Tel Aviv – Fusion in the broadest sense of the word! The city that has everything and in the most extensive manner imaginable: parties and tranquility, hedonism and social responsibility, sea and beaches and art galleries, high-tech, funk, graffiti!  And Jaffa (Yafo): the Arab origins of the city very much alive today!  The city that never stops!

Jerusalem – One of the most iconic cities in the world, home to three of the world’s great religions.  Capital of Israel.  Exceptional markets, restaurants and historic sites in the new and old city.

The Judean Hills – This wine region, near both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and blessed by ancient limestone terraces, is home to some of Israel’s best wineries.  Astounding quality!

Zikhron Yaakov the Coast – The first commercial winery in Israel was founded in this region by the Edmond de Rothschild  in 1882. Actually, two were founded, one in Rishon Lezion and one in Zikhron Yaakov. We will visit the historic sites and wineries and the new producers in the region along with producers of olive oil and fruit jams. 

The Galilee and the Golan – Israel’s northern vineyards and home to the quality revolution in wine in Israel today.  We’ll visit Golan Heights Winery, the mother of Israel’s quality wine revolution, Dalton, the mother of the rebirth of the Galilee region.  And we’ll visit Druze villages and the historic artistic village of Zfat. 

The Negev – Israel’s most innovative vineyard.  A blooming desert.  A model vineyard facing, studying and managing climate change.  Extraordinary, breathtaking natural sites and hotels. An unforgettable part of Israel. 

Israel’s culinary palate embraces the entire world.  This is the cuisine and culture of immigrants. Rich, delicious and moving because the cuisine marries the past and the present and brings us to the future. 

Catalonia gave the world Pablo Casals, Joan Miro, Antoni Tapies, Salvador Dali, Pedro Almodavar and Antoni Gaudi who each changed the way we see the world. Catalonia gave us delicious foods include pa’amb tomàquet (bread with tomato, oil and garlic),  escalivada (vegetables roasted and then served with olive oil), esqueixada de bacallà (cod fish with onions, tomatoes, vinegar, salt, olives and hard-boiled eggs), arròs negre (rice with squid ink, black and delicious) and of course crema catalana! And Catalonia has given us the great, intense wines of Priorat and the delicious sparkling wines of the Penedes, Cava! 

Our tours start with a glass or two of Cava.  With glasses in hands we travel to the Penedes to visit the Cava cellars and experience the spectacular beauty of the region.  We’ll spend time learning about Cava and tasting the local specialties that pair so well with this delicious sparkling wine (Spain’s “Champagne”).  We’ll spend the evening in Penedes and then, in the morning, travel to the Priorat.

Priorat – The most prestigious and famous still wines of Catalonia are the wines of Priorat.  Highly concentrated and grown on steep slate terraces (like the wines of the Douro and of Collioure) Priorat wines are like none other in Spain. 

We will visit Falset the capital of Priorat, visit the seaside resort of Sitges and, if we are visiting in August, enjoy the music festival. 

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is the Los Angeles, the Tel Aviv, the Miami, the Rio de Janeiro of Europe.  Brassy, full of life.  Great restaurants and a culture all its own.  We will visit top restaurants, the new port full of new shops and the historic heart of the city.

Porto,  Porto is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage City, and like Bordeaux a major wine port.  Situated at the estuary of the majestic Douro river, Porto is divided into the Portuguese center and the merchant neighbor Vila Nova (new city) de Gaia, the center of the wine trade. We will visit the center of the wine trade with tastings at some of the major Port houses, Dow, Warres, Fonseca, Taylors and others. We will visit the resort seaside