The wine and food tour to South America for those who want to discover and enjoy the wine regions, cuisine and scenery

The new program for our South America tour in February 2014 is now complete! Read all the details about the tour here, the wine tour to Chile and Argentina, and enjoy the beautiful pictures.

Tasting wines at the Melipal winery in Mendoza, copyright BKWine Photography

It’s an amazing experience to travel in the Argentine and Chilean vineyards. You will be seduced by the wine, but also by the landscape, the food, genuine South American cuisine,, the atmosphere. With the blue summer sky and the grapes getting ready to be picked, everything is set for a successful wine tour.

So if you ever have thought about going to South America on a wine tour, don’t hesitate! Can you find a better opportunity than this very special wine tour?

We will visit around 20 different wineries during the tour. In Mendoza, we will include a visit to the fairly new, and much talked about, region of Uco Valley. Here the grapes are grown at high altitudes, often over 1000 meters (3000 ft) above sea level. Many producers in Mendoza get their best grapes from the Uco Valley.

In Chile, we will stay in the small town of Santa Cruz, in the middle of the beautiful Colchagua region. We will also visit the regions of Maipo, Cachapoal and Casablanca.

Valparaíso, a historically very interesting city with colourful houses and unbelievably steep streets, is a must see that we will not miss. We will spend time in both Buenos Aires and in Santiago de Chile.

For even if this is a wine tour that does not mean that you shouldn’t do a bit of “traditional” sightseeing, go horse-riding on the Argentine Pampas, go for a swim in the pool, or enjoy a pisco sour (or two).

Take a look at the new program for the wine and food tour to Chile and Argentina in South America!

Lunch and wine tasting at a vineyard in Chile overlooking the vines, copyright BKWine Photography

A view over a winery and the Andes in Mendoza, copyright BKWine Photography

A traditional asado barbecue at a vineyard in Argentina, copyright BKWine Photography

The Three Classics Wine Tour: to Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy (or Sancerre)

— We call this trip The Three Classic! It takes you to three of the most classic wine regions in France: Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy. And all this we fit in on an extended weekend, Wednesday to Sunday. This wine tour is for those who want to experience a lot in a short time!

“Three Classics” always includes Champagne and Chablis. The third wine district included is either Burgundy, the heart of the district, the Côte d’Or, or alternatively Sancerre. If we go to Beaune in the Côte d’Or or if it goes to Sancerre varies. Both will take you to taste some amazing, top notch wines, great vineyards and superb gastronomic experiences!

Wines for tasting in a cellar, copyright BKWine Photography

If you want to experience a lot in a short time, this is the trip for you. But that does not mean we are in a rush. We have time for several interesting visits in each district and many, many wines to taste.

The journey starts in Paris. We meet on Wednesday afternoon at the Gare de Lyon in central Paris. Our bus is waiting to take us to Epernay in Champagne.

Champagne is the wine region closest to Paris. There is no other wine that so immediately makes you feel like celebrating as Champagne. The heavy bottle, the little plop and fizz when you open the bottle, the sound of the bubbles in the glass, the bouquet, the taste. Everything about champagne makes you happy.

But on this wine tour we will discover that Champagne is so much more than a drink only for celebrations. It is above all a high-quality wine! And it is only when you come here to Champagne that you can really understand how the magic sparkling wine is made.

We will do two or three visits to Champagne and enjoy a sumptuous champagne lunch. You will learn a lot about how Champagne is made and why sparkling wine made in this small region is different than those made elsewhere.

After Champagne the journey continues towards Chablis, a wine district 200 kilometres south of Champagne. We will drive thorough the beautiful French countryside after a lovely champagne lunch. In Chablis, we will stay in the elegant Hostellerie des Clos and we will have dinner together at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant. During dinner you will get a quick introduction to the wines of Chablis and to the region.

Vineyards in Champagne, copyright BKWine Photography

The next morning, it’s time to visit some famous Chablis producers. Here in Chablis the chardonnay grape gets a very special character: crisp, aromatic, clean, thanks both to the northerly climate and the absence (in most cases) of oak ageing, and due to the calcareous Kimmeridge soil. This makes the wines of Chablis into some of the most elegant white wines there is. You will get an understanding of the different wine styles and the quality levels that you can find here in Chablis.

On Friday, we visit some well-known and quality conscious producers in Chablis and get a close look at Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines and vineyards.

After lunch we continue south in Burgundy, to the Côte d’Or and the charming little town of Beaune. We arrive there early evening. You will have time for a bit of sightseeing before you head out to find your choice among Beaune’s many restaurants. Beaune is a gem among French provincial towns with a lot of interesting sites, cafés, wine bars and restaurants.

On Saturday, we drive north to the first vineyards in the Côte de Nuits. We pass villages with well-known names such as Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée, Morey-Saint-Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin… In Fixin, just north of Gevrey, we will have lunch at a small wine grower’s home and we will taste a number of his wines. We will spend the afternoon in the Côte de Beaune with a few quality conscious growers.

Sunday morning after breakfast we head back to Paris where we arrive no later than 13.00.

If we include Sancerre instead of Beaune on this trip it will be a little bit different:

Sancerre vineyards, copyright BKWine Photography

We will stay in the small country-side town of Sancerre, perched on a hill-top with spectacular views of the surrounding vineyards.

In the morning we begin to explore the vineyards of Sancerre. Sauvignon blanc is a grape that has had a great success in many other countries in recent years. But here in Sancerre in the upper Loire Valley is where it really belongs and thrives, in the calcareous soil, actually almost the same type of soil such as that found in Chablis. A crisp Sancerre with aromas of elderflower, gooseberry and green apple is the perfect match with another of the region’s specialities, the French goat cheese called chèvre.

We will visit a selection of high-quality Sancerre producers. Late afternoon we will head north towards Chablis. We change not only wine region, but also grape variety. In Chablis we are in Burgundy and the grape is chardonnay.

More info

We have written a lot about the Three Classics wine regions and about wine touring in these region, what to do and what to expect.

Here you can find more about travelling on the Three Classics tour.

You can also find more information on Champagne, Burgundy, Chablis, and Sancerre wines on BKWine Magazine.

Some videos

A few video clips from this wine tour’s wine regions.

Program — wine tour to Champagne, Chablis, Burgundy / Sancerre

This is a sample program, an example. Every wine and food tour that we organise is different and specially adapted for the season and the circumstances. Details in the program, e.g. which producers we visit, will be different each time.

Program overview

• Day 1, Wednesday — The journey begins in Paris
• Day 2, Thursday — Champagne
• Day 3, Friday — Chablis
• Day 4, Saturday — Burgundy, Côte d’Or (or Sancerre)
• Day 5, Sunday — Return to Paris, heading back home

For more details contact BKWine.

Wednesday / Day 1 — The journey begins in Paris

At 5 PM our bus departs from Gare de Lyon in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. We head east, and after about 2 ½ hours we arrive in Epernay. We check into our three-star Hôtel du Champagne.

The evening is free to stroll around town and to explore the wine bars and restaurants of Epernay. Do not miss the Avenue de Champagne with its impressive series of private palaces that today are home to many of the big and famous champagne houses.

Champagne as aperitif to start lunch, copyright BKWine Photography

Thursday / Day 2 — Champagne

We check out of our hotel after breakfast and we begin our journey of wine exploration. Epernay is right in the middle of the wine district and we quickly among the vines.

Many bottles in the wine cellar in Champagne, copyright BKWine Photography

We will visit a small family property not far from Epernay. They will give us an introduction to how champagne is made, the special techniques that are used. The visit ends with a tasting of the family’s range of champagnes.

We then continue further along the Marne River to the small town of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ where we will visit the prestigious house Champagne Philipponnat.

The house is known among other things for the vineyard Clos de Goisses, a more than 5 hectare big walled vineyard with one of Champagne’s most exceptional situations and exposures: a steep, sunny southern slope down towards the river Marne.

Tasting champagnes for lunch

At Philipponnat we will also have a fabulous gourmet lunch with a selection of the house’s best champagnes, including the Clos de Goisses. After lunch we will go for a short walk up to the fabled Clos des Goisses vineyard. It might be nice to stretch your legs after some half a dozen champagnes or so and many delicious Champagne food specialities that you have been treated to during lunch.

We also look take a look at the new trend of champagnes without sugar, called ultra-brut, non-dosé or zéro dosage.

After lunch we will head to Chablis. It will be a nice rest in the bus after a lunch that will certainly have taken some time. The journey will take you through the beautiful French countryside, on country roads, through small towns.

At around 7 PM we check into our hotel in the centre of Chablis, the characterful Hostellerie des Clos. Here we will enjoy a sumptuous dinner at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant. During dinner we will taste several different Chablis wines and do some preparations for the visits the following day.

In the wine cellar at Champagne Benoit Marguet, copyright BKWine Photography

Friday / Day 3 — Chablis

After an excellent breakfast we set off into the vineyards of Chablis. There are several quality levels – Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Chablis and Petit Chablis – and you will get to know them all.

We will visit two or three of the

Vineyards in Chablis, copyright BKWine Photography

most quality-conscious producers who will make you acquainted with the various Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. One of the visits will be at Domaine Brocard, perhaps the most internationally successful of all Chablis producers.

Today it is mainly Julien Brocard, son of Jean-Marc, who runs the winery. Part of the production is now organic and biodynamic wines. The way Brocard works in the cellar, in terms of vinification and ageing, has changed a lot since Julien took over and the wines are now more complex and better than ever.

At Brocard’s we also have lunch with an extensive tasting of the winery’s wines.

After lunch we continue south to the heart of Burgundy, the Côte d’Or and the pleasant town of Beaune, perhaps France’s most famous “wine village”. We check into our hotel which is centrally located, close to the magnificent Hôtel Dieu, also known as the Hospices de Beaune, one of France’s major historical attractions, as well as close to all the restaurants.

The evening is free.

Vineyards in Chablis, copyright BKWine Photography

Saturday / Day 4 — Burgundy, Côte d’Or, alternatively Sancerre

The distances are fortunately quite short here in the Côte d’Or, so we will have enough time to visit three different producers on this day.

In the famous vineyard, copyright BKWine Photography

We start in Gevrey-Chambertin, in the north of the Côte de Nuits, known for its full-bodied red wines and for its many Grand Cru vineyards.

Here in the northern part of Côte d’Or pinot noir is the man grape variety. It gives complex and elegant red wines.

We continue to Fixin where we first go for a short walk to look at the vines and to talk about the all-important work in the vineyard. We will get an introduction to the importance of provenance and terroir.

After the vineyard walk our hosts will invite us to a true home-made buffet lunch at home in his wine cellar.

After lunch our tour continues south, towards the famous Corton Hill where we will visit one of the small high-quality growers in Aloxe-Corton.

A wine barrel in the cellar, copyright BKWine Photography

We end the day with a tour of the vineyards in Meursault and in Puligny-Montrachet in the southern part of the Côte de Beaune. Her you find the famous (and very expensive) Le Montrachet Grand Cru as well as many Premier Cru wines. The southern Côte d’Or is primarily known for its white wines made from chardonnay grapes.

The evening is free to further enjoy the small-town atmosphere in Beaune and perhaps one or two more glasses of wine. For being such a small town Beaune has an impressive variety of restaurants, ranging from the simple brasserie to excellent sushi to high-class French gourmet restaurants with reaching absolute top quality.

If instead the tour schedule includes Sancerre the details will be somewhat different:

View over the landscape, vineyards, fields and rooftops, Sancerre

Our hotel in Sancerre is beautifully located on the edge of the small town and certainly deserves its name, Panoramic.

We will visit a selection of high-quality producers in Sancerre and will learn what are the key factors in producing this crisp, aromatic and elegant wine.

Our visits include the superb producer Henri Bourgeois and we will have lunch right next to the winery at the La Côte des Monts Damnés restaurant in Chavignol. Chavignol is also known for its small round goat cheese, le Crottin de Chavignol, a special kind of French chèvre. The restaurant is run by the chef Jean-Marc Bourgeois who is, of course, par of the wine producing family.

You will also get the opportunity to take a walk in the vineyard to inspect the vines and marvel at the surprisingly steep slopes where this wine is produced.

Sunday / Day 5 — Return

After breakfast we go back to Paris and the Gare de Lyon. We expected to arrive no later than 1 PM.

Table ready for lunch and wine in Sancerre, copyright BKWine Photography

The new barrel cellar at Champagnes Duval Leroy, copyright BKWine Photography

Fact sheet — Wine Tour Three Classics: Champagne, Chablis, Burgundy / Sancerre

Dates: This is a sample program. Look in the menu “Our Tours > Scheduled Tours” to check what scheduled tours are currently on the program or contact us to discuss a custom made private wine tour.

Price per person: This is a sample program. Look in the menu “Our Tours > Scheduled Tours” to check what scheduled tours are currently on the program or contact us to discuss a custom made private wine tour.

