Classic Wine Journeys
Classic Wine Journeys
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Classic Wine Journeys
Classic Wine Journeys
Classic Wine Journeys
Classic Wine Journeys
Classic Wine Journeys
Classic Wine Journeys
Our Classic Wine Tours exploring many wine regions of Europe, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Germany. They are often multi-centre tours and include special appointments and high quality tastings at wineries and chateaux that are very well known or up and coming star of tomorrow. These are private invitations to dine at wine estates so that you can taste the wines as they should be enjoyed, with traditional local food.
These tours are all multi-centre and cover two or more regions in one country, or indeed travelling to two countries giving you an overview of the different regions. On a ‘Classic Wine Journey’, you will have the sense that you are on a tour that is truly exploring the regions and offering a unique and privileged insight, perhaps visiting parts of Europe that you may not have had the chance to visit before.
Our Wine Guides are experts, either Masters of Wine or wine journalists, who will help you gain a greater understanding of the wines. Like A&C, they often have great relationships with the wine producers and this is reflected in the welcome that you will be given at our chosen wine visits.
It is fortuitous that the wine regions are not only in beautiful countryside, but are almost always near towns and cities rich in historical and cultural interest. Knowing that our clients have many special interests beyond just wine, we leave you some time to explore the cities on foot, and to visit the museums, art galleries and gardens. We also can arrange an optional guided tour with a local guide too to give local background on the towns you are staying in.
You can extend your holiday for a few days at the end of the tour to give a longer break and more time to explore the final destination.
The hotels are personally selected by our in-house team for their position and high level of comfort and wherever possible the local character. These are mostly 4* and 5*, but sometimes good 3*.
Tours
Puglia, Southern Italy
11 - 16 October 2008, 10 - 15 October 2009
Puglia, the heel of Italy is Southern Italy’s powerhouse wine region. The production is more than Germany and almost as much as Australia. This may seem surprising but it is not new, Puglia has been producing a lot of good wi...
Great Wines of Northern Spain
13 - 20 October 2008
This new tour in a sweep out of Madrid, takes in most of the great wine regions of Northern Spain: Rioja Alta, Alavesa and Baja; Ribera del Duero, Rueda; Cigales; Navarra; Carinena and Catalyud.
We arrive into Madrid airport...
The Loire by Train
25 - 30 October 2008
The base for the tour is the town of Saumur with its famous castle. Our hotel is a particularly comfortable well run 3* with a lovely, riverside position and a good restaurant.
We start by looking at the local red, Saumur-C...
Ravenna, Urbino & The Marche
26 - 31 October 2008
On this fabulous wine holiday we visit Le Marche which nestles between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine mountains and has beautiful, unspoilt landscapes, dotted with many secret villages. One of the most dynamic of Italy's win...
New Year in Amalfi
29 December 2008 - 2 January 2009
The Arblaster & Clarke New Year tours are a great way to relax after the hard work of Christmas and to celebrate in a beautiful location. These holidays have long been an annual A&C tradition and are enjoyable, convivial breaks...
On this classic wine tour of Italy there is a great Italian spirit. A wonderful blend of respect for tradition and a determined attitude to increasing quality makes Italy one of the most exciting wine regions of the world, and...
Sicily
5 - 13 October 2008, 4 - 11 October 2009
Sicily is quite distinct from Italy in terms of culture, history, language, and wines. Highly individual grapes give good reds, perfumed whites and rich dessert wines. We have been bowled over by our reception from the family d...
Portugal Anniversary tour
25 May - 1 June 2008
It is 20 years since A&C's ground breaking tour of Portugal, our first major tour, which revealed for the first time to the UK wine drinker the quality wine revolution that was going on there. (Only a few specialist merchants w...
Provence in the Spring
22 - 27 April 2008
Provence as an historical entity was created by the Romans, who regarded it as a 'province' of their empire and indeed, Provence saw the first plantings of vines in Gaul when the Greeks introduced them in the 6th century BC. En...
Sherry & Andalucia
18 - 23 October 2009
Andalucía is startlingly beautiful with the Sierra Nevada rising dramatically from the sea. Being on the coast in Southern Spain the area has a temperate Mediterranean climate and most years that we have offered this tour in F...
Campania & Naples in the Spring
26 - 30 March 2008
This new itinerary explores Campania, staying on the bay of Naples convenient for our wine visits here and in Naples itself. The viticultural heartland of Campania is just inland from the volcano of Vesuvius. Here we find the e...
New Year in Barcelona
30 December 2007 - 2 January 2008
The Arblaster & Clarke New Year tours are a great way to relax after the hard work of Christmas and to celebrate away from home. These holidays are long been an annual A&C tradition and are enjoyable, convivial breaks in comfor...
New Year in Lucca
30 December 2007 - 2 January 2008
This relaxing New Years break stays at the unspoilt Tuscan town of Lucca and includes visits to three of this regions top wine estates.
Lucca, Puccini’s birthplace, was an independent city-state until the nineteenth centur...
Austria Wine Tour
29 October - 3 November 2007
The renaissance of Austrian wine is in full swing. The dark age is a long time behind it and we are now in the era of masterpieces and inspiration. On this timely tour we’ll meet most of the great winemakers who are driving A...
Burgundy
21 - 25 October 2007
Visit the classic French vineyards of Burgundy just after harvest time when there are plenty of exciting new stories to catch up on, and when there may still be some activity in the vineyards and cellars. The vineyards will be ...
The Great Wines of Northern Italy
30 September - 6 October 2007
This superb tour covers the great wines of Piedmont, Veneto and Franciacorta. We begin with a tasting over lunch at one of Verona’s classic wine-bar restaurants. After lunch we check into our traditional hotel in central Vero...
Corsica & Sardinia
16 - 23 September 2007
Both the Corsicans and the Sardinians are fiercely independent mountain people, paradoxically living close to the the sea but having traditionally little to do with it. Over the years the inhabitants of these islands tended to ...
Slovenia & Friuli
7 - 12 July 2007
This tour combines the little known wines of Slovenia and the glorious whites of Friuli in Italy. We start in Slovenia’s picturesque capital city, Ljubljana, a small bustling University city. The river Ljubljanica runs throug...
Trentino & Alto-Adige
2 - 7 July 2007
The wonderful Trentino & Alto Adige tour in the foothills of the Dolomites takes in lakes, mountains and wine. In the past several of our regular travellers voted it as their best A&C Italian tour yet.
On arrival, we head in...
Port & Barco Rabelos
22 - 25 June 2007
On the eve of Sao Joao (St John, the patron Saint of Porto) this normally subdued and hard working city goes wild. From the magnificent iron bridge built by Eiffel’s pupil, a breathtaking display of fireworks cascade at midni...
Duero & Douro
28 May - 3 June 2007
This is a fascinating opportunity to follow the course of the River Duero from Spain until it becomes the Douro in Portugal and down to the river mouth at Oporto. This tour stays at luxurious accommodation, including at wine es...
New Year in Cascais & Evora
30 December 2006 - 2 January 2007
There will be two wine visits on this tour, and we are sure to taste many of the regions top wines at emals and tastings. For 2006/2007 we have chosen an unusual destination,with the combination of the UNESCO City of Evora in ...
