"So many vineyards... so little time!"
Part of the wine experience includes visiting the vineyards... and it's more than coincidental that they're in some of the most beautiful places in the world. There's beauty in the land, in the people - and, of course, in the wines.
Indulge yourself in your passion with a unique and personalized vacation of a lifetime! With a host of programs from which to choose, wine connoisseurs can enjoy the fruit of the vine in dozens of famous wine-growing regions around the world.
Here is just sample of some of our favorite picks for the perfect wine vacation experience:
Africa
From the Cape through the wine region to the game reserves, there's plenty to do, see, and taste in South Africa.
Australia
Down under is turning the rest of the world upside down. Barossa Valley, Coonawarra... the Clare Valley. Australia produces great reds and whites. It's a long trip but well worth it. Australia's North is a different "down under"... still Australia, but the most rustic wine country born out of the 1850's gold rush.
California
Monterey - From Big Sur inland to the 101, there are over a score of vineyards and wineries to visit and taste.
Napa Valley - North from San Francisco... the US' best known wine region with scores of microclimates and varietals.
San Francisco - If ever there were a gateway for anything, it's San Francisco for the wine country. Wine and food abound and vineyards are in every direction!
Sonoma - It's the microclimates. They help create the wide varieties of wines and of places to visit. So what are you waiting for?
France
The Rhone Valley - Great wines and great wine history in the Saone-Rhone Valley which is north of Provence.
Bordeaux - The town of Bordeaux has some of France's best 18th-century architecture and houses a major fine arts museum.
Burgundy - Warm and velvety... Burgundy's wines and its countryside are both. You can see them by car, bike or barge.
The Loire Valley - From Chenonceau, above the River Cher to Chambord, these spectacular chateaux remain as a reminder of the great monarchy age of France.
Provence - Nice, Cannes, St. Paul de Vence, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon... all of the French Riviera. The place for Mediterranean cuisine and rose.
St. Emilion - From the eighth century and Emilian's settling, St. Emilion has survived and now thrives as one of the most important wine-producing areas in the world.
Italy
Chianti - From the storefront trattoria there is not just light that spills into the cobbled street of the ancient towns, but there is the flavor of the freshest foods most genuinely and proudly prepared.
Rome - Everything good you've heard is true. Enjoy the history, the wine and, of course, the food!
Sicily - The home of Mt. Etna, marsala, and nero d'avola offers the history of Europe, Africa and Asia combined.
Tuscany - How much beauty can you handle in one dose? Tuscany's got it, and the wines to go with it. Start in Florence.
Umbria - Go south from Tuscany for great Umbrian wines including Orvieto.
Veneto - A marriage of countryside and wine. Padua and Verona are easy trips from Venice.
New Zealand
The eight great wine regions are all within driving range -and there're plenty of other activities, too.
Portugal
Famous for its port wine, there's a lot more to Portugal - from Oporto to Algarve is beauty and great cuisine all the way.
