South America: a unique wine tour of Chile and Argentina
— Join us on a fantastic voyage of discovery in the vineyards of Chile and Argentina, including a breath-taking trip over the Andes.
Set on either side of the Andes mountain range, Chile and Argentina both have grandiose scenery and make some of the very best New World wines. On this tour you will see the vast, verdant plains of the pampas, the snow-covered tops of the Andes Mountains, an impressive selection of wineries and vineyards, and buzzing Buenos Aires. We will visit some of the very best vineyards as well as some excellent rising star growers, and sample some outstanding wines matched with the local gastronomy.
All this, plus a host of tourist attractions and historic sites: in short, a wine and food tour that is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Tour Highlights
- 14 days
- Many wineries and tastings
- Spectacular Andes Mountains
- Gourmet meals
- USD 9,200
- Buenos Aires
- Mendoza
- Santiago
- Valparaiso
- Santa Cruz in Colchagua
Naturally, the focus of our two-week trip to South America is wines, vineyards and gastronomy, but you will have plenty of other experiences including time in Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Santiago de Chile and Valparaiso. There will be a top-quality tango evening in Buenos Aires, the chance to taste Chilean pisco sour, and many occasions to enjoy delicious Argentinian beef.
The tour is led and managed by Britt Karlsson, one of BKWine’s internationally-known wine experts. Voted Wine Personality of the Year 2011, she is also a columnist for Forbes.com and the author of several wine books including The Creation of a Wine (voted World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals). Britt has judged at many wine competitions in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and other countries. On this tour, she will be accompanied by a local South American guide.
Chile and Argentina are wine countries in transformation. Much has changed in recent years and rapid development continues as wine regions emerge, new grape varieties are discovered or introduced, and different ideas are tested and implemented. Increasingly, producers are focusing on the importance of the work in the vineyard, of harvesting perfectly ripe (but not over-ripe) grapes to achieve balance and elegance. Consumers are looking for wines with more freshness, and there is a move away from heavier styles with higher levels of alcohol. You will see and hear all about this in detail when we visit the vineyards.
There is an intense energy in South America right now, and the wines have never been so good. During our tour, you will have many wine tastings with some of the most interesting producers, some well-established stars and other ambitious challengers. We have visited South America’s wine regions extensively, including Chile and Argentina, so we have hand-picked a truly varied selection of producers, some of whom have yet to be discovered on international markets, and we’re really excited about sharing our insider tips with you.
Our voyage of discovery starts in Buenos Aires, where Europe and the Americas blend in a fascinating mix. At times you may feel as if you’re in Paris or Milan, but this is definitely South America. Stroll around the city and you’ll see world-class restaurants, cosy bistros and picturesque cafés. From Buenos Aires we take a flight to Mendoza, Argentina’s largest wine region (two-thirds of all the country’s wine is made here). With the snow-capped Andes in the background and its brilliant blue sky, memorable Mendoza has an impressive, cinematographic quality.
Argentina is a country with a long tradition of winemaking. Although considered a New World country, it is very much influenced by Old World production methods, due in part to the many families of Spanish and Italian origin here, and Argentina has always been the largest wine consumer in South America.
After a few days in the vineyards and wine cellars of Mendoza, we leave the region to take a bus ride across The Andes to Chile. It’s a long trip that takes a whole day but we will be travelling in comfort along the zig-zagging roads and past the mountain tops, marvelling at the spectacular views that make this the experience of a lifetime. And we will make frequent stops.
Once in Chile, we will drive right across the country to the Pacific Ocean and stay in beautiful Viña del Mar. We will visit the historic harbour city of Valparaíso, which is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, and explore the coastal wine regions of Casablanca and San Antonio. From here we will head south to the Colchagua and Cachapoal Valleys, finishing at Maipo Valley, the wine region closest to the country’s capital, spending our last night in the bustling, modern city of Santiago de Chile.
The trip is in January so the weather will be warm and summery. Harvest time is approaching and the grapes are nearly ready to be picked. The trip showcases much of the spectacular landscape of Chile and Argentina, as well as offering a fascinating insight into the social, political and economic life of two neighbouring countries, similar in some ways but yet so very different in others.
