THE MAN BEHIND THE WINE
About Criterion Wine Tours
The man behind Criterion Wine Tours is Christos Ioannou, and he knows his wine. Very well.
He holds the WSET Wine Diploma, one of the world’s highest wine qualifications and has been a judge at the International Wine Challenge since 2002. Christos has also been a tutor at the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and an Approved Bordeaux Tutor of the Ecole du Vin in Bordeaux. Driven by a life-long passion, he gave up a successful 20-year career in marine insurance to set up Criterion Wine Tours and help others access and enjoy wine. Christos presents regular tutored tastings to wine clubs and societies and to The London Wine, Dining and Travel Meetup group.
Christos curates every wine experience for his customers. And he is joined by a team of experts who make your wine tour their business.
An Interview with the Association of Wine Educators
During our tour to Ribera del Duero in September, Christos had the pleasure of being interviewed by Richard Lane for the Association of Wine Educators (AWE) podcast series ‘In Conversation With’. Despite being on a coach at the time(!), it was great to chat with Richard and explore the world of wine for a while. Please do have a listen and let us know your thoughts!
taking you places you’ve never been before
Access the hidden world of wine
We cater to clients both national and international who are looking for a wine experience that’s carefully curated and delivered by people who really know their stuff.
Not just ‘seeing’, our wine tours offer a deep dive into the wines of the locations we visit as well as the cities, towns and villages, food, music, architecture, art, history and culture, ensuring that you have a “real” wine experience. We provide exclusive access to a huge range of wineries, winemakers and experiences that you won’t find anywhere else.
From experiencing authentic rodeos in Argentina, watching rhinos on safari in South Africa, exploring the Acropolis in Greece and fine dining in castles in Austria, or under the stars in Australia, our wine tours create memories and friends for a lifetime.
