If you love wine, have you ever thought of making a trip out of it?
From city breaks to shore excursions, visiting vineyards and wineries offers the perfect balance of history, adventure and, of course, great wine.
Whether you prefer deep reds, light whites or sparkling sparkling wines, here are some of the best wine tours and experiences to delight your taste buds.
Bottom up!
port of call
These days port isn’t just for your grandma for Christmas – younger drinkers are turning to this sweet wine too (particularly when mixed with tonic). Discover the secrets of this trendy drink in Porto, the Portuguese city and capital of the port trade.
Brimming with history and charm, it’s a city break and made extra special when combined with a stay along the Rio Douro to the vineyards and ‘quintas’ (wineries) where Port is made. Stay two nights at each location, travel by train and enjoy self-guided walks and a tasting at a riverside quinta.
cycling and sipping
From Prosecco and Pinot Grigio in Italy to Riesling on the Rhine, Europe has many famous wines, but Croatia’s is not one of them. This is a mistake, because wines made from Malvasia and Teran grapes are excellent.
Discover them on a self-catering holiday on the Istrian peninsula and cycle through sun-drenched vineyards. Per the maps provided, stop for lunch at traditional “konoba” restaurants and visit family-owned wineries to sample vintages you won’t find in your usual grocery store.
Stay in small hotels along the way and sample the region’s olive oil, truffles, and Italian-influenced dishes.
Residence on the south coast
Don’t feel like traveling abroad to find a vineyard? Since English sparkling wine is getting stronger and stronger, this is not necessary. The limestone soils of the North and South Downs are very similar to those in Champagne, less than 100 miles across the English Channel.
As a result, English sparkling wine now competes with the French original for quality. Bespoke tours and tastings at Chapel Down (from £25 pp) and Hush Heath Estate (from £45 pp) are the way to do it on a budget – or, from your base in picturesque Rye, near the border from Kent and Sussex, both wineries with Smooth Red’s private tour, then enjoy the coast with a stroll along Camber Sands or wander the medieval streets of Rye.
Save over £60 on 12 bottles of world class red wine with Metro Wine Club
Fancy a drink without getting off the couch? Join the Metro Wine Club, in partnership with Virgin Wines, and get a case worth £131.88 for just £65.88 – how’s that for some budget luxury?
This offering for these sublime reds from the New and Old World is also the perfect introduction to our world-class WineBank service. Conditions apply. So what are you waiting for?
Source: Metro.co
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I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.