As always on our wine tours, food will feature prominently. You will enjoy many gourmet meals at the wineries we visit, so this is as much a food extravaganza as a wine tour. We will try the local specialities, including of course the outstanding meat for which this part of the world is famous, often grilled over an open fire. For more formal dining, Buenos Aires and Santiago both have many top-flight restaurants, so excellent food will be a major part of our itinerary.
The tour is led by BKWine co-founder Britt Karlsson, multiple award-winning wine book author and wine journalist and wine writer on Forbes.com.
Programme — wine tour to Chile and Argentina
Preliminary programme.
Contact BKWine for more details.
There may be changes to some details of the programme, e.g. which wineries we visit. We put great effort into making your visits both exceptional and memorable. For this reason we often visit other than the most obvious, big-name producers (where there are often a number of guides employed). Instead we chose to give you a more unique, personal experience at our carefully selected estates, often (but not always) meeting the owner or the winemaker.
Programme overview
- Day – – — Departure from home for Buenos Aires
- Day 1 — Arrival in Buenos Aires and welcome dinner (Argentina)
- Day 2 — Buenos Aires city tour, tango evening (Argentina)
- Day 3 — Flight to Mendoza, then wine (Argentina)
- Day 4 — Wine in Mendoza, Luján de Cuyo, Maipú (Argentina)
- Day 5 — Wine in Mendoza, Uco Valley (Argentina)
- Day 6 — Organic pioneers of Mendoza (Argentina)
- Day 7 — A spectacular crossing of the Andes from Mendoza to Chile
- Day 8 — Valparaíso and the wine region of Casablanca (Chile)
- Day 9 — South through San Antonio to Santa Cruz (Chile)
- Day 10 — Blend-your-own-wine workshop in Colchagua (Chile)
- Day 11 — Colchagua wine region (Chile)
- Day 12 — Colchagua wine region (Chile)
- Day 13 — The Maipo wine region, farewell lunch, Santiago (Chile)
- Day 14 — Departure from Santiago de Chile
- Day – – — Arrive home
Day – – — Departure for South America
You leave from your home location. Departure and arrival dates will depend on your departure location. See more info below. Perhaps you’ll decide to come a few days early (we can help you with the arrangements), or of course you can simply arrive in time for the first day of the programme (Day 1).
Day 1, Monday, January 13 — Arrival in Buenos Aires and welcome dinner (Argentina)
Arrival in the morning at Buenos Aires International Airport. In most cases, you will arrive on an overnight flight. As tour participants arrive at different times during the day, you should take an airport shuttle or taxi to our Buenos Aires hotel. The transfer from the airport to the hotel takes around 45 minutes.
Our hotel in Buenos Aires is the Hotel Casa Sur Recoleta****. It is very central, located in the Recoleta district, an elegant part of the city with many shops and restaurants. The hotel is also close to many sights, including the famous cemetery where Evita Peron is buried.
The rest of the day is free so you can relax and unwind after your long flight. We’d suggest that you take a walk to stretch your legs, and maybe try a first glass of wine in a bar in town. In the evening we will meet for a welcome dinner and some bottles of excellent Argentinian wine.
Buenos Aires is a large city and a mix of many cultures, with European and American influences. There are magnificent parks for walking or jogging, and some excellent museums. You can sip a refreshing drink at one of the many cafés and enjoy a spot of people watching, or visit a wine bar and sample some of the country’s many wines. Thanks to its Italian heritage, Buenos Aires is famous for its ice-cream; beer aficianados should look out for the micro-breweries serving the cerveza artisanal which is becoming increasingly popular across Argentina.
Read our city guide to Buenos Aires for more suggestions of what to do in this thrilling city.
Day 2, Tuesday, January 14 — Buenos Aires, city tour and tango evening (Argentina)
This morning our local guide will take us on a sight-seeing tour of the city. The afternoon is free so you can relax before we meet up again in the evening for a colourful tango show.
In the morning we will hop off the city tour bus and take a closer look at some places on foot, including Recoleta cemetery where Evita Peron is buried. Our tour will include some of the most famous sites such as the Plaza de Mayo with its pink presidential palace (the Casa Rosada), the impressive congress building, and colonial churches such as Santo Domingo. We will also explore the vibrant harbour district of La Boca.