Included in the price:

• 4 hotel nights, double occupancy, including breakfast, at good mid-range hotel:
  • 1 night in Epernay
  • 1 night in Chablis
  • 2 nights in Beaune
• Meals as described in the program (*):
  • 1 gastronomic and luxurious multi-course lunch, all champagne, with the Champagne house’s wines, including wine
  • 2 gastronomic French multi-course lunches with local specialities, with a tasting of different wines, at a winery or a local restaurant, including wine
  • 1 gastronomic 4-course dinner with a selection of Chablis wines in a gourmet restaurant, including wine
• Start and end point: Paris
• Bus: Paris – Champagne – Chablis – Beaune – Paris
• All vineyard and winery visits
• Private, high quality tastings at wineries, approx. 3 per day
• Translation as needed, some visits may be in English, others in French
• Wine guiding and wine tutoring by an expert BKWine guide during the whole trip

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

Not included:

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

You organise your travel to Paris yourself. If you want assistance with 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 “non-wine” tourism too! We can assist you with booking additional hotel nights if you want.

Book This Trip

This is a sample program. Look in the menu “Our Tours > Scheduled Tours” to check what scheduled tours are currently on the program or contact us to discuss a custom made private wine tour.

You book by contacting Britt Karlsson, BKWine:

• phone: +33 1 58 88 04 66 or +33 6 80 45 35 70 (+33 is the country code for France)
• email: info at bkwine dot com
• skype: bkwine

An owner-winemaker at a winery we visit, copyright BKWine Photography

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About the wine producers and wineries we visit

Our aim is that you shall experience some of the best and most interesting that the wine region has to offer, both of wine and food.

We put a big effort into finding and creating outstanding winery visits. Often it will not be the most “famous” and internationally well-known wineries that will give you the best and most unique experiences…

It is usually when you get to meet the winemaker or winery owner himself (or often herself) that the visits become really exciting. And perhaps we even meet the whole family at the estate.

You start discussing and start to understand what it is they do and why in the winery and in the vineyard. Maybe we will also have lunch in the winery or at their home. Need we say we invariably have private wine tastings at the wineries?

That is why our trips are not “jam packed” with visits at wineries. Nevertheless we often run short of time since the discussions – and the wine tastings – can easily become very engaging…

Our wine country tours typically include a mix of small family producers, exclusive boutique wineries and larger internationally well-known wine estates, all selected with great care so that it will give you a unique experience of the people and of the behind-the-scenes in the winery and a good understanding of the wine district’s characteristics, tradition and culture.

At the time of publishing a travel program not all visits have been finalised. We are continuously working on improving the program. The domaines / wineries / châteaux that we visit on a tour may therefore sometimes differ from what was written in the original program. Contact us if you want more details, or if you have any special requests.

On meals: food and gastronomy

Preparing a wine tasting and lunch

Wine and food are intimately linked. That is part of our wine travel philosophy; wine is an integral part of the gastronomy.

A wine tour with BKWine will therefore also be a gastronomic experience.

The meals that are included in a tour with BKWine are on a gourmet level and of very high standard.

Sometimes we will have a meal with a winemaker, perhaps in the wine cellar or at the winery, or even in their home. This is a unique experience that is generally not open to other visitors to wineries. It is an occasion to experience exciting combinations of food and wine while discussing with the people who made the wine.

Sometimes we will have a luxurious meal at a gourmet restaurant. At other times it may be not at a prestigious luxury address but at a local restaurant selected for its presentation of local gastronomic specialities, its atmosphere and its quality – a place where locals go. Or perhaps it will be a buffet lunch made at home by the winemaker and his wife. In all cases we want to show you local gastronomic specialities and the local food and wine pairings.

Do not expect a picnic with salad and sausage from the supermarket and wine in plastic mugs… Think instead of a wine-and-dine experience with specially composed menu with three or four courses and delicious wines.

A wine tour with BKWine is also a culinary experience both for the wine enthusiast and for the gourmet. A gourmet wine tour!

Why travel with BKWine?

Wine slowly aging in the barrel cellar, copyright BKWine Photography

We are experts and specialists in wine and food tours and wine tourism, but also in wine in a broader perspective.

We write in specialised wine magazines and one of our books has won the prize as best wine book in the world. We are regularly called on to be part of judging panels in wine competitions.

We personally visit some 300 vineyards every year. We have organised several hundreds of wine and food tours with an experience going back more than twenty years. We are invited as speakers at wine tourism and culinary touring conferences.

We choose our tour destinations and winery visits with great care. Not because a winery happens to be carrying a “famous name” but because they will give our guests a unique and special experience. You may be looking for a short wine week-end holiday or a longer wine vacation – in all cases you can be confident that you will get a top quality tour, an experience of a lifetime. Or at least until the next time you come on a wine tour with BKWine. Many of our travellers are returning clients.

A wine and food tour with BKWine is always guided by a knowledgeable and experienced BKWine guide and tour manager, someone who knows the ins and outs of wine, of the local gastronomy, of the culture and who speaks the language.

Some accolades we at BKWine and our wine and food tours have received:

• “World’s Top Wine Tours” by Travel + Leisure Magazine, the world’s biggest travel magazine
• “Best wine tasting holidays”, AOL Travel’s list of top wine tours
• “Recommended Wine Tours” by Munskankarna, the world’s biggest wine tasting and wine appreciation association
• “World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals” as well as “Best Wine Book of the Year in Sweden” 2010 for the book The Creation of a Wine
• “Best wine book in Sweden for Professionals” 2012 as well as silver, second place, as “World’s Best Educational Wine Book” for the book Wine and the Environment
• “Wine Personality of the Year” by Munskankarna, the world’s biggest wine tasting and wine appreciation association
• On the Wine Media Power List by Wine Business International Magazine (Britt, 2012)

Read more on why to choose BKWine for a wine and food tour.

Read more on what previous travellers have said about our tours.

Important information

Our groups are always small. The group size may vary, sometimes maximum 8, sometimes 20, but always of a modest size (we do not do “minimum 20, maximum 45″). Check the details in each program. This is important since it guarantees a quality experience and a personal welcome at the wineries we visit.

BKWine is a Swedish registered travel organiser. BKWine has a bonded travel guarantee deposit so that you can feel safe when booking with us. We fully comply with European and Swedish travel guarantee regulations. British travellers may be familiar with the ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) protection scheme which is a similar model. BKWine follows the code of conduct and financial safeguards defined by the Swedish Consumer Agency and The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (“Kammarkollegiet”, with a history dating back to 1539). Read more about this in our Booking Terms and Conditions.

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

You organise your travel independently to the destination for most of our tours but on location we take care of everything.

For more inspiration

Read our wine travel blog. And also:

• Recommend this trip to a friend using the Share/Save (add-to-any) button below!

• There are thousands of pictures from previous trips on BKWine Photography

• Some wine videos from previous wine tours with BKWine

• 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. And keeps you updated on upcoming wine and food tours.

Custom Tours

We also do custom wine and food tours if you want to choose different dates or if you want something different than what we currently offer on our scheduled tours – for individuals, companies, professionals, wine tastings clubs etc.

Some of the most exclusive and highest rated wines in Italy can be found up north, in Piedmont (or Piemonte, as the Italians say). There you can find Barolo and Barbaresco, the powerful tense wines that were among the first in Italy to reach the highest quality denomination Denominazione di Origine e Controllata, DOCG.

Landscape and vineyards in Piedmont, copyright BKWine Photography

We have just published a (new) sample program, an example of how a wine tour to the Piedmont can look. We regularly organise wine and food tours to the Piedmont, as well as to other wine regions in Italy.

But you can find many other exciting wines here too: The light-hearted bubbly Asti (ex-Asti Spumante). Barberas, quite unknown a few decades ago but that reach new heights every year. Other nebbiolo wines of course. Not to forget the whites: cortese, gavi, arneis, just to mention a few.

The wines up here in the north are quite different from many of the wines from the rest of Italy, being perhaps “tougher” more serious food wines. Also the gastronomy is different here in the north. In fact, virtually every region in Italy has its own very special gastronomy and food specialities.

For example, here in the Piedmont they eat more rice than pasta. They are experts in risotto. In season it can be with truffles. The famous white truffle from Alba has its home here. They have a special bred of cattle, the Piedmont cow, which gives a very high quality and tasty meat. They often serve it as carne cruda, a sort of steak tartare with olive oil.

We regularly arrange wine and food tours to the Piedmont. We recently published a sample program on how a tour to the Piedmont can look. It will include a lot of wine and a lot of Italian food. If it is in the right season you are sure to taste quite a lot of truffles too! (The truffle season extends over the autumn and early winter. We have always wondered what they do on some of the “truffle tours” that take place in spring or summer…)

Take a look at our sample program to see how a wine and food tour to the Piedmont in Italy can look. You can find the program under the menu Our Tours > Popular Destinations. You can check if we have one on our schedule in the menu Our Tours > Scheduled Tours, or you can contact us to discuss a custom wine tour to the Piedmont.

Follow the links below to read more.

In the wine cellar at La Spinetta in Piedmont, copyright BKWine Photography

With the international recession, all problems with the euro and other economic uncertainties around the world the tourism industry has not seen very bright times over the last few (or not so few!) years. Is it perhaps time for a change?

The big Scandinavian tourism fair called TUR-mässan (Swedish International Travel and Tourism Trade Fair) recently closed its door after for days of show and the conclusion from it gives at least a glimmer of hope. This travel and tourism show reported an increase in the number of “deals” during the show. Their automated “dating system” registered 850 professional meetings during the show, up from only 500 in the previous edition.

That sounds excellent. And even if the world economy still is not in top notch shape at least it can raise the spirit to more positive levels if you go on a well chosen trip. Why not one of the world’s best wine and food tours?

Waiting for the underground commute, copyright BKWine Photography

Vinofil is a Swedish wine blogger who writes about wine recommendations, tasted wines and some food. It’s inevitable that sit up straight when Vinofil writes “come with us to the southern Rhone valley”!

We can only agree! Come to the Southern Rhone Valley for an unforgettable wine tour!

Vinofil writes about it more in the symbolic sense. She (or is it a he?) writes about some excellent wines from the Rhone Valley. No doubt it is the second best thing, to try these three delicious wines, after visiting the wine district “in real life”. And it is of course much easier to go into the nearest wine shop and buy three bottles. It may also provide some inspiration for future travel destinations!

Sign to Chateau Mont Redon in the vineyards, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, copyright BKWine Photography

Here are Vinofil’s three recommendations:

• Xavier Grenache Vieilles Vignes 2010, Cotes du Rhone (This particular wine has been written up by several wine bloggers, and down by at least one. It is no doubt best to make up ones mind oneself. Not everyone has the same taste …)
• Collines de Rocalinand 2010, Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages
• Château Mont-Redon 2008, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

“Three red lovely favourites from the Rhone Valley,” said Vinofil. Does not sound bad at all!

We can only add that if you want to try this particular type of wines and get to know them in detail (plus enjoy some lovely weather), you can come on our wine tour to the Southern Rhone and Chateauneuf-du-Pape with BKWine!

Grape bunches just in from harvest in the Rhone Valley, copyright BKWine Photography

Bottle ageing cellar at Chateau Mont Redon in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, copyright BKWine Photography

Spicy wines, with aromas of thyme, rosemary, herbs and with plenty of fruit and warmth. Almost the same things can be said about the food, plus sun-drenched vegetables, grilled meat, seafood and cheeses. We’re talking about a wine tour to the Southern Rhône Valley!

The Rhone Valley has long been one of our favourite districts. Not least the southern part, around Avignon, on both sides of the river Rhone. Avignon is also one of my favourite cities in France. It is just the right size with many good and excellent restaurants. And of course the imposing papal palace that sits in the middle of Avignon and adds a captivating historic character.

Palais de Papes in Avignon, copyright BKWine Photography

Avignon is surrounded by vineyards, in all directions. Towards the mountains in the east you have Gigondas and Vacqueyras, two charming wine villages, where dynamic and talented producers today make wines of top quality, at very reasonable prices. There are many interesting villages to visit, or try the wines from, on a wine tour.

Just half an hour north of Avignon we find Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one of the great classics of France. And today it is a classic that does not feel faded but full of dynamic winemakers. From the terrace on the Grand Hostellerie du Château des Fines Roches one can sit and have lunch and look out over the gnarled grenache vines struggling in the poor, rocky soil. It is so rocky that you can almost not walk in the vineyard. The stones, les galets, are warmed up by the sun during the day and the heat is then given to the grapes at night and to the wine. The warmth often feels like a soft spiciness.

A few hardy vines in a very stony soil, copyright BKWine Photography

It’s nice and warm in the summer down in the Rhone Valley and temperatures are often very comfortable well into the autumn. So it is perhaps not surprising that there are numerous organic and biodynamic growers down here. Fungal diseases are not as common as in the north. But despite the heat manage to make wines with a lovely freshness and acidity, a testament to their talent, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Côtes-du-Rhône – a simple bistro wine? Not any more!

Autumn-time is a great period to go on a wine tour here. It can be just after harvest or maybe they are still picking the grapes. At least you have a fairly good chance to experience warm days and balmy evenings on a wine trip here, even in October.

We organise wine and food tours to the Southern Rhone Valley and Châteauneuf-du-Pape where you get the chance to experience the best of both food and wine (and hopefully the weather)!

