Past Tours

Virginia is a wine destination unlike any other, with nearly 300 wineries and dozens of wine trails surrounded by lavish scenery, breathtaking views, quaint small towns and monumental historic sites. We tasted superb wines and gourmet food at artisanal wineries on the James River, picked our own pumpkins(!), explored the Berkeley Plantation and experienced Civil War reenactments at Colonial Williamsburg – something for everyone. But with wine varietals from Viognier and Cabernet Franc to Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Gros Manseng, and Merlot, Virginia isn’t just for lovers, it’s for wine-lovers!

“From the beginning right through to the end of our tour, we had such a pleasant experience. Each winery we visited had a special story to tell and truly captured the variety of places in VA. Our trips to Colonial Williamsburg and the Berkeley Plantation perfectly balanced with the different wineries and delicious places to eat. I cannot say enough about the wonderful time we had!”
Anon customer

One word for the most famous sparkling wine region? Champagne, of course. We were there & we loved it. A lovely 4 star hotel right in the centre of Reims was the perfect starting point. We explored one of the Grande Marques to peek at their extensive cellars. But we were even luckier, meeting some smaller family producers. There’s nothing like sharing a few glasses with them, hearing their stories and buying some excellent quality champagne at very reasonable prices. Now that’s the sort of experience that money can’t buy.

“Fab trip Christos, thanks so much. Well organised and so convenient with the bus taking all the strain! Lovely group and gorgeous Champagne.”
Mo Zetter

“A great weekend! What I particularly liked was the insight we got into the hard-working lives of the small Champagne makers. Looking forward to sampling the champagnes I brought home.”
David Lawrence

A magical mix of the modern & the ancient. That sums up our 9 day tour around Athens & the Peloponnese. We held our breaths at the astonishing views of the Acropolis, from our hotel’s rooftop bar in Plaka, Athens. We plunged into deep pools overlooking hillsides, in historic Olympia. We exclaimed at the classical sites of Mycenae, Epidaurus and Olympia. We tasted heavenly wines, sighed over exquisite food, bathed in crystal clear waters and sighed over stunning scenery. And we could almost imagine the Greek gods smiling down on us benevolently, throughout the tour.

“A truly fabulous trip, beautifully organised, delightful company & an excellent balance of wine, culture and relaxation. Every day brought something new & enriching, both the quality & the hospitality at the wineries was above my expectations.”
Richard Cumming-Bruce

“Good food, good wines, comfortable hotels, spectacular scenery, and just the right balance of winery visits (all interesting) and classical sites. No leg of the journey was tediously long; no ridiculously early starts or late arrivals; the coach was spacious and comfortable.”
Suse Hankins

What comes to mind when you think of Tuscany? Charming hilltop towns, quaint villages dotted with olive groves, cypress trees and fragrant vineyards, centuries-old villas and medieval castles. That’s exactly what our Tuscan tour was about. We stayed in the beautiful town of Sienna, burnt by glorious sunshine into that inimitable burnt yellow. We visited San Gimignano, nestled between its fourteen towers and the picture-perfect village of Brunello. We sipped glorious wines from Sangiovese, Vernaccia and more. We tucked into exquisite gourmet cuisine and explored the art of eating proper Italian pasta. Life was indeed beautiful.

“A most enjoyable trip. Beautiful scenery, great choice of wines & good company! Excellent value.”
Sue Smith

“A delightful trip, Christos; one of your best. Many thanks!”
Suse Hankins

Our tour captured all the drama of Cape Peninsula in one tour. We took in the singular and stunning beauty of Cape Town, where nature & culture come together. We enjoyed wine tastings in several different wine regions including Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Durbanville and Hermanus. One of the unforgettable highlights was a two-night stay on a private game reserve: it was the Africa of our dreams. Throw in fabulous settings for meals, jaw-dropping landscapes and coastal views. And you have the tour of a lifetime.

“An amazing trip! Fantastic wineries, great food and a lovely group. I learnt so much about South African wines. The game reserve was a highlight for me. A huge thank you to Christos for organising a totally wonderful experience.”
Kelly Revill

“A wonderful trip, the combination of wine, food, location and of course the company made for an unforgettable experience. Praise to Christos for organising the itinerary and ensuring its success.”
David Mitchell

Did you know that Champagne wasn’t first produced in Champagne? Another interesting fact: a stunning 4-star hotel right in the centre of Reims made a great base for our tour. There were so many highlights. A visit to the Grande Marques to see their extensive wine cellars. And even more interesting were the visits to the smaller family producers for some interesting conversations & the opportunity to buy excellent quality champagne at superb prices. Just in time for those Christmas & New Year gifts. And speaking of the festive season, we also visited the Christmas Village. There were street entertainers, magicians, carol singers and over a hundred colourful chalets welcomed us with their gifts, decorations and delicious festive fare. It was merry indeed.