The tour takes a few hours with a stop along the way for lunch in Puerto Madero, a part of the city that has recently renovated from top to bottom. Old warehouses along the Rio de la Plata river have been transformed into fashionable shops, charming cafés and welcoming restaurants overlooking the water. Lunch includes some typical Argentinian wines made from lesser-known (but no less interesting) grape varieties like Torrontés and Bonarda. The rest of the afternoon is free.
In the evening we will meet for dinner and an Argentinian tango show in San Telmo, one of the oldest parts of the city. This district has a pleasantly bohemian air, and is dotted with small shops, cafés and theatres like the one we’ll go to for our tango show.
After a three-course dinner, you will watch a magical show that is a combination of skilful dance, music and song. Tango is a genuine Argentinian creation and the performance illustrates how authentic tango has evolved from the early 1920s to modern times. Nowadays tango has an elegant, glamorous image but originally it was firmly part of working class culture and pioneered in brothels, with its daring moves considered to be quite shocking…
Day 3, Wednesday, January 15 — Flight to Mendoza, then wine (Argentina)
Today we take an early morning flight to Mendoza, some 1000 kilometres (620 miles) west of Buenos Aires.
We will arrive in Mendoza just before lunch. Our bus and local guide will be waiting for us and we will go straight to the vineyards, about 40 minutes away. The day will be spent in Luján de Cuyo, an important area within the Mendoza region where some of the best-known Argentinian wine producers are found.
We will have a late lunch at a vineyard in Luján de Cuyo, with stunning views of the Andes mountains. Our host is famous for his top-quality Malbec, and you’ll be able to try different styles of Malbec with your meal. After lunch, there will be time to visit the wine cellar and vineyard.
Late afternoon we will check in at our hotel, the luxurious five-star Mendoza Park Hyatt, complete with spa, outdoor swimming pool and fitness centre.
Your evening is free to explore the fascinating city of Mendoza. This could be the perfect opportunity to take a stroll on the Plaza Independencia and visit the late-night arts and crafts market held here.
Read our Mendoza city guide for more recommendations of what to see and where to eat in the capital of the wine region.
Day 4, Thursday, January 16 — Wine in Mendoza, Luján de Cuyo and Maipú (Argentina)
Today we continue to explore Luján de Cuyo, and we will also visit Maipú, another Mendoza sub-region.
There are two estates on today’s itinerary. First is the impressive Bodega y Cavas de Weinert, one of Mendoza’s historic wineries, where you will see the vast underground cellars where the wines mature in large old oak vats. After visiting and tasting we will have a magnificent lunch in the garden. Our host is Weinert winemaker Hubert Weber; he has worked here since 1996, so he will no doubt be able to answer all your questions about the wines.
Later in the day we will go to a small, family-owned winery that is currently run by the fourth generation. We firmly believe in the importance of inspecting the vines and tasting the grapes, and this will be a great opportunity for you to get some first-hand experience in the vineyards.
We’ll return to our hotel in Mendoza late in the afternoon, and the evening is free. If you feel like a light snack, the city has some charming wine bars offering cheese platters and similar.
Day 5, Friday, January 17 — Wine in Mendoza, the Uco Valley (Argentina)
Today we head a little further south to the emblematic Uco Valley, driving roughly 90 minutes along country roads before arriving at the vineyards.
In recent years Valle de Uco has become increasingly attractive to growers in Mendoza, and many have bought land here and built spectacular wineries. The valley is closer to the Andes than other parts of Mendoza, and the vines are grown at very high altitudes.
The grapes mature slowly due to cool nights, giving the wines their flavour profile and refreshing acidity. Towering above the vineyards you will see Mount Tupungato, an active volcano which is one of the highest mountains in South America.
We will visit two or three wineries in the Uco Valley, one of which will be Finca Suarez. Located in the southern Uco Valley, in an area called Paraje Altamira, this estate has a unique terroir which is nurtured by Juanfa Suarez, the young, dedicated winemaker. Lunch at the winery will be a traditional south American asado cooked outside on an open fire, in the midst of the vineyards.