Vineyards in the Rhone Valley, copyright BKWine Photography

The wine tour to the great classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape and with the new stars of Côtes-du-Rhône in Provence

— The Rhône River flows past many wine regions before it reaches the Mediterranean. In the southernmost part of the Rhône region we are in Provence, with wines that are just as warm and welcoming as the region and that are full of fruit and spices. In October the sun is still warm here and the grapes have just been harvested.

The southern Rhône Valley is today one of France’s most dynamic wine regions with a wealth of interesting wine makers and wineries of top quality. Even Châteauneuf-du-Pape one of the most historical regions in France have become a mover and shaker thanks to a new generation of winegrower. Pair this with the delicious food from southern France and Provence and it becomes the perfect combination. and the perfect wine tour.

A magnificent wine chateau in the vineyards, copyright BKWine Photography

The southern Rhone Valley is a wine district where “things happen” today. New producers are discovered and brought to fame by the specialised press. In France southern Rhone is traditionally considered as the source for bistro jug wines. You can still find those and they can be excellent value. But today this is a region where more and more producers make wine with very high ambitions. Wines that are top quality and full of personality.

The southern Rhone is a big region. The production is 25 times bigger than in the northern part of the Rhone Valley. You find vineyards along the river but also up in the mountains, on steep slopes, and on the plains in the Rhone delta.

We stay four nights in Avignon, a lively city full of historic sites to explore and with a rich cultural life. Here you find France’s most famous bridge; perhaps you are familiar with the song Sur le Pont d’Avignon on y danse, on y danse… There is also the very impressive Papal Palace where the popes resided during a big part of the 14th century.

There are many excellent restaurants to explore in the evenings when you want to relax after a day visiting vineyards.

We will of course visit Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one of the most prestigious wine regions in France. For some time it was resting on its laurels but in recent decades there is a new energy and dynamism thanks to a new generation of very ambitious winemakers.

The ruin in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, copyright BKWine Photography

The summer palace of the Popes in Avignon was 20 kilometres north of the city, in a small village that later got the name Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Today this is a small town with some 2000 inhabitants, totally surrounded by the 3000 hectares of vineyards that make up the appellation.

From what is left of the summer palace, a ruin on a hilltop, you have a beautiful view over the vineyards and the Rhone River. On clear days you can see all the way to Avignon, 20 kilometres away, with the Pope’s permanent residence, and to the Alpilles (the limestone rock formations close to the Mediterranean), the Luberon and the impressive Mont de Ventoux.

We will also visit the area near the beautiful mountain range called Les Dentelles de Montmirail, with its lacework looking summits (dentelles is lace in French). This is where you find the wine villages of Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Séguret, Beaumes-de-Venise, Cairanne and Rasteau. The ambitious producers of this region are a good illustration of what relatively the “humble” appellations of Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages can produce when in the right hands!

Relaxing after lunch in the shade with a view over the vineyards, copyright BKWine Photography

There is also a lot of interest here for organic wines and winemaking that is caring about the environment. That is a very interesting trend and we will visit some wineries where the winemakers will explain the details of organic wines and what it means in the vineyards and in the wine cellar. We can promise you some interesting discussions!

The food and gastronomy will have a prominent place on this tour. Provencal recipes and the gourmet food of the south of France bring to mind juicy tomatoes, fresh vegetables, succulent barbecues, delicious fruits of all kinds.

We will enjoy three lunches during the trip that will be gastronomic experiences. Sometimes as guests at a winery or the home of a winemaker, sometimes in a restaurant with local specialities. You will have plenty of opportunities to savour the cuisine and to see for yourself how the Rhône wines are best paired with the gourmet cuisine of the south of France.

Avignon is easily reached with the TGV high speed train from Paris of from the Marseilles airport.

The tour is led by one of BKWine’s wine and travel expert guides.

More info

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

Here you can find more about travelling in the Rhone Valley wine region.

You can also find more information on the wines from the Rhone on BKWine Magazine.

Program — Wine Tour to the Southern Rhone Valley and Châteauneuf-du-Pape

This is a sample program, an example. Every wine and food tour that we organise is different and specially adapted for the season and the circumstances. Details in the program, e.g. which producers we visit, will be different each time.

Contact BKWine for more details.

Program overview

• Wednesday — Arrival in Avignon
• Thursday — Châteauneuf-du-Pape
• Friday — Gigondas and Vacqueyras
• Saturday — Lirac, the western side of the river
• Sunday — Heading back home

Wednesday  / Day 1 — Arrival in Avignon

You arrive in Avignon and check in at our centrally located hotel, the four-star Hotel Novotel Avignon Centre, just a short walk from the historic city centre and from the railway station.

People on the terraces of the cafés, copyright BKWine Photography

The hotel is located just outside the old city walls (so that our bus can pick us up at the door of the hotel; buses are not allowed inside the city wall). It is brand new, elegantly designed and very comfortable.

Avignon is a typical Provencal town. It has wide avenues lined with plane trees and narrow winding streets that feel as if nothing has changed for several hundred years. The town is full of life and has a very active night life; there are cafés on all the town squares, restaurants ranging from friendly neighbourhood bistros to luxury, wine bars etc.

You must not miss, cannot miss, the immense and impressive Papal Palace from the 14th century, the city wall that surrounds the whole central part of the city, and the famous bridge. It is actually called Pont Saint Bénézet and ends abruptly in the middle of the river.

You will have plenty of time to explore this charming city, a gem of the south of France.

Free evening to explore the city and the night life.

Palais de Papes in Avignon, copyright BKWine Photography

Thursday / Day 2 — Châteauneuf-du-Pape

After breakfast we head out to our waiting bus. Today will be spent on getting to know Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the most famous wine of the southern Rhône Valley.

An old wine cellar with oak barrels in the Rhone Valley, copyright BKWine Photography

You will become intimately familiar with the wonderfully warm and spicy aromas with cinnamon, cloves, freshly roasted coffee. We will have a close look at the amazing round stones, les galets, that are so characteristic for these vineyards. They accumulate heat in the day and give it to the vines at night.

There are actually three types of soil in Châteauneuf, the famous galets roulés, sand, and clay. Each type of soil produces wines of their own specific character.

We will visit some producers from the new generation of winemakers, like Domaine de la Janasse, Domaine Giraud, Domaine La Barroche, or Mas de Boislauzon, but also classic estates like Château Montredon or Château la Nerthe. We will also have the time for a closer look at the ruin of the papal summer palace and admire the view over the vineyards, the river and, if we are lucky, Avignon.

We will have lunch at one of the wineries we visit or in a regional restaurant with a view over the vineyards. This will be the perfect occasion to try out how these powerful wines match the local food. It will be a multi-course meal with local gastronomic specialities.

Late afternoon we are back in Avignon. The evening is free. We will be happy to give you some of our best recommendations for an evening restaurant.

A few hardy vines in a very stony soil, copyright BKWine Photography

Friday / Day 3 — Gigondas and Vacqueyras

Today we head north east towards the elegant Dentelles de Montmirail Mountains. We will visit the famous wine villages of Gigondas and Vacqueyras.

Wine tasting in the garden at the winery, copyright BKWine Photography

We will visit one of the top producers (for example Domaine Montirius, Domaine Sang de Cailloux, or Domaine Monardière) who will show you that the wines from here are full-bodied, elegant and to be taken very seriously. Chateauneuf is no longer alone in making top class wines in the southern Rhône Valley.

For lunch we will make a short hop south to Beaumes-de-Venise, a village that was originally famous for its sweet muscat wines. You will enjoy a wonderful gastronomic lunch at the Restaurant Dolium. It is the wine co-operative in Beaumes de Venise who started this extraordinary restaurant a few years ago and brought in a young chef who is now one of the top talents in the region.

It is the young chef Pascal Poulain who is behind the cuisine at Le Dolium. The name of the co-operative is Cave Balma Vénitia. They have also raised the ambition several notches for the wines. You will of course have a tasting over lunch that will show you some of the exciting wine and food pairings that they have in this region.

After lunch we head north, to Cairanne. There are several top-notch winemakers in this village that have contributed to Cairanne’s world fame. You have for example Domaine Marcel Richaud, Domaine Alary, Domaine de l’Oratoire Saint Martin, just to mention a few of the producers that have been pioneers for the wines in the southern Rhone. We will visit one of them for a detailed look and taste.

Late afternoon we are back in Avignon. The evening is free. Perhaps you are not so hungry after the extensive lunch? Then we can recommend one of the wine bars in the town. They are not always easy to find, but we have the addresses.

Dessert: elegant fig tart, copyright BKWine Photography

Saturday / Day 4 — Lirac, the western side of the river

Rocky soil in the Rhone Valley and ripe grapes, copyright BKWine Photography

Today we drive across the river to the Lirac appellation. Lirac is not as well-known as the wine regions on the east side of the Rhone but it is just as exciting, wine wise.

Here you can for instance find the very interesting producer Domaine Duseigneur that has become well-known partially thanks to that one of the top sommeliers and restaurateurs in Paris has become a part owner.

Duseigneur is an organic and even biodynamic winery. You will learn how this type of viticulture changes the character of the wines. We will go for a walk in the vineyard and take a look at the plants and hers, as well as the equipment, which are used in biodynamic farming.

Domaine Duseigneur makes wines both in the appellation Lirac and Côtes du Rhône Villages Laudun. This is a unique opportunity to get behind the scenes at an organic and biodynamic winery.

We will finish the visit with a wine tasting of their full range of wines and then it is time for lunch wine the winemaker.

The Dentelles de Montmirail Mountains and vineyards in the Rhone Valley, copyright BKWine Photography

To taste the wines together with food gives you quite a different experience than when you stand in the tasting room or in the wine cellar.

If we have luck with the weather (most likely!) then we will have lunch in the garden: starting with different salads, charcuteries, and cold cuts, continuing with meat grilled over the open fire, local cheeses and perhaps even grandma’s home-made apple pie.

After lunch we will visit another winery on the west side of the Rhone River. This is the opportunity to ask any question that you have not yet had an answer to since it is the last winery visit on the tour.

Late afternoon we are back in Avignon.

The evening is free to enjoy Avignon. If it is a warm evening we can recommend a walk across the bridge (the new one, not the old that only goes half way!) to see the spectacular view of the illuminated Papal Palace.

Sunday / Day 5 — Heading back home

Tour ends after breakfast. Departure.

Palais de Papes in Avignon, copyright BKWine Photography

Fact sheet — wine tour to the Southern Rhone Valley and Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Dates: This is a sample program. Look in the menu “Our Tours > Scheduled Tours” to check what scheduled tours are currently on the program or contact us to discuss a custom made private wine tour.

Price per person: This is a sample program. Look in the menu “Our Tours > Scheduled Tours” to check what scheduled tours are currently on the program or contact us to discuss a custom made private wine tour.

Included in the price:

• 4 hotel nights, double occupancy, including breakfast, good quality mid-range European style hotel:
  • Four nights in four-star hotel in Avignon
• Meals as described in the program above (*):
  • 3 gastronomic multi-course lunches including prestigious wines, at wineries or local typical restaurants
• Start and end point: Avignon
• Bus transport during the whole trip
• All vineyard and winery visits
• Private, high quality tastings at wineries, approx. 3 per day
• Interpretation 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) to the destination and back from your home location.

You organise your travel to the destination yourself. If you want assistance with 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 “non-wine” tourism too! We can assist you with booking additional hotel nights if you want.

Book This Trip

This is a sample program. Look in the menu “Our Tours > Scheduled Tours” to check what scheduled tours are currently on the program or contact us to discuss a custom made private wine tour.

You book by contacting Britt Karlsson, BKWine:

• phone: +33 1 58 88 04 66 or +33 6 80 45 35 70 (+33 is the country code for France)
• email: info at bkwine dot com
• skype: bkwine

An olive oil producer and winemaker, copyright BKWine Photography

v.13.04

About the wine producers and wineries we visit

Our aim is that you shall experience some of the best and most interesting that the wine region has to offer, both of wine and food.

We put a big effort into finding and creating outstanding winery visits. Often it will not be the most “famous” and internationally well-known wineries that will give you the best and most unique experiences…

It is usually when you get to meet the winemaker or winery owner himself (or often herself) that the visits become really exciting. And perhaps we even meet the whole family at the estate.

You start discussing and start to understand what it is they do and why in the winery and in the vineyard. Maybe we will also have lunch in the winery or at their home. Need we say we invariably have private wine tastings at the wineries?

That is why our trips are not “jam packed” with visits at wineries. Nevertheless we often run short of time since the discussions – and the wine tastings – can easily become very engaging…

Our wine country tours typically include a mix of small family producers, exclusive boutique wineries and larger internationally well-known wine estates, all selected with great care so that it will give you a unique experience of the people and of the behind-the-scenes in the winery and a good understanding of the wine district’s characteristics, tradition and culture.

At the time of publishing a travel program not all visits have been finalised. We are continuously working on improving the program. The domaines / wineries / châteaux that we visit on a tour may therefore sometimes differ from what was written in the original program. Contact us if you want more details, or if you have any special requests.

