Do you have a glass of red wine with dinner because you heard it promotes good health? Or maybe you just like the taste of a smooth merlot?

Whatever the reason, travelers today continue to search out tours that include a wine component in the itinerary. There are many places to learn about wine making and its subtle tasting nuances. Italy comes to mind – which is why all of our Italy tours include wine with every meal and a winery visit is included on most Italy programs. Wine tours are on the rise – and in more places than just Italy. Some of Collette’s food and wine tours include:

Napa Wine Train

• Spectacular South Africa – Discover the Cape Winelands region with its mountainous landscape and endless vineyards. 
• Explorations California’s Wine Country – Napa Valley should be on everyone’s bucket list. 
• The Wonders of South America – Argentina  is the land of sol y vino – sun and wine – and Mendoza, set at the base of the Andes Mountains is breathtaking.
• Exploring New Zealand – Marlborough region considered one of the world’s best wine regions.
• Reflections of Italy – the tour stops at a historic winery in the heart of the Chianti region complete with its very own 12th century castle.

Durango Train on Trains of the Colorado Rockies tour

All aboard!

Train travel offers a combination of romance and mechanical marvel. Rail lines trace history while whisking travelers through scenery far removed from the highway. Collette passengers love our itineraries that include train journeys. That’s why we have quite a selection to choose from; programs like:

• Canada’s Winter Wonderland (there’s still time to experience this tour with departures this December. Experience VIA Rail Canada’s Snow Train Express from Edmonton to Jasper)
• Canadian Rockies by Train (Overnight aboard VIA Rail’s THE CANADIAN from Vancouver to Jasper)
• The Best of Eastern Canada (VIA Rail train from Ottawa to Toronto)
• Trains of the Colorado Rockies (features Georgetown Loop Railroad, Royal Gorge Railroad, Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad)
• Trains & Canyons of the Southwest (Verde Canyon Railroad, Grand Canyon Railway)
• Trains, Wineries & Treasures of Northern California and California’s Wine Country (both feature the Napa Valley Wine Train)
• Italy Family Discovery
• Discover Panama and Panama Family Adventure (both feature the Panama Canal Railway)
• London & Paris and the London & Paris Family Adventure (what adult or kid wouldn’t like a ride aboard the high speed Eurostar train via the Channel Tunnel)
• Alpine Lakes and Scenic Trains (New for 2012!)
• France Magnifique (features the TGV Train from Paris to Avignon)
• China & Tibet (features the “Sky Train” to the roof of the world in Lhasa, Tibet)
• The Galapagos Islands & Machu Picchu (features a ride aboard the Andes Mountain Train)

To see more details on some of these vacations and others that feature a train component, visit www.collettevacations.com and click on the Rail Tab.

Uncover Italy’s hidden gems via small-group tour
Romantic Italy is steeped in  history and blessed by beauty. Travelers can create their own Italian Renaissance experience by taking a small-group tour that offers immersion in the heart of the local culture. Read more…

Cinque Terre

Maybe it’s just me and I’m dreaming of that bottle of Merlot after work.  Did I say bottle I meant… um glass.

Here are five of the world’s best wine regions/countries that Collette visits.

• Northern California – Climb aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train. I know from personal experience that this is a must if you visit Napa.
• France – Simply a classic European destination. Heading there in a few months.
• Australia – A huge draw for you Group Leaders out there. A thrilling destination complimented by terrific wine.
• South Africa  – A surprise to me but what isn’t surprising about Spectacular South Africa.
• Argentina  -  The bodegas on Mendoza’s Los Caminos del Vino wine route allow plenty of opportunity to sample Malbec. Follow the first Reality Tour to learn more.

And don’t forget Italy. Our tours all feature regional wine included with every dinner.

Views from the top of Cerro San Cristobal

Santiago, Chile, has been named the top location to visit in 2011 by The New York Times’ list, Places to Go in 2011.

Collette offers two tours that visit Santiago, Chile: the 11-day Wines & Wonders of South America which spends three nights in Santiago, and the 15-day Discover South America tour which spends two nights in Santiago. South America continues to gain international recognition as an affordable, rewarding destination that exceeds expectations.

“Chile is an incredible destination!” says Allison Flint, Collette’s Product Manager for the region. “It is modern, cosmopolitan, with great shopping and full of opportunities to indulge in delicious Chilean wines – Santiago, the capital city of Chile, is the perfect city to start a South American adventure!”

For travelers on a Collette tour, you will find yourself immersed in the culture of Santiago during a welcome dinner, complete with Chilean wine, and a folkloric show interpreting the cultures and traditions of Chile. A locally guided tour of the heart of the city, the Plaza de Armas, provides a great overview of the history of Santiago. I recall the amazing views of Santiago and the Andes when I had the opportunity to ride the cable car up Cerro San Cristobal to admire the larger-than-life Statue of the Immaculate Conception.  With your Collette tour manager leading the way, you’ll view all the significant sights of Santiago including O’Higgins Park, the Palacio de la Moneda government building, and the many culturally rich and historic neighborhoods of the city.

Another highlight for me and a pleasant optional day trip from Santiago is the coastal resort towns of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar including a visit to the Pablo Neruda museum. And on Wines & Wonders of South America, Santiago is the base from which you explore the famous Colchagua wine valley on the Tren del Vino and spend the day learning about carmenere and other famous varietals.  Not to mention the unforgettable gourmet lunch with wine at the Santa Cruz winery!

You can read all about these experience by viewing posts from our South American reality tour. And for those of you who have been to Santiago, I’d love to hear your impressions of the city.

It looks hot here! Australia's Outback.

Here in New England the temperature has been hovering at zero. Old Man Winter has us in his grips and with more snow predicted, he doesn’t seem ready to loosen his stranglehold any time soon.