We will return to Mendoza in the early evening, and the rest of the evening is free.
Day 6, Saturday, January 18 — Organic pioneers of Mendoza (Argentina)
Today you will learn a lot about organic and sustainable wine growing. There is great interest in sustainability in South America, and many producers do their best to minimise environmental impact.
Our morning visit will be to the superb Pulenta Estate in the very south of Lujan de Cuyo. The estate is run by the 4th generation of the Pulenta family, and some excellent red and white wines are made in the state-of-the-art winery.
We head north again for our lunch at Kaiken, a winery owned by Chilean wine visionary Aurelio Montes. The lunch today will be a typical Argentinean asado criollo, with different kinds of meat and vegetables grilled over an open fire. We will, of course, start with some empanadas and this promises to be a particularly tasty meal, accompanied by some of Kaiken’s world-famous Malbec.
Late afternoon we head back to Mendoza.
Free evening.
Day 7, Sunday, January 19 — Spectacular crossing of the Andes, from Mendoza to Chile
Today we say goodbye to Mendoza and board our bus, heading over The Andes to Chile. The trip takes most of the day but rest assured, not all of it is spent on the bus, as the border crossing itself can take some time.
The trip takes approximately 6 – 8 hours in total but the views are truly spectacular, and the landscape is magnificent. The border crossing point is at 3,500 metres (almost 12,000 feet). In the distance you will see Aconcagua, the highest peak of the Andes and indeed of the Americas, standing proud at 6,959 metres (22,831 feet).
The road across the Andes is winding (27 bends on one mountainside is the record) but happily it is also very well built. We will pass ski resorts, mountain ranges of varying shapes and hues, deserts, small villages, rivers, and of course, spectacular views and an ever-changing landscape.
On our way, in the mountains, we will stop for lunch before continuing west, crossing the country to arrive at the Pacific Ocean and the attractive coastal town of Viña del Mar. We’ll be staying for two nights at the Pullman Vina del Mar San Martín Hotel. It has an ideal location right on the ocean front, just a stone’s throw from the beach. The sea views are stunning, but the water is quite chilly…
The evening is free for you to discover Viña del Mar. There are many restaurants close to the hotel, and we’ll be happy to give you some recommendations.
Day 8, Monday, January 20 — Valparaíso and Casablanca (Chile)
Today we will visit the historic harbour and city of Valparaiso, just a short drive along the coast from Viña del Mar.
Fascinating Valparaiso is the largest port in Chile and, oddly enough, home to the country’s parliament. This characterful destination is built on 42 hills, and colourful houses line the incredibly steep streets. Trams criss-cross the city but we’ll explore it on foot, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes for our walking tour through the historic quarters.
Our bus will pick us up again just before lunch to take us to the wine region of Casablanca, between Santiago and Valparaíso.
Casablanca has recently become famous for its excellent white wines. There are claims that proximity to the coast and the area’s micro-climate is perfect for growing grapes, in particular those used for white wine. Besides the vineyards you will also see lemon groves, avocado plants (this fruit is known as palta in Chile) and flower nurseries.
Our lunch today will be hosted by one of Casablanca’s top-quality producers who will serve us a magnificent asado campestre (a country-style barbecue) with a selection of excellent wines to match the various grilled dishes.
Late afternoon we will return to Viña del Mar, and the rest of the day and evening is free. Maybe you’d like to try some tapas at a wine bar, or maybe even a completo (a Chilean hot dog that is something of a local speciality).
Day 9, Tuesday, January 21 — South through San Antonio to Santa Cruz (Chile)
We check out from the hotel in the morning and head for the coastal wine region of San Antonio, just south of Casablanca.
This area is known for its top-quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Like Casablanca, San Antonio is cooler than many of the other wine regions in Chile; the vineyards are often bathed in cool morning mist, and there can be frost in springtime.
We’ll make a stop in San Antonio valley for a winery visit to meet one of the pioneers and for lunch before heading further south to Colchagua, another famous Chilean wine region, and the small country town of Santa Cruz, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Santiago.
Our next four nights will be spent in comfort at the Hotel Santa Cruz Plaza****, a distinctive hacienda-style hotel with a swimming pool, spa, bars and two restaurants. It also boasts one of Chile’s most highly regarded history and craft museums.
