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The Forgotten Winemaker
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No, it is not the title of a new thriller novel.
“Good wine is made in the cellar, but exceptional wine is made in the vineyard,” Stellios Boutaris of Greece’s Kir-Yanni Estate told us back in 2008. Since then, we have often heard similar statements, such as “80-90% of the wine’s quality comes from the vineyard”. But doesn’t this underestimate the role of the winemaker? In fact, doesn’t the work after the actual harvest perhaps matter just as much?
There was a time – the 1990s, the early 2000s – when new, impressive wineries and well-trained winemakers popped up like mushrooms. The chemistry of the wine suddenly took centre stage. Consultants and new oak barrels had their heyday. The focus was on the work in the cellar.
Then came the backlash. Attention was instead directed towards the vineyard, a trend that was reinforced as the organic movement grew and awareness of climate change increased. The focus turned to what the vine needed. How can we reduce spraying? How can we improve the biodiversity in this monoculture that vineyards are? And here we are today.
Without excellent raw material, there is no good wine. The ability to harvest fine grapes at the end of the season, with enough ripeness, undamaged and preferably in the good quantities so that the winery can survive economically (another facet of sustainability), requires meticulous work in the vineyard. The recent weeks of persistent rain in some parts of France are a reminder of the importance of being observant, attentive, and able to react quickly. For instance, you must promptly get the vineyard sprayer out between rain showers to save the future harvest. Fungal diseases (e.g. downy mildew) and mouldy grapes do not produce good wines.
However, an excellent raw material, be it grapes or other foodstuff, requires the touch of a skilled winemaker/chef to transform it into a wine or a delicious dish. The result is not guaranteed to be good. The expressions we often hear today, such as “the wine is made in the vineyard”, are frequently accompanied by the notion of “not doing much in the cellar”, “the wine makes itself if you let it”. But the truth is, a good wine does not magically appear just because the grapes are flawless. It might not even become wine at all. As Patrick Pagès, a winemaker in Bordeaux, once said, “wine does not exist without man”.
If you hear this – “I don’t want to influence”, “I don’t want to do much” – all the time, you can easily get the wrong impression – that the winemaker spends his time in the hammock. I don’t think you make good wine on routine. In fact, it is probably quite hard work. And it doesn’t get any easier if you don’t want to use the technical tools that are available. There is a lot that can go wrong during the vinification. If the winemaker prefers low intervention this may instead require more observation and monitoring. If you don’t want to correct something afterwards, you must ensure nothing goes wrong from the very start.
Since I now sing the winemaker’s praise, another thing to point out is the combination of “modest” vineyard land (low-status appellations or no appellation at all) and a skilled winemaker. It can make fantastic wines. And quite the opposite, the fact that it says Grand Cru or similar (presumably an exceptional vineyard) on a bottle does not automatically make it unforgettable if the winemaker doesn’t have the right talent..
The winemaker is more important than just a paltry 10-20%.
Sure, the earthworms in the soil are important, but let’s also pay tribute to the real hero, the winemaker.
Wine tours
If you want to join us on this years great adventures to Bordeaux and Champagne, book your places now. You can hardly find a wine tour organiser with more inside knowledge. First time we were in Bordeaux was in 1986. We’ve written twelve wine books, including wine internationally award winning on Champagne. We travel in wine regions…… all the time.
For some very special experiences – once in a life-time wine tours – you can join us next winter on the extended Southern Hemisphere Tours: Chile-Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand.
More info on our wine tours here. “World’s Top Wine Tours“. Tours with the people who know wine and who have an unrivalled experience of wine and tours.
Travel in wine regions with someone you trust.
Wine editors to the national encyclopedia, Forbes.com contributors, award-winning wine book authors, wine tour advisors to the UN and national wine organisations, wine judges … and, above all, passionate wine travellers.
Enjoy the Brief!
Britt & Per
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What’s on at BKWine Tours
BKWine is also one of the world’s leading wine tour operators. Here’s what we currently have on our scheduled wine tour program:
- Champagne, 25-29 September 2024
- Bordeaux and Champagne, 25 Sept – 3 Oct 2024
- Bordeaux, 29 Sep – 3 Oct 2024
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- Chile-Argentina, 13-26 January 2025
- South Africa, 14-24 February 2025
- New Zealand, 11-26 March 2025
We also make custom designed wine tours.
