If the long three-day weekend got you thinking about taking a longer vacation later in the year, we have a few ideas to share.
In its May issue, National Geographic Traveler features a story called, “50 Tours of a Lifetime,” written by Margaret Loftus. The story’s subhead urges readers to “Venture farther. Dig deeper. Get personal.”
It is the magazine’s 10th annual list of the best guided trips, and three of them are clearly focused on wine:
- “A Wine Lover’s Journey Through Budapest, Vienna and Prague” is presented by Exeter International, and costs $8,025. The 10-day trip includes time in Austria’s Wachau Valley, where riverside rows of grapevines ascend the adjacent hillsides in steeply terraced rows. A visit to the Stahov Monastary, near Prague, also is included.
- “Georgia’s Food, Wine and Culture” is presented by the Great Canadian Travel Company, and costs $3,280. This is not an expedition to the southern U.S. state; this is the Republic of Georgia, where wine is produced at the ancient Alaverdi Monastery using earthenware vessels that are buried in the ground. So how’s the wine? You’ll find out on this 10-day trip, which focuses on food and wine.
- “Argentina Vision and Vine” is presented by Ciclismo Classico, and costs $5,300. This nine-day expedition to the Andean foothills in Argentina’s northwest corner promises to provide plenty of memories for photographers and wine lovers alike. There will be amply opportunity to sample exceptional Malbec and Torrontes wines at the estates where they’re made.
To read about other “tours of a lifetime,” pick up the May issue of National Geographic Traveler.
