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Nov 27
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Bordeaux wine

The Top 10 Wines to Try in Bordeaux

By Taste Vacations, Wine No Comments

Bordeaux is world-renowned for its wines, and for good reason. With a rich history dating back to the 8th century, this region in southwestern France has perfected the art of winemaking. If you’re joining us on our Bordeaux Food & Wine Tour or just want to expand your wine knowledge, here are our top 10 wines you should try:

The Varietals

  1. Cabernet Sauvignon: Known for its robust structure, tannic backbone, and aging potential, it’s a primary grape in Bordeaux blends, particularly in the Left Bank appellations like Pauillac and Margaux.
  2. Merlot: Often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot contributes to the roundness, suppleness, and fruity flavors of Bordeaux wines, prominently in the Right Bank regions like Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.
  3. Cabernet Franc: Adds aromatic complexity, herbal notes, and softer tannins to Bordeaux blends, particularly found in the Right Bank wines and sometimes used in small amounts in Left Bank blends.
  4. Petit Verdot: An intense, dark grape that contributes color, structure, and sometimes floral or spicy notes to Bordeaux blends, used in smaller quantities to enhance complexity.
  5. Malbec: Although more synonymous with Argentina, Malbec historically was part of Bordeaux blends, adding color, fruitiness, and structure. It’s not as commonly used in Bordeaux today but can still be found in some blends.
  6. Carménère: While more often associated with Chile, Carménère has played a role in Bordeaux blends, contributing spice, herbal, and dark fruit flavors.
  7. Sauvignon Blanc: Predominantly used in the production of white Bordeaux wines, it offers zesty acidity, herbal notes, and citrus flavors, particularly in blends from Graves and Entre-Deux-Mers.
  8. Sémillon: Another primary grape for white Bordeaux, it brings richness, texture, and honeyed flavors to the blend, often complementing Sauvignon Blanc in wines from Pessac-Léognan and Sauternes.
  9. Muscadelle: A minor grape in Bordeaux white blends, it adds floral aromas and a subtle fruity character to the wine, though in smaller quantities compared to Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
  10. Ugni Blanc (also known as Trebbiano): Used in smaller amounts in white Bordeaux blends, it contributes acidity and freshness to the wine.

What Makes Bordeaux Wine Special

Bordeaux wines are esteemed and renowned worldwide for several reasons:

  1. Terroir: Bordeaux benefits from a diverse terroir encompassing different soil types, microclimates, and varying topography along the Gironde estuary. This diversity allows for cultivating a wide range of grape varieties and styles of wine, each reflecting its unique terroir.
  2. Grapes and Blending: Bordeaux is famous for its artful blending of different grape varieties. The region predominantly uses red grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec for red wines and white grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle for white wines. Blending allows winemakers to balance characteristics, create complexity, and achieve wine consistency.
  3. Aging Potential: Many Bordeaux wines have excellent aging potential due to their high tannins, acidity, and structured characteristics. They often evolve and improve with age, allowing enthusiasts to experience the wine’s development over time.
  4. Historical Significance: Bordeaux has a rich winemaking history that dates back centuries. The region has been instrumental in shaping winemaking techniques, traditions, and the global wine trade.
  5. Commitment to Quality: Bordeaux has a tradition of rigorous quality control, with many winemakers focusing on producing wines of consistent quality year after year.

With so many amazing wine producers in Bordeaux, it’s hard to go wrong. However, these 10 wines are a great place to start your exploration of the region’s rich wine culture.

Oct 30
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food wine and beer tour

Food, Wine and Beer Tours in 2024

By Beer, Food, Taste Vacations, Wine No Comments

Taste Vacations designs multi-day food, wine and beer tours to provide you with an amazing vacation to the best destinations in the world. Our tours offer you an opportunity to explore a variety of cultures and flavors. You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy our tours – all you need is enthusiasm and a willingness to try new things.

