we take care of everything.

For more inspiration

Read our wine travel blog. For more, read our online wine magazine the BKWine Magazine with articles from all over the wine world.

And also:

Recommend this trip to a friend using the share buttons below

What do the customers say about BKWine tours?

Newsletter on wine

Continue reading: Bordeaux, September 13-19, 2026

The post Bordeaux, September 13-19, 2026 was originally published on BKWine Tours and written by Britt Karlsson. Copyright BKWine and BKWine Tours. If you see it published elsewhere in full it has been republished without our permission.

BKWine Tours - Discover and Enjoy Wine with Us, the Real Wine Experience

Read more:

BKWine Magazine, on wine, travel and gastronomy
On BKWine’s Wine Photography: Photography on Wine, Food and Travel | BKWine Photography

Burgundy and Champagne, September 23 – October 1, 2026

Britt Karlsson — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:10:24 +0000

The Grand French Wine tour to Burgundy and Champagne: exclusive wines, world-class gastronomy, world-famous wine villages

Experience two of France’s most prestigious wine regions on the same tour

— On this 9-day wine tour, you will taste some of France’s most famous wines. We start in Côte d’Or, the heart of Burgundy, a magical place, famous for its exclusive grand cru wines. We continue to Champagne where the world’s most renowned sparkling wines are made. Champagne is a fascinating region, rich in history but still very dynamic. Join us and discover the wines, the landscape, and the gastronomy of these classic French wine regions. A unique BKWine tour that gives you some of the world’s best wines.

Tour Highlights

8 nights
Private prestigious tastings
Magnificent lunches
Burgundy & Champagne Grand Cru and Premier Cru
5,200 euro

Beautiful landscapes
Classics and innovation
Visit Chablis too
Stay in Beaune and Reims
Small growers & famous houses

Book Now!

This wine tour begins in the Côte d’Or, the heart of Burgundy—a magical place. Travelling through its famous villages, home to some of the world’s most expensive and most exceptional wines, is a truly special experience. Crafting red wine in Burgundy is no easy task; it takes a skilful winemaker to bring out the best in pinot noir. On this tour, you will meet some of these talented producers.

Prepare to indulge in outstanding wines, from the ‘simple’ AOC/AOP Bourgogne to the most exclusive grand crus. Our visits will focus on the Côte d’Or, the most prestigious part of Burgundy. We will stay in Beaune, a charming wine town of around 20,000 inhabitants—a fascinating blend of small‑town tranquillity and metropolitan energy.

After a few days in Beaune, we head north. Our first stop is Chablis, a small town in northern Burgundy with a world‑famous reputation for its crisp Chardonnay wines. From there, we continue to Reims, the capital of Champagne. Many regions produce sparkling wine, but only one can call its wines “Champagne.” During our stay, we will explore the terroir, the secrets of the soil and climate, and the viticultural and oenological challenges involved in crafting this exceptional wine. By the end of the tour, you will understand what makes champagne unique among sparkling wines.

We will visit both renowned Champagne houses and smaller, independent growers who produce wine exclusively from their own grapes.

Our lavish lunches will offer ample opportunity to discover how best to pair champagne with delicious dishes, and to experience the pleasure of a “champagne all the way” meal. There will be several such occasions.

We will spend four nights in Reims, located roughly 95 miles (150 km) east of Paris. The city is home to many famous Champagne houses, and its cathedral—one of the most beautiful and impressive in France—is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you arrive in Paris, the TGV high‑speed train will take you from the city (or Charles de Gaulle Airport) to Dijon, where you will transfer to a local train for a short 20‑minute ride to Beaune. From Reims, the TGV will bring you back to Paris in about 45 minutes and to Charles de Gaulle Airport in roughly one hour.

This unforgettable wine tour takes you through two of France’s most iconic wine regions, offering extraordinary wines, gastronomic meals featuring regional specialities, personal winery visits, and beautiful landscapes. Throughout the journey, you will enjoy superb meals that will be true gastronomic highlights, with many opportunities to explore how Burgundy and Champagne pair with classic French dishes.

One of BKWine’s wine and travel expert guides — one of the co-owners, co-founders of BKWine — leads the tour.

Also worth noting is that we at BKWine have written an internationally award-winning book about the French wine regions, as well as twelve other award-winning book on wine, including an in-depth guide to Champagne and its growers.

So you will have a hard time finding a more insightful guide to these exciting wine regions. More on this below.

Programme — Burgundy and Champagne Wine Tour

Preliminary programme.

Contact BKWine for more details.

Programme overview

Day 1, Wednesday — Arrival in Beaune
Day 2, Thursday — Côte de Nuits
Day 3, Friday — Côte de Nuits
Day 4, Saturday — Côte de Beaune
Day 5, Sunday — Continue the tour to Chablis and Champagne
Day 6, Monday – Champagne, Montagne de Reims
Day 7, Tuesday — Champagne, Côte des Blancs
Day 8, Wednesday — Big and small in Champagne
Day 9, Thursday — End of tour

Wednesday, September 23 — Arrival in Beaune

You arrive in Beaune and check in at our four-star hotel. The hotel is located a 10-minute walk from the old town and all the sights and restaurants. Our hotel also has a restaurant.

Beaune is a town with a lot of personality. It has a very old town centre. Close to Place Carnot, the main square, you will find the Hôtel Dieu (Hospices de Beaune), one of Burgundy’s and France’s great tourist attractions. It is, or was, a hospital dating back to the 15th century. It was finished in 1451. Now a museum, it functioned as a hospital until the 1960s. In the courtyard, you can see the extraordinary roof with coloured roof tiles, typical for Burgundy.

There are plenty of restaurants and cafés to explore. You can find both traditional French bistros and luxurious gourmet restaurants.

In the evening, we all meet for a welcome dinner.

Thursday, September 24 — Côte de Nuits

After breakfast, our bus will pick us up, and we leave Beaune and head north. We pass the famous Corton hill and continue towards Côte de Nuits.