On meals: food and gastronomy

Preparing a wine tasting and lunch

Wine and food are intimately linked. That is part of our wine travel philosophy; wine is an integral part of the gastronomy.

A wine tour with BKWine will therefore also be a gastronomic experience.

The meals that are included in a tour with BKWine are on a gourmet level and of very high standard.

Sometimes we will have a meal with a winemaker, perhaps in the wine cellar or at the winery, or even in their home. This is a unique experience that is generally not open to other visitors to wineries. It is an occasion to experience exciting combinations of food and wine while discussing with the people who made the wine.

Sometimes we will have a luxurious meal at a gourmet restaurant. At other times it may be not at a prestigious luxury address but at a local restaurant selected for its presentation of local gastronomic specialities, its atmosphere and its quality – a place where locals go. Or perhaps it will be a buffet lunch made at home by the winemaker and his wife. In all cases we want to show you local gastronomic specialities and the local food and wine pairings.

Do not expect a picnic with salad and sausage from the supermarket and wine in plastic mugs… Think instead of a wine-and-dine experience with specially composed menu with three or four courses and delicious wines.

A wine tour with BKWine is also a culinary experience both for the wine enthusiast and for the gourmet. A gourmet wine tour!

Why travel with BKWine?

Wine slowly aging in the barrel cellar, copyright BKWine Photography

We are experts and specialists in wine and food tours and wine tourism, but also in wine in a broader perspective.

We write in specialised wine magazines and one of our books has won the prize as best wine book in the world. We are regularly called on to be part of judging panels in wine competitions.

We personally visit some 300 vineyards every year. We have organised several hundreds of wine and food tours with an experience going back more than twenty years. We are invited as speakers at wine tourism and culinary touring conferences.

We choose our tour destinations and winery visits with great care. Not because a winery happens to be carrying a “famous name” but because they will give our guests a unique and special experience. You may be looking for a short wine week-end holiday or a longer wine vacation – in all cases you can be confident that you will get a top quality tour, an experience of a lifetime. Or at least until the next time you come on a wine tour with BKWine. Many of our travellers are returning clients.

A wine and food tour with BKWine is always guided by a knowledgeable and experienced BKWine guide and tour manager, someone who knows the ins and outs of wine, of the local gastronomy, of the culture and who speaks the language.

Some accolades we at BKWine and our wine and food tours have received:

• “World’s Top Wine Tours” by Travel + Leisure Magazine, the world’s biggest travel magazine
• “Best wine tasting holidays”, AOL Travel’s list of top wine tours
• “Recommended Wine Tours” by Munskankarna, the world’s biggest wine tasting and wine appreciation association
• “World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals” as well as “Best Wine Book of the Year in Sweden” 2010 for the book The Creation of a Wine
• “Best wine book in Sweden for Professionals” 2012 as well as silver, second place, as “World’s Best Educational Wine Book” for the book Wine and the Environment
• “Wine Personality of the Year” by Munskankarna, the world’s biggest wine tasting and wine appreciation association
• On the Wine Media Power List by Wine Business International Magazine (Britt, 2012)

Read more on why to choose BKWine for a wine and food tour.

Read more on what previous travellers have said about our tours.

Important information

Our groups are always small. The group size may vary, sometimes maximum 8, sometimes 20, but always of a modest size (we do not do “minimum 20, maximum 45″). Check the details in each program. This is important since it guarantees a quality experience and a personal welcome at the wineries we visit.

BKWine is a Swedish registered travel organiser. BKWine has a bonded travel guarantee deposit so that you can feel safe when booking with us. We fully comply with European and Swedish travel guarantee regulations. British travellers may be familiar with the ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) protection scheme which is a similar model. BKWine follows the code of conduct and financial safeguards defined by the Swedish Consumer Agency and The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (“Kammarkollegiet”, with a history dating back to 1539). Read more about this in our Booking Terms and Conditions.

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

You organise your travel independently to the destination for most of our tours but on location we take care of everything.

For more inspiration

Read our wine travel blog. And also:

• Recommend this trip to a friend using the Share/Save (add-to-any) button below!

• There are thousands of pictures from previous trips on BKWine Photography

• Some wine videos from previous wine tours with BKWine

• 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. And keeps you updated on upcoming wine and food tours.

Custom Tours

We also do custom wine and food tours if you want to choose different dates or if you want something different than what we currently offer on our scheduled tours – for individuals, companies, professionals, wine tastings clubs etc.

Travelling to the Douro wine country can almost take your breath away

We have just published our new Douro Valley wine tour program. The Douro is one of the most spectacular wine regions in the world. In the last few decades it has seen a renaissance (or revolution?) both for port wine, table wine and for its food! Here is an introduction to the program.

The Douro Valley wine district in Portugal is certainly one of the “musts” for the dedicated wine traveller. It is breathtakingly beautiful with its winding river and the terraced, sloping vineyards where you just can not understand that someone got the idea to grow vines on.

The Douro Valley is also a region full of delightful surprises.

Inevitably on a wine tour to the Douro you start with Porto (or as some still call it Oporto). A charming city of very manageable size that in itself merits a few days. If you are lucky with the weather (quite likely) you can take a stroll along the beach in Porto and stop for lunch (grilled sardines! Or langouste…).

Grilled sardines, a Portuguese speciality, copyright BKWine Photography

Driving up the river takes a while. Don’t be pressed for time when wine touring here! Even though there is now a modern high-way it is still a winding road that takes you over high (relatively speaking) mountains.

And then you arrive in the wine district, among the vines. Here is where you may have the real surprises. Starting with the wealth of excellent wines. Perhaps the biggest surprise, apart from the scenery (!), is the fantastic table wines (non-fortified wine) that they make today. You can find some outstanding red wines, and even white wines, if you know whom to visit.

Bottles in the wine cellar at Quinta do Tedo in the Douro Valley, copyright BKWine Photography

But you will also discover a variety and diversity among the traditional ports that few people are aware of. Old vintage wines. Delicious tawnies. Refreshing rubies. Modern style ports with slightly less sugar. And much more.

And this is just the beginning. Don’t forget the gastronomy for instance, the Portuguese food.

You really have to come here to the fantastic wine region and experience it. It is amazing.

Take a look at our new wine tour program to the Douro Valley, including Porto!

Doesn’t it sound tempting?

A winery building on a hilltop with terraced vineyards all around

If you go on a wine tour to Chile then you will have the occasion to taste many, many exciting wines and delicious meals. But if you go to Chile you also must try at least once (or twice, or three times) a pisco sour.

Pisco Especial Elqui Tres Erres, copyright BKWine Photography

Pisco is one of the national drinks of Chile. but in Peru they say it is theirs. The competition between the two countries, as far as pisco goes, is not very fierce though. Rather friendly. Chilean and Peruvian pisco is also quite different. They say. I have only tried the Chilean version.

They also say that pisco sour is dangerously addictive. Not addictive in a drug sense but just because it is so delicious. I can attest to that! Next week we are planning to go to a Peruvian (one always must keep an open mind and compare!) restaurant here in Paris. The main reason for the choice was that we can then have a pisco sour.

Here is a short video from our wine tour to Chile (and Argentina) on how to make a pisco sour. It is the bartender at the airport in Santiago that shows us. The bar happened to be called The Last Pisco Sour… And it was!

There were of course quite a few wines on this wine tour too. 114 wines, more or less, on the latest tour.

Pisco is a grape brandy made both in Chile and in Peru. The production method is somewhat different in the two countries so the spirits are also different in flavour.

Pisco sour recipe:

1. Blend two parts pisco brandy with one part lemon juice. Add a generous measure of sugar. Shake vigorously with ice in a cocktail shaker. Most recipes also include a tablespoon of egg white. Some use lime instead of lemon (nice!). Some use powder sugar or syrup instead of plain sugar. Some add a dash of angostura bitter. You’ll have to find your own perfect blend!

2. Serve cold in the cool shade a hot day in Chile after a long day of wine tasting.

And then it is just to relax and enjoy your pisco sour:

A pisco sour in the shade, copyright BKWine Photography

Pisco Tres Erres and a pisco sour, copyright BKWine Photography

 “Recommended Wine Tours”, according to the world’s biggest wine tasting association

A few things to think of when evaluating a wine tour operator

Twice yearly there is a special issue of the magazine Munskanken that includes the Wine Tour and Travel supplement. It includes all “by Munskankarna recommended wine tours”. BKWine is prominently featured of course.

Perhaps you have never heard of Munskänkarna. It is actually the world’s largest wine tasting association, or “wine club” if you wish, if wine club means a club for people who love wine (and not a wine merchant parading under the name “club”). “Munskank” is a medieval word for wine waiter. The Munskankarna association has more then 20,000 members, all wine enthusiasts. They have chapters all over Sweden and some internationally. The members meet regularly to taste wines and eat good food. So you can imagine that there are many people interested in travelling to wine country among their members.

All wine tours that BKWine organises are labelled “recommended” by Munskankarna. Many of their members do indeed come on our tours.

It is a good thing that Munskankarna puts their “approval stamp2 on our wine tours. We are very happy about that. Thank you for the trust!

There are of course other wine tour organisers in the travel supplement, and those that are not in the supplement too, so travellers interested in going on a wine tour has many things to choose from.

But there are perhaps a few things to think about when you look at a wine tour be it recommended or not.

Here are some suggestions:

• What’s the tour operator’s reputation?
• What is his experience and knowledge of wine?
• What is his experience and knowledge of travel and wine tours?
• Is it a specialist? Or is it a generalist that organises all sorts of travel and tours?
• How big is the group that you will be travelling with?
• What is included in the tour package? Is, for example, wine with the meals included?
• What kind of financial guarantee does the tour operator give the traveller? (BKWine has a bonded travel guarantee for all tours.)
• How professional a tour operator is it? (Is perhaps one motivation for the organiser that he will get a free trip to a wine region?)
• Most tours include meals. But what kind of meals? Simple picnics or gastronomic feasts? There’s the whole range.
• What type of visits will they do? There are big differences, from visits at “the big and famous” and prestigious wine brands (“wineries”) where you will be greeted by one of half a several employed guides (who have learned the story to the detail), to small and personal vineyards where you will meet the owners and the winemaker.
• What information do you get out of the tour program? Is it clear and informative or short and schematic? Doe it contain all that you want to know about the wine tour?
• How well does the organisers seems to know the destination?
• Etc, etc…

But even if you have looked at the program in detail it is difficult to know exactly how the tour will be, without going on one.

The best way to know more is of course to talk to someone who has been on one before. The second best is perhaps to see what other customers have said about the wine tours, if you can not find someone who has already travelled with the operator.

We have a few more points that you can read on why we think that a wine tour with BKWine is the right choice for you.

But we are certainly very happy that all our wine and food tours are “recommended by Munskänkarna”. As I said, we regularly have many of their members on our tours!

And we hope to have you on a tour one day too!

Photo: © Tasteline

Tastline is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, food and wine site in Scandinavia. Their two wine writers, Ulrika Karlsson and Camilla Settlin regularly writes on Tasteline’s wine blog: wine buying recommendations, wine and food pairing and many other things on wine.

We recently happened to discover that they have just written an article on BKWine’s wine tours! Here is an excerpt:

Travel to the wine

BKWine organises a large number of wine tours. Not only that, the contents of the tours feels right on the spot and interesting! Britt and Per Karlsson who run the company and who create the tours have a wealth of invaluable contacts in the wine world. Join them on one of their wine tours! [...]

Choose between Champagne / Bordeaux / Alsace in France, the Douro Valley in Portugal or Tuscany / Apulia in Italy. That’s just some of the exciting options that you can choose from. [...]

Their web site is full to the brim of excellent information and facts. You can also get lots of insight into the world of wine with BKWine, tasting notes, news, wine education, photo courses… inspiration and enthusiasm at full speed!

Many thanks for noticing our wine tours!

You can read more on what the press and media says on our wine tours here.

Tasteline on BKWine’s wine tours

Languedoc offers almost everything you could wish for. Magnificent scenery with the sea and the mountains always close by. Good food, picturesque small towns, cultural cities. And – here comes the best part – enormously good wines. Many of the interesting things in wine that are happening in France today are happening in the Languedoc.

A good starting point for a tour in Languedoc is Montpellier. It is a bustling metropolis, youthful thanks to a large university. There is a beautiful “old town”, a pedestrian area, where you can stroll without traffic and where the city’s noise is far away. Are you interested in architecture you should not miss the relatively new district Antigone, designed by the Catalan architect Bofill.

The cathedral in Agde, copyright BKWine Photography

But after a few days in Montpellier you are probably longing for the vineyards. They are not far; they actually begin at the city limits. Some wineries are even inside the city boundary. An hour’s drive north and you end up in Pic Saint Loup, one hour north-west and you are in the Terrasses du Larzac, an hour and a half straight west and you wind up in Faugères and Saint Chinian.