The evening is free for you to explore the town, where you can find a variety of restaurants ranging from the traditional to the more sophisticated.
Read our ”city” guide on Santa Cruz for more suggestions on where to eat and what to do in this charming country-side town.
Day 10, Wednesday, January 22 — Blend-your-own-wine workshop in Colchagua (Chile)
Today is the chance for you to experience the art of wine making for yourself, thanks to some hands-on activity at Colchagua’s Montgras winery. This is a modern estate that has a fascinating collection of different grape varieties.
Our day starts with a vineyard visit and a look at the Montgras grape conservatory, before moving on to learn about one of the more practical aspect of wine making, namely wine blending. You’ll start with some raw material in the shape of tank samples of different grape varieties, and your task is to make the best possible blend, just as the winemaker does every year. As you will see, blending is not as easy as it looks, but there will be plenty of guidance and by the end of the workshop, you’ll have your very own blend, bottled and labelled, to take away.
Next, we hop back on the bus to go up to the hilly region of Ninquén, where one of the Montgras vineyards is situated. Here, we’ll enjoy an al fresco barbecue with salmon ceviche and empanadas, grilled meat, fresh fish en papillote, fresh fruit and some delicious salads, accompanied by a selection of Montgras wines.
There will be time for one more winery visit after lunch. We return to our hotel in the late afternoon, and the rest of the day is free: you may like to spend some time around the swimming pool.
Day 11, Thursday, January 23 — Colchagua (Chile)
We will spend one more day in beautiful Colchagua, and today we’re going to show you a couple of hidden gems that only insiders will have heard about.
First we visit Viña Las Niñas in Apalta, probably the most famous quality district of Colchagua. The estate spans 160 hectares (approx. 395 acres), with a tastefully-designed winery that blends in well with its natural surroundings.
The next estate on the programme today is Viña Maquis, one of the oldest wineries in the Colchagua Valley, where the micro-climate is influenced by two rivers. The owners and the winemaker are very focused on quality and have a distinctly eco-friendly approach. Viña Maquis was one of first producers in Chile to gain its sustainability certification. The landscape surrounding the vineyards is superb, as is their Cabernet Franc.
We will enjoy our lunch outdoors in the shade of an avocado tree, surrounded by vineyards, taking our time to appreciate a number of the estate’s wine paired with local specialities.
By late afternoon we’ll be back in Santa Cruz, and the evening is free. If you fancy something a little different, there’s a sushi restaurant just around the corner from our hotel.
Day 12, Friday, January 24 — Colchagua (Chile)
We continue to explore the beautiful valley of Colchagua. One of today’s visits will be to a French-owned winery with strong ties to the Old World.
First is a visit to the westernmost part of Colchagua, where the winemaker is a Syrah specialist. Around the village of Marchihue he has found the perfect soil for his grapes, and some of his vines are grown without irrigation. The focus of this rather interesting winery is terroir, undoubtedly.
Next we’ll go to Hacienda Araucano. Situated outside the small town of Lolol, and owned by François Lurton of the famous Bordeaux family, this estate is both organic and biodynamic, and the winemaking team is experimenting with wines with no added sulphur. Syrah and Pinot Noir do particularly well here.
Lunch will be at Hacienda Araucano (the surroundings are magnificent) and during your meal, you’re sure to enjoy both the food and some great views of the valley and vineyards.
We’ll return to our hotel in the afternoon, and the rest of the day/evening is free. This could be a great opportunity for an early evening pisco sour by the pool, perhaps.
Day 13, Saturday, January 25 — Maipo wine region, farewell lunch, Santiago (Chile)
We check-out and leave our hotel in Santa Cruz in the morning and head for Santiago, stopping at a winery for lunch.
Just before we reach the capital we will call in to see an ambitious wine producer in Maipo who works with amphorae (you’ll see them during our tour of the estate). There will, as ever, be a guided tasting of the wines before we head into the peaceful gardens for an aperitif and a traditional asado lunch with several different types of meat on the grill, accompanied by salads and potatoes. Did you know that this vegetable originated in the Andes?