Our first visit will be up in the northern part of the Côte de Nuits. The entire Côte de Nuits is a narrow strip of land extending 23 kilometres from north to south. Here, some of the world’s most sought-after red wines are made.

We will meet Philippe Bernard, his wife Martine, and his daughter Virginie at Domaine Clos Saint Louis in the village of Fixin. First, we go out and look at the vineyards with Philippe. We continue into the wine cellar where Philippe will tell us everything about the whole wine process. We finish with a wine tasting in one of the ancient cellar rooms.

On our way south, we stop in Vosne-Romanée and make a short visit to view the most expensive and famous grand cru vineyards, La Romanée Conti, La Tâche and Richebourg, mythical wines that cost several thousand euros today. The Romanée-Conti can reach over €20,000. Per bottle.

We stop for lunch in Chambolle-Musigny. It will be a traditional Burgundian lunch but with a modern twist. And with some delicious wines.

We end the day with a visit to a family winery in Prémeaux Prissey near Nuits-Saint-Georges. The family has over 20 hectares (50 acres) of vineyards spread over 20 appellations in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. They make wines in a for Burgundy unusually structured style.

The evening is free. Take a walk at your leisure and explore Beaune. Stroll through the narrow streets and discover the old houses. Or relax in the hotel restaurant.

Friday, September 25 — Côte de Nuits

Today, we will go north again and visit a few more of the famous villages in Côte de Nuits.

We will visit an exciting biodynamic estate in Morey-Saint-Denis, Domaine Michel Magnien where we will visit the wine cellar, which is very unusual because many of the wines are fermented and aged in terracotta amphorae. The estate has some excellent vineyard locations, and we will discover them during our magnificent tasting of their highly rated premier and grand cru wines.

Today’s lunch will be at a high-quality estate with 11.5 hectares of excellent vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin and the neighbouring villages. The owner herself has prepared an authentic Burgundian four-course lunch for us that we will enjoy in their private salon with a view over their garden and vineyard. We will, of course, drink several of their superb wines to illustrate the span from “plain” burgundy (not so “plain” here) to grand cru.

We then hop on the bus and head south again. We get a good view of the beautiful Château du Clos de Vougeot, located in the middle of the Grand Cru vineyard of Clos de Vougeot.

Late afternoon, we are back in Beaune. Free evening.

Saturday, September 26 — Côte de Beaune

Today, our first visit till be in the town of Beaune. Not surprisingly, Beaune has several magnificent wine cellars as many of the wine merchants (les négociants) since many years have their headquarters here.

We will visit the well-known wine négociant Joseph Drouhin, whose cellar is in the middle of the oldest part of Beaune. Their beautiful cellars are from different centuries and the oldest one is actually the oldest in Beaune, dating back to Roman times (!). Of course, we get to visit these places, and we will end with a delicious tasting of some of Drouhin’s prestigious wines.

We then head for the Corton Hill where we will have lunch at an estate in Aloxe-Corton. This family-owned estate was founded in 1857 and now has 9 hectares (22 acres), many of which are great locations on the grand cru Corton hill. Corton Grand Cru wines, red and white, will also be the theme of our excellent Burgundian lunch. We will have a quite extraordinary lunch tasting to compare different locations on the Corton hill.

We then continue south of Beaune, to Pommard, known for its full-bodied red wines. But our producer here has vineyards in several villages around the Côte de Beaune, and we will have an extensive tasting of red and white wines. We also visit one of the estate’s premier cru vineyards.

Late afternoon, we are back in Beaune. Free evening. Maybe it is time to find those Burgundian specialities you have not tried yet. Escargots anyone?

Sunday, September 27 — Continue to Chablis and Champagne

We check-out from the hotel after breakfast. Today, our bus will take us north to Champagne.

But we will make a stop halfway to visit the small but picturesque village of Chablis. Here, we will also have lunch and taste some of the crispy Chardonnay wines the village is famous for.

After lunch, we continue north for around 2 ½ hours and late in the afternoon, we will check in at our hotel in Reims which is very centrally located.

Reims is a lively, pleasant town with around 200,000 inhabitants, some good restaurants and of course, plenty of wine and champagne bars. The Cathédrale Notre Dame de Reims is one of the most beautiful in France. Although it was damaged in the First World War much of it was miraculously saved.

Many champagne houses are based in Reims including Pommery, Taittinger, Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot. There are many miles of underground cellars running underneath the city, dug out of the chalk rock, with the most ancient dating back to Roman times. The houses, hillsides and cellars of the Champagne region are included on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Champagne has long been considered a luxury wine associated with glamour and prestige, and you can tell from the palatial-looking wineries that image is all-important here.

Free evening to get to know Reims.

Monday, September 28 — Champagne, Montagne de Reims

After breakfast our bus will collect us from the hotel. We drive south through the magnificent Montagne de Reims area with its sloping hills, famous for the excellent Pinot Noir grapes that grow here.

In the morning, we will visit a family grower for a detailed explanation of the unique vinification and production of champagne; why the harvest is always done by hand, the special way the grapes are pressed, the second fermentation process, and so on. We will taste through their range of champagnes including rare vintage champagnes.

Lunch will be in the pretty village of Chigny-les-Roses, at one of the best gastronomic restaurants in the Champagne region, where a highly creative chef will prepare dishes that are not just delightful but also artfully presented. It is small and not so well-known, but a real gem.

In the afternoon we will stop at a small, exclusive champagne house just south of Epernay, to visit their modern wine making facilities and historic cellar. Blending is a unique aspect of making champagne that exists in almost no other wine region, and we will discuss the importance of this process before a tasting of their top flight, elegant wines. Our visit will end with a short walk in the vineyards to understand more about the terroir and micro-climate.

We return to Reims in the late afternoon, and your evening is free to spend as you choose. The city offers many dining options.

Tuesday, September 29 — Champagne, Côte des Blancs

After breakfast we board the bus and head south to the Côte des Blancs subregion just south of Epernay.

The Côte des Blancs is known for its vineyards planted with Chardonnay. Here you will find famous, picturesque grand cru villages like Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant and Avize. Many of the growers make blanc de blanc, a wine made exclusively from Chardonnay.

