Perfect Wine-Lovers Holidays In Europe

Vine Harvest, Turkey

We know, Turkey isn’t the first place that springs to mind when you think wine holiday, but this one-off, four-day tour sounds pretty special. It kicks off in Istanbul then traces a route by the Sea of Marmara towards Gallipoi and on to Edirne, a former capital of the Ottoman Empire, taking in vineyards along the way.

Highlights include a tour of Arda Wines, Turkey’s first organic wine producer, where you’ll have the chance to help out with the harvest too. Between sips, there’s also time for sightseeing, such as the old bazaars of Edirne and Slimiye Mosque.

Do it: The tour costs €790pp (£630) which includes hotel accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, wine tasting and transfers. You can do this via Unison Tours.

Mount Etna Wine Tour, Sicily

A day exploring vineyards on the slopes of Europe’s largest volcano sounds an above-average vino experience for guests at the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo, which lies in rocky hills on the island’s east coast.

The new seven-hour tour begins with a ride on Ferrovia Circumetnea, a narrow-guage railway dating back to 1898, which loops around Mount Etna, before reaching Planeta, one of Sicily’s most exclusive wine regions. Here guests tour (and taste!) three beautiful vineyards: Sciara Nuova in Castiglione di Sicilia; Montelaguardia, which sits in a valley alongside the railway; and Feudo di Mezzo, soon to feature a wine cellar built in an old lava flow.

Following a demonstration of how the wine is produced, there’s a degustation tasting and light lunch before it’s time to head back.

Do it: Tour from €275pp (£224), including private car, train tickets and a guided tour of Planeta with tasting and lunch.

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Flexible Bordeaux, France

Grape Escapes has the best name in the business and also one of the most popular tours: a two-night flexi in Bordeaux, which starts with an evening tasting session of three wines from the region: Médoc, St Emilion and Graves, accompanied by plates of cheese and meats.

The next day there are guided vineyard tours at two or three chateaux’s of your choice in the regions mentioned above followed by a three-course gourmet dinner back in Bordeaux. There’s also a three-night flexible Bordeaux and the Champagne tours are superb.

Do it: Prices vary according to which hotel you pick (which vary from three-star Grand Hotel Francais to five-star Grand Hotel de Bordeaux et Spa) but start from £363pp including two breakfasts, one dinner, one tasting and all-day chateaux tours. Available March to November.

Chianti Classic, Italy

A weekend break in a 12th century castle with its own wine and olive oil estate in the heart of Tuscany? Yes please! Castello del Nero is a five-star wine-lovers’ paradise set in a 300-hectare estate and guests choosing the Chianti Classico get to taste four local wines along with locally-produced meats, cheeses and breads.

There’s also the chance to try vintages from elsewhere in Italy with the Maitre d’ in the hotel’s 900-year-old cellar, take a walk among the vines and meet wine producers. The best time to go? Autumn, according to executive chef, Giovanni Luca Di Pirro, who says:  “It’s the most abundant time of year in Tuscany, with grapevines, olives, mushrooms and truffles all available”.

Do it: Stay at Castello del Nero from £196pp including one night in a double classic room with breakfast and a Chianti Classico tasting.

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Agean Wine Cruise

Okay, we admit, this one is pretty pricey, but if you’re really into your wine and have some cash to spare, it’s not going to get much better than Arblaster & Clark’s new 2015 week-long cruise aboard luxury sail ship Panorama II.

As you journey through the waters of the Agean you’ll discover new wines from the islands of Chios and Ikaria; moore off Samos and Lemnos for Muscats and sip superb wines from the traditional mountain appellations of Naoussa, Rapsani and Northern Greece.

Meals, which are all included, are mainly taken onboard and accompanied by tastings from a range of island estates. If that’s not enough, there are also trips to remote sandy beaches and villages, plus the chance to drop anchor for swimming, wind surfing, kayaking and snorkelling.

Do it: Sounds like bliss, but the catch is that it’s £3999pp. This includes seven meals on board with Arblaster & Clarke’s selection of fine wines from local regions; tastings; three meals ashore at wine estates including wines, traditional Greek food and coach transfers.

Return flights; return transfers from Athens airport to the ship and Tim Clarke, Chairman of Arblaster & Clarke, as Wine Guide throughout. The tour takes place from Friday 25 September to Friday 2 October, 2015.