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‘Terroir‘ – that magical combination of soil, sun and gradient isn’t just the alchemy responsible for creating the world’s greatest wines, it combines to make for delicious rides through the best wine-growing regions as well.
Come with us and savour the best routes, the best reds and a few decent whites too!
Wine Tasting Bike Tours
South Africa: Chenin Grape on the Cape
Stellenbosch Vineyard, South Africa Flavours: Tropical fruit and citrus lead on to vanilla and honeysuckle. A South African powerhouse, Chenin thrives in the high-altitude, maritime vineyards. It’s – by some distance – the country’s most widely planted grape.
Try it: Enjoy a glass of wine whilst taking in the stunning Stellenbosch scenery.
Ride it: Surely one of the most beautiful places on Earth and the most iconic destination for wine tasting cycling holidays, the best way to understand the Cape’s spectacular patchwork of vineyards, passes and dramatic coastlines is to dive in and taste it. The wine making estates of this area are famous so we explore the wines of the renowned Boschendal vineyards.
Take me there: South Africa trips
Chile & Argentina: Meaty Malbecs
Malbec and mountains in Argentina Flavours: High altitude vineyards create this rich, perfumed, plummy wine – showcasing Argentina’s resurgent wine industry at its best. Try it: Savour a stunning steak and glass of red in one of Pucon’s highly rated restaurants.
Ride it: The Andean Lake District is a magical landscape where you’ll encounter active volcanoes, gigantic lakes and ancient native forests. But it’s the cuisine that will immerse you fully in the culture. Sample wild boar, ceviche and steaks grilled over coals and in truly generous portions – served with this delicious red.
Take me there: Argentina trips
Italy: Chianti & Coffee
Tuscan vineyardFlavours: Rich, dry and distinctive, with dark cherry and even darker chocolate.
Try it: Stop for a leisurely lunch in the wonderfully scenic ‘Le Crete’ region.
Ride it: What could be more Italian than watching the world go by with a glass of wine or a coffee in your hand? That’s why there are plentiful opportunities provided on this trip to stop, savour and experience the best food and wine this evocative and romantic region has to offer. You can also try the famous Vino Nobile at the wine centre of Montepulciano.
Take me there: Tuscany trips
France: Upper Loire Sauvignon
Vineyard in the Loire ValleyFlavours: This is a wonderfully crisp and grassily-fresh Sauvignon as good as any Sancerre.
Try it: Lunch on the terrace of The Orangerie restaurant at the Chateau de Chenonceau.
Ride it: Food and wine meets culture and cycling in this relaxed self-guided trip of culinary indulgence. Dine at a riverside hotel run by a professional sommelier and an artistic chef de cuisine in the beautiful St Ouen-les-Vignes, visit the wine capital of Vouvray, relax over a coffee in medieval Montrichard, and enjoy easy cycling along pretty river banks in search of your next culinary adventure!
Take me there: Loire trips
Portugal: Vinho Verde
Cycling in Moncao, PortugalFlavours: Crisp, light and deliciously fresh example of the Vinho Verde (green wine) apple-skin style wines of northern Portugal.
Try it: Sample the wine and honey in Portugal’s oldest village, Ponte de Lima.
Ride it: After some easy cycling through sun-dappled villages and extensive vineyards, stop for a glass of the local Vinho Verde – the ‘green’ wine – from northern Portugal is young and zesty, with slight carbonation, which makes for a great, spritzy refresher. To really get the sense of the Portuguese way of life, you’ll relax over a leisurely meal of several courses.
Take me there: Portugal trips
Combine wine and cycling with our trips below.