We will visit an exciting producer in Vertus, Champagne Réné Rutat. This family estate is now run by Flavien Rutat, his wife Flavia and his brother Baptiste. The brothers are the fourth generation. They are both very passionate, with exciting ideas. Here you always learn something new.

For our lunch we head to Epernay, the renowned town along the Marne River, surrounded by celebrated vineyards. We stop at a small house just off the Avenue de Champagne. We will enjoy a three-course menu matched with different styles of champagne.

Our next stop is also in Epernay. The renowned and exclusive Champagne Leclerc‑Briant, is tucked right into the heart of town. The house among the pioneers of organic and biodynamic winemaking in Champagne as early as the 1960s. Although ownership has changed, the guiding philosophy remains firmly intact. Their cellar is a hub of experimentation, producing champagnes that are exciting and expressive.

We return to Reims in the early evening. You are free to relax, take a stroll in the town and muse on what you have seen and tasted during the day.

Wednesday, September 30 — Big and small in Champagne

Today we will visit one of the major champagne houses in Reims where many big names have their cellars. These are the brands whose savoir-faire (and considerable marketing budgets) have made champagne famous around the world.

We will start with a morning visit to Champagne Taittinger, one of the big and famous houses in Champagne. They have impressive underground cellars dating back to Roman times where millions of bottles of champagne are aged. After walking through some of the tunnels, it will be time to taste the champagnes of this famous house.

Next stop will be the famous grand cru villages of Verzy and Verzenay in the Montagne de Reims area where we will admire the breath-taking vineyard views.

Our lunch will be at a small winery in Verzy and will feature some of the classic cuisine champenoise, accompanied by a selection of some magnificent champagnes, in the full-bodied Montagne de Reims style. Some of these champagnes that have spent 10 year or more in the cellar before being disgorged. We will start with a visit at one of their best vineyard plots.

Late afternoon, we are back in Reims. Maybe a good time to visit the magnificent Cathedral?

We will meet tonight for a farewell dinner.

Thursday, October 1 — Heading back home

The tour ends after breakfast. Departure.

If you have chosen to take the high-speed TGV train (not included in the tour) it can take you to Paris in 45 minutes and to the Airport Charles de Gaulle in a little more than one hour.

Go For It!

We’d love to have you with us.

More travel information

Here are some useful pages and guides about this travel destination:

Even more info

We have written a lot about Burgundy and Champagne and about wine touring in the regions, what to do and what to expect.

Burgundy:

Read more about travelling in the Burgundian wine regions on our wine travel blog.
You can also find more information on BKWine Magazine on the wines from Burgundy, our online wine magazine.
Our YouTube videos on Burgundy

Champagne:

Read more about travelling in the Champagne wine region on our wine travel blog.
You can also find more information on BKWine Magazine on the wines from the Champagne, our online wine magazine.
Our YouTube videos on the Champagne

The Burgundy Wine Book

One of the many internationally award winning wine books we, the BKWine Tours founders, have written is on Burgundy, but unfortunately it is not currently available in English.

The Champagne Wine Book

One of the many internationally award winning wine books we, the BKWine Tours founders, have written is on Champagne, but unfortunately it is not currently available in English.

More wine books

We have written more than ten wine books. They have won both national and international wine writing awards.

No other wine tour organiser has a comparable knowledge, competence and experience.

Tour Details — Burgundy and Champagne Wine Tour

Dates: September 23 – October 1, 2026

Price per person: 5,200 euro

Single room supplement: 650 euro

Included in the price:

8 hotel nights, good quality, mid-range European-style hotel, double occupancy, including breakfast
- 4 nights in 4-star hotel Hotel Mercure Beaune Centre in Beaune
- 4 nights in 4-star Hôtel Continental in Reims
Meals as described in the programme above (*):
- 7 gastronomic multi-course lunches including wines
- 2 gastronomic multi-course dinners including wines
Start point: Beaune
End point: Reims
Bus transport throughout the whole trip
All vineyard and winery visits
Private, high-quality tastings at wineries, 2-3 per day
Interpretation from French as needed (many visits will be in English)
Wine guiding and wine tutoring by an expert BKWine guide

(*) See below for more important information on our meals.

Not included:

Travel (flights etc) to the destination and back to your home location.

You are responsible for organising your travel to Beaune and from Reims yourself.

If you would like assistance organising your flight tickets etc, please contact us.

For this tour to take place we must have a minimum of 8 participants registered by the “book before” date.

Book This Tour

Book before: June 15, 2026

Booking is confirmed by paying the booking fee of 1,100 euro. Full payment should be received at the latest one month before the departure date (see our terms and conditions). Details on how to pay will be sent to you when you register.

It is important that your read our travel booking terms and conditions.

We also invite you to read more on why you should travel with BKWine, about customer protection, and about what you can expect from our wine tours in the section below “More on our wine tours”.

You book by contacting Britt Karlsson, BKWine:

Book on email: info@bkwine.com
Or use the contact form below
Phone Britt: 0033 6 80 45 35 70
Or phone Per: 0033 6 83 51 12 53

We speak English, French and Swedish.

(“33″ is the country code for France. It is usually preceded by + or 00 if you are calling internationally.)

“I want to book this tour” or “I want more info”

* = required

Share this tour programme with your friends

Maybe your friends want to come with you on this wine tour? Let them know about the programme and ask if they’d like to join you. Share the info on social networks or send an email to your friends:

More on our wine tours

Why travel with BKWine?

No other tour operator has a comparable knowledge and experience of wine, wine regions, wine tourism and gourmet travel.

All our tours are led and managed by guides who have in-depth wine knowledge, and in many cases we lead the tours ourselves.

