Wine and culinary / cookery tours

Whether you love fine wine or enjoy exploring a working vineyard, we can create tailor made itineraries of the world's best wine regions. From classic Australian wineries of the Barossa Valley and Coonawarra, home to some of the award-winning Penfold's and Wynns wines, to the hidden gems of the Hunter Valley, an easy drive from Sydney.

In South America, discover the cool mountain vineyards of Chile and Argentina and discover how these New World wines are challenging the traditional balance.

In California, combine tours of the scenic Pacific coast and cosmopolitan San Francisco with a tranquil interlude at some of the beautiful wineries in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys in northern California. Here you can enjoy tasting award-winning wines and sample the winery restaurants for a culinary diversion. For added excitement build in a hot air balloon flight at sunrise or take a vintage train trip to the natural hotsprings of Calistoga.

In South Africa, a short drive from Cape Town, the countryside is lush and green dotted with farmhouses and hotels built in the traditional Dutch gabled style, dominated by the backdrop of the Cape Fold mountain range and rolling vineyards. Explore the pretty streets and squares of Stellenbosch, and then move on to Franschhoek Valley and the Paarl Winelands for a tour of the best wineries. If you want comfort, why not base yourself at the luxurious and historic Grande Roche Hotel, member of Relais & Chateaux.

If you are on a learning curve, we can organise special wine courses and put together an itinerary including stays at select wineries around the world.

For the foodies, there are a host of wonderful events around the world from food festivals to cookery / culinary courses, try a week learning to master Italian cuisine in the gorgeous Tuscany hills or include a personalised cookery demonstration at one of the world's leading hotels.

In Italy, experience hands-on Italian cooking classes and maximise your exposure to Italian foods and cooking techniques. Trawl the local markets for the freshest local produce and spend the afternoons learning to cook the region's specialities with renowned local chefs. Combine the culinary experience with local wine tours and learn how to match wines with food for the best results.

For a taste of North Africa, spend a few days in Marrakech mastering the secrets of cooking a perfect chicken tagine; Kseksu Bidawi, a spicy vegetable couscous and a typically Moroccan Briouat el-Bstila, the extraordinarily light almond and quail pastry triangles. Cooking classes with Moroccan specialists can be organised for a day or a week in a selection of venues and cookery schools. To soak up the local atmosphere, we recommend staying a few days in a beautifully restored riad, the traditional Moroccan mansions now renovated into gorgeous boutique hotels in the heart of Marrakech.