Making life a holiday with interesting vacation and adventure ideas.

Champagne is arguably the world's most glamorous sparkling wine and visitors from all over the world visit the region to discover the secrets and traditions of champagne. Reims and Epernay are the most famous towns in the region and therefore the most natural places to visit for a Champagne break. But it is worth following the 'Route Touristique du Champagne' to discover tiny towns and villages nestling in the hills, where numerous small growers produce their own champagnes.

During the grape harvest in September, several vineyard owners organise grape picking days for visitors. It will usually begin with a hearty breakfast before setting to work picking the grapes, work that is rewarded with lunch, followed by a tour of the cellars and a well deserved tasting. A small charge is made for these grape picking lessons of between €30 and €50 per person.

Further details

Passengers arriving at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris can take a TGV (High Speed Train) for for a quick, 30 minute ride to the heart of the Champagne-Ardenne region.

Links to many Wine Tasting Tours are to be found in our database.

Labels: Champagne, France, grape, harvest, tours, wine

Although the European summer is coming to an end, many German wine festivals are in full swing.

Germany's wine regions have a lot to offer tourists, especially during the summer and autumn. Deutsche Welle have provided a timely article about their numerous festivals, which offer the opportunity to enjoy local wines, food and entertainment.

Labels: festival, Germany, wine

The Rioja Wine Harvest is celebrated annually in Logroño, Spain, 16 to 26 September, with the Fiesta de la Vendimia Riojana. It is a week of festivities coinciding with the Feast of San Mateo (St. Matthew) on 21 September and is a gastronomic delight, uniting culture, tradition, music, theatre and sport.

On San Mateo's Day, there is a traditional, barefoot, grape treading ceremony in the main square, when the first must of the new harvest is offered to a statue of the patron saint of La Rioja, Our Lady of Valvanera.

Labels: festival, Fiesta de la Vendimia Riojana, Logrono, Rioja, wine

Summer tourists to France often take the opportunity to learn more about wine and many head for the beautiful Haut-Médoc region. Every year, more than 10,000 visitors tour the winery and the cellars of Domaines Bouteiller, which is just 45 minutes from Bordeaux on the Route des Châteaux, between Cussac-Fort-Médoc and Saint-Julien.

Several educational and gourmet tours are offered, and the estate also caters for children. Another award winning attraction to be found on the estate is the superb Horse Museum, with horsedrawn carriages, a wash-house, tack room and truly luxurious stables. It is regarded as one of France's finest museums. École Internationale d'Attelage in Bordeaux will take you on a horsedrawn carriage tour of the Domaines Bouteiller vineyards and the layout of the estates, where naturally, you will be offered a tasting.

Find some other interesting Wine Tasting Holidays in our listings.

Labels: Domaines Bouteiller, France, Haut-Medoc, Horse, Museum, tours, wine

It seems that California and New York remain the destination of choice for U.S. tourists seeking food and wine related travel themes.

Culinary activities participated in while traveling include cooking classes, dining out for a unique and memorable experience, visiting farmers markets, gourmet food shopping and attending food festivals. Wine activities included participating in winery tours, driving a wine trail, tasting locally made wines and attending wine festivals. Within the past three years, 17% of American leisure travelers (27 million travelers), engaged in culinary or wine-related activities while traveling; based on a new report from the Travel Industry Association (TIA), in partnership with Gourmet and the International Culinary Tourism Association.

The top 3 destinations for food-related travel were California (14%), Florida (10%) and New York (7%). While Florida barely makes a showing in the poll for wine-related travel, the top 2 destinations are again California out in front with 31% followed by New York with 10%. However, I bet Florida would fair better in a comparison of wine consumption!

Labels: California, culinary, Florida, food, New York, tours, travel, USA, vacations, wine