Thousands of happy customers

Awards and Mentions

We’re pleased and proud to have received many accolades, including:

“World’s Top Wine Tours”, Travel+Leisure Magazine, the world’s biggest travel magazine
“Best wine tasting holidays”, AOL Travel’s list of top wine tours
“Recommended Wine Tours”, Munskänkarna, the world’s biggest wine appreciation association
“World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals” as well as “Best Wine Book of the Year”, Gourmand International awards, and many other book prizes
Three OIV book awards, International Organisation of Vine and Wine
“Wine Personality of the Year”, an honour bestowed on Britt Karlsson by Munskänkarna in 2011, the world’s biggest wine appreciation association
Inclusion on the Wine Media Power List, by Wine Business International magazine

About the wine producers and wineries we visit

Our aim is for you to experience some of the very best and most interesting aspects of the wine world, in terms of wine and food.

A true gourmet experience: food and gastronomy

Customer Protection, Financial Travel Guarantee, and Terms and Conditions

When you book a tour it is important that you read the terms and conditions. BKWine’s booking terms and conditions follow the guidelines developed by the Consumer Protection Agency.

Health, vaccination and allergies

Our tours have no particular health requirements although inevitably we will be walking a certain amount in wine cellars and vineyards. Sensible footwear is a must.

We can always accommodate food allergies. However, in order for us to manage such requests you must let us know about any allergies before the tour starts.

Read more in our FAQ and in our Terms and Conditions.

Travel insurance

Custom Tours

Important information

Read the BKWine Booking Terms and Conditions here. They are important to you!

You are expected to organise your travel independently to the destination for most of our tours, but once you are at the location, we take care of everything.

For more inspiration

Read our wine travel blog. For more, read our online wine magazine the BKWine Magazine with articles from all over the wine world.

And also:

Recommend this trip to a friend using the share buttons below

What do the customers say about BKWine tours?

Newsletter on wine

Continue reading: Burgundy and Champagne, September 23 – October 1, 2026

The post Burgundy and Champagne, September 23 – October 1, 2026 was originally published on BKWine Tours and written by Britt Karlsson. Copyright BKWine and BKWine Tours. If you see it published elsewhere in full it has been republished without our permission.

BKWine Tours - Discover and Enjoy Wine with Us, the Real Wine Experience

Read more:

BKWine Magazine, on wine, travel and gastronomy
On BKWine’s Wine Photography: Photography on Wine, Food and Travel | BKWine Photography

Chile and Argentina, January 11-24, 2027

Britt Karlsson — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 20:18:51 +0000

South America: a unique wine tour of Chile and Argentina

— Join us on a fantastic voyage of discovery in the vineyards of Chile and Argentina, including a breath-taking trip over the Andes.

Set on either side of the Andes mountain range, Chile and Argentina both have grandiose scenery and make some of the very best New World wines. On this tour you will see the vast, verdant plains of the pampas, the snow-covered tops of the Andes Mountains, an impressive selection of wineries and vineyards, and buzzing Buenos Aires. We will visit some of the very best vineyards as well as some excellent rising star growers, and sample some outstanding wines matched with the local gastronomy.

All this, plus a host of tourist attractions and historic sites: in short, a wine and food tour that is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Tour Highlights

14 days
Many wineries and tastings
Spectacular Andes Mountains
Gourmet meals
USD 10,900

Buenos Aires
Mendoza
Santiago
Valparaiso
Santa Cruz in Colchagua

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Naturally, the focus of our two-week trip to South America is wines, vineyards and gastronomy, but you will have plenty of other experiences including time in Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Santiago de Chile and Valparaiso. There will be a top-quality tango evening in Buenos Aires, the chance to taste Chilean pisco sour, and many occasions to enjoy delicious Argentinian beef.

The tour is led and managed by Britt Karlsson, one of BKWine’s internationally-known wine experts. Voted Wine Personality of the Year 2011, she is also a columnist for Forbes.com and the author of several wine books including The Creation of a Wine (voted World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals). Britt has judged at many wine competitions in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and other countries. On this tour, she will be accompanied by a local South American guide.

Chile and Argentina are wine countries in transformation. Much has changed in recent years and rapid development continues as wine regions emerge, new grape varieties are discovered or introduced, and different ideas are tested and implemented. Increasingly, producers are focusing on the importance of the work in the vineyard, of harvesting perfectly ripe (but not over-ripe) grapes to achieve balance and elegance. Consumers are looking for wines with more freshness, and there is a move away from heavier styles with higher levels of alcohol. You will see and hear all about this in detail when we visit the vineyards.

There is an intense energy in South America right now, and the wines have never been so good. During our tour, you will have many wine tastings with some of the most interesting producers, some well-established stars and other ambitious challengers. We have visited South America’s wine regions extensively, including Chile and Argentina, so we have hand-picked a truly varied selection of producers, some of whom have yet to be discovered on international markets, and we’re really excited about sharing our insider tips with you.

Our voyage of discovery starts in Buenos Aires, where Europe and the Americas blend in a fascinating mix. At times you may feel as if you’re in Paris or Milan, but this is definitely South America. Stroll around the city and you’ll see world-class restaurants, cosy bistros and picturesque cafés. From Buenos Aires we take a flight to Mendoza, Argentina’s largest wine region (two-thirds of all the country’s wine is made here). With the snow-capped Andes in the background and its brilliant blue sky, memorable Mendoza has an impressive, cinematographic quality.

Argentina is a country with a long tradition of winemaking. Although considered a New World country, it is very much influenced by Old World production methods, due in part to the many families of Spanish and Italian origin here, and Argentina has always been the largest wine consumer in South America.

After a few days in the vineyards and wine cellars of Mendoza, we leave the region to take a bus ride across The Andes to Chile. It’s a long trip that takes a whole day but we will be travelling in comfort along the zig-zagging roads and past the mountain tops, marvelling at the spectacular views that make this the experience of a lifetime. And we will make frequent stops.

Once in Chile, we will drive right across the country to the Pacific Ocean and stay in beautiful Viña del Mar. We will visit the historic harbour city of Valparaíso, which is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, and explore the coastal wine regions of Casablanca and San Antonio. From here we will head south to the Colchagua and Cachapoal Valleys, finishing at Maipo Valley, the wine region closest to the country’s capital, spending our last night in the bustling, modern city of Santiago de Chile.

