DESTINATIONS WINE TOURISM FOOD & DRINK RIGHT:
Relais Santa Anastasia
BELOW:
Dinner on a Viking River
Cruises Longship
Danube Dreams, which includes two nights in Prague alongside visits to Vienna, Deggendorf, Linz, Melk and Durnstein, with a wine appreciation departure on October 29, 2018. Those into the deep reds might be
SAMPLE PRODUCT
Seven nights’ self-catering in a studio at the Nicholas and
Maria Cottages, Anogyra, starts at £547 per person with Sunvil, including flights from Luton to Paphos and car hire. The price is based on two sharing, departing October 2.
sunvil.co.uk
Avalon
Waterways’ 10-day Danube Dreams cruise costs from £2,137 per person including a private home pick-up service, return flights, two nights’ bed and breakfast in Prague, a
seven-night river cruise (on a full- board basis) and transfers.
avalonwaterways. com
Wine Academy at the hotel, alongside excursions to the historic Quinta Nova and Quinta do Castro vineyards. The property even has its own mountain- top wine cellar nearby, where visitors can try aged port with a backdrop of lush, tumbling hills. It’s worth looking beyond the more
obvious options too. Cyprus should be on the radar thanks to a developing viticulture scene that’s moved away from the classic, centuries-old commandaria dessert wine towards more modern tastes, according to Noel Josephides, chairman of Sunvil. “The Cypriot wine industry has grown and matured,” he says. “Wine tourism is definitely on the up here, and wineries are frequently the epitome of Cypriot hospitality.” Many vineyards are concentrated
around the foothills of the Troodos Mountains. For those looking to explore in characterful surrounds, recommend the Nicholas and Maria Cottages in the village of Anogyra. It’s a cluster of stone-built apartments set in a restored 300-year-old house, and makes a good base for exploring the many wine routes and hamlets that colour the area.
w SAIL: WINE CRUISES Perhaps the biggest trend of the moment, though, is on the cruise front, with river and ocean lines getting in on the game. Among the former is Avalon Waterways, which offers dedicated wine-themed departures on several of its itineraries with onboard tastings, lectures and wine-pairing
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travelweekly.co.uk 14 September 2017
Wine tourism is definitely on the up here, and wineries are frequently the epitome of Cypriot hospitality
more swayed by a meander through Bordeaux. For that, look to Viking River Cruises’ eight-day Chateaux, Rivers and Wine trip, which takes passengers to Cadillac, Libourne, Bourg and beyond with excursions ranging from sampling sweet dessert wines in Sauternes to touring a traditional brandy house in Cognac, and dining at a historic chateau in Blaye. It’s not just river cruise lines homing in on the trend; ocean ships have long been known for serving fine wines, but Celebrity Cruises has stepped things up a gear thanks to its recent partnership with The Wine Show. The link-up includes shore excursions
dinners led by experts in the field. They’re selling well, according to
David Binns, head of product and commercial, with the French rivers and the Wachau Valley in Austria coming out strongest. For those looking to explore the latter, suggest the 10-day
curated by the TV show’s team – from the renowned Torres Estate in Barcelona to the iconic Pallavicini family in Italy – alongside tastings and, on Celebrity Eclipse, an in-room interactive experience where guests tune in to a specially produced film as they sip from four selected wines. Passengers will even have the opportunity to learn direct from the show’s hosts, Joe Fatorrini and Amelia Singer, on selected departures (the next is on October 9, when Singer will be onboard the 11-night Best of Western Mediterranean trip). Mingling with the stars over a glass or three at sea? That’s the life.
PICTURE: ALASTAIR MILLER
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