We’re different than most other wine tour operators. We are people who know wine inside out, who travel constantly in wine regions, who write award winning books about wine. Who do this out of passion.
Our wine tours are different from others.
A typical year we organise more than 30 wine tours to destinations across the world. In Europe: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and more. World-wide: South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand. Thanks to our Scandinavian background we have a separate offer for the Scandinavian market. These are sometimes offered in English and also available as custom made tours. For example, these destinations:
Read our books
We have written eleven wine books. They have won awards from the Gourmand Awards, The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) and others.
Unfortunately, only one of them has been translated to English; the others are (so far) only available in Swedish. This is the one that is available in English:
Here’s the full list of our books:
- The Wonderful World of Wine
- Languedoc-Roussillon, the Wines of Southern France
- Champagne, the Wine and the Growers
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News from the World of Wine
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Short briefs on what’s been happening in the world of wine recently and other interesting things.
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Champagne: The United Arab Emirates threatens Sweden’s tenth place
Sweden’s love for champagne is evident, with the nation securing a notable tenth place in the global import ranking by volume. In 2023, Sweden imported just over 3 million litres of champagne. The three largest importing countries are the USA with 27 million litres, the UK with 25.5 million and Japan with 15.3 million. But Sweden’s tenth place is under threat. The fact is that all importing countries on the top ten list reduced their imports in volume quite drastically in 2023 (except Spain in ninth place, which increased by just over a per cent). In Sweden, it decreased by 18.5%. On the other hand, the country in eleventh place increased its exports by almost 50%, to 2.8 million litres. So, the risk is significant that Sweden this year will lose its tenth place to the United Arab Emirates, an un unlikely candidate at first glance. But many foreigners live in the country, more and more tourists come here and the strict alcohol laws are being relaxed. More and more wine is drunk. And champagne. However, in terms of value, the United Arab Emirates is already ahead of Sweden. Their imports are worth almost 80 million euros, compared to Sweden’s 60 million. Read more: thedrinksbusiness
Travel: Come on a wine tour to Champagne with BKWine. (PS: We’ve written a prize-winning book on Champagne.)
How much alcohol is in your wine?
It should be pretty straightforward to check the alcohol level in your wine. You just look at the label. But it is not that simple. Maybe there is more than the label states. Or less. This is because the producers have a certain flexibility regarding what they choose to put on the label. The EU allows a margin of error of 0.5%. If one’s wine is analysed to have an alcohol content of, say, 13.7 or 13.9%, the producer can choose to write 13.5% or 14% on the label, depending on what they think will sell best. According to the rules, the figure must be rounded to the nearest half or whole percent (which they don’t always do). The USA is even more tolerant, allowing a margin of error of 1% for wines that are over 14%, and for wines at 14% or less, a whopping 1.5% leeway is allowed. Depending on what you think your customers want you can choose to go lower or higher on the label. Even if some people today chase low alcohol levels, there are others who want powerful wines which they associate with high alcohol. Perhaps it would be better to be guided by the taste instead?
More rosé and more dry white wine in Germany, reds dropping
German rosé wine production reached a new peak in 2023. The share of rosé wines rose in 2023 from 13 to 16%. The increase came at the expense of red wines, which now make up only 18 percent of German quality wines, in spite of all good things said about German reds these days. Will the next step be that they will make more rosé than red in Germany? The proportion of white wines remained constant at 66%. Worth noting is that over half of all German quality wines, 51 percent, are now dry. This corresponds to an increase of 1% compared to 2022. In 1985, only 16% of German wines were “trocken” (dry). In 2003 the figure was 36% and in 2016 it had increased to 46.3%. The proportion of sweet wines is stable compared to 2022 at 29 percent. The half-dry quality wines have a share of 20%, which has not changed in 20 years. Most of the wine produced in Germany falls under the category of “quality wine”. Read more: wein-plus
Electric furnaces produce more durable glass bottles