The trip is in January so the weather will be warm and summery. Harvest time is approaching and the grapes are nearly ready to be picked. The trip showcases much of the spectacular landscape of Chile and Argentina, as well as offering a fascinating insight into the social, political and economic life of two neighbouring countries, similar in some ways but yet so very different in others.

As always on our wine tours, food will feature prominently. You will enjoy many gourmet meals at the wineries we visit, so this is as much a food extravaganza as a wine tour. We will try the local specialities, including of course the outstanding meat for which this part of the world is famous, often grilled over an open fire. For more formal dining, Buenos Aires and Santiago both have many top-flight restaurants, so excellent food will be a major part of our itinerary.

The tour is led by BKWine co-founder Britt Karlsson, multiple award-winning wine book author and wine journalist and wine writer on Forbes.com.

Programme — wine tour to Chile and Argentina

Preliminary programme.

Contact BKWine for more details.

Programme overview

Day – – — Departure from home for Buenos Aires
Day 1 — Arrival in Buenos Aires and welcome dinner (Argentina)
Day 2 — Buenos Aires city tour, tango evening (Argentina)
Day 3 — Flight to Mendoza, then wine (Argentina)
Day 4 — Wine in Mendoza, Luján de Cuyo, Maipú (Argentina)
Day 5 — Wine in Mendoza, Uco Valley (Argentina)
Day 6 — Organic pioneers of Mendoza (Argentina)
Day 7 — A spectacular crossing of the Andes from Mendoza to Chile
Day 8 — Valparaíso and the wine region of Casablanca (Chile)
Day 9 — South through San Antonio to Santa Cruz (Chile)
Day 10 — Blend-your-own-wine workshop in Colchagua (Chile)
Day 11 — Colchagua wine region (Chile)
Day 12 — Colchagua wine region (Chile)
Day 13 — The Maipo wine region, farewell lunch, Santiago (Chile)
Day 14 — Departure from Santiago de Chile
Day – – — Arrive home

Day – – — Departure for South America

You leave from your home location. Departure and arrival dates will depend on your departure location. See more info below. Perhaps you’ll decide to come a few days early (we can help you with the arrangements), or of course you can simply arrive in time for the first day of the programme (Day 1).

Day 1, Monday, January 11 — Arrival in Buenos Aires and welcome dinner (Argentina)

Arrival in the morning at Buenos Aires International Airport. In most cases, you will arrive on an overnight flight. As tour participants arrive at different times during the day, you should take an airport shuttle or taxi to our Buenos Aires hotel. The transfer from the airport to the hotel takes around 45 minutes.

Our hotel in Buenos Aires is the luxurious Recoleta Grand Hotel. It is very central, located in the Recoleta district, an elegant part of the city with many shops and restaurants. The hotel is also close to many sights, including the famous cemetery where Evita Peron is buried.

The rest of the day is free so you can relax and unwind after your long flight. We’d suggest that you take a walk to stretch your legs, and maybe try a first glass of wine in a bar in town. In the evening we will meet for a welcome dinner and some bottles of excellent Argentinian wine.

Buenos Aires is a large city and a mix of many cultures, with European and American influences. There are magnificent parks for walking or jogging, and some excellent museums. You can sip a refreshing drink at one of the many cafés and enjoy a spot of people watching, or visit a wine bar and sample some of the country’s many wines. Thanks to its Italian heritage, Buenos Aires is famous for its ice-cream; beer aficianados should look out for the micro-breweries serving the cerveza artisanal which is becoming increasingly popular across Argentina.

Read our city guide to Buenos Aires for more suggestions of what to do in this thrilling city.

Day 2, Tuesday, January 12 — Buenos Aires, city tour and tango evening (Argentina)

This morning our local guide will take us on a sight-seeing tour of the city. The afternoon is free so you can relax before we meet up again in the evening for a colourful tango show.

In the morning we will hop off the city tour bus and take a closer look at some places on foot, including Recoleta cemetery where Evita Peron is buried. Our tour will include some of the most famous sites such as the Plaza de Mayo with its pink presidential palace (the Casa Rosada), the impressive congress building, and colonial churches such as Santo Domingo. We will also explore the vibrant harbour district of La Boca.

The tour takes a few hours with a stop along the way for lunch in Puerto Madero, a part of the city that has recently renovated from top to bottom. Old warehouses along the Rio de la Plata river have been transformed into fashionable shops, charming cafés and welcoming restaurants overlooking the water. Lunch includes some typical Argentinian wines made from lesser-known (but no less interesting) grape varieties like Torrontés and Bonarda. The rest of the afternoon is free.

In the evening we will meet for dinner and an Argentinian tango show in San Telmo, one of the oldest parts of the city. This district has a pleasantly bohemian air, and is dotted with small shops, cafés and theatres like the one we’ll go to for our tango show.

After a three-course dinner, you will watch a magical show that is a combination of skilful dance, music and song. Tango is a genuine Argentinian creation and the performance illustrates how authentic tango has evolved from the early 1920s to modern times. Nowadays tango has an elegant, glamorous image but originally it was firmly part of working class culture and pioneered in brothels, with its daring moves considered to be quite shocking…

Day 3, Wednesday, January 13 — Flight to Mendoza, then wine (Argentina)

Today we take an early morning flight to Mendoza, some 1000 kilometres (620 miles) west of Buenos Aires.

We will arrive in Mendoza just before lunch. Our bus and local guide will be waiting for us and we will go straight to the vineyards, about 40 minutes away. The day will be spent in Luján de Cuyo, an important area within the Mendoza region where some of the best-known Argentinian wine producers are found.

We will have a late lunch at a vineyard in Luján de Cuyo, with stunning views of the Andes mountains. Our host is famous for his top-quality Malbec, and you’ll be able to try different styles of Malbec with your meal. After lunch, there will be time to visit the wine cellar and vineyard.

Late afternoon we will check in at our hotel, the luxurious five-star Mendoza Park Hyatt, complete with spa, outdoor swimming pool and fitness centre.

