The Globetrotter: 23 August
A satisfying glass of wine is one of life’s greatest pleasures, whether you prefer to drink white, red, rosé – or delicious fizz.
Catering for our love of the grape, holiday companies now o er a wide range of special trips and tours, so why not raise your glass to one of these…
SOUTH AFRICA
Arblaster & Clarke’s eightnight South Africa Wine Tour in February encompasses one of the most spectacular vineyard regions in the world, visiting famous estates in the classic regions and several new areas that have sprung to prominence, too, with personal welcomes from the winemakers, great wine tastings and private invitations to lunch or dinner. Accommodation is in Cape Town, Riebeek-Kasteel, the foothills of the Langeberg Mountain range in the heart of Montagu and Franschhoek. The tour, 15 to 23 February, is escorted by an Arblaster & Clarke wine guide, costs from w £2,399 per person, not including ights but with all breakfasts and 11 meals.
01730-263111, www.winetours.co.uk
PORTUGAL
If you’d like a hands-on wine experience – or rather feet-on – head for the Alentejo region of Portugal. Sunvil Discovery offers a bespoke harvest experience at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Albernoa, a family-run country estate, during which you can pick, sort and tread grapes. The three-night wine harvest experience holiday also includes tours, a cookery lesson and an introductory lesson to wine tasting with an expert. The holiday, based at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, costs from £890 per person, including ights from Heathrow, car hire, three nights’ accommodation, most meals, free use of the spa and a bottle of wine.
020-8758 4722, www.sunvil.co.uk/alentejo
Left: Herdade da Malhadina Nova, Portugal. Right: Denbies Wine Estate
ITALY
Italy is, of course, home to the fruity red, Chianti, and the region where it’s produced in Tuscany has beautiful vineyards and the wine museum Le Cantine, where you can learn about them. Abercrombie & Kent Villas can organise a private visit to vineyards throughout Chianti, including one of the largest, Castello di Fonterutoli, 5km south of Castellina de Chianti in Siena. Don’t forget to buy a few bottles to enjoy later. Book a villa and you can dine and drink wine without worrying about who’s driving. A&K o ers Casa Vittoria, a stone villa in the heart of the Chianti region, close to the village of Greve. Furnished with antiques, it has three en-suite bedrooms, sleeping up to six guests. One week’s rental costs from £400 per person.
0845-618 2205, www.akvillas.com
CALIFORNIA
Western & Oriental o ers a great trip, which takes in California’s smaller, more family-owned vineyards. The eight-day San Francisco, Sonoma Wine Country and Yosemite y-drive holiday includes three nights in San Francisco, three nights in Sonoma County, home to more than 300 wineries, and three nights in Yosemite National Park where guests can hike and enjoy the scenery. The tour costs from £1,699 per person, including ights with Virgin Atlantic, room only and car rental.
020-7666 1234, www.westernoriental.com
FRANCE
Viking River Cruises o ers an eight-day cruise along the Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde Rivers through the heart of Bordeaux, which produces very famous wines indeed. The itinerary includes Pauillac, undisputed capital of the Médoc wine region, home to Châteaux La te Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild, and Sauternes, home of delicious dessert wines. There is also plenty of opportunity to enjoy the region’s specialities such as oysters, tru es and cognac. The cruise costs from £1,345 per person, including return ights, excursions, onboard meals and wine with lunch and dinner. The first sailing will be in March 2014.
0808-256 1790, www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk
Casa Vittoria, Italy
BRITAIN
And finally… if you have time for only a short wine break, Langshott Manor in Surrey o ers a two-night break in October, which includes a fascinating visit to Denbies Wine Estate, near Dorking, the UK’s largest single-estate vineyard, producing 400,000 bottles of wine a year. The break, from £265 per person, includes a tour, harvesting, tasting and memento vine, a sevencourse dinner with Denbies wine at the hotel, plus breakfast on both days.
0800-089 3929, www.prideofbritainhotels.com
FLOWER POWER Ockenden Manor Hotel & Spa, Cuck eld, West Sussex, o ers aromatherapy massages, from £51.50 for 25 minutes, and other treatments in its 19th-century walled garden surrounded by wild owers with views over the South Downs and beyond. Overnight stays from £190 per room. 01444-4161111, www.hshotels.co.uk
CRICKET CRUISE ITC Classics offers a once-in-a-lifetime cruise in the Caribbean for cricket fans, taking in eight islands and three T20 West Indies v England matches in Barbados, plus lunch with cricketer Paul Allott. The 13-night cruise, 6 to 19 March, from £10,385 per person, aboard the luxurious SeaDream, includes return ights and cricket tickets. 01244-355527, www.itcclassics.co.uk
GLAMP IT UP Classic Cottages’ portfolio now includes Len’s Hut, a glamping shepherd’s hut for two in a meadow near Wells, Somerset, with a double bed, hot-water shower room and loo, cute kitchen, wood-burning stove, mood lighting and Wi-Fi. Three nights in September cost from £146 per person. 01326-555555, www.classicglamping.co.uk
Catering for our love of the grape, holiday companies now o er a wide range of special trips and tours, so why not raise your glass to one of these…
SOUTH AFRICA
Arblaster & Clarke’s eightnight South Africa Wine Tour in February encompasses one of the most spectacular vineyard regions in the world, visiting famous estates in the classic regions and several new areas that have sprung to prominence, too, with personal welcomes from the winemakers, great wine tastings and private invitations to lunch or dinner. Accommodation is in Cape Town, Riebeek-Kasteel, the foothills of the Langeberg Mountain range in the heart of Montagu and Franschhoek. The tour, 15 to 23 February, is escorted by an Arblaster & Clarke wine guide, costs from w £2,399 per person, not including ights but with all breakfasts and 11 meals.
