For me, wine is a passion. And it’s best appreciated when you pair that delicious pleasure in your glass with a gorgeous setting or a unique activity. This kind of experience is what I like to call “wine with all five senses.”
wine-centric travel Truly provides a sensory experience. The combination of the taste, smell and feel of wine with the sounds and sights of a specific place guarantees an indelible memory. Here are three of my favorite wine-focused tours.
Zonda at Lagarde Winery, Mendoza, Argentina
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Lagarde in Lujan de Cuyo has been producing mouth-watering Malbecs for over 125 years. In late 2022, the winery added a new restaurant, zondawhich offers visitors a unique dining experience that showcases the full abundance of Mendoza. (In 2023, the restaurant received both a Michelin star and a Michelin Green Star for sustainability.)
First, guests tour the orchards and vineyards, where grape picking straight from the vine is encouraged. This is followed by a fun cooking class where they will learn to make empanadas. And finally, they’ll sit down to a delicious several-course meal – with perfect wine pairings, of course.
Quinta das Carvalhas, Douro Valley, Portugal
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dating from 1759, Quinta das Carvalhas Boasts some of the oldest vines in Portugal as well as some of the oldest grape varieties Douro regionTraveling here feels like taking a step back in time. The views are also impressive.
Standing at the top of the terraced vineyards, you can overlook the Douro and Torto rivers and enjoy that dreamy and undulating Douro Valley landscape you have seen in photographs. Your senses will be heightened no matter what time of year you visit, but harvest time is the best.
You can spend the morning picking grapes at the Quinta das Carvalhas Vineyard, as well as its sister vineyard Quinta do Casal da Granja, Alijo, and then enjoy a traditional Portuguese lunch. Next, pull up your pants and get ready to munch on grapes in the winery’s vintage mills, designed for manual crushing.
Coquelicot, Belmond, Champagne, France
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Are you a big fan of Babli? Of course, Champagne is produced only in the region it is named after, in the north-east of France. And there’s no better way to experience the region (and reap its rewards) than CoquelicotBelmond’s ultra-luxurious, three-stateroom barge that glides on canals and waterways past vineyards and storybook towns like Châlons-en-Champagne.
No doubt you’ll be happy sipping bubbly and enjoying farm-fresh, chef-prepared cuisine on the top deck, Belmond has also curated special on-land experiences, including behind-the-scenes views of Ruinart. A behind-the-scenes look, including a private lunch. Home of the Krug family, and a tour of the Abbaye d’Hautevillers of Dom Pérignon and the cellars of Moët & Chandon.
meg nolan is a member of Travel + Leisure’s A-list and specializes in wine-focused tours. You can create a special itinerary with Nolan by contacting him meg@friendofafriendconsulting.com,
