TNT has found the top five wine tours Down Under for you to hone your wine knowledge, ensuring you can tell a Pinot Noir from a Cabernet Sauvignon in your sleep, all while getting more than a little merry, natch. No need to thank us…
HUNTER VALLEY
New South Wales’s exquisite Hunter Valley is a must for anyone with even a passing interest in wine. Arguably Australia’s best-known wine region, the area is home to some of the country’s oldest wine-making families and the famed Hunter Valley Semillion, a dry white wine. TNT recommends enjoy the beautiful produce of the region on the fantastic ‘Food and Wine Lovers Tour’ with ‘Two Fat Blokes’. You’ll begin the day with pastries and a private tasting of sparkling reds and whites at Peterson Champagne House, before moving on to the cellar at Brokenwood Wines, awarded Best Red Wine in the World in 2001. Sample produce straight from the barrel, followed by an outstanding long, lazy lunch at the tour company’s own restaurant and delicatessen. Later, visit award-winning McWilliams Mount Pleasant Wines for a ‘make your own wine’ exercise, creating your own unique blend, complete with a souvenir bottle to take home. Two Fat Blokes can tailor the tour to your wishes, so if you’d like a scenic trip with beautiful views, are intent on finding some kangaroos to photograph or want to discover the finest bottle of wine from that hidden boutique, they will ensure your trip is what you wish for. This light-hearted tour is great for any wine lover, priced at $249 per person.
Tight on time? Try their ‘Half day snapshot’ which includesWine Country accommodation transfers, transport to three boutique wineries and a cheese and wine experience. Whichever tour you sign up for, you’re guaranteed a top time as Two Fat Blokes have friends in most wineries and restaurants and can usually pull some strings to ensure you will have an experience at any venue well beyond what you can expect if you were to visit without a recommendation.
twofatblokes.com.au
BROOME
Sign up for this fantastic cycle with Broome Trike Tours and taste ‘sunshine in a bottle’.
Hit the highway for a wild ride on a hog through Kimberley Country, passing the Bird Observatory, black termite mounds, humble Boab trees and the Malcolm Douglas Wilderness Wildlife Park. Visit The Mango Place/Winery and experience an educational commentary on the production of mango wine and port, followed by a tasting, including their impressive range of ice creams, chutneys, jerky, smoothies and fudges – all made from real mangoes. Then it’s back to Broome with a mystery stop along the way before riding on world famous Cable Beach for a photo of you high on the hog with the ocean view as a backdrop.
broometriketours.com.au mangowine.com.au
MARLBOROUGH
Explore Kiwiland’s famous Marlborough Region, associated worldwide with the fruity and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc.
Stop at five glorious vineyards, savouring a number of heavenly Sauvignon Blanc wines. However this tour isn’t only about Sauvignon Blanc wines… You’ll get to try all the varieties the region has to offer in the wineries ranging from dry to sweet whites and reds so, if you’re not a Sauvignon Blanc fan, free not! There’s also the chance to visit the Makana Chocolate Shop. Wine and chocolate? Now that’s what we call a match made in heaven! This fun half-day tour with Bubbly Grape, is priced from $55 per person (winter) and $65 per person (summer).
bubblygrape.co.nz/tours
MCLAREN VALE
Spend a fantastic day cycling the McLaren Vale in South Australia, one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world.
Cycle the Kidman Trail on this incredible tour with Escapegoat Adventures through a number of vineyards, stopping off at local wineries to sample the products. Pause for a lunch of delicious local produce and perhaps buy a bottle or two to take home. In the afternoon, you and the rest of the group will get to decide your final visits- maybe a micro-brewery, another winery, a cafe/chocolate stop for a little desert, or if it’s really warm perhaps a swim stop at one of the beautiful beaches that fringe the Vale…
escapegoat.com.au
WAIHEKE ISLAND
From Auckland catch the ferry across the harbour, arriving on the stunning island to experience incredible scenery, spectacular vistas and colourful vineyards.
Discover beautiful Waiheke on this excellent day tour, priced at $110 per person. Visit three incredible vineyards and taste at least 14 top-quality Waiheke Island wines. Enjoy a leisurely lunch before hopping on the ferry back to the big smoke. Fancy a longer stay? Try the indulgence two-day tour which, as the name suggests, includes an overnight stay in a luxurious small hotel-apartment, allowing you to enjoy the ultimate two-day food and wine experience: think tastings at four of the island’s top vineyards plus two other experiences – the local micro-brewery, an award-winning olive estate or additional vineyard. At $850 per person, it’s not cheap but life is short, you work hard and deserve it, right?
waihekeislandwinetours.co.nz/tours