Verallia, the world’s third largest glass manufacturer, is well aware that the glass bottle today receives a lot of criticism for its environmental impact. Therefore, they work hard to make it more environmentally friendly. The company recently fired up its first all-electric furnace, paving the way to produce wine bottles with lower carbon dioxide footprint. The all-electric furnace is in Cognac and Verallia will also launch a hybrid furnace in Spain in 2025 that is 80% electric. The electricity for the furnaces comes from renewable sources. Working with electric furnaces is a big challenge, says Verallia, because it means a different technique to produce glass. Electric furnaces are not the company’s only strategy to lower its carbon footprint. Increasing the use of recycled glass and producing lightweight bottles are other important parts of the strategy. In last month’s brief, we wrote, for example, about Verallia’s new Bordeaux bottle, which weighs only 300 grams. Read more: winebusiness
Beaujolais has lost 40% of its area but still in good spirits
We knew that Beaujolais has had some problems with sales, but were still slightly shocked when we saw that the surface in 20 years has decreased by 40%. At the time, some 20 years ago, Beaujolais had 22,000 hectares of vineyards, now it has 13,000. One reason is that nobody wants to work with the vineyards that are located on steep slopes. These vineyards are difficult to mechanise, labour is expensive and hard to find. And many growers feel that it is difficult to get the prices for their wines that they would need. The chairman of the producer association Inter Beaujolais, Philippe Bardet, still feels optimistic and believes that the region has now reached a balance between supply and demand. In 2023, the area even increased slightly. Vineyards are being bought and sold right now in the Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages appellations. The price for one hectare is around 11,000 euros, which in a national comparison is quite cheap. Inter Beaujolais are working with different strategies that will hopefully make consumers want to pay what it really costs to produce a Beaujolais wine. This juicy, refreshing wine with great drinkability should be popular among many consumer groups today. Read more: larvf
French vineyard prices. Looking for a career change – cheap vineyards for sale in Bordeaux
Vineyard prices in France always show large regional differences. Most notable right now is the drop in value in Bordeaux. Vineyards with AOP Bordeaux (the appellation for the most inexpensive Bordeaux wines) and planted with red grapes are down to 9,000 euros per hectare. They have lost 45% of their value in five years. Graves also continues to decrease and is now at 26,000 euros per hectare. The most prestigious communes of the Médoc (Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauillac) are doing better and prices are stable. The average price here is 1.5 million euros/ha and can go up to close to 2.5 million for Margaux. In summary, vineyard prices have increased in 2023 in Burgundy, Beaujolais, Savoie, Jura, Alsace, Champagne, and the Loire Valley. They have declined in Bordeaux, the Southwest and Languedoc and are stable in Provence and the Rhône Valley. Average prices per hectare for AOP are 153,500 euros or 82,200 euros if you exclude Champagne. For vineyards that are not AOP, the price is 15,000 euros. In 2023, the number of transactions also decreased (-7.6%) for an area that is also in decline. Last year, only 16,000 ha of vineyards changed hands in France, a decrease of almost 13% compared to 2022. Read more tema-agriculture-terroirs
HVE, French sustainability label is declining in popularity
The French sustainability label Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) was launched in 2012 for all types of agriculture. It gained momentum in 2017 when the interest grew like an avalanche among wine producers in particular to become certified. Now 9.3% of French farmers are certified HVE and roughly 62% of these are wine estates. But the label run by the Ministry of Agriculture is no longer as popular. It is still increasing but much more modestly. What is the reason? Perhaps it is a general weariness of labels, both among producers and consumers. In the past it was easy with just “organic” (that is a single harmonised certification within the EU), but with sustainability has come a multitude of different labels (sometimes called certifications). But it could also be that producers think it is difficult to get paid for their sustainability work through increased wine prices, that HVE is bad at communicating with consumers, the competition from similar labels such as Terra Vitis, and not least that HVE too often changes the regulations. The fourth since 2012, with noticeably stricter rules, entered into force in 2023. HVE is structured around four environmental issues: protecting biological diversity, reducing the use of plant protection products, managing fertilisation, and managing water resources.
Read: more on organics and sustainability in BKWine’s book Organic, Biodynamic and Natural winemaking.
Summer is here – do you need any good wines to go with it?
Summer is here (they say – here we have 13C) and you might look for a lighter and fresher style of wine and skip the heavy and full-bodied ones for later. But still, they need to be savoury enough to withstand competition from all outdoor fragrances if you are having dinner al fresco. Here are some favourites. Maybe you will not find exactly these ones in your shop, but maybe they can inspire you.
White
Derthona La Colombera 2022, Colli Tortonesi, Piemonte, ~20 euro. The grape is timorasso, Italy’s most interesting white variety, a must to try. Savoury and with a lovely mouthfeel. Read more on this fantastic grape timorasso in this BKWine Magazine article.
