Making life a holiday with interesting vacation and adventure ideas.

The 2009 European Wine Bloggers Conference is set to take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from October 30 – November 1, 2009. Bringing together bloggers of all backgrounds including: winemakers, wine writers, marketers, foodies, retailers and distributors from around the world.

Around 100 wine bloggers are expected to attend the EWBC 2009 and they will also be able to enjoy visits to several key wineries within easy reach of Lisbon.

Labels: 2009, European, Portugal, wine

Stuttgart city center will be transformed into a festive wine village, when the Stuttgart Wine Festival gets underway on Wednesday 26 August; it runs through to 6 September, 2009.

Something like 120 wine alcoves are created and decorated in a traditional Swabian folklore style. During the 12 days of the festival, about 250 different wines from the Wuerttemberg region are sampled and enjoyed, alongside many examples of Swabian cuisine.

Labels: 2009, festival, Germany, Stuttgart, Stuttgart Wine Festival, wine

Anyone who will be in London for New Year's Eve and likes a glass of wine, could start their New Year's Eve celebration in style at Vinopolis. Enjoying a visit to the world famous wine tour, followed by a meal at neighbouring Brew Wharf and then a stroll down London's Southbank to enjoy the spectacular fireworks display at midnight.

Vinopolis, under the arches at Bankside, offers three different self-guided tasting tours and has recently opened the Authentic Caribbean Rum experience, a 3-D exhibition including a sugar plantation and distillery as well as interactive LCD screens to give visitors the opportunity to learn more about Caribbean Rum brands and how to make the best cocktails. Naturally, visitors also have the opportunity to sample a variety of rums. The site is close to London Bridge tube and train station, so there is no problem with driving home intoxicated.

Labels: Beer, London, wine

The Australian warns that tourists heading to Bali for Christmas will find its a dry Christmas. According to Stephen Fitzpatrick, their Jakarta correspondent, booze and gourmet staples are now almost completely unavailable on the Indonesian island, following a crackdown by customs on imported food and drink.

But hey, its not strictly true, locally produced drinks, like arak and brem (rice wine), and Bali beers (Bali Hai and Bintang) are readily available. Bintang, according to TheBackpacker.net gives you a 100% guaranteed headache!

Besides, consuming the local produce is right in line with the eco-travel movement, so you can spend Christmas in Bali, support the local economy with a little over-indulgence and claim that you are participating in responsible travel.

Labels: 2008, Bali, Beer, Christmas, food, wine

Four year's ago I confessed my liking for Barolo and Italian food, drawing attention to the annual Alba White Truffle Festival. This year's festival runs 4 October through 9 November, 2008 and you can download the festival program as a PDF document (in Italian).

As usual, the month is packed full of diverse events and attractions, including Barolo, Barbaresco and Tartufo (Truffle) tours and treks.

Labels: 2008, Alba, festival, Italy, tours, truffles, wine

Turkey is one of the oldest wine regions in the world and a new travel company, Vinotolia is specialising in wine-themed history and culture tours. I always reckon that history and culture go down better with a glass or two of good wine and legendary physicist Richard Feynman, once said that all of physics was to be found in a glass of wine; little wonder that his classes were always full of eager students.

Murat Yankı, founder of Vinotolia says that the company's tours are designed for small groups of guests staying at boutique hotels, touring Anatolia's wine estates and sampling products. I wonder if there are any grants going for study tours.

Labels: Anatolia, tours, Turkey, wine

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