Or you can follow the Mediterranean Sea to the south, passing the beautiful city of Sète with its canals that makes you feel as if you are in Venice, and the oyster farms in the Bassin de Thau. Shortly you arrive in Narbonne, where Charles Trenet wrote the most famous tribute to the Mediterranean, “La Mer”.

Narbonne is in the Corbières, one of our favourite regions in Languedoc. Along the winding roads in the hilly and sometimes quite desolate landscape we see vines that are struggling together with aromatic wild herbs in the poor soil. Here the Cathars lived in the 13^th century. Ruins of their chateaux can still be seen on some mountain peaks. If you follow the “route des châteaux Cathar” you get to see them all.

A medieval fortress perching on the mountain-top, copyright BKWine Photography

In short, the Languedoc is a wonderful place to visit not only for its excellent wines and its food and gastronomy but also for its history and the beautiful landscape.

You can come on one of our wine and food tours to the Languedoc if you want to experience a few wonderful days in the region. It can also be a good idea to spend a few additional days to have time for some more exploration.

Vineyards sheltering under the cliff, copyright BKWine Photography

The grilled leg of lamb is getting ready, copyright BKWine Photography

Quite a lot of wines tasted on the South American wine tour

Over fourteen days you have the time to taste quite a few wines and visit quite a few vineyards. It can sometimes even be hard to keep track of how many wines you have tasted. Sometimes the winemaker comes along with one or two additional things, just for the fun of it, that little extra special. Sometimes you get to taste samples from tank or from barrels. And so on. And sometimes it is simply hard to keep track, for instance if you are tasting 17 wines in a row.

Here are in any case most of the wines that we tasted, savoured and drank on the wine tour to Argentina and Chile in South America!

Don’t be sad if you were not there. You will get another chance later!

(And if you were on the trip, if there is one or two wines that you don’t recognise, then it can be because some of the  ones below were at a dinner or a wine bar. On the other hand, I am sure that you have some wine memories (or photos) that I don’t have!)

Let’s start in Argentina

For the first lunch, there are no pictures…:

• Norton Espumante Brut
• Sauvignon Blanc Alamos, Catena Zapata
• Malbec Nieto Senetiner

But after that, here are the pictures.

Bonarda 2006 Fond de Cave Trapiche

Chardonnay Finca Flichman 2011, La Linda unoaked

Torrontès Don David 2012, Bodega el Esteco

Piedra Negra Pinot Gris Mendoza

Tomero semillon 2008 Mendoza

Luigi Bosca sauvignon blanc

Norton Espumante Brut Nature, Cosecha Especial

Saint Felicien Syrah 2009 Catena Zapata

Sietes Vacas Torrontes

Lassia Pinot Noir 2010

Casa Montes Ampakama Intesno Malbec 2011

Rosé Malbec 2012

Kaiken Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2011

Kaiken Malbec Reserve 2010

Kaiken Ultra Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Kaiken Ultra Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Kaiken Ultra Malbec 2010

Dolium Rosé Malbec 2012 classico

Dolium Torso 2011 (white)

Bodega Dolium Petite Reserve Malbec 2009 & 2008

Bodega Dolium Gran Reserva single vineyard Malbec 2005

Plus a number of Dolium wines from tank and from barrel:

• Malbec-Bonarda-Syrah-Cabernet – special blend for China 2011
• Syrah 2012
• Syrah Reserva
• Malbec 2012
• Luján de Cuyo 2011
• Luján de Cuyo 2010

Carinae Torrontès 2012

Carinae Malbec 2010 reserva

Carinae Malbec Finca Deneza 2009

Carinae Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 reserva

Carinae Syrah Reserva 2010

CarinaE Prestige 2008

A CarinaE wine tasting in Medoza

Zuccardi Santa Julia Syrah Rosé 2012 Edicion Limitada

Zuccardi Sauvignon Blanc Alambrado 2012

Zuccardi Santa Julia Extra Brut

Zuccardi Serie A Syrah 2010

Zuccardi Q Malbec 2010

Zuccardi Santa Julia Tardio

Zuccardi Viognier Malamado

Melipal Malbec Rosé 2012

Melipal Ikella Malbec 2010

Melipal Malbec 2009

Melipal Malbec Reserve 2007 nazarenas Vineyard, planted 1923

Tasting wines at Bodega Melipal in Mendoza Argentina

Loco Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Tempus Tempranillo 2011

Tempus Pleno 2011

Trapiche Torrentès 2012 Broquel

Trapiche Chardonnay Finca La Palmas 2011

Trapiche Malbec 2012

Trapiche Finca Las Palmas Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Gran Reserva

Trapiche Finca Las Palmas 2010 Malbec Grran Reserva

Trapiche Las Palmas Cabernet and Malbec

Trapiche Gran Médalla Medalla 2010 Malbec

Trapiche Gran Médalla Medalla 2010 Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon

Trapiche Terroir Malbec Domingo F Sarmiento

Trapiche Terroir Malbec Suarez Lastra 2009

Trapiche Terroir Malbec Jorges Miralles 2008

Trapiche Iscay Malbec Cabernet Franc 2008

Trapiche Terroir Iscay Syrah Viognier 2010

Lagarde Viognier

Las Perdides Pinot Grigio 2012

Puenta Estate 2012 XIV Pinot Grigio

And then to Chile:

De Martino Legado Chardonnay 2011 Gran Reserva Valle del Limari

De Matino Viejas Tinajas 2012 (amphora fermented)

De Martino Gallardia Cinsault Rosé 2012

De Martino Single Vineyard Old Bush Vines ”Las Cruces” 2008

De Martino Reserva 347 Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2012

De Martino Grand Reserva Legado Merlot Valle de Maipu 2010 and Carmenere

Pisco Sour

Echeverria Classic Collection Unwooded Chardonnay 2012

Echeverria Reserva Chardonnay 2012

Echeverria Reserva Pinot Noir 2011, Casablanca

Echeverria Reserva Carmenère 2011

Echeverria Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Echeverria Founder’s Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Echeverria Noble Botrytis late harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Torres Santa Digna Carmenère Reserva 2011 Valle Central

Torres Cordillera Brut

Torres Santa Digna, Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé Reserva 2012, Valle Central

Torres RieslingVendimia Tardía Late Harvest, 2008 Valle de Curicó

Viña San Pedro Castillo de Molina Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Viña San Pedro 1865 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Single Vineyard Maipo Valley

Viña San Pedro Tierra Moradas Carménère 2008 Maule Valley

Viña San Pedro Cabo de Hornos, 2009 Special Reserve

Viña San Pedro Kankana del Elqui Syrah 2009 Elqui Valley

Undurraga Pinot Carmenere

Montgras Reserva Sauvignon blanc 2012 San Antonio Valley

Montgras Carmenère Reserva 2012

Cono Sur Sparkling Brut

Cono Sur 20 Barrels Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Cono Sur Single Vineyard Riesling 2012 Rulos del Alto Block 23

Cono Sur 20 Barrrels Pinot Noir 2011

Cono Sur Organic Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenère 2011 Colchagua

Cono Sur 20 Barrels Syrah 2011

Francois Lurton Reserva de la Hacienda sauvignon blanc 2012

Altair Sideral 2008

Altair 2008

Altaïr 2007 Cachapoal Valley

Refugio Pinot Noir 2011

Quintay Q Pinot Noir 2010

Orzada Carignan 2010

Loma Larga cabernet franc 2008

Emiliana Adobe Chardonnay 2011 Reserva

Emiliana Adobe Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Valle Central

Emiliana Coyam

Signos de Origen La Vinilla Chardonnay Viognier Roussanne Marssanne 2011 Valle de Casablanca

Cefiro Reserva sauvignon blanc Vina Casablanca

Pisco Elqui Tres Erres

That’s all! At least almost all.

Alsace is the only wine region in France that is entirely focused on grape varieties, although more and more wine producers now emphasise the importance of the terroir. There are many different wine styles and all have a gastronomic mirror, an Alsatian speciality that is perfect for each wine. Alsace can seem easy to understand, but it is not always so. But it is always stunningly beautiful in the hilly landscape filled with vineyards.

A few years ago the high-speed train line from Paris to Strasbourg and Colmar opened. Alsace is now just two hours away from the capital. Coming here is like coming to a different world. The story book villages are unique. Some of them, like Riquewihr, have all its original houses from the 16^th century left. Others fared worse during the many wars in the region, but have been reconstructed with care.

Colmar, capital of Alsace wines

Strasbourg is a fantastic town, well worth a visit, but if you want to get close to the route du vin, the wine route which goes through the famous wine villages, you take instead the train to Colmar. Colmar is a pleasant town for a few nights stay. Picturesque but still vibrant and lively with both tourists and locals.

Little Venice, ‘Petite Venise’, in Colmar, Alsace, copyright BKWine Photography

Few wine regions have such a wide range of wine styles as Alsace. Even though most of the wines here are white. Wine tastings in Alsace tend to be long and interesting! You taste sylvaner, riesling, pinot gris, gewurztraminer, muscat. There are dry wines, sparkling wines, semi-dry, semi-sweet, wines from noble rot, grand cru villages and maybe some red too. Pinot noir vineyards have grown in recent years.

Although there is some talk about terroir also in Alsace the grapes have a unique position here. “The grape is part of the Alsatian identity,” says Melanie Pfister, at Domaine Pfister in Dahlheim. “A consumer looks for a riesling or a gewurztraminer and these two grapes have such different styles. It would be difficult for them if you just put a vineyard name on the label,” she believes.

Terroir is of course also important. Paul Dussourt in Scherwiller says that “it is amazing how the character of the wines vary depending on where the grapes were grown, even if there are only a few hundred meters between.” And others, like Marc Kreydenweiss and Jean-Michel Deiss, believe that the terroir taste sometimes dominates over the grape flavour. And in that case, why indicate the grape on the label?

Pinot noir grapes in a vineyard in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, copyright BKWine Photography

Goose or duck? Alsace wine for both!

Paul Dussourt is something of a specialist in vendange tardive, wines from late harvested grapes, a specialty of Alsace. We do a different tasting with him.

On the plate we have a slice of goose liver, foie gras d’oie, and a slice of duck liver, foie gras de canard. In the glasses we have different vendange tardive wines from gewurztraminer and pinot gris. Rich, flavourful wines with a little sweetness that goes perfectly with the foie gras. The idea is to taste the difference between the two slices of foie gras. That is quite difficult actually so we concentrate instead on finding out which wine is the best partner.

Restaurant terrace in Little Venice ‘Petite Venise’, Colmar, Alsace, copyright BKWine Photography

Sometimes you need a bit of sugar

“It is difficult to make a dry gewurztraminer,” says Paul. “If you harvest at 13.5% potential alcohol you get no aromas. But as a vendange tardive with around 20 grams of residual sugar it becomes perfect.” But what we considered best with the foie gras was a Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive 2007 with smooth and soft sweetness. The grapes had been left on the stock to dry virtually to raisins until late in the autumn.

Melanie Pfister also finds it difficult to make a dry gewurztraminer. “The grape needs to mature for a long time for both the aromas and the phenolic maturity. So you get high sugar levels and it is hard to make a dry wine out of that.”

Her Riesling wines, however, are completely dry. Or at least, they feel dry. “Sometimes they have 6-7 grams of residual sugar, but with the high acidity they feel totally dry,” she says.

Vineyard at Kaefferkopf grand cru, Ammerschwihr, Alsace, copyright BKWine Photography

Visiting Alsace makes you understand how the producers work and think and why they do it. Wines from Alsace are not so complicated to understand but not so easy either!

Gazing at roof tops is compulsory in Alsace. A few years ago the stork was completely gone from the region. Much hard work has been put in to reintroduce the stork and now you hear the characteristic clattering from stork beaks in many villages. That alone is worth a trip to Alsace.

Gift and souvenir shop with storks, Colmar, Alsace, copyright BKWine Photography

A super-Tuscan wine tour lunch at the prestigious Antinori winery

Tenuta di Biserno is one of the new wineries in Maremma on the Tuscan coast. It is one of the wineries that produce the famous “super-Tuscan” wines. We were heading towards Biserno for our lunch appointment on one of our recent wine tours to Tuscany.

To get to Tenuta di Biserno you go almost all the way down to the sea and head for Bolgheri. Just before you arrive at the village of Bolgheri you turn left onto a small road and soon you will see the famous Campo di Sasso vineyard on your right. Then you have to turn off on a small gravely road leading up into the Maremma hills.

Lunch and wine tasting at Tenuta di Biserno, Tuscany

Tenuta di Biserno was created some time back by Lodovico Antinori, after he had sold the Ornellaia vineyard that was one of the pioneers among the super-Tuscans. Today Ludovico runs the Tenuta di Biserno together with his brother Piero Antinori and Umberto Mannoni.

The winemaker in charge at Tenuta di Biserno is Swedish-born Helena Lindberg, helped by the famous consultant Michel Rolland, and the vineyard manager Ranieri Orsini.

Back to our lunch… It is not a bad place to go for lunch on a wine tour. Definitely not. But first, it is not a very easy thing to get into one of the gems of the Antinori family empire. Second, you have to find the way there. Those two things done you arrive at the charming villa. Beautiful. View over the vineyards and the sea.

