Past Tours

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

Take sun-kissed Greek islands and add some stunning wines. And you get our incredible wine tour to the islands of Crete and Santorini. We stayed in the gorgeous town of Chania, the bustling city of Heraklion and the hilltop village of Pyrgos on Santorini. We sampled some outstanding wines in Crete from local and international grape varieties. When in Greece, eat delicious Greek food & enjoy warm Greek hospitality. And we did both in abundance. We also learnt about the Minonan civilisation at Knossos and Akrotiri. It’s a tour to be summed up in one word: perfection.

“Wonderful tour, a great combination of lovely wines, historical places, and seeing the beautiful scenery of the islands – and great company.”
Penny Haskins

“Great trip. Discovered some excellent wines, and some interesting ones. Good company, good food, what’s not to love?”
Ginny Gilmore

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Mountains, Malbec, meat and more. That’s a perfect summary of this gorgeous tour. In Argentina, we tasted great wines in Mendoza and Uco Valley, tasted delicious lunches and barbeques, went to a Tango performance and experienced the majestic scenery of the Andes. Uruguay was such a lovely contrast, with the beautiful town of Colonia, where we discovered the Tannat grape and met some unforgettable wine personalities. South America, we can’t wait to see you again.

“I had an absolutely fabulous time in Argentina and Uruguay. It was such a pleasure sharing this experience with everyone on the tour. We tasted some amazing wines, enjoyed delicious meals/bbqs with loads of meat and had some good laughs and conversations. It was a wonderful experience and the views of the Andes were awesome. Thanks Christos for organising another thoroughly enjoyable wine tour…”
Angus Young

“Another amazing wine trip organised by Christos. The wineries were fabulous, together with enticing wine matching lunches. The two Asados (BBQ Argentinean style) were great fun, I have never seen so much meat!!! It was a truly wonderful experience and we had a really fun and friendly group. Wish I had done the trip to Uruguay, can’t wait to hear all about it.”
Kelly Revill

This stunning region, stretching from Provence to the Pyrenees, was a delight. We stayed in the lovely village of Neffies in the Eastern Languedoc & visited several boutique wine producers in the lesser known appellations of Faugeres, Pezenas and Terrases du Larzac. Our trip was more than wine: we went to see an oyster farm and a goats’ cheese producer. There were delicious lunches, balmy weather, beautiful autumnal scenery and delightful hilltop villages. And the grand finale was at the gorgeous property of Domaine Ste. Hilaire where we sampled a decadent outdoor lunch. Just four days. And the memories of a lifetime.

“A superb trip from the first oyster to the last glass of wine. Great company and a fascinating and varied mix of dedicated small wine producers. Excellent standard of accommodation and last but not least great company great.”
Christine Moore

“A very enjoyable foodie weekend. I will definitely be buying more organic wines from France as a result of this experience.”
Monique Gardner

You can see why this is the world’s most famous red wine producing region. The gorgeous dry whites & the luscious sweet wines: Bordeaux has it all, as we discovered on this long weekend trip. We took a trip to a cooper to see how oak barrels are made. We went to some top chateaux in the Medoc, Sauternes, Graves, St. Emilion and Pomerol. We dined like royalty on delicious food, enjoying the beautiful city from our centrally located hotel. Beautiful Bordeaux, you stole our hearts.

“I learnt so much about Bordeaux on this trip that will help me have renewed appreciation of these wines. A must-do trip for anyone seriously interested in wines -both educational and enjoyable.”
Azra Moiz

“A truly Premier Grand Cru Classé experience.”
Mike Hadwin

We followed the footprints of ancient civilisations as we explored the lesser-known north of the country. We discovered diverse wine regions, off-beat classical sites, mystical mountain-tops, monasteries and stunning scenery. We went to the two main wine regions: Naoussa near Thessalonika and Drama close to the town of Kavala with some special wines. We dropped into some of the best Greek wineries including Gerovassiliou, Alpha Estate, Biblia Chora and Kir-Yianni. We also visited the ancient sites of Vergina, Philippi and Dodoni as well as the stunning Vikos Gorge. As well as the extraordinary mountain-top monasteries of Meteora near the beautiful town of Metsovo. Truly a classic wine tour, in every sense.

“The wineries in Drama were definitely the highlight of the tour along with the spectacular sites of Vergina and Meteora. Some lovely hotels in Kastoria, Naoussa and Metsovo.”
John Benjamin

Verona. Perfect for Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers and wine lovers alike. We were based in this beautiful city, which is also known for the Roman Arena which hosts the world-famous opera festival during the summer. Our superb hotel was perfectly located just a stone’s throw from the Arena and all the other main sights. We visited wine producers in Valpolicella, Lake Garda and Soave and tasted some wonderful wines including Amarones, Luganas and the lesser known sparkling Durellos. We enjoyed food & wine matching lunches in beautiful settings overlooking Lake Garda, a private guided walking tour of Verona and visits to boutique wine producers. We could see why Verona is the city of love: because we loved it.

“I just wanted to say thank you for arranging such a wonderful and well organised trip. It was informative but interesting and fun too. The timings of the visits felt just right too. The hotel was in an excellent location with a generous array of food for breakfast. The whole group was friendly and got on well. Please keep us informed of future trips.”
Maria Paschali