Food & Wine Trails Offers 12 New Cruises for 2013

Food & Wine Trails has released details of 12 new food and wine cruises for 2013, filled with opportunities to drink the best wines, experience great meals and travel with top wine and food personalities.

Among the highlights:

• A multi-course, wine-paired dinner at Chateau Smith Haut-Lafite in Bordeaux hosted by star Napa winemaker David Ramey who has previously worked in Bordeaux – on the Oceania Nautica June 13-20 Lisbon to London cruise.
• A vertical library tasting of Duckhorn’s acclaimed Merlot, with founder Margaret Duckhorn – on the June 26 to July 3 Azamara Journey Rome to Monte Carlo cruise.
• A private wine-maker hosted luncheon at a top Chateauneuf-du-Pape winery served by a Michelin starred chef on the Azamara Journey July 3-11 Monte Carlo to Barcelona cruise.
• A tour of the Grgich family winery in Croatia with Violet Grgich – on the Oceania Riviera Sept 7-19 Venice to Barcelona cruise.

The value of a Food & Wine Trails cruise becomes apparent when viewed against a comparable land-based culinary vacation. Whereas a typical price for a land-based wine program is $4,000 to $5,000 per week per person, the price of a similar length Food & Wine Trails wine cruise starts at $2,274. This includes the cruise cost with transportation to and within Europe, all meals and entertainment, plus an exclusive to the group wine experience with winemaker dinners, parties, receptions and educational wine tastings.

The mission of Food & Wine Trails is to provide authenticity, value and access to the world’s best food and wine travel experiences. Each program is led or organized by a recognized local culinary expert to provide the guest with insight, access and a behind-the-kitchen (or cellar) door experience. Food & Wine Trails is the tour division of the HMS Travel Group, a 25-year-old company based in Santa Rosa, California. The company designs culinary travel programs for enthusiasts and for the creme of the food and wine world, producing programs for Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, and many of America’s top food magazines and wineries. Larry Martin, the president of Food & Wine Trails, is a wine collector, vegetable gardener and the Northern California Regional Governor for Slow Food, an international food advocacy organization. The editors of Conde Nast Traveler Magazine have chosen Martin as World’s Top Wine Travel Specialist for three consecutive years.

Contact Food & Wine Trails at 800 367-5348, or info@foodandwinetrails.com. A complete list of 2013 wine cruises can be found at www.foodandwinetrails.com/cruises.

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Tags: culinary travel, Food & Wine Trails, food and wine cruises, food and wine travel, wine travel