Then you sit down for lunch. We were there on a hot day so we had lunch in the cool of the mansion’s dining room. Well, you can see for yourself about the lunch on the video.

The wines, we tasted them all (and some grappa), with the lunch. The Insoglio del Cinghiale, from the Campo di Sasso, the Il Pino di Biserno, and their prestige cuvée Biserno.

It is difficult to stand up and leave from a lunch like that. Not so much because of all the wines. Rather because … you just want to sit back and enjoy.

Take a look at our wine tour schedule, Our Tours > Scheduled Wine Tours, to see if we currently have one on the schedule. Here is an exmple of  a wine tour to Tuscany. We can also plan a custom made wine tour to Tuscany, or other wine regions in Italy for you.

Lunch at Tenuta di Biserno on our Tuscan wine tour. Biserno is on the Tuscan coast and one of the most famous super-Tuscans. We were there to taste their range of wines (Insoglio del Cinghiale from Campo di Sasso, Il Pino di Biserno, Biserno.) and have a delicious gastronomic lunch. At the the Tenuta di Biserno estate, the Lodovico and Piero Antinori winery in Maremma on the Tuscan coast, near Bolgheri and Bibbona.

One of many great experiences on a wine and food tour to Tuscany in Italy with BKWine Tours, the specialist in wine travel and gourmet travel. We make sure you get a once-in-a-lifetime unique experience when visiting wine country regions, wineries, vineyards, estates and chateaux, and when meeting winemakers.

And Tenuta di Biserno’s own video on their winery:

Sancerre, one of the wine villages on our Three Classics wine tour

Sancerre is perhaps most famous for two things: Fist of all its delicious, refreshing, elegant yet structured white wines made from sauvignon blanc. Secondly it is the goat cheeses, not least the Crottin de Chavignol, the small, round cheese, also with quite a high acidity. Together they make a perfect combination towards the end of a meal: a glass of sancerre and a bite of goat cheese.

Here are some pictures and videos from a wine tour to Sancerre in the upper Loire Valley.

Sancerre is one of the destinations we sometimes include in the wine and food tour that we call The Three Classics: Sancerre in the Loire Valley, Chablis in northern Burgundy, and Champagne. A perfect trio of elegant wines that will also make for perfect travel destinations for a wine and food tour to three of the exciting wine regions in northern France.

Take a look in our wine tour schedule, Our Tours > Scheduled Wine Tours, to see if we currently have one of the schedule. We can also plan a custom made wine tour to Sancerre, the Loire Valley, or other wine regions in France for you.

A panoramic view over the vineyards of Sancerre and Chavignol in the upper Loire from the top of the tower of Chateau de Sancerre. A beautiful wine region to travel in, with some delicious wines, food, cheeses. Sancerre, Loire, France.

The Sancerre vineyards at sunset. Rolling hills and beautiful landscape. Followed by some typical cheeses from Sancerre and goat cheese from Chavignol (Crottin).

Loire wine and food are delicious, Sancerre and others: Loire wine from Sancerre can be both red and (mainly) white. Neighbouring wine regions, Reuilly, Quincy, Pouilly also make delicious wines. White from sauvignon blanc. They are a perfect match to the fish and cheese of the region, or even an apple soufflé.

Tasting a few bottles of Sancerre, Loire Valley

Loire Valley cheese in a restaurant in Sancerre

View over the landscape, vineyards, fields and rooftops, Sancerre

Scallops in sancerre sauce

Bottles of Sancerre wine, bread and food in the garden, Loire

Sunset in a vineyard in Sancerre, Loire Valley

Reuilly, Quincy, Pouilly near Sancerre in a glass

Wine list in a restaurant in Sancerre

Bordeaux “a must for any wine lover”

— In Bordeaux you find world famous chateaux and world famous wines but also a lot of new exciting initiatives – less famous but maybe more important for the future of Bordeaux! – and young enthusiastic wine makers. On this trip we will visit both some big, famous Grand Cru Class chateaux and smaller ones that are less known, but very quality conscious. We will visit the well-known regions like Medoc and Saint-Emilion, but also rising-stars among the regions, like Entre-deux-Mers. We will learn about viticulture, vinification and vintages and after this trip you will know quite a lot about what’s going on in Bordeaux.

An elegant Bordeaux wine cellar, copyright BKWine Photography

There will probably be a lot of harvesting going on and we will have a golden opportunity to see what happens both in the vineyard and in the cellar during the important season.

In all the châteaux we will get private tastings together with the people who are involved in the wine making and who are delighted to share with us their passion for fine wine.

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

The city of Bordeaux is on the list of UNESCO world heritage sites. You can read more about it in our City Guide to Bordeaux.

We will meet in Bordeaux, which is easy to reach. Bordeaux has its own airport and it is only 3 hours away from Paris by TGV-train. You will arrive on Wednesday evening. On Thursday morning our bus will pick us up for our first visits in the vineyards. Sunday is departure day.

This trip is limited to only 8 participants, so register now!

Join us for a few unforgettable days in the world’s most famous wine region!

Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d’Eau fountain, copyright BKWine Photography

More info

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

Here you can find more about travelling in the Bordeaux wine region.

You can also find more information on the wines from Bordeaux on BKWine Magazine.

Here are a few videos from winery visits in Bordeaux:

Programme – Bordeaux wine tour

Preliminary programme.

Contact BKWine for more details.

Program overview

• Wednesday – Arrival in Bordeaux
• Thursday – The Medoc
• Friday – Saint Emilion and the Right Bank
• Saturday – Entre-deux-Mers and the Graves
• Sunday – Heading back home

Wednesday September 18 — Arrival in Bordeaux

Arrival in Bordeaux. Check in at our 3-star hotel, located in the city centre.

A classical château in Bordeaux

Bordeaux city is the centre of the Bordelais wine trade. But today you see more of beautifully renovated renaissance or baroque mansions, luxurious boutiques and university students than wine warehouses.

Bordeaux is without a doubt one of France’s most elegant cities, where it lies along the banks of the Garonne River. What used to be warehouses and parking places have been transformed into a myriad of cafés, wine bars, and restaurants. Here you can find everything from Michelin starred places to friendly neighbourhood bistros.

The two things one absolutely must do is to explore The Old Town and go for a stroll along the river and see the Place de la Bourse when evening is falling!

Evening is free to explore the city. Perhaps you will start with an aperitif at a wine bar? Why not try a Lillet, a spicy and fragrant wine-based drink “invented” by the brothers Paul and Raymond Lillet in 1872? It is still made in the same location where they started! It was made famous also by its appearance together with James Bond in Casino Royale. We will be happy to share with you some of our favourite addresses!

Late afternoon aperitif at a bistro, copyright BKWine Photography

Thursday September 19 — The Medoc

A magnificent oriental chateau facade, copyright BKWine Photography

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

Our bus will take us through the villages of Margaux, Saint-Julien and Pauillac and up to Saint-Estephe and we will see many beautiful and famous chateaux on the way.

It is a real thrill to see all these chateaux one has read about, in real life!

We will visit a few of these chateaux, some of them Grand Cru Classé and we will have a delicious, very luxurious gastronomic lunch in one of the prestigious chateaux.

Early evening we are back in Bordeaux. Free evening to explore a few more wine bars. Perhaps time to try out the local oysters? Bordeaux is also one of France’s biggest oyster fishing regions.

Chateau entrance, Bordeaux, copyright BKWine Photography

Friday September 21 — Saint Emilion and the Right Bank

On the other side of the rivers Garonne and Dordogne are Saint-Emilion and Pomerol.

Tasting wine in a vaulted barrel cellar, copyright BKWine Photography

The chateaux are smaller than those in the Medoc but the landscape is prettier with more rolling hills and green forests. It is in this region the most expensive wines in Bordeaux can be found.

We will visit some very interesting producers, for instance famous Chateau Franc-Mayne where we will also have the opportunity to admire the magnificent limestone cellar and to taste some older vintages.

Our lunch this day will be at Château Troplong Mondot, a prestigious 1er Grand Cru Classé. They recently opened a restaurant next to the cellar, called Les Belles Perdrix.

Here we will enjoy a 3 course meal with the wines of the château. We will visit the property before or after the meal.

We will also have time for a quick stroll in the picturesque town of Saint Emilion before our afternoon visit. Saint Emilion is a wonderful medieval small town on the World Heritage list of UNESCO.

Early evening we are back in Bordeaux. Free evening.

Saturday September 21 — Entre-deux-Mers and the Graves

“Between the rivers”, in Entre-deux-Mers, the quality of wines is getting better and better.

Table set for lunch and a wine tasting, copyright BKWine Photography

This is perhaps the Bordeaux district where quality has increased with the greatest leaps and bounds over the last two decades. Also, here you can afford to buy them!

Look for superb wines under “simple” appellations like Bordeaux Supérieur, but of course, you have to know where to look.

This is one of the places in Bordeaux where it pays to know exactly where to go, and when you do, value for money is assured.

We will visit one of the “new wave” chateaux here where we will also have lunch together with a series of wines from the estate.

We will end our wine tour in the Graves and Pessac-Leognan where you find superb red and white wines.

Here we will visit a family estate, well known for its high quality red and white wines. Graves is the oldest wine region in Bordeaux and some of the chateaux here were talked about already in the 17th century. The soil is very well adapted to cabernet sauvignon but also to the white varieties sauvignon blanc and semillon. They mix very well together, sauvignon gives the wine a nice aromatic touch and semillon adds fatness and fullness.

Early evening we are back in Bordeaux. Free evening.

Sunday September 22 — Heading back home

Tour ends after breakfast.

Program may be subject to minor modifications.

Vineyards in Saint Emilion, copyright BKWine Photography

Fact sheet — Bordeaux wine tour

Dates: September 18-22, 2013

Price: 1350 euro

Single room supplement: 180 euro

Included in the price:

• 4 hotel nights, double occupancy, including breakfast
  • Hotel in the city centre of Bordeaux, 3-star hotel
• Meals as described in the program above (*):
  • 3 gastronomic multi-course lunches including prestigious wines; at least 2 of the lunches at a wine chateaux
• Start and end point: Bordeaux
• Transportation in minibus for three days in Bordeaux
• All vineyard and winery visits
• Private, high quality tastings at wineries, approx. 3 per day
• Interpretation from French as needed, though many 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) to the destination and back from your home location.

You organise your travel to the destination yourself. If you want assistance with 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 “non-wine” tourism too! We can assist you with booking additional hotel nights if you want.

This trip is limited to only 8 participants, so book soon!

For this trip to take place we must have a minimum of 4 participants registered at the “book before” date.

Book This Trip

Book before: June 1, 2013

Registration is confirmed by paying the registration fee of 250 EUR. Full payment should be received at the latest one month before the departure date (see our terms and conditions). Payments should be made by bank transfer to BKWine’s bank in Sweden. Details will be sent to you when you register.

You book by contacting Britt Karlsson, BKWine:

• phone: +33 1 58 88 04 66 or +33 6 80 45 35 70 (+33 is the country code for France)
• email: info at bkwine dot com
• skype: bkwine

A winemaker tasting her wine, copyright BKWine Photography

v.13.04

About the wine producers and wineries we visit

Our aim is that you shall experience some of the best and most interesting that the wine region has to offer, both of wine and food.

We put a big effort into finding and creating outstanding winery visits. Often it will not be the most “famous” and internationally well-known wineries that will give you the best and most unique experiences…

It is usually when you get to meet the winemaker or winery owner himself (or often herself) that the visits become really exciting. And perhaps we even meet the whole family at the estate.

You start discussing and start to understand what it is they do and why in the winery and in the vineyard. Maybe we will also have lunch in the winery or at their home. Need we say we invariably have private wine tastings at the wineries?

That is why our trips are not “jam packed” with visits at wineries. Nevertheless we often run short of time since the discussions – and the wine tastings – can easily become very engaging…

Our wine country tours typically include a mix of small family producers, exclusive boutique wineries and larger internationally well-known wine estates, all selected with great care so that it will give you a unique experience of the people and of the behind-the-scenes in the winery and a good understanding of the wine district’s characteristics, tradition and culture.

At the time of publishing a travel program not all visits have been finalised. We are continuously working on improving the program. The domaines / wineries / châteaux that we visit on a tour may therefore sometimes differ from what was written in the original program. Contact us if you want more details, or if you have any special requests.

On meals: food and gastronomy

Preparing a wine tasting and lunch

Wine and food are intimately linked. That is part of our wine travel philosophy; wine is an integral part of the gastronomy.

A wine tour with BKWine will therefore also be a gastronomic experience.

The meals that are included in a tour with BKWine are on a gourmet level and of very high standard.

Sometimes we will have a meal with a winemaker, perhaps in the wine cellar or at the winery, or even in their home. This is a unique experience that is generally not open to other visitors to wineries. It is an occasion to experience exciting combinations of food and wine while discussing with the people who made the wine.

Sometimes we will have a luxurious meal at a gourmet restaurant. At other times it may be not at a prestigious luxury address but at a local restaurant selected for its presentation of local gastronomic specialities, its atmosphere and its quality – a place where locals go. Or perhaps it will be a buffet lunch made at home by the winemaker and his wife. In all cases we want to show you local gastronomic specialities and the local food and wine pairings.