01730-263111, www.winetours.co.uk
PORTUGAL
If you’d like a hands-on wine experience – or rather feet-on – head for the Alentejo region of Portugal. Sunvil Discovery offers a bespoke harvest experience at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Albernoa, a family-run country estate, during which you can pick, sort and tread grapes. The three-night wine harvest experience holiday also includes tours, a cookery lesson and an introductory lesson to wine tasting with an expert. The holiday, based at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, costs from £890 per person, including ights from Heathrow, car hire, three nights’ accommodation, most meals, free use of the spa and a bottle of wine.
020-8758 4722, www.sunvil.co.uk/alentejo
Left: Herdade da Malhadina Nova, Portugal. Right: Denbies Wine EstateITALY
Italy is, of course, home to the fruity red, Chianti, and the region where it’s produced in Tuscany has beautiful vineyards and the wine museum Le Cantine, where you can learn about them. Abercrombie & Kent Villas can organise a private visit to vineyards throughout Chianti, including one of the largest, Castello di Fonterutoli, 5km south of Castellina de Chianti in Siena. Don’t forget to buy a few bottles to enjoy later. Book a villa and you can dine and drink wine without worrying about who’s driving. A&K o ers Casa Vittoria, a stone villa in the heart of the Chianti region, close to the village of Greve. Furnished with antiques, it has three en-suite bedrooms, sleeping up to six guests. One week’s rental costs from £400 per person.
0845-618 2205, www.akvillas.com
CALIFORNIA
Western & Oriental o ers a great trip, which takes in California’s smaller, more family-owned vineyards. The eight-day San Francisco, Sonoma Wine Country and Yosemite y-drive holiday includes three nights in San Francisco, three nights in Sonoma County, home to more than 300 wineries, and three nights in Yosemite National Park where guests can hike and enjoy the scenery. The tour costs from £1,699 per person, including ights with Virgin Atlantic, room only and car rental.
020-7666 1234, www.westernoriental.com
FRANCE
Viking River Cruises o ers an eight-day cruise along the Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde Rivers through the heart of Bordeaux, which produces very famous wines indeed. The itinerary includes Pauillac, undisputed capital of the Médoc wine region, home to Châteaux La te Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild, and Sauternes, home of delicious dessert wines. There is also plenty of opportunity to enjoy the region’s specialities such as oysters, tru es and cognac. The cruise costs from £1,345 per person, including return ights, excursions, onboard meals and wine with lunch and dinner. The first sailing will be in March 2014.
0808-256 1790, www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk
Casa Vittoria, ItalyBRITAIN
And finally… if you have time for only a short wine break, Langshott Manor in Surrey o ers a two-night break in October, which includes a fascinating visit to Denbies Wine Estate, near Dorking, the UK’s largest single-estate vineyard, producing 400,000 bottles of wine a year. The break, from £265 per person, includes a tour, harvesting, tasting and memento vine, a sevencourse dinner with Denbies wine at the hotel, plus breakfast on both days.
0800-089 3929, www.prideofbritainhotels.com
- All prices given are lead-in, based on two sharing a room and subject to availability.
- Contact Wendy at wendy.gomersall@lady.co.uk
FLOWER POWER Ockenden Manor Hotel & Spa, Cuck eld, West Sussex, o ers aromatherapy massages, from £51.50 for 25 minutes, and other treatments in its 19th-century walled garden surrounded by wild owers with views over the South Downs and beyond. Overnight stays from £190 per room. 01444-4161111, www.hshotels.co.uk
CRICKET CRUISE ITC Classics offers a once-in-a-lifetime cruise in the Caribbean for cricket fans, taking in eight islands and three T20 West Indies v England matches in Barbados, plus lunch with cricketer Paul Allott. The 13-night cruise, 6 to 19 March, from £10,385 per person, aboard the luxurious SeaDream, includes return ights and cricket tickets. 01244-355527, www.itcclassics.co.uk
GLAMP IT UP Classic Cottages’ portfolio now includes Len’s Hut, a glamping shepherd’s hut for two in a meadow near Wells, Somerset, with a double bed, hot-water shower room and loo, cute kitchen, wood-burning stove, mood lighting and Wi-Fi. Three nights in September cost from £146 per person. 01326-555555, www.classicglamping.co.uk