Your evening is free to explore the fascinating city of Mendoza. This could be the perfect opportunity to take a stroll on the Plaza Independencia and visit the late-night arts and crafts market held here.

Read our Mendoza city guide for more recommendations of what to see and where to eat in the capital of the wine region.

Day 4, Thursday, January 14 — Wine in Mendoza, Luján de Cuyo and Maipú (Argentina)

Today we continue to explore Luján de Cuyo, and we will also visit Maipú, another Mendoza sub-region.

There are two estates on today’s itinerary. First is the impressive Bodega y Cavas de Weinert, one of Mendoza’s historic wineries, where you will see the vast underground cellars where the wines mature in large old oak vats. After visiting and tasting we will have a magnificent lunch in the garden. Our host is Weinert winemaker Hubert Weber; he has worked here since 1996, so he will no doubt be able to answer all your questions about the wines.

Later in the day we will go to a small, family-owned winery that is currently run by the fourth generation. We firmly believe in the importance of inspecting the vines and tasting the grapes, and this will be a great opportunity for you to get some first-hand experience in the vineyards.

We’ll return to our hotel in Mendoza late in the afternoon, and the evening is free. If you feel like a light snack, the city has some charming wine bars offering cheese platters and similar.

Day 5, Friday, January 15 — Wine in Mendoza, the Uco Valley (Argentina)

Today we head a little further south to the emblematic Uco Valley, driving roughly 90 minutes along country roads before arriving at the vineyards.

In recent years Valle de Uco has become increasingly attractive to growers in Mendoza, and many have bought land here and built spectacular wineries. The valley is closer to the Andes than other parts of Mendoza, and the vines are grown at very high altitudes.

The grapes mature slowly due to cool nights, giving the wines their flavour profile and refreshing acidity. Towering above the vineyards you will see Mount Tupungato, an active volcano which is one of the highest mountains in South America.

We will visit two or three wineries in the Uco Valley, one of which will be Finca Suarez. Located in the southern Uco Valley, in an area called Paraje Altamira, this estate has a unique terroir which is nurtured by Juanfa Suarez, the young, dedicated winemaker. Lunch at the winery will be a traditional south American asado cooked outside on an open fire, in the midst of the vineyards.

We will return to Mendoza in the early evening, and the rest of the evening is free.

Day 6, Saturday, January 16 — Organic pioneers of Mendoza (Argentina)

Today you will learn a lot about organic and sustainable wine growing. There is great interest in sustainability in South America, and many producers do their best to minimise environmental impact.

Our morning visit will be to the superb Pulenta Estate in the very south of Lujan de Cuyo. The estate is run by the 4^th generation of the Pulenta family, and some excellent red and white wines are made in the state-of-the-art winery.

We head north again for our lunch at Kaiken, a winery owned by Chilean wine visionary Aurelio Montes. The lunch today will be a typical Argentinean asado criollo, with different kinds of meat and vegetables grilled over an open fire. We will, of course, start with some empanadas and this promises to be a particularly tasty meal, accompanied by some of Kaiken’s world-famous Malbec.

Late afternoon we head back to Mendoza.

Free evening.

Day 7, Sunday, January 17 — Spectacular crossing of the Andes, from Mendoza to Chile

Today we say goodbye to Mendoza and board our bus, heading over The Andes to Chile. The trip takes most of the day but rest assured, not all of it is spent on the bus, as the border crossing itself can take some time.

The trip takes approximately 6 – 8 hours in total but the views are truly spectacular, and the landscape is magnificent. The border crossing point is at 3,500 metres (almost 12,000 feet). In the distance you will see Aconcagua, the highest peak of the Andes and indeed of the Americas, standing proud at 6,959 metres (22,831 feet).

The road across the Andes is winding (27 bends on one mountainside is the record) but happily it is also very well built. We will pass ski resorts, mountain ranges of varying shapes and hues, deserts, small villages, rivers, and of course, spectacular views and an ever-changing landscape.

On our way, in the mountains, we will stop for lunch before continuing west, crossing the country to arrive at the Pacific Ocean and the attractive coastal town of Viña del Mar. We’ll be staying for two nights at the Pullman Vina del Mar San Martín Hotel. It has an ideal location right on the ocean front, just a stone’s throw from the beach. The sea views are stunning, but the water is quite chilly…

The evening is free for you to discover Viña del Mar. There are many restaurants close to the hotel, and we’ll be happy to give you some recommendations.

Day 8, Monday, January 18 — Valparaíso and Casablanca (Chile)

Today we will visit the historic harbour and city of Valparaiso, just a short drive along the coast from Viña del Mar.

Fascinating Valparaiso is the largest port in Chile and, oddly enough, home to the country’s parliament. This characterful destination is built on 42 hills, and colourful houses line the incredibly steep streets. Trams criss-cross the city but we’ll explore it on foot, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes for our walking tour through the historic quarters.

Our bus will pick us up again just before lunch to take us to the wine region of Casablanca, between Santiago and Valparaíso.

Casablanca has recently become famous for its excellent white wines. There are claims that proximity to the coast and the area’s micro-climate is perfect for growing grapes, in particular those used for white wine. Besides the vineyards you will also see lemon groves, avocado plants (this fruit is known as palta in Chile) and flower nurseries.

Our lunch today will be hosted by one of Casablanca’s top-quality producers who will serve us a magnificent asado campestre (a country-style barbecue) with a selection of excellent wines to match the various grilled dishes.

Late afternoon we will return to Viña del Mar, and the rest of the day and evening is free. Maybe you’d like to try some tapas at a wine bar, or maybe even a completo (a Chilean hot dog that is something of a local speciality).

Day 9, Tuesday, January 19 — South through San Antonio to Santa Cruz (Chile)

We check out from the hotel in the morning and head for the coastal wine region of San Antonio, just south of Casablanca.

This area is known for its top-quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Like Casablanca, San Antonio is cooler than many of the other wine regions in Chile; the vineyards are often bathed in cool morning mist, and there can be frost in springtime.

