Novel Travel Ideas for Wine Lovers

As mentioned many times on this blog, one of my most memorable vacations was a cycling trip through Tuscany. There were so many sights to see and on a bike I had the choice of stopping whenever I wanted if one caught my eye, and naturally what caught my eye related to wine. So... I'd usually stop at a winery, enoteca, or even a vineyard. I think an interesting trip sometimes can be a life changer, I know it was for me. So here are a few novel travel ideas for a wine lover.

Biking, walking, running, & multisport vacations through wine country

BACKROADS
For over 34 years Backroads has delivered a rich sense of journey that connects you to a region, with an appreciation for every minute of your time, so that events happen in a natural manner that makes sense, giving you maximum flexibility over how you spend each day. They operate their our own trips everywhere in the world, controlling quality each step of the way.

Multiple daily routes give you the freedom to access the best of a region at your own pace. Every day of every trip they provide a variety of well-researched options which are displayed on the Web and include mileage and elevation change. Every option comes with directions and is fully supported.

Two vans, three leaders, thoughtful trip design, multiple route options with directions and a choice of riding companions—each and every person is supported equally, regardless of ability.

River Barge through wine country

EUROPEAN WATERWAYS
Gourmet dining while savoring a glass of wine on a luxury hotel barge, visiting local vineyards in the Burgundy region of France or the Po River Valley of Italy.

Fully crewed, all inclusive luxury hotel barges cruise the inland waterways of nine European countries, along canals, rivers, lakes, lagoons and lochs, giving you the opportunity to experience life there from a truly unique perspective.

Hotel barges are ideal for people looking for either an individual cruise with other like-minded people, or for those choosing a whole barge charter for a family or group of friends.

On your all-inclusive cruise, your intimate ‘floating hotel’ glides gently along while you relax and enjoy gourmet cuisine, fine wines and the company of fellow passengers. There will be guided tours to castles, chateaux, vineyards, markets and when you return to the barge a professional crew will be there to look after you once more.

They have special theme cruises for those who enjoy a specific sport or hobby. You can choose a theme cruise from their cruise guide or view their cruise maps from several locations around the site.


Food & Wine

LA DOLCE VITA WINE TOURS is a boutique tour operator founded in 1999 that offers educational wine vacations in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

Their tours aren’t simply about stellar wine and gourmet food. They’re an entry point to Italian culture. Wine is a magnificent portal. It’s a door that leads to the world of the winemaker: equal parts farmer and artist, scientist and alchemist. It opens onto the Italian kitchen, being a soul mate to both rustic cucina povera and the most elegant haute cuisine. Wine opens the way to history, to stories of ancient Romans, Renaissance dukes, and Savoy royalty who shaped what we eat and drink. And it’s a conduit to modern-day Italy, with its lively wine bars and sidewalk cafés, bucolic landscapes and art-filled cities. These are the worlds La Dolce Vita Wine Tours explores.

Small groups (2 to 14 max) allow for dialog with winemakers. For dedicated wine enthusiasts and wine educators, they have wine-intensive tours. For the active traveler, they offer walking tours and custom bike trips. Accommodations are charming countryside inns or family-run hotels in medieval wine towns.

On all their tours, you'll enjoy Italian-style hospitality, user-friendly wine education, thoughtful food and wine pairings, and cultural sights. Plus, you'll discover places you’d never find on your own.