After lunch we head on to Santiago and check in at the Hotel Pullman Santiago El Bosque**** where we will spend our final night. The hotel is very central and conveniently located in an attractive part of the city with many shops and restaurants.
The afternoon is dedicated to discovering Santiago. Our bus will take us around the city to the various sights, including the historic districts around the presidential palace, and the lively Plaza de Armas with its baroque cathedral and historic post office that is now a National Monument. You’ll be able to take some wonderful photographs from the top of Cerro San Cristóbal hill, where a gigantic statue of the Virgin Mary keeps watch over the city and tourists come for the best views of Santiago and the Andes.
In the evening we’ll all meet for one last pisco sour, after which you are free to spend your last evening as you please: there are plenty of restaurants, cafés and wine bars in the city, many just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.
Day 14, Sunday, January 26 — Leave Santiago de Chile for home
Sadly it is time to leave Chile and South America. The tour ends after breakfast at the hotel.
We will be glad to help you organise your travel to the airport to fit with your flight plans home, or perhaps onward, as part of another journey. Or maybe you’ll decide to stay on for a few extra days, so you can explore another part of South America? Whatever you decide, we can help you with the arrangements if needed.
Day – – — Arrival back home
If you return home directly you will arrive on the same day or one day later, depending on the length of your flight.
There may be changes to some details of the programme, e.g. which wineries we visit. We put great effort into making your visits both exceptional and memorable. For this reason we often visit other than the most obvious, big-name producers (where there are often a number of guides employed). Instead we chose to give you a more unique, personal experience at our carefully selected estates, often (but not always) meeting the owner or the winemaker.
Go For It!
We’d love to have you with us.
More travel information
Here are some useful pages and guides about this travel destination:
Argentina:
- Argentina FAQ: on tipping, transport, restaurants, currency, telecoms etc
- Mendoza city guide
- Buenos Aires, a short introduction to the city
- Internet and phoning for the traveller in Argentina
Chile:
Even more info
We have written a lot about Chile and Argentina and about wine touring in the region, including what to do and what to expect.
- Read more about travelling in South America on our travel blog.
- “A passion hard to beat, exceeding expectations”, said about the wine tour to Chile-Argentina with BKWine
- The world should catch up with wines from Chile!
- A walk in the Mendoza vineyards
- The Mendoza wine region: a land of amazing contrasts
- Combining Valparaiso and Casablanca makes a magical wine tour
- Bonarda, the underrated sidecar to malbec in Argentina?
- My debut as a winemaker! And yours?
- Mendoza dominates wine travel in Argentina. Be careful who you travel with
- Argentina, too, is betting on wine tourism
- Six Argentinean wineries excelling in quality on the South America wine tour
- You can also find more information on BKWine Magazine on the wines from South America, our online wine magazine.
- Our YouTube videos on Chile and Argentina.
If you’d like to see even more pictures and videos from this tour, take a look at our Facebook groups from some previous tours:
Wine books
We have written more than ten wine books. They have won both national and international wine writing awards.
No other wine tour organiser has a comparable knowledge, competence and experience.
Tour Details — Wine tour of Chile and Argentina
Dates: January 13-26, 2025
Price per person: USD 9,200
Single room supplement: USD 3,000
(Subject to changes in airport and flight taxes. See our terms and conditions.)
Included in the price:
- Starting point: Buenos Aires.
- Endpoint: Santiago de Chile
- 13 nights in hotels (4-star and 5-star), double occupancy, including breakfast
- Meals as described in the programme above (*):
- 12 top-quality gastronomic lunches with local specialities, including wines and tastings, in most cases as guests at wineries, or at local restaurants
- One welcome dinner in Buenos Aires, including wine
- One dinner with tango show in Buenos Aires, including wine
- Transport
- Domestic flight from Buenos Aires to Mendoza
- Bus from Mendoza (Argentina) to Santiago de Chile, across the Andes
- Bus during all days of visits as described in the programme
- Bus transport in comfortable private tourism coach
- Day excursion as per the above programme, including entry fees when relevant
- All vineyard and winery visits, as per the programme
- Private, top-quality tastings at wineries (approx 15 in total)
- Local English speaking guide
- Wine guiding and wine tutoring by BKWine’s expert guides and founders, Britt Karlsson and Per Karlsson (see more below)
(*) See below for more important information on our meals.