We’ll make a stop in San Antonio valley for a winery visit to meet one of the pioneers and for lunch before heading further south to Colchagua, another famous Chilean wine region, and the small country town of Santa Cruz, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Santiago.

Our next four nights will be spent in comfort at the Hotel Santa Cruz Plaza****, a distinctive hacienda-style hotel with a swimming pool, spa, bars and two restaurants. It also boasts one of Chile’s most highly regarded history and craft museums.

The evening is free for you to explore the town, where you can find a variety of restaurants ranging from the traditional to the more sophisticated.

Read our ”city” guide on Santa Cruz for more suggestions on where to eat and what to do in this charming country-side town.

Day 10, Wednesday, January 20 — Blend-your-own-wine workshop in Colchagua (Chile)

Today is the chance for you to experience the art of wine making for yourself, thanks to some hands-on activity at Colchagua’s Montgras winery. This is a modern estate that has a fascinating collection of different grape varieties.

Our day starts with a vineyard visit and a look at the Montgras grape conservatory, before moving on to learn about one of the more practical aspect of wine making, namely wine blending. You’ll start with some raw material in the shape of tank samples of different grape varieties, and your task is to make the best possible blend, just as the winemaker does every year. As you will see, blending is not as easy as it looks, but there will be plenty of guidance and by the end of the workshop, you’ll have your very own blend, bottled and labelled, to take away.

Next, we hop back on the bus to go up to the hilly region of Ninquén, where one of the Montgras vineyards is situated. Here, we’ll enjoy an al fresco barbecue with salmon ceviche and empanadas, grilled meat, fresh fish en papillote, fresh fruit and some delicious salads, accompanied by a selection of Montgras wines.

There will be time for one more winery visit after lunch. We return to our hotel in the late afternoon, and the rest of the day is free: you may like to spend some time around the swimming pool.

Day 11, Thursday, January 21 — Colchagua (Chile)

We will spend one more day in beautiful Colchagua, and today we’re going to show you a couple of hidden gems that only insiders will have heard about.

First we visit Viña Las Niñas in Apalta, probably the most famous quality district of Colchagua. The estate spans 160 hectares (approx. 395 acres), with a tastefully-designed winery that blends in well with its natural surroundings.

The next estate on the programme today is Viña Maquis, one of the oldest wineries in the Colchagua Valley, where the micro-climate is influenced by two rivers. The owners and the winemaker are very focused on quality and have a distinctly eco-friendly approach. Viña Maquis was one of first producers in Chile to gain its sustainability certification. The landscape surrounding the vineyards is superb, as is their Cabernet Franc.

We will enjoy our lunch outdoors in the shade of an avocado tree, surrounded by vineyards, taking our time to appreciate a number of the estate’s wine paired with local specialities.

By late afternoon we’ll be back in Santa Cruz, and the evening is free. If you fancy something a little different, there’s a sushi restaurant just around the corner from our hotel.

Day 12, Friday, January 22 — Colchagua (Chile)

We continue to explore the beautiful valley of Colchagua. One of today’s visits will be to a French-owned winery with strong ties to the Old World.

First is a visit to the westernmost part of Colchagua, where the winemaker is a Syrah specialist. Around the village of Marchihue he has found the perfect soil for his grapes, and some of his vines are grown without irrigation. The focus of this rather interesting winery is terroir, undoubtedly.

Next we’ll go to Hacienda Araucano. Situated outside the small town of Lolol, and owned by François Lurton of the famous Bordeaux family, this estate is both organic and biodynamic, and the winemaking team is experimenting with wines with no added sulphur. Syrah and Pinot Noir do particularly well here.

Lunch will be at Hacienda Araucano (the surroundings are magnificent) and during your meal, you’re sure to enjoy both the food and some great views of the valley and vineyards.

We’ll return to our hotel in the afternoon, and the rest of the day/evening is free. This could be a great opportunity for an early evening pisco sour by the pool, perhaps.

Day 13, Saturday, January 23 — Maipo wine region, farewell lunch, Santiago (Chile)

We check-out and leave our hotel in Santa Cruz in the morning and head for Santiago, stopping at a winery for lunch.

Just before we reach the capital we will call in to see an ambitious wine producer in Maipo who works with amphorae (you’ll see them during our tour of the estate). There will, as ever, be a guided tasting of the wines before we head into the peaceful gardens for an aperitif and a traditional asado lunch with several different types of meat on the grill, accompanied by salads and potatoes. Did you know that this vegetable originated in the Andes?

After lunch we head on to Santiago and check in at the Hotel Pullman Santiago El Bosque**** where we will spend our final night. The hotel is very central and conveniently located in an attractive part of the city with many shops and restaurants.

The afternoon is dedicated to discovering Santiago. Our bus will take us around the city to the various sights, including the historic districts around the presidential palace, and the lively Plaza de Armas with its baroque cathedral and historic post office that is now a National Monument. You’ll be able to take some wonderful photographs from the top of Cerro San Cristóbal hill, where a gigantic statue of the Virgin Mary keeps watch over the city and tourists come for the best views of Santiago and the Andes.

In the evening we’ll all meet for one last pisco sour, after which you are free to spend your last evening as you please: there are plenty of restaurants, cafés and wine bars in the city, many just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.

Day 14, Sunday, January 24 — Leave Santiago de Chile for home

Sadly it is time to leave Chile and South America. The tour ends after breakfast at the hotel.

We will be glad to help you organise your travel to the airport to fit with your flight plans home, or perhaps onward, as part of another journey. Or maybe you’ll decide to stay on for a few extra days, so you can explore another part of South America? Whatever you decide, we can help you with the arrangements if needed.

Day – – — Arrival back home

If you return home directly you will arrive on the same day or one day later, depending on the length of your flight.

Go For It!

We’d love to have you with us.

More travel information

Here are some useful pages and guides about this travel destination:

Argentina:

Chile:

Even more info

We have written a lot about Chile and Argentina and about wine touring in the region, including what to do and what to expect.

Read more about travelling in South America on our travel blog.
You can also find more information on BKWine Magazine on the wines from South America, our online wine magazine.
Our YouTube videos on Chile and Argentina.