Our focus is mostly on small group private tours, but we do offer a number of “public” tours each year that are open to everyone. A small group vacation is perfect if you don’t have a large enough traveling party to meet the minimum or simply because you enjoy meeting new people who share the same love of food, wine, or beer that you do. In 2024 we’re excited to be offering three fabulous public tours:

Tuscany Food & Wine Tour

Tuscany is a spectacular region for a vacation and there is no better way to visit than to focus on the local food and wine. It is hard to say whether Tuscany is better known for its food or its wine and this toss-up is what makes this region perfect for a combination Food & Wine Vacation.

South Africa Wine & Safari Tour

We’ve paired delectable South African wine with an exhilarating safari, creating one of the most exciting wine vacations in the world! On the South Africa Wine & Safari tour you’ll not only learn about a variety of incredible wines but of South Africa’s history and culture as they are intrinsically intertwined. The country is truly one of the most amazing lands on the earth and you will be inspired by its music, its people, and its culture.

Czech Republic Beer & Walking Vacation

Join us on this exclusive moderately active Czech Republic Beer Vacation. With amazing beer, welcoming brewers, an intriguing culture, enchanting towns, and the modern fantasy land of Prague, the Czech Republic has everything a beer lover could want.

New Private Food, Wine & Beer Vacations

Most of our travelers choose to form their own small private group of family members, friends, couples, or even work groups, and they get to choose their own destination and trip dates. 2024 brings a few new culinary vacation options to our roster.

In addition to the new Czech Republic beer tour above which can also be organized for a private group, you can now vacation in the undisputed world capital of wine with our Bordeaux Food & Wine tour. Or, experience first hand the big contributions to worldwide beer culture that Ireland has made, including the current craft beer boom that is developing there, on our exclusive Ireland Brewery and Distillery Vacation. With a minimum of only six travelers needed for a private tour, these are easy and ideal culinary adventures to organize.

Often people are nervous about signing up for a group tour but we find the group camaraderie becomes the highlight of the tour. The unique experiences we instill into each food, wine, and beer tour ensures your vacation is interesting, educational, inspiring, and fun. Don’t miss the full roster of available tours for 2024.

Sep 26
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Italian Etiquette

By Food, Taste Vacations, Travel Tips No Comments

When traveling to Italy, it’s essential to understand and respect the local customs and etiquette. Italians take pride in their cultural traditions, and showing proper etiquette will not only make your trip more enjoyable but also earn you respect from the locals. Here are some do’s and don’ts of Italian etiquette to keep in mind:

Etiquette Do’s

  • DO ask for the check when you’re ready for it. Italian servers think it’s rude to rush you from the table, so it could be hours before they do.
  • DO learn basic Italian phrases: Learning a few basic Italian phrases, such as “buongiorno” (good morning), “grazie” (thank you), and “prego” (you’re welcome), will be greatly appreciated by the locals.
  • DO pay for bread. Yes, you do also have to pay for bread. This is the “pane e coperto” charge and is quite common in Italy.
  • DO think about tipping. There is no strict rule about tipping in Italy. Leaving a tip is a courteous gesture that shows the person who provided a service to you that you appreciate their help. As such, leaving a tip is entirely up to you, and, in many cases, it will not be expected, albeit appreciated. This doesn’t mean 20%+ like in the United States, but rounding up to the nearest Euro is appropriate.
  • DO dress modestly: Italians value style and dressing well. While casual attire is acceptable in most places, it’s essential to dress modestly when visiting churches or formal events.

Etiquette Don’ts

  • DON’T take your coffee or food “to-go.” Unlike some cultures, eating while walking is not common in Italy. Take the time to sit down and enjoy your meal at a café or restaurant. After all, when you’re on a Taste Vacation tour, you’re on vacation!
  • DON’T expect a quick meal: Italian dining is a leisurely experience. Don’t rush through your meal, as the main focus is on enjoying the food and company. A typical Italian lunch has an antipasto, a primo (soup, rice, or pasta), a secondo (meat or fish), contorno (vegetables), and a dolci (sweet) — all small portions, of course.
  • DON’T expect an early dinner. If you’re someone who often enjoys dinner at 5:30 PM or 6:00 PM, you might want to carry a snack with you. Most restaurants don’t even open until 8:00 PM.
  • DON’T talk loudly on public transportation: Italians prefer a quiet and peaceful atmosphere on public transportation, so avoid talking loudly, playing loud music or videos.
By following these do’s and don’ts of Italian etiquette, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the rich culture and enjoy a more authentic experience during your Tuscany Wine & Food Taste Vacation. Buon viaggio! (Have a good trip!)
Jul 20
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The benefits of going on a group tour