Not included:
- Travel (flights etc) to the destination and back to your home location.
- If relevant, excess baggage fee on the domestic flight. (Baggage allowance is generally lower on the domestic flights than on international so excess fees may apply, but is modest.)
You are responsible for arranging your own travel to Buenos Aires (Argentina) and back home from Santiago de Chile.
If you would like assistance organising your flight tickets etc, please contact us.
We recommend taking a few extra days to prolong your vacation in this wonderful destination. We can assist you with booking additional hotel nights if you want.
For this trip to take place we must have a minimum of 16 participants registered by the “book before” date. Maximum number of travel guests: 22.
Flights
We have chosen not to include the cost of flights in this tour. Our clients come from many different countries and continents. By booking your own flights, your have maximum flexibility when choosing how and when to travel.
In many cases it is cheaper to buy flight tickets as an individual than as a tour operator (and we are a small and very specialised tour operator). We have chosen to put all our effort into creating an exceptional tour programme while keeping the costs reasonable, rather than including a flight booking service and then having to cut corners on the tour programme. We believe that this give you much better value for your money.
We will do everything possible to make it easy for you to arrange your travel, and we can put you in touch with one of our travel agent partners if you would like assistance. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding your flight arrangements.
We can also help you with booking extra hotel nights as necessary.
Special cancellation conditions
Please note that special cancellation conditions apply for this wine tour.
Cancellation of your booking can be made according to the following:
- More than 60 days before the beginning of the trip: the Traveller pays a fee equivalent to the Booking Fee.
- 46 to 60 days before the beginning of the trip: the Traveller pays a fee equivalent to 75% of the total price.
- 45 days or less before the beginning of the trip: the Traveller pays the full fee.
Book This Tour
Book before: September 15, 2024
Booking is confirmed by paying the booking fee of USD 2,000. Full payment should be received at the latest 60 days before the departure date (see our terms and conditions). Details on how to pay will be sent to you when you register.
It is important that you read our travel booking terms and conditions.
We also invite you to read more on why you should travel with BKWine, about customer protection, and about what you can expect from our wine tours in the section below “More on our wine tours”.
You book by contacting Britt Karlsson, BKWine:
- phone: +33 1 58 88 04 66 or +33 6 80 45 35 70 (+33 is the country code for France)
- Skype: “bkwine”. Call us on skype.
- email: info@bkwine.com, or use the contact form below
“I want to book this tour” or “I want more info”
Important: We automatically send you a copy of this email when you submit it. If you have not received it within a few minutes: 1) check your spam folder, 2) consider resending it, you might have misspelled your email address. Or simply send us a normal email using our address noted just above.
Share this tour programme with your friends
Maybe your friends want to come with you on this wine tour? Let them know about the programme and ask if they’d like to join you. Share the info on social networks or send an email to your friends:
More on our wine tours
Why travel with BKWine?
We are Britt and Per Karlsson. We are specialists in wine and food tours and wine tourism, but also experts in wine in general. We are internationally published wine writers and have written ten award-winning wine books.
No other tour operator has a comparable knowledge and experience of wine, wine regions, wine tourism and gourmet travel.
We have organised hundreds of wine and food tours, and this is what we love to do. We take it very seriously – it is not a sideline or a hobby – and what we want more than anything is to share all these wonderful experiences with you.
All our tours are led and managed by guides who have in-depth wine knowledge, and in many cases we lead the tours ourselves.
Read more on why you should choose BKWine for your wine and food tour.
Thousands of happy customers
Over the years, thousands of wine lovers have travelled with us. Many come back to tour again and again with BKWine to new wine regions. Our record-breaking client has been on more than ten BKWine tours. We are happy and proud to have such faithful customers.
Read more on what travellers have said about our tours.