In spin class the other day, I pedaled furiously in an attempt to break a sweat and get warm for the first time in a long time. As often is the case with exercise and me, my mind wandered and I imaginined myself on a bike ride to a warmer destination.

Here are my top 5 warm weather longings (but not necessarily destinations I recommend biking to from New England):

1. Southern California. I guess the recent Academy Award nomination buzz and missing friends who live here, makes this my current top warm weather getaway…again.
2. A journey to the South Pacific. It’s summer time in Australia and New Zealand right now…enough said.
3. Just about any island in the Caribbean would work.
4. Argentina. I traveled here on our Wines and Wonders tour and would love to re-visit Mendoza and sip Malbec in a bodega along Los Caminos del Vino wine route.
5. A game drive in South Africa. I promise I wouldn’t complain about the heat – not once.

Where are you longing to go to escape winter?

More and more, travelers today want a vacation where food and wine is the main attraction. Knowing this, Explorations have included plenty of wine tastings, culinary classes and opportunities to savor local cuisine in each of its small group tours.

To really get to know a destination, there’s arguably no better way to do it than by diving right into its cuisine. Winery visits and samplings, especially, can impart a whole text book’s worth of history – how the grape came to the region, how things like climate and irrigation affect the wines taste, and how wine production can impact a region’s entire economy.

And while I love all the background commentary, there is nothing quite like simply sipping a chardonnay or full-bodied red surrounded by beautiful scenery. Here are my personal favorite places to enjoy a sip or two of vino:

1. Napa Valley, California
2. Mendoza, Argentina
3. Tuscany, Italy
4. Colchagua  Valley, Chile
5. Champs-Elysées, Paris

I’d love to hear your favorite places to sniff, swirl and taste. Comments are always welcome!

Tuscan Vineyards

We’ve all heard it; drinking a glass of red wine daily promotes good health. Though I’ve never needed an excuse to enjoy a glass of wine, having it validated makes it taste even better!

Travelers continue to search for tours with a wine component. There are many places to learn about wine making and its subtle tasting nuances. Italy tops our list.   

“As the media expounds the health benefits of drinking wine, travelers continue to search for tours with a wine component,” said Annette Morejon, Collette Vacations product manager for Italy. “‘Wine Tours’ are a growing trend, and we’re on it – winery or vineyard visits and tastings are now a part of nearly all of Collette’s tours to Italy.”

Most of Collette’s Italy programs also feature even more cultural and educational components than before like learning about grapes used for different types of wine, participating in chef-led cooking demonstrations, witnessing gourmet food demonstrations and enjoying feasts that showcase the regional flavors of Italy.

“We offer programs with a culinary focus because we know from research that Collette’s passengers enjoy this element of their vacation,” says Annette.

Italy is known for its food and wine; they play a major role in the culture here – what are some of your favorite wine regions and why? I’ll write about your favorites in upcoming posts beginning with my favorite…Mendoza, Argentina.

Machu Picchu is scheduled to formally reopen today, April 1^st (no April fooling). This is good news for Peru and the nearby South American countries of Brazil, Chile and Argentina. It seems Machu Picchu, the Inca citadel, is a big draw for travelers to the continent and its closing in January due to landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains, hurt overall tourism to the area. Part of the  rail line–the only access to Machu Picchu (aside from hiking)–reopened earlier this week after the storms damaged tracks and cut off the world-famous archaeological site in Peru which thankfully wasn’t damaged.

 Peru is ready to welcome back visitors with open arms and there will surely be pent up demand for vacations that include this famed site. And while Machu Picchu is like the infamous Hope diamond of travel sites, one must remember that even this large, blue colored beauty believed to be cursed is surrounded by white diamonds. My point…there are plenty of glittering regional gems – experiences that are worth a peek as well. Here are a just a few of the biggies – feel free to tell me your favorites.

1. The sight of thundering Iguazu Falls
2. A cruise to the floating islands of the Uros people of Lake Titicaca
3. A foot and paddle canoe adventure in the Peruvian Amazon Basin
4. Crossing the Andes Mountains in Southern Chile�
   

   Wine tasting in Mendoza

5. Wine tastings in Mendoza, Argentina’s bodegas 

1. Many Americans who dream of traveling to Australia and New Zealand have shied away because of the high cost of airfare. But there’s good news…flights to Australia have become more affordable since the economic downturn. However, many travel experts are predicting a surge in airfares in the near future. …the time to go is now.
2. When Collette priced its South Pacific tours for the 2010/2011 season, the exchange rate was $.65 AUD for $1 USD. Currently, we are looking at $.90 AUD for $1 USD representing a 38% increase in costs just in currency. Rates are locked in through May 2011 but will in all likelihood increase in 2011/2012 due to macro-economic factors beyond our control.  …the time to go is now.
3. Sydney is a fabulous city for first-time visitors to Australia. The weather is pleasant nearly year round, and Australian icons from the Sydney Harbor Bridge to the Sydney Opera House make for an unforgettable vacation. Every one of our tours to Australia features beautiful Sydney.  …the time to go is now.
4. Rotorua and the North Island of New Zealand are featured on Collette’s Complete South Pacific, Journey to the South Pacific, and Exploring New Zealand tours. Here travelers will experience how the Maori keep their customs alive teaching tribal youth traditional weaving, carving and dancing. …the time to go is now.
5. Already been to Napa Valley and have a month to spare? Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures Great Trains, Wineries & Cultures of Australia & New Zealand is a 29-day adventure that includes an overnight journey on the legendary Ghan. Tastings and teachings by wine experts in the Barossa Valley highlight Australia’s best-known wine region and South Australia’s most visited tourist destination. Experience it before it gets too glamorized. Plus, book this tour by April 30th and save on air-inclusive bookings! …the time to go is now.