Do not expect a picnic with salad and sausage from the supermarket and wine in plastic mugs… Think instead of a wine-and-dine experience with specially composed menu with three or four courses and delicious wines.

A wine tour with BKWine is also a culinary experience both for the wine enthusiast and for the gourmet. A gourmet wine tour!

Why travel with BKWine?

Wine slowly aging in the barrel cellar, copyright BKWine Photography

We are experts and specialists in wine and food tours and wine tourism, but also in wine in a broader perspective.

We write in specialised wine magazines and one of our books has won the prize as best wine book in the world. We are regularly called on to be part of judging panels in wine competitions.

We personally visit some 300 vineyards every year. We have organised several hundreds of wine and food tours with an experience going back more than twenty years. We are invited as speakers at wine tourism and culinary touring conferences.

We choose our tour destinations and winery visits with great care. Not because a winery happens to be carrying a “famous name” but because they will give our guests a unique and special experience. You may be looking for a short wine week-end holiday or a longer wine vacation – in all cases you can be confident that you will get a top quality tour, an experience of a lifetime. Or at least until the next time you come on a wine tour with BKWine. Many of our travellers are returning clients.

A wine and food tour with BKWine is always guided by a knowledgeable and experienced BKWine guide and tour manager, someone who knows the ins and outs of wine, of the local gastronomy, of the culture and who speaks the language.

Some accolades we at BKWine and our wine and food tours have received:

• “World’s Top Wine Tours” by Travel + Leisure Magazine, the world’s biggest travel magazine
• “Best wine tasting holidays”, AOL Travel’s list of top wine tours
• “Recommended Wine Tours” by Munskankarna, the world’s biggest wine tasting and wine appreciation association
• “World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals” as well as “Best Wine Book of the Year in Sweden” 2010 for the book The Creation of a Wine
• “Best wine book in Sweden for Professionals” 2012 as well as silver, second place, as “World’s Best Educational Wine Book” for the book Wine and the Environment
• “Wine Personality of the Year” by Munskankarna, the world’s biggest wine tasting and wine appreciation association
• On the Wine Media Power List by Wine Business International Magazine (Britt, 2012)

Read more on why to choose BKWine for a wine and food tour.

Read more on what previous travellers have said about our tours.

Important information

Our groups are always small. The group size may vary, sometimes maximum 8, sometimes 20, but always of a modest size (we do not do “minimum 20, maximum 45″). Check the details in each program. This is important since it guarantees a quality experience and a personal welcome at the wineries we visit.

BKWine is a Swedish registered travel organiser. BKWine has a bonded travel guarantee deposit so that you can feel safe when booking with us. We fully comply with European and Swedish travel guarantee regulations. British travellers may be familiar with the ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) protection scheme which is a similar model. BKWine follows the code of conduct and financial safeguards defined by the Swedish Consumer Agency and The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (“Kammarkollegiet”, with a history dating back to 1539). Read more about this in our Booking Terms and Conditions.

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

You organise your travel independently to the destination for most of our tours but on location we take care of everything.

For more inspiration

Read our wine travel blog. And also:

• Recommend this trip to a friend using the Share/Save (add-to-any) button below!

• There are thousands of pictures from previous trips on BKWine Photography

• Some wine videos from previous wine tours with BKWine

• 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. And keeps you updated on upcoming wine and food tours.

Custom Tours

We also do custom wine and food tours if you want to choose different dates or if you want something different than what we currently offer on our scheduled tours – for individuals, companies, professionals, wine tastings clubs etc.

Porto is at the mouth of the Douro River, where it joins the Atlantic. It is the historic and economic centre of the port wine trade. It is also a great place to visit!

Porto, or Oporto, is the perfect starting point for a trip to the Douro Valley wine region. But before heading off to visit the wineries and the vineyards (or after) you should take the opportunity to explore for a day or two Porto.

It has a beautiful historic city centre, plenty of restaurants, cafés and wine bars, and much else to see and do.

Just across the river, just a short walk across the famous Dom Luis I Bridge, you have Vila Nova de Gaia. Gaia is where all the port lodges are located. That is where you can go and visit these huge cellars. Definitely worth a few hours too!

Here are a few glimpses, photos and videos, from Porto and some of the sights that you can enjoy in the city.

Take a look in our wine tour schedule, Our Tours > Scheduled Wine Tours, to see if we currently have one of the schedule. Or take a look at our sample of how a wine tour trip to the Douro Valley might look. We can also plan a custom made wine tour to the Douro for you.

Vila Nova de Gaia is the sister city to Porto. Along the river-side walk you have all the old port lodges. From Porto it takes only a few minutes to walk across the bridge and then you can explore the Vila Nova town. Along the Douro there are plenty of restaurants, cafés and bars, with a view over Porto.

Grilled sardines, a Portuguese speciality, copyright BKWine Photography

The Dom Luis I Bridge in Porto, across the river Douro, is a fantastic construction. It is in the style of the Eiffel constructions and links Porto with the sister city Vila Nova de Gaia. At night it is beautifully lit up. An excellent view from Porto key side walk.

Fresh vegetables, a delicious salad, copyright BKWine Photography

Take the Porto tram to the end point, Matosinhos, and you arrive at the Porto fish market. There are plenty of fish restaurants, simple to luxurious, on the street along the water towards the city centre. One of the most delicious things you can eat are the grille sardines. With some juicy and savoury vegetables. Great place to eat lunch or dinner.

Porto along the Douro River, view of Vila Nova, copyright BKWine Photography

The port lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto. There are millions of bottles of port wine resting in their cellars. Sandeman, Calem, Ferreira, Cockburns etc.

Olives finishe, some white wine left, copyright BKWine Photography

Dom Luis I Bridge in Porto, copyright BKWine Photography

The fish market in Matosinhos, Porto, copyright BKWine Photography

View from Porto over Vila Nova de Gaia, copyright BKWine Photography

The fish market in Matosinhos, Porto, copyright BKWine Photography

Grilled sardines with a fresh salad in a Matosinhos restaurant in Porto, copyright BKWine Photography

The big gap in The Wine Enthusiast’s Best Wine Travel!

A few days back I wrote about The Wine Enthusiast’s selection of the The World’s Top Ten Wine Travel Destinations.

WineToursimInFrance.com picked up on the same story and mad an interesting remark.

There is a big “what’s missing?” on that list!

Actually, it is not that hard to spot.

Here is their top the wine tour list. What, in your view, is missing?

Take a look and then continue below the picture here!

Steep terraced vineyards, copyright BKWine Photography

Where is France?

Not a single French wine region on The Wine Enthusiast’s list. Quite remarkable.

Do we agree?

Of course not!

France is one of the world’s premier wine tour destinations. It is not just that we happen to be based in France and do a lot of our business here in France. It really is a great country to travel in and to go wine touring in.

Bottles and barrels in the cellar for a wine tasting, copyright BKWine Photography

Great wine regions. Great food. Absolutely top class wines. But also “new discoveries” for those who are more adventurous and want to discover new things.

OK, they have a language that is not always easy to grasp. But then you can simply travel with someone who can handle that “issue” for you. Like us at BKWine!

Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Provence, The Rhone Valley etc etc. Languedoc, Alsace, Jura… for the adventurous. Etc, etc. What more can you want?

WineToursimInFrance.com also did a quick look-back to last year’s top list from the Wine Enthusiast. It was not quite as bad then. France was on the list. With one single wine region….

Here is The Wine Enthusiasts Top Wine Tour Destinations for 2012:

• Napa Valley, California
• Santa Barbara, California
• Virginia
• Champagne
• Mosel Valley, Germany
• Priorat, Spain
• Tokaj, Hungary
• Veneto (Valpolicella, Soave), Italy
• Central Otago, New Zeeland
• Colchagua Valley, Chile

Please France! You have to market your wine regions better!

We’re doing our best but it would be better with a bit of help from you.

What do you think? Shouldn’t some French wine regions be on the list? If so, which one(s)? Or was it something else that you saw was missing?

Write a comment!

The Douro Valley Wine Tour: unforgettable tour along a magnificent wine river

— A luxurious wine tour with spectacular views. Many wine regions lie along a famous river. But the Douro in Portugal is the most spectacular of them all! The landscape is dramatic and beautiful. The vines grow on break-neck slopes. We start in the old and characterful city of Porto, on the Atlantic. During the trip we will get to know both the classic port wines and the more modern “table” wines that today reach world class. As well enjoy Portuguese gastronomy.

Vineyards along the river, copyright BKWine Photography

In this stunning landscape along the Douro river in northern Portugal the vines grip the steep slopes with their fingernails, often with the help of narrow terraces. In summer it is very hot and dry, autumn is often lovely. The grapes will be transformed into the famous port wine but more and more also into “table” wine.

The new generation of winegrowers n the Douro valley have in a few decades gained a reputation for making excellent, world-class non-fortified “table” wines. It is difficult today to make a living only from port and it turns out that the climate and the soil is also perfect for table wines, both reds and whites.

From its source in Spain 300 miles east, where it is called the Duero, the Douro river flows west and joins the Atlantic in Porto. Already in Spain it is the source of several wines but it is when it flows into Portugal that it becomes the origin of one of the world’s most famous wines, here in the Douro Valley.

The river landscape is spectacular and wild, but it has been tamed by wine growers many hundred years back. It used to be a dangerous and violent river but since a handful of dams were built in the mid-twentieth century it is now a calm waterway. You no longer see the old-fashioned barcos rabelos, port pipe shipping boats, transporting wine from the quinta on the water down to Vila Nova de Gaia. Instead you see cruise ships today and the wine is transported on the new highway.

Cais da Estiva, Porto, Portugal, copyright BKWine Photography

We will drive up from Porto on winding roads, over the mountains with breath-taking views and into the wine districts.

We will get to know both the port wines and the red table wines of the region, and even a few whites. But calling these wines “table” wines may give the wrong impression. They are very serious wines with high ambitions.

The vineyards are very difficult to work and making wine here is a tough task. Making simple wines would hardly be worth while here. The winemakers focus on top-quality blends in order to gain international reputation. Which they have done successfully.

It is good to see that many of the wines are made from genuine Portuguese grape varieties, rather than from international grapes that can be found anywhere in the world today. We will get to know wines made from touriga nacional, tinta roriz, touriga franca, sousa and others. Very exciting wines.

As demand for port is decreasing, more and more red table wine is being made. And the producers are discovering the enormous potential their grapes have for full bodied and tasty table wines. This mix of port and high quality table wine makes the Douro Valley a very exciting wine region to visit.

The tour starts in Porto (sometimes called Oporto). It is one of the biggest cities in Portugal although it does not count more than 200,000 inhabitants. The city centre is a gem, very old and winding streets climb the hills with many architectural sights as well as a wealth of restaurant, bars and cafes.

View over the river from a hotel room, copyright BKWine Photography

Porto is on the UNESCO list of Cultural World Heritage and a must to visit. Our hotel is centrally located, the brand new four-star Hotel Carris Porto Ribeira, with only a short walk down to the old harbour. An evening walk and a glass of port while enjoying the view across the river over the sister city of Vila Nova de Gaia is a must. It is actually in Vila Nova, and not in Porto, where all the port houses have their lodges.

If you have the possibility we do recommend that you spend a day or two extra in Porto.

On the Thursday morning our bus will pick us up at the hotel and we will start our journey into the Douro Valley, up the river. We will spend the following two nights in Alto Douro, the heart of the valley. We will stay two nights among the Quinta do Portals vineyards at the charming private hotel Casa das Pipas.

Here, surrounded by vineyards, we will also have two dinners together.

Saturday evening we are back in Porto where we will spend our last night.

Our visits will be a mixture of big houses and small family producers. We visit 2 or 3 producers every day – travel is slow in the Douro on the narrow and winding roads. We will focus both on port wines and on table wines.

We will also have ample opportunities to get to know the traditional Portuguese food, a gastronomy of its own. Cooking is often traditionally rustic but high class cuisine has also arrived in the Douro Valley, as you will discover. We will enjoy three lunches together as guest on the vineyards. On the Thursday and Friday evening we will also be enjoying two gastronomic dinners together at our hotel in the Valley.

The tour is led by one of BKWine’s wine and travel expert guides.

More info

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

Here you can find more about travelling in the Douro Valley.

You can also find more information on the Douro Valley wines on BKWine Magazine.

Douro landscape and vineyards a rainy and sunny day, copyright BKWine Photography

Program — Douro Valley wine tour

Preliminary programme.

For more details, contact BKWine.

Program overview

• Wednesday — Arrival in Porto
• Thursday — Between Pinhao and Regua
• Friday — High up in the upper Douro
• Saturday — Tradition and modernity in the Douro
• Sunday — Heading back home

Wednesday October 23 — arrival in Porto

A boat on the Douro river in the Porto harbour, copyright BKWine Photography

Arrival in Porto. Check-in at our hotel in the city centre, in the district of Ribeira.