Awards and Mentions
We’re pleased and proud to have received many accolades, including:
- “World’s Top Wine Tours”, Travel+Leisure Magazine, the world’s biggest travel magazine
- “Best wine tasting holidays”, AOL Travel’s list of top wine tours
- “Recommended Wine Tours”, Munskänkarna, the world’s biggest wine appreciation association
- “World’s Best Wine Book for Professionals” as well as “Best Wine Book of the Year”, Gourmand International awards, and many other book prizes
- Three OIV book awards, International Organisation of Vine and Wine
- “Wine Personality of the Year”, an honour bestowed on Britt Karlsson by Munskänkarna in 2011, the world’s biggest wine appreciation association
- Inclusion on the Wine Media Power List, by Wine Business International magazine
About the wine producers and wineries we visit
Our aim is for you to experience some of the very best and most interesting aspects of the wine world, in terms of wine and food.
We put great effort into creating outstanding winery visits, and in this way we are quite different to many wine tour organisers. It is not always the most renowned, internationally known estates that offer the best experiences. Organising a wine tour featuring famous names of the wine world is relatively easy: it is merely a question of making lists and ticking boxes. On those kind of “bucket list” wine tours, you rarely meet the winemaker or the owner. You will simply be one of thousands of visitors they receive each year.
We do things differently. With BKWine Tours, you will meet the people behind the label, often the winemakers and/or the owners. Thanks to them, you will have a unique, truly personal experience and an insight into the wine world that no one else can offer. When you travel with BKWine, you are more like a special guest than a tourist.
We have personal connections and unparalleled knowledge thanks to more than 20 years as wine journalists, with 10 wine books published, and as wine tour organisers with more than 30 years’ experience. You can be sure of getting the best wine travel experiences with BKWine Tours.
Read more on the wine producers and wineries we visit.
A true gourmet experience: food and gastronomy
For us, wine and food are intimately linked, and this is a fundamental part of our wine travel philosophy. For this reason, a wine tour with BKWine is always an outstanding culinary experience both for the wine enthusiast and for the gourmet. A BKWine tour is a gastronomic voyage that explores the deep relationship between food and wine.
Read more On Meals: Food and Gastronomy on Our Tours.
Customer Protection, Financial Travel Guarantee, and Terms and Conditions
You can always feel safe when you book your tour with BKWine. BKWine has a bonded bank guarantee that gives full protection according to EU and Swedish law. BKWine is a Swedish limited company and as such is regulated by strict rules.
Read more on Customer Protection, Financial Travel Guarantee. and our Terms and Conditions.
When you book a tour it is important that you read the terms and conditions. BKWine’s booking terms and conditions follow the guidelines developed by the Consumer Protection Agency.
Health, vaccination and allergies
Our tours have no particular health requirements although inevitably we will be walking a certain amount in wine cellars and vineyards. Sensible footwear is a must.
Most of our travel destinations have no particular health guidelines or requirements for vaccinations or medical certificates, but if in doubt, you should always consult a medical professional, vaccination centre or relevant embassy in your country of origin.
We can always accommodate food allergies. However, in order for us to manage such requests you must let us know about any allergies before the tour starts.
Read more in our FAQ and in our Terms and Conditions.
Travel insurance
BKWine does not sell travel insurance. If you want travel insurance, check if your regular home insurance policy includes some kind of travel insurance, or contact your regular insurance company or a travel insurance specialist.
Custom Tours
We also offer custom wine and food tours if you want to travel on different dates, or if you want something different to what we currently offer on our scheduled tours. This tailor-made service can be offered for individuals, companies, professionals, wine tastings clubs etc.
Important information
Our groups are always small. The number of people in the group may vary. The maximum can range from 8 to around 20; check the details in each programme. But our groups are always modest in size. This is important because it guarantees a quality experience and a personal welcome at the wineries we visit.
Read the BKWine Booking Terms and Conditions here. They are important to you!
You are expected to organise your travel independently to the destination for most of our tours, but once you are at the location, we take care of everything.
For more inspiration
Read our wine travel blog. For more, read our online wine magazine the BKWine Magazine with articles from all over the wine world.
And also:
- Recommend this trip to a friend using the share buttons below
Newsletter on wine
Subscribe to our free wine and travel newsletter, the BKWine Brief. Each month, it gives you news from the world of wine, restaurant recommendations, tips on our favourite wine producers and much more. It will also keep you updated on forthcoming wine and food tours.