Château Bonnet Blanc 2023, Entre-Deux-Mers, Bordeaux, ~12 euro. Sauvignon blanc dominates and gives the fine a delicious aromatic touch. Sémillon adds body.
Vouvray Sec 2022, Domaine Vincent Carême, ~20 euro. Magnificent dry chenin blanc with fresh citrus aromas and lingering notes of honey. Read more on chenin blanc on BKWine Magazine.
Red
Domaine de Mourchon Tradition 2021, Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Séguret, ~18 euro. Southern French character with fresh herbs, red berries, and a pleasant peppery note. From old, gnarly grenache vines. Read more on Domaine Mourchon on BKWine Magazine.
Domaine des Pasquiers Plan de Dieu 2021, Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages, ~14 euro. Deliciously juicy and generously fruity.
País Viejo 2022, Bouchon, Maule, Chile, 3024, 141 kr. Easy-drinking and light in style with an abundance of red fruit. From exciting grape país.
Nat Pinotage 2023, Natte Valleij, Darling, Sydafrika, ~20 euro. South Africa’s own grape pinotage, here in a fruity, light style that brings to mind the parents, pinot noir and cinsault.
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Features of the Month
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Articles and features published on BKWine Magazine and on our wine travel blog and (occasionally) photography blog in the last month.
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Barone Pizzini – an organic pioneer in Franciacorta
Barone Pizzini was the first winery in Franciacorta to become organic. Today, it is one of the leading producers in this small district of Lombardy, which is not far from the beautiful northern Italian lakes. Some of Italy’s best sparkling wines are made there. BKWine Magazine’s Åsa Johansson met Silvano Brescianini, Pizzini’s managing director.
Read more in Åsa Johansson’s article on BKWine Magazine: Barone Pizzini – an organic pioneer in Franciacorta.
Ahr´s hectares worth a fanfare – Weingut Paul Schumacher and friends
Ahr is a tiny and rather overlooked district. How many northerners have not rushed past on the Autobahn on their way to the Mosel or – a little to the west – Alsace? The region may not warrant a handbrake turn for its riesling but well for its pinot noir or spätburgunder, as most winemakers still choose to name it on the label.
Read more in Sven-Olof Johansson’s article on BKWine Magazine: Ahr´s hectares worth a fanfare – Weingut Paul Schumacher and friends.
Le Marche, unusual and exciting grapes and wines on the Adriatic coast | Per on Forbes
Le Marche on the Italian Adriatic coast does not have Ponte Vecchio, the Verona Arena or the Forum. But it does have spectacular Italian landscapes, beautiful beaches and, above all, fantastic food and wine. It has a great variety of wines, some of which are quite unique, and some very specific local gastronomic specialities. Let’s take a closer look what Le Marche has to offer. But not to forget, it also has some other spectacular tourist sites to visit.
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Le Marche, unusual and exciting grapes and wines on the Adriatic coast | Per on Forbes.
Two fascinating, ground-breaking books on wine’s taste: “Le souffle du vin” and “Les parfums du vin”
Describing wine is, at the same time, very personal and very scientific. What you perceive when you sniff or taste a wine depends on your own previous experiences (and imagination) and how your brain makes associations. However, it is also entirely based on chemicals; the smells and tastes come from volatile chemical compounds in wine that have specific smells or tastes. “Le souffle du vin” by Luigi Moio and “Les Parfums du vin” by Richard Pfister explore this in two very different, original and exciting ways. Read them if you can!
Read more in Per’s article on BKWine Magazine: Two fascinating, ground-breaking books on wine’s taste: “Le souffle du vin” and “Les parfums du vin”.
Clos Bellane, organic wine with personality, from a historical village in Southern Rhône | Britt on Forbes
We have tasted wines from the northern part of the southern Rhône, namely from the excellent producer Clos Bellane in Côtes du Rhône Villages Valréas. Clos Bellane was launched in Sweden at the end of last year but can be found in several other countries. We have tasted three of the estate’s wines, each showcasing the distinct characteristics we associate with the Southern Rhône Valley in different ways.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Clos Bellane, organic wine with personality, from a historical village in Southern Rhône | Britt on Forbes.