You can go for a walk, not very far, down to the river bank and look at the view over Vila Nova de Gaia where all the traditional port lodges of the big brands are located: Taylor’s, Sandeman, Dow’s, Ferreira, Croft, Ramos Pinto etc. Here you can also see a few well-preserved samples of the traditional boats, barcos rabelos, used for transporting wines on the river.

There are plenty of restaurants and bars along the quay-side and if you want to stroll over to Vila Nova it is just a short walk across the Eiffel-inspired bridge.

The evening is free to discover Porto. One of the very best restaurants in the region is just around the corner from our hotel. Perhaps a good way to begin the tour?

Dom Luis I bridge seen from Cais da Ribeira, Porto. Na Sra da Serra do Pilar monastery, Vila Nova de Gaia, copyright BKWine Photography

Thursday October 24 — Between Pinhao and Regua

Our comfortable bus picks us up in the morning and our journey across the mountain and along the river begins.

A winery building on a hilltop with terraced vineyards all around

The road along the Douro River is slow and winding and to get a good start we take the motorway to Vila Real and Peso da Regua. From there we will go along the river more slowly, into the Alto Douro, the heart of the district. When we arrive there and you see it you will understand why this is on the UNESCO list of Cultural World Heritage!

This day we will visit some top quality wine producers who have invested heavily in recent years to gain world reputation not only for the port wines but also for the table wines.

The grape must destined to become port is often fermented in lagares, the traditional shallow stone troughs. Sometimes they are equipped with computer controlled pigeage, mechanical feet that replicates the stomping of human feet. But many producers still do tread the grapes with “real” people and human feet!

We visit the Quinta do Infantado, a family winery making top quality wines with a lot of personality. The vineyards are farmed organically and the winemaking is very artisanal. It is the Roseira family who owns it since the mid 19th century.

Old oak vats with aging wine

Between the morning visit and the afternoon visit we stop for lunch at the charming Quinta de la Rosa, owned by the Bergqvist family. They have a beautiful view over the river and we will taste their home-cooked food, regional specialities, vegetables from the garden and their own olive oil.

The Bergkvist family has 55 hectares of vineyards and recently celebrated their centenary as a port wine producer. With a name like that they are of course of Swedish origin but that is several generations back.

Late afternoon we will arrive at our hotel, the charming Casa das Pipas that belongs to Quinta do Portal. The winery is next-door to the hotel and we are surrounded by vines – perfect for an afternoon walk. The hotel is just north of the Pinhao village.

Perhaps you feel like a stroll or the pool is maybe too tempting? A little bit later in the evening we will all meet for an aperitif and then dinner at the hotel. The different wines of Quinta do Portal will of course be featured prominently over dinner and the hotel is well know in the region for its cuisine.

The view over the river and vineyards from Quinta do Tedo in the Douro Valley, copyright BKWine Photography

Friday October 25 — Up, far into the Douro valley

After breakfast we will continue our tour along the beautiful river to reach Santo Adrião .

Table set for lunch and a wine tasting, copyright BKWine Photography

After a few kilometres along the river we arrive at Quita de Tedo, owned by the Frenchman Vincent Bouchard (with family ties to Bouchard Pere & Fils in Burgundy) and his American wife Kay. They bought this 250 year old property, including 14 ha (~30 acres) of vineyards, in 1992.

After a visit to the cellar and a thorough tasting we sit down for a traditional lunch. We will of course taste the range of wines from the winery along the food, including some delicious ports, and we will taste their very exclusive olive oil.

After lunch we head upstream towards Sao Joa da Pesqueira where we will visit Quinta de Sra. do Rosario, perhaps better know as Quevedo Wines. Oscar Quevedo and his family has some 100 ha of vineyards in Cima Corgo and Douro Superior.

Quevedo Wines makes both table wine and port, including some very exclusive tawny (barrel aged) ports. We will taste a series of older and older tawnies. Oscar started his career working in finance in Madrid and Geneva but has come back to the Douro some years back and is now working with his sister to develop the family winery.

Oscar is still only around 30 but has already created a name for Quevedo Wines all over the world. Being young he has a talent for “social media” on the internet which certainly helps. It will be an interesting visit that will give you an insight into both exclusive wines and marketing.

Late afternoon we return to the hotel and have some time to relax before it is time for our dinner, that we end with a glass of port. Of course!

Vineyards along the river, copyright BKWine Photography

Saturday October 26 — Tradition and modernity in the Douro Valley

We will leave our hotel in the morning and slowly begin our slow journey back to Porto. You must never be in a hurry in the Douro Valley!

The Douro River with terraced vineyards and a riverside village, copyright BKWine Photography

We have a busy day including one of the biggest and most famous producers in the valley, Quinta de Seixo, owned by Sogrape, the biggest wine company in Portugal.

The winery is on a hilltop with a breathtaking view over terraced vineyards and over two rivers. Getting there we have to follow a sinuous road that makes you grip tightly to the bus seat.

Here is where the grapes for the famous Sandeman port is grown. Quinta de Seixo is a beautiful winery with a recently rebuilt cellar where mechanical feet do the treading of the grapes. It is all very modern thanks to recent investments made in the facilities. We will also have time for a walk in the vineyard to see close-up the impressive terraces.

We will stop for lunch at another quinta (winery) enjoying the view, their wines and their ports. It is difficult to get enough of it, not least the view!

Autumn colours in the steep terraced vineyard

On our way back towards Porto we will make a stop at a quinta that is a pioneer in the Douro in several ways, for example in making table wines. They were one of the first to gain international recognition for their non-fortified wines, but also their port wines are of world-class. They are also pioneering a trend towards slightly drier port wines, more adapted to modern tastes and more emphasising the fruit and the elegance.

Early evening we arrive back in Porto for a last night. The evening is free to discover the restaurants and night life of Porto. We are happy to share with you our best restaurant addresses!

Sunday October 27 — Heading back home

Tour ends after breakfast.

Program may be subject to minor modifications.

In the wine cellar at Quinta do Tedo in the Douro Valley, copyright BKWine Photography

Fact sheet — Wine tour to the Douro Valley in Portugal

Dates: October 23-27, 2013

Price per person: 1290 euro

Single room supplement: 280 euro

Included in the price:

• 4 hotel nights, double occupancy, including breakfast
  • 2 nights in Porto at the four star Hotel Carris Porto Ribeira
  • 2 nights in the upper Douro Valley, Alto Douro, at the Casa das Pipas vineyard hotel of Quinta do Portal
• Meals as described in the program above (*):
  • 3 gastronomic multi-course lunches, including wines, as guests of wineries
  • 2 gastronomic multi-course dinners with local specialities, including wines and port wines, at the vineyard hotel Casa das Pipas of Quinta do Portal
• Start and end point: Porto
• Bus transport during the whole trip
• All vineyard and winery visits
• Private, high quality tastings at wineries, approx. 3 per day
• Vineyard visits will be in English
• Wine guiding and wine tutoring by an expert BKWine guide during the whole trip

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

Not included:

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

You organise your travel to Porto yourself. If you want assistance with 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 “non-wine” tourism too! We can assist you with booking additional hotel nights if you want.

For this trip to take place we must have a minimum of 10 participants registered at the “book before” date.

Book This Trip

Book before: June 15, 2013

Registration is confirmed by paying the registration fee of 250 EUR. 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.

You book by contacting Britt Karlsson, BKWine:

• phone: +33 1 58 88 04 66 or +33 6 80 45 35 70 (+33 is the country code for France)
• email: info at bkwine dot com
• skype: bkwine

An owner-winemaker at a winery we visit, copyright BKWine Photography

v.13.04

About the wine producers and wineries we visit

Our aim is that you shall experience some of the best and most interesting that the wine region has to offer, both of wine and food.

We put a big effort into finding and creating outstanding winery visits. Often it will not be the most “famous” and internationally well-known wineries that will give you the best and most unique experiences…

It is usually when you get to meet the winemaker or winery owner himself (or often herself) that the visits become really exciting. And perhaps we even meet the whole family at the estate.

You start discussing and start to understand what it is they do and why in the winery and in the vineyard. Maybe we will also have lunch in the winery or at their home. Need we say we invariably have private wine tastings at the wineries?

That is why our trips are not “jam packed” with visits at wineries. Nevertheless we often run short of time since the discussions – and the wine tastings – can easily become very engaging…

Our wine country tours typically include a mix of small family producers, exclusive boutique wineries and larger internationally well-known wine estates, all selected with great care so that it will give you a unique experience of the people and of the behind-the-scenes in the winery and a good understanding of the wine district’s characteristics, tradition and culture.

At the time of publishing a travel program not all visits have been finalised. We are continuously working on improving the program. The domaines / wineries / châteaux that we visit on a tour may therefore sometimes differ from what was written in the original program. Contact us if you want more details, or if you have any special requests.

On meals: food and gastronomy

Preparing a wine tasting and lunch

Wine and food are intimately linked. That is part of our wine travel philosophy; wine is an integral part of the gastronomy.

A wine tour with BKWine will therefore also be a gastronomic experience.

The meals that are included in a tour with BKWine are on a gourmet level and of very high standard.

Sometimes we will have a meal with a winemaker, perhaps in the wine cellar or at the winery, or even in their home. This is a unique experience that is generally not open to other visitors to wineries. It is an occasion to experience exciting combinations of food and wine while discussing with the people who made the wine.

Sometimes we will have a luxurious meal at a gourmet restaurant. At other times it may be not at a prestigious luxury address but at a local restaurant selected for its presentation of local gastronomic specialities, its atmosphere and its quality – a place where locals go. Or perhaps it will be a buffet lunch made at home by the winemaker and his wife. In all cases we want to show you local gastronomic specialities and the local food and wine pairings.

Do not expect a picnic with salad and sausage from the supermarket and wine in plastic mugs… Think instead of a wine-and-dine experience with specially composed menu with three or four courses and delicious wines.

A wine tour with BKWine is also a culinary experience both for the wine enthusiast and for the gourmet. A gourmet wine tour!

Why travel with BKWine?

Wine slowly aging in the barrel cellar, copyright BKWine Photography

We are experts and specialists in wine and food tours and wine tourism, but also in wine in a broader perspective.

We write in specialised wine magazines and one of our books has won the prize as best wine book in the world. We are regularly called on to be part of judging panels in wine competitions.

We personally visit some 300 vineyards every year. We have organised several hundreds of wine and food tours with an experience going back more than twenty years. We are invited as speakers at wine tourism and culinary touring conferences.

We choose our tour destinations and winery visits with great care. Not because a winery happens to be carrying a “famous name” but because they will give our guests a unique and special experience. You may be looking for a short wine week-end holiday or a longer wine vacation – in all cases you can be confident that you will get a top quality tour, an experience of a lifetime. Or at least until the next time you come on a wine tour with BKWine. Many of our travellers are returning clients.

A wine and food tour with BKWine is always guided by a knowledgeable and experienced BKWine guide and tour manager, someone who knows the ins and outs of wine, of the local gastronomy, of the culture and who speaks the language.

Some accolades we at BKWine and our wine and food tours have received:

• “World’s Top Wine Tours” by Travel + Leisure Magazine, the world’s biggest travel magazine
• “Best wine tasting holidays”, AOL Travel’s list of top wine tours
• “Recommended Wine Tours” by Munskankarna, the world’s biggest wine tasting and wine appreciation association
• “World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals” as well as “Best Wine Book of the Year in Sweden” 2010 for the book The Creation of a Wine
• “Best wine book in Sweden for Professionals” 2012 as well as silver, second place, as “World’s Best Educational Wine Book” for the book Wine and the Environment
• “Wine Personality of the Year” by Munskankarna, the world’s biggest wine tasting and wine appreciation association
• On the Wine Media Power List by Wine Business International Magazine (Britt, 2012)

Read more on why to choose BKWine for a wine and food tour.

Read more on what previous travellers have said about our tours.

Important information

Our groups are always small. The group size may vary, sometimes maximum 8, sometimes 20, but always of a modest size (we do not do “minimum 20, maximum 45″). Check the details in each program. This is important since it guarantees a quality experience and a personal welcome at the wineries we visit.

BKWine is a Swedish registered travel organiser. BKWine has a bonded travel guarantee deposit so that you can feel safe when booking with us. We fully comply with European and Swedish travel guarantee regulations. British travellers may be familiar with the ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) protection scheme which is a similar model. BKWine follows the code of conduct and financial safeguards defined by the Swedish Consumer Agency and The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (“Kammarkollegiet”, with a history dating back to 1539). Read more about this in our Booking Terms and Conditions.

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

You organise your travel independently to the destination for most of our tours but on location we take care of everything.

For more inspiration

Read our wine travel blog. And also:

• Recommend this trip to a friend using the Share/Save (add-to-any) button below!

• There are thousands of pictures from previous trips on BKWine Photography

• Some wine videos from previous wine tours with BKWine

• 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. And keeps you updated on upcoming wine and food tours.

Custom Tours

We also do custom wine and food tours if you want to choose different dates or if you want something different than what we currently offer on our scheduled tours – for individuals, companies, professionals, wine tastings clubs etc.