Pictures and videos

If you’d like to see even more pictures and videos from this tour, take a look at our Facebook groups from some previous tours:

Wine books

We have written more than ten wine books. They have won both national and international wine writing awards.

No other wine tour organiser has a comparable knowledge, competence and experience.

Tour Details — Wine tour of Chile and Argentina

Dates: January 11-24, 2027

Price per person: USD 10,900

Single room supplement: USD 2,600

(Subject to changes in airport and flight taxes. See our terms and conditions.)

Included in the price:

Starting point: Buenos Aires.
Endpoint: Santiago de Chile
13 nights in hotels (4-star and 5-star), double occupancy, including breakfast
Meals as described in the programme above (*):
- 12 top-quality gastronomic lunches with local specialities, including wines and tastings, in most cases as guests at wineries, or at local restaurants
- One welcome dinner in Buenos Aires, including wine
- One dinner with tango show in Buenos Aires, including wine
Transport
- Domestic flight from Buenos Aires to Mendoza
- Bus from Mendoza (Argentina) to Santiago de Chile, across the Andes
- Bus during all days of visits as described in the programme
- Bus transport in comfortable private tourism coach
Day excursion as per the above programme, including entry fees when relevant
All vineyard and winery visits, as per the programme
Private, top-quality tastings at wineries (approx 15 in total)
Local English speaking guide
Wine guiding and wine tutoring by BKWine’s expert guides and founders, Britt Karlsson and Per Karlsson (see more below)

(*) See below for more important information on our meals.

Not included:

Travel (flights etc) to the destination and back to your home location.
If relevant, excess baggage fee on the domestic flight. (Baggage allowance is generally lower on the domestic flights than on international so excess fees may apply, but are modest.)

You are responsible for arranging your own travel to Buenos Aires (Argentina) and back home from Santiago de Chile.

If you would like assistance organising your flight tickets etc, please contact us.

We recommend taking a few extra days to prolong your vacation in this wonderful destination. We can assist you with booking additional hotel nights if you want.

For this trip to take place we must have a minimum of 16 participants registered by the “book before” date. Maximum number of travel guests: 22.

Flights

We have chosen not to include the cost of flights in this tour. Our clients come from many different countries and continents. By booking your own flights, your have maximum flexibility when choosing how and when to travel.

We can also help you with booking extra hotel nights as necessary.

Special cancellation conditions

Please note that special cancellation conditions apply for this wine tour.

Cancellation of your booking can be made according to the following:

More than 60 days before the beginning of the trip: the Traveller pays a fee equivalent to the Booking Fee.
46 to 60 days before the beginning of the trip: the Traveller pays a fee equivalent to 75% of the total price.
45 days or less before the beginning of the trip: the Traveller pays the full fee.

Book This Tour

Book before: September 1, 2026

Booking is confirmed by paying the booking fee of USD 2,000. Full payment should be received at the latest 60 days before the departure date (see our terms and conditions). Details on how to pay will be sent to you when you register.

It is important that you read our travel booking terms and conditions.

We also invite you to read more on why you should travel with BKWine, about customer protection, and about what you can expect from our wine tours in the section below “More on our wine tours”.

You book by contacting Britt Karlsson, BKWine:

Book on email: info@bkwine.com
Or use the contact form below
Phone Britt: 0033 6 80 45 35 70
Or phone Per: 0033 6 83 51 12 53

We speak English, French and Swedish.

(“33″ is the country code for France. It is usually preceded by + or 00 if you are calling internationally.)

“I want to book this tour” or “I want more info”

* = required

Share this tour programme with your friends

Maybe your friends want to come with you on this wine tour? Let them know about the programme and ask if they’d like to join you. Share the info on social networks or send an email to your friends:

More on our wine tours

Why travel with BKWine?

No other tour operator has a comparable knowledge and experience of wine, wine regions, wine tourism and gourmet travel.

All our tours are led and managed by guides who have in-depth wine knowledge, and in many cases we lead the tours ourselves.

Thousands of happy customers

Awards and Mentions

We’re pleased and proud to have received many accolades, including:

“World’s Top Wine Tours”, Travel+Leisure Magazine, the world’s biggest travel magazine
“Best wine tasting holidays”, AOL Travel’s list of top wine tours
“Recommended Wine Tours”, Munskänkarna, the world’s biggest wine appreciation association
“World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals” as well as “Best Wine Book of the Year”, Gourmand International awards, and many other book prizes
Three OIV book awards, International Organisation of Vine and Wine
“Wine Personality of the Year”, an honour bestowed on Britt Karlsson by Munskänkarna in 2011, the world’s biggest wine appreciation association
Inclusion on the Wine Media Power List, by Wine Business International magazine

About the wine producers and wineries we visit

Our aim is for you to experience some of the very best and most interesting aspects of the wine world, in terms of wine and food.

A true gourmet experience: food and gastronomy

Customer Protection, Financial Travel Guarantee, and Terms and Conditions

When you book a tour it is important that you read the terms and conditions. BKWine’s booking terms and conditions follow the guidelines developed by the Consumer Protection Agency.

Health, vaccination and allergies

Our tours have no particular health requirements although inevitably we will be walking a certain amount in wine cellars and vineyards. Sensible footwear is a must.

We can always accommodate food allergies. However, in order for us to manage such requests you must let us know about any allergies before the tour starts.

Read more in our FAQ and in our Terms and Conditions.

Travel insurance

Custom Tours

Important information

Read the BKWine Booking Terms and Conditions here. They are important to you!

You are expected to organise your travel independently to the destination for most of our tours, but once you are at the location, we take care of everything.

For more inspiration

Read our wine travel blog. For more, read our online wine magazine the BKWine Magazine with articles from all over the wine world.

And also:

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Continue reading: Chile and Argentina, January 11-24, 2027

The post Chile and Argentina, January 11-24, 2027 was originally published on BKWine Tours and written by Britt Karlsson. Copyright BKWine and BKWine Tours. If you see it published elsewhere in full it has been republished without our permission.

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