Cahors, southern French malbec with an emphasis on elegance | Britt on Forbes
In the large French wine region, which is somewhat vaguely called the Southwest (Sud-Ouest), a multitude of small wine appellations are included. Some fabulous wines are made here, many of them far too unknown. Cahors, however, is quite well known as it has a long history and has long been present in the export market. Wine is made from roughly 3,300 hectares, 100 kilometres southeast of Bordeaux, in the beautiful region around the river Lot. The main grape is malbec, sometimes called côt in Cahors and sometimes (although rarely) auxerrois.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine, originally published on Forbes: Cahors, southern French malbec with an emphasis on elegance | Britt on Forbes.
BKWine tastes: Red and white from Bergerac and unusual white from Corbières | May 2024
We recently tasted a white and a red wine from Château de la Jaubertie in Bergerac, an appellation that shares many similarities with Bordeaux but belongs to the South West wine region. We have also tasted a delicious and very affordable Languedoc from Corbières.
“BKWine Tastes”. It is a collection of wines we have tasted recently. It is often samples that producers have sent us to show us what they do or other bottles that we have come across at tastings or on our tasting table in the office.
Read more in Britt’s article on BKWine Magazine: BKWine tastes: Red and white from Bergerac and unusual white from Corbières | May 2024.
Frank Cornelissen, the rebel on Mount Etna with a focus on white wines
Frank Cornelissen arrived at Mount Etna from Belgium in 2000 and has become one of the most prominent faces of the natural wine movement. His wines often evoke strong emotions; either you love them, or you don’t. Here, he talks with BKWine Magazine’s Åsa Johansson about his philosophy and the challenges of making white wines.
Read more in Åsa Johansson’s article on BKWine Magazine: Frank Cornelissen, the rebel on Mount Etna with a focus on white wines.
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Wine Tours
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Details on our current and future wine tours. Book a wine tour with the “World’s Top Wine Tour Operator” today (or when you feel like travelling to wine country).
Treat yourself to an unforgettable experience in the beautiful wine-lands together with some of the most knowledgeable wine people around. Book now!
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Champagne is a wine, but with bubbles | wine tour
It might seem be evident, but it is not. So nowadays, certain Champagne producers point out that champagne is a wine. Maybe this is because so many people only drink champagne on festive occasions when they don’t give what they have in their glass their full attention. They just enjoy the bubbles. But there are so many high-quality and attractive champagnes out there that deserve to be enjoyed as a wine, at the dinner table, and not only as an aperitif. Having champagne all through a meal is a great experience; you will have several such meals on this wine tour with us to Champagne. It works even with meat (I promise!), especially if it is a blanc de noir, in other words, only made with red grapes.
Join us on a fantastic wine tour to Champagne.
- Champagne, 25-29 September 2024
And also: We have written an internationally award-winning book on Champagne, so you can hardly get a better guide to the region.
Two exquisite wine regions in one go: Champagne and Bordeaux | luxurious wine tour
France is renowned for its diverse and exquisite wine regions, yet combining Champagne and Bordeaux in one wine tour is an unparalleled experience. This wine tour is designed to provide that extra touch – a blend of tradition and innovation. You will explore wines steeped in history and acclaim, crafted by ambitious wine producers who realise the challenges of the future. The tour begins in Reims, home to the majestic Cathédrale, rivalling the splendour of Paris’s Notre Dame. Over four nights, you’ll visit esteemed champagne producers and discover hidden gems among the smaller family vineyards. Then, aboard the swift TGV, you’ll be whisked away to the legendary vineyards of Bordeaux. Here, you will see some of the most majestic wine estates as well as family entrepreneurs. Throughout the tour, indulge in sumptuous lunches that showcase culinary excellence paired with the finest wines. It’s a gastronomic and oenological adventure that promises to be as memorable as delicious.
- Champagne and Bordeaux, 25 September – 3 October 2024
PS: We have written an internationally award-winning book about Champagne, and also one on Bordeaux. And ten other wine books. Can you think of any other wine tour operator with that in the baggage?