“I Would Never Go on a Group Tour”

By Taste Vacations, Travel Tips No Comments

In 26 years of running group tours, Taste Vacations founder and owner Allan Wright has heard something along the lines of “I would never go on a group tour” countless times.

Generally, those comments come from experienced travelers who are proud of their ability to travel on their own. We certainly respect the decision to travel independently and agree doing so has many benefits.

But if one never travels on a group tour, one cannot really make a comparison with that mode of travel. In other words, you might not know what you are missing. Read on for Allan’s experience as a world traveler, having done much travel both ways, and his suggested benefits of a private group tour.

My First Group Tour: Dordogne

The first group tour I ever took was a bicycle tour in France back in 1995 – 28 years ago! I had already traveled throughout Europe and to Africa and Asia and I was very proud of being a savvy world traveler. But in 1995 I was living in Poland and, for the first time in my life, I had a job that provided me more money than time. With a friend, I signed up for a group tour biking through the Dordogne countryside of France … and had one of the best vacations of my life (and eventually this led to launching Zephyr Adventures).

Saving Time

Saving time is one of the key reasons to sign up for a group tour. Even with so many more resources available to do research and planning via the internet it can take a LOT of time to plan hotels, meals, and activities on a tour. All of that is planned for you on a group tour.

Logistics

It is also true that for active vacations, going with a tour operator solves many logistical problems that might not otherwise be easily solved. In my case back in 1995, I would simply never have done a multi-day biking tour in Dordogne or, for that matter, anywhere. Similarly, it is too challenging for most people to plan their own culinary tour well without being in a destination. Group travel thus make some tours and experiences possible you would otherwise never do.

Local Experience

Another huge benefit of a group tour is the local expertise you get. On a group tour you will have either a local guide or one who knows the area and this expertise can turn a good vacation into a great one or a great vacation into a stellar one. On all of our tours you’ll enjoy all aspects of the culinary experience – exceptional wine tastings and personal blending sessions, entertaining and educational cooking classes, behind-the-scenes brewery tours, and wine- or beer-paired meals. In fact, I am so thrilled with hiring local guides that when I am on a personal vacation, I will often hire a guide just for a day so I get the full local experience.

Group Bonding

Saving time, dealing with challenging logistics, and gaining local experience are the three reasons I most often hear from people – like our travelers – who know the benefits of a private group tour. But I don’t believe these three are the main reason travelers keep coming back on tours. Instead, I am confident it is the “group bonding” of sharing a memorable experience with others who have similar interests that make group tours so fun.

When people think “group tour”, they think of a busload of older folks seeing large European cities or national parks behind glass windows. And I won’t knock that travel for those who like it. But this ignores that group tours tend to have a much more focused niche and tend to attract others who are interested in that niche. All of our itineraries are available as a private tour and with only 2 to 16 people on a trip, we make it possible to experience a place’s culture and hospitality on a more personal level.

We are experts in organizing private tours to the best culinary locations around the world, which means you get to go on vacation to savor great food and sample the local wine and beer with your friends and family, on your chosen dates, to your chosen destination. Doing something you love in the company of others with whom you have much in common is a form of “group bonding” I like to call “human magic” (when a group creates more fun than one person could create on his or her own) and this makes organized tours so powerful.

Equally as amazing is the opportunity for you to host a group trip for your club or organization, or to collaborate to offer group tours specifically tailored for your business, clients, or followers.

We launched Taste Vacations because we love exploring the world’s best food, wine, and beer destinations and wanted to share our passion with others.  Our small Taste Vacations team has over 50 years of experience in the specialty tour industry and has the knowledge and experience needed to make your next vacation unforgettable. There are many benefits of a private group tour. See you on one soon?