Luxury wine tours

31 Dec 2016
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3 min read
Want to surprise a loved one? or just planning something wonderful for the new year? Then look no further than FOUR’s festive round up of luxury wine tours to suit every wine enthusiasts whim…

Wine ski safari

Luxury Chalet OperatorBramble Skioffers a five-star wine-tasting safari for guests staying at the latest addition to their exclusive portfolio,The Backstage Loft, Zermatt. The beautiful design chalet, the brainchild of Heinz Julien the highly acclaimed Swiss designer, sleeps ten people in five en-suite bedrooms and boasts facilities including wellness area with shower, hammam, sauna and fitness area as well as ski room, cinema room and hot tub.

To kick-off the VIP experience guests will be picked-up in a helicopter, just a short walk from the chalet, and dropped at Testa Grigia. From there they will ski down with Bramble’s Ski ‘ski-instructor concierge’and a ski guideto one ofthe best restaurants in Cervinia,Chalet Etiole, for a bottle of this year’s finest wine.At a pace to suit the group they will ski back to Zermatt via Zum See restaurant for an apero on the terrace in front of spectacular views of the Matterhorn. Bramble Ski recommend a bottle of the Tenuta dell’Ornellaia 2009, CHF 320.

For the final leg guests will ski down to the village where a horse and cart will collect them and take them to Hotel Alex to enjoy a private wine tasting in the impressive private dining roomBodega Bacchus. After a busy day on the slopes and feeling decidedly less steady on their feet, guests will be whisked back to Bramble Ski’s The Backstage Loft where they can relax with a glass of champagne in the chalet’s private hot tub, followed by canapes and three-course dinner.

Soar Across Mallorca

The elegantHotel Cort, a 16-room boutique design hotel located in Palma de Mallorca, has recently partnered withMallorca Wine Toursto give guests an exclusive insight into the culture, history and grapes that have created the Island’s finest wine offerings. A variety of tours are available to guests including an epic helicopter journey that whisks guests over the UNESCO World Heritage Tramuntana Mountains.

An evening urban wine tour has also recently been launched around the island’s capital; in expert hands, guests will be navigated through the winding alleys of the Old Town and shown the wine shops and restaurants that Mallorca is famed for. As well as sampling eight to 10 wines and indulging in no less than four tapas stops, guests on this tour will learn all about the wine making process and the city itself. Throughout the rest of their stay guests can put their knowledge to good use in Hotel Cort’s buzzing restaurant, sampling Hotel Cort’s vast wine stores whilst indulging in the best tapas and oysters in the capital.www.hotelcort.com

Electric biking around the Provencal vineyards

Hidden within the dramatic hills of Mont Ventoux, northeast Avignon and surrounded by rustic vineyards and aromatic olive groves makes Crillon le Brave a haven for recreational cyclists and one of the finest boutique hotels within Provence. Crillon le Brave have just launched a series of scenic vineyard cycling routes and bike rental options for all cycling enthusiasts varying in levels and abilities, including the very latest electric bike model. Embark on a cycling journey through the idyllic vineyards of Chateau Valcombe and Chateau Pesquie, admiring the scenic villages and Provençal countryside right in the very heart of pastoral France. For the more adventurous cyclists Mont Ventoux, 1912 metres high, also known as “the giant of Provence” is a cycling challenge not to be missed.

Crillon le Brave provide three main bike rental options starting at €32 for ½ day, there is even an option for a tandem and electric bike, ideal for the less-cycling-more-wine-tasting-type.Nightly rates Crillon le Brave start from €364 including two half day bike rentals.

Wine and Tapas Experience on theAfrican cape

One of Ellerman House’s treasures is the brand new, state-of-the-art Wine Gallery holding an incredible 7,500 South African wines that is central to the gourmet experience. Each fine wine is expertly chosen to be integral to the gourmet experience and the wines are sourced from established and emerging vineyards throughout the Western Cape. A tailor made wine and tapas experience, allows guests to try the different grape varieties whilst listening to the head sommelier talk through the South African wine industry next to the Terroir Wall. This is a giant living puzzle that takes on the shape of the wine lands with blocks of soil from 100 vineyards rammed into copper blocks. Ellerman House understands world-class service and these unique experiences exclusive to Ellerman House allow guests to enjoy an exploration of South African art, wines and fine dining that are hard to beat.

Wine and Tapas experience costs from £28 and includes 5 wines paired with tapas style canapés.