New World Wine Tours
Wine touring in the New World Vineyards of the Southern Hermisphere is wonderful - long sunny days most of which will be spent in beautiful vineyards enjoying lazy lunches washed down with a generous quantity of very drinkable, fine wine. It may sound like a long way to go to taste wine but in fact a wine tour is a great way to explore any of these countries.
In New Zealand there are vineyards from near the top of North Island to near the bottom of South Island. In Australia you’ll explore the rural heartland of the country and whilst we are not in the outback, you’ll appreciate the shear vastness of the place. Our itineraries are planned to take in the wine regions of each country but also to allow time for sightseeing. For instance, after staying on a Chilean Hacienda, you’ll enjoy the dramatic crossing of the Andes to Argentina, and in South Africa we take time off to relax in Capetown, visit the Kirstenbosch gardens and the dramatic Cape of Good Hope.
The winemakers know you have come a long way to see them on a specialised tour, so the welcome is second to none. Many people will have visited wineries whist on a general holiday, and whilst this can be enjoyable, these kind of visits are often not that wildly interesting, with corporate videos, perfunctory tastings and uniformed junior staff who know less about wine and winemaking than the visitors do.
The reception that you receive on an Arblaster & Clarke New World Wine Tour is in a different league. The winemakers or owners will always try to take time out of their day to meet us as receiving an interested consumer group (not just a hoard off a cruise ship) is interesting for them too. As intelligent, fun people they love to share their stories and their passion for their subject with us. This is inspiring for us the participants and if you add to it the other special ingredients of great food, a stunning location and a sense of discovery led by the wine
guide you should be able to understand why these holidays are often described “as an experience of a lifetime”.
Travel options aim to offer maximum flexibility; you can either book your own flights or we’ll be happy to book them for you.
Accommodation ranges from private wine estates to luxury city centre hotels, from comfortable motels (where these are the best option) to small family run or bijou vineyard hotels.
The wine visits are to big names whose wines you may be familiar with, and to smaller producers who may be unknown to you but who we think are the names of the future.
Tours
Chile, Argentina & Uruguay
15 - 27 February 2009
New Zealand Wine Tour
16 February - 1 March 2009
South Africa Wine Tour
21 - 28 February 2009
South Australia
1 - 8 March 2009
Canberra & Victoria
8 - 14 March 2009
Chile - Vineyards North to South
21 February - 4 March 2010
South Australia Wine Tour
10 - 17 March 2008
Western Australia
3 - 10 March 2008
Oregon, Washington State & The Pinot Noir Festival
22 July - 2 August 2007