Bordeaux, different cellars, different philosophies | wine tour
In Bordeaux, every wine estate is a chateau. Sometimes big and impressive with a lot of prestige attached to it, sometimes more modest. However, the heart of a vineyard is its cellar. It is essential to have a well-equipped cellar. How you equip your cellar depends a bit on how much money you can afford to spend. But it is not only a question of money. It is also about your philosophy. Which type of fermentation tanks do you prefer: stainless steel, concrete or even oak vats? It’s not the same thing and it doesn’t give the same results. And which size is also essential. We will see many different wine cellars during our Bordeaux tour in October – impressive ones and more modest ones, and we will hear about the various philosophies. And maybe we will be able to taste the differences in the glass. Join us on a fantastic wine tour to Bordeaux with superb wines, lunches, and chateaux.
Join us on a fantastic wine tour to Bordeaux.
- Bordeaux, 29 September – 3 October, 2024
PS: We have written an award-winning book on Bordeaux, and have been travelling there since 1986. Can you find a better guide and tour operator?
Unforgettable experiences on the wine tour in Chile and Argentina
Our wine tour to South America is filled with beautiful experiences, exceptional wines, lunches, and people, as well as magnificent scenery. We will get to know the two most important wine countries in South America: Argentina and Chile. They are close to each other, with only the mighty Andes between them, but they are very different, not least when it comes to the wine. Red wines dominate in both countries, but whites are coming more and more, especially in Chile, where they have realised that sauvignon blanc and other white varieties thrive in the cool climate of the Pacific coast. In Argentina, the vineyards climb the slopes of the Andes to find cooler climates for their grapes. We will get to know not only these countries’ wines but also their gastronomy, the landscape, the cities – Buenos Aires, Santiago, Mendoza, Valparaiso – and smaller cities like Santa Cruz in the beautiful Colchagua region of Chile. Included is also a breathtaking bus trip over the Andes. Our tour is in January when it’s nice and warm, and the grapes are about to ripen.
Join us for a great wine, nature, and culture experience on the wine tour in Argentina and Chile.
Discover the wine countries of Chile and Argentina.
- Chile-Argentina, 13-26 January 2025
More inspiration: You can get an even better feeling for what you will experience on this tour if you visit the latest tour’s own Facebook group. Lots of pictures and videos from the tour (join the group and you’ll get an update when we post new contents): The wine tour to Chile and Argentina 2023.
South Africa: the mountains, the people, the wines – to experience on the spot | wine tour
Our wine tour to South Africa shows you this magnificent wine country’s most important wine regions. We go to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Swartland and Elgin and Walker Bay on the south coast. We will taste many wines and get to know the local cuisine, but we will also have time for some sightseeing, Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope not least. We are travelling in February, which will be harvest time or very close to harvest time. So, many things are happening in the cellars and the vineyards. It is always a special moment to see the fully ripe grapes waiting to be picked. We meet different types of winemakers and wine people; they all have stories to tell and happily share their knowledge. The beautiful nature of South Africa deserves attention. We have it around us all the time. The majestic mountains are never far away, and one can only be fascinated by how they constantly change colour depending on the sun’s position during the day.
Discover South Africa, the fantastic wine country, with us on this fabulous wine tour.
Book now!
More inspiration: You can get an even better feeling for what you will experience on this tour if you visit the latest tour’s own Facebook group. Lots of pictures and videos from the tour (join the group and you’ll get an update when we post new contents): The wine tour to South Africa 2024.
Sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, geysers, glaciers, and other experiences in New Zealand | wine tour
It is hard to imagine that as recently as the 1970s, the German müller-thurgau grape dominated New Zealand vineyards. Not long after that, sauvignon blanc made its entrance and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, this aromatic and elegant grape dominates New Zealand and has become a new home for the French grape. But as you will notice, there is much more than sauvignon blanc (which, by the way, is also made in many different styles), pinot noir not least, but also fantastic syrah, merlot, pinot gris, riesling, cabernet sauvignon, etc. Our roughly two-weeks tour takes us from Auckland on the North Island to Queensland on the South Island. Our comfortable bus will take us all the way, a fantastic opportunity to see and enjoy as much of the country as possible. We will visit around 18 wineries, but we will also have time for sightseeing. There will be geysers, glaciers, quaint villages, Māori culture and more. Come on an unforgettable journey of discovery in New Zealand.
Come with us to New Zealand for a wine adventure!
A great wine, nature and culture experience on the New Zealand wine tour.
Book now!
More inspiration: You can get an even better feeling for what you will experience on this tour if you visit the latest tour’s own Facebook group. Lots of pictures and videos from the tour (join the group and you’ll get an update when we post new contents): The wine tour to New Zealand 2024.
