wine tours

The Nominees For The Best in Summer Travel

The Yachts of Seabourn's Fabled Far East Cruise

Best Adventure Getaway
The first nominee offers an unforgettable trekking experience in Bhutan while the second offers an unparalleled safari in East Africa. The third nominee is located in one of the world's finest unspoiled havens, while the fourth features elephants in their natural habitat. The final nominee, located in the Montana Rockies, is known for its outdoor sports, from fishing to horseback riding.

Amankora Resort: Trekking in Bhutan
East African Safari with Abercrombie & Kent
Phinda Private Game Reserve
Savute Elephant Camp by Orient-Express
Montana's Triple Creek Ranch

Best Beachside Hotel
The first nominee is where to go when in search of a peaceful sanctuary while the second nominee is a tropical haven with a relaxed pace. The third nominee is located in a secluded natural sanctuary while the fourth offers an award-winning beach. The last nominee offers a beachside location that is idyllic and unspoiled.

Amanpuri Resort, Phuket, Thailand
Four Seasons Resort, Bali at Jimbaran Bay
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos
The Oberoi, Mauritius

Best International Summer Destination
The first nominee is one of the world's most glamorous destinations while the second one was once the home of the Ottoman Sultans. The third nominee is the premier hot spot on the Amalfi Coast while the fourth offers chauffeured-driven tours of the Tuscan wine country. The final nominee offers a once-in-a-lifetime trip from Venice to Istanbul aboard one of the world's most luxurious trains.

Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi Coast
Kempinski's Ciragan Palace, Istanbul
San Pietro di Positano, Amalfi Coast
Tuscany Wine Tours
Venice Simplon Orient-Express Train

Best Luxury Family Vacation
The first nominee offers a luxurious barge cruise through Burgandy while the second offers an armchair safari suitable for the whole family. The third nominee is where families go for Scottish outdoor pursuits from falconry to golf. The fourth nominee is considered to be the jewel of Maui while the final nominee is unplugged and unpretentious.

Abercrombie & Kent's River Barge Cruise in Burgundy
Ebony Lodge, Singita Game Reserves
Gleneagles, Scotland
Grand Wailea Resort Hotel, Maui
Kona Village Resort, Hawaii

Best Summer Cruise
The first nominee offers an unforgettable cruise through the fabled Far East while the second nominee is the way to experience the Greek Isles and Turkey in complete luxury. The third nominee is an expedition to see the ice bears upclose while the fourth nominee takes its passengers down the Nile in style.

Fabled Far East Cruise by The Yachts of Seabourn
Greek Isles and Turkey Cruise by Sea Cloud Cruises
Land of the Ice Bear Cruise by Lindblad Expeditions & National Geographic
Oberoi Zahra Luxury Nile Cruiser: Down the Nile in Style
Mediterreanean Luxury Cruise on Cunard's Queen Mary 2

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Luxury Wine Tour in Tuscany: A Wine Tasting Extravaganza

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

Wine Tours Through Tuscany with Cellar Tours.

When it comes to visiting wine country, there's the standard booze bus variety-and then there's the exclusive week-long Tuscany Wine Tour, a Luxist Awards' nominee in the Best International Summer vacation category.

When you touch down in Florence, Italy, your personal chauffeur will be waiting to whisk you away in a Mercedes to the Piazza Santa Maria Novella hotel where you'll spend your first night (the boutique resort is actually a small mansion down the street from the Renaissance church of the same name down the street). On day two, you'll be driven out to the Chianti Classico region for a private tour of the Badia a Coltibuono property, where you'll savor wine and olive oil before continuing along to another estate, ending the day at the hilltop castle in Siena for an overnight stay.

Wake up the next morning for a red wine tasting in the nearby village of Montalcino and lunch at the Poggio Antico's Michelin-spangled restaurant; you'll round out the afternoon with a stop at the hillside town of Montepulciano before heading back to your castle for the night. Days four and five bring more wine tastings, small village sightseeing and overnights at a villa-style hotel. The last day of the trip includes a visit to the medieval village of San Gimignano before returning for one final night in Florence.

The Tuscan Wine Tour sure beats the booze bus, but it's also more expensive: Trips start at 500 Euros per person, per day, for one couple. For two couples touring together, prices start at 450 Euros, airfare not included.

Vote for the International Summer Vacation destination that you think is the best of breed. The winner will be announced on September 1st.

Tags: awards-main, best international summer destination, Cellar Tours, chauffeur, Italy, luxist-awards, Tuscany, wine tasting, wine tours

California Wine Hikes

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

Tours through wine country don't need to be a decadent limo tour through the wineries (although that's nice too). A California-based tour company offers wine hikes that tour through some of California's most beautiful spots. A tour that winds up at the Testarossa winery includes a six-mile hike with a 1300 foot elevation gain. The hike takes you along the trails of the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, reaching a ridge top at 2,628 feet with views over the Santa Clara Valley. The hike includes a buffet lunch with wine service at the old Novitiate Winery, where Testarossa Vineyards is located. The tour includes trail snacks, bottled water, tasting fees, gourmet lunch served at the winery, transportation, and guided hike. The hike costs $160.

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Tags: napa, santa clara, sonoma, vacations, wine country, wine tours, WineCountry, wineries