“A wonderful trip. Everything I imagined and more. Great host, fantastically organised. Great Driver got us everywhere we needed to be on time. Amazing company, food and champagne .. what more could one ask for?! Oh and a really good choice of hotel. Thanks so much Christos!”
Camilla Kennedy

“A fabulous weekend in Champagne with an organised and knowledgeable tour leader, great group of people, excellent tours and tastings throughout the weekend, opportunities to visit the festive Christmas market and dine at a Michelin Star restaurant. I’m already thinking of the next one.”
Cindy Cheng

It doesn’t get more elegant than this. Our gastronomic food & wine tour featured world-famous wines, truffle hunting, a cookery class, hilltop villages, spectacular scenery and more. We stayed at the innovative Ascheri winery in Bra; we delighted in tasting some of the most famous Italian wines including Barbaresco, Barbera, Gavi, Arneis, and ‘The King of Wines’ Barolo. We found such joy in a Truffle Hunt with Gino and his trusty dog Bilbo (adorable pet alert!) followed by lunch with delicate, freshly-shaved white truffles. We even learnt how to make fresh pasta. An absolutely glorious tour that will no doubt be repeated.

“Great trip, loved the mix of truffle hunting and cookery class with the essential wine tasting.”
Jean Dennis

“Barolo vineyards, genuine truffle hunting & a full day in a cookery school were amazing experiences!”
Vivienne Smith

Porto is pretty, Porto is edgy. We experienced both aspects in our fabulous wine tour to Northern Portugal. The port lodges of Porto opened up their secrets to us. We had fun riding tuk-tuks around the city. We felt adventurous travelling up the Douro by train and boat; marvelling at the steep, terraced, river-lined vineyards. And of course we tried different styles of port wines and the divine local dishes. Portugal, we miss you already.

“Great trip, amazing wines, Port & breath-taking scenery.”
Alison Quah

“Sarah & I hugely enjoyed spending a few days in Portugal with you all. Hope to see everyone again on another tour soon.”
George Darley

Sometimes, life is all about luxury. Our premium trip to one of France’s top three red wine regions was certainly that. We indulged ourselves in exquisite boutique hotels, dined elegantly in Michelin-starred restaurants and sipped fine wines from Syrah and Viognier. As our group delighted in views of the majestic Rhone river & the iconic Hill of Hermitage while travelling in a VIP coach. The pièce de résistance was a private guided tour by electric train in the Gallo-Roman town of Vienne. Now that’s living in the lap of (a little) luxury.

“Gorgeous hotels, gastronomic meals, fabulous wines, a truly 5 star experience.”
Penny Hyatt

Say the word ‘Rioja’ and you conjure up stunning Spanish wines. Draped against a backdrop of the Sierra Cantabria mountains, in the north-west of Spain, Rioja is the country’s most famous wine region. Our tour took in some of the loveliest Rioja wines accompanied by the finest local cuisine. There was so much more to explore: stunning scenery, the sheer exuberance of the lively tapas bars of Logrono and unforgettable meetings with quirky winemakers. Those little details are often what make the biggest memories. We’re culture vultures too: we explored the peaceful Yuso monastery & medieval hilltop town. Rioja, you were truly a treat.

“Beautiful part of the world with wines to match – another great tour, thanks Christos.”
Pam Kingston-Smith

“A very enjoyable trip with excellent wine, food and company.”
Christine Moore

How far would you go to explore exquisite wines? Eighteen of our intrepid wine lovers braved the long journey to literally the other side of the world. We discovered why Kiwi winemakers are being lauded by international experts, as we covered most of the main wine regions of the North and South Island. It’s not just about the wine, of course. We delighted in local Maori culture and history, took in the geothermal wonders of Rotorua, the Art Deco buildings of Napier and Hastings. We crossed the Marlborough Sound and had such fun in the adventure capital of Queenstown. We can’t wait to go back to ‘The Long White Cloud’ as the country is known by the Maoris.

“Christos put together a programme which covered the North and South island and allowed us some free time to organise our own affairs – bliss! With Christos’ expertise and efficient organisation, this tour represented amazing value.”
Lydia Somuah

We’re all about wine tours and this one was all about…whisky. Islay Single Malt Whiskies are the strongest flavoured of all malt whiskies: made of stern stuff indeed. A spectacular drive & ferry crossing led us to the iconic island of Islay, nestled off the west coast of Scotland. This was quintessential Scotland. We spent three days visiting all 8 distilleries on the island. The most peaty being Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroig, on the South Coast; Bowmore, Bruichladdich and Kilchoman in the centre; and Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila in the North. Our evenings were all about roaring fires and long chats in homely cottages on the grounds of Bowmore. Also there were cask samples, barrel tastings & finally a whisky and chocolate tasting at Glengoyne en route back to Glasgow: it was every whisky lover’s dream come true.

“I really enjoyed the tour to Islay! Very well organised, learned a lot about Whisky. Great crowd, fabulous whisky, beautiful scenery! Thanks Christos! Bring on the next one.”
Nisha Malhan

“A thoroughly enjoyable tour, and I definitely know a lot more about whisky than I did before. The accommodation at the Old Bakery cottage was very good it was great to visit all 8 distilleries on the island. I would definitely recommend this whisky tour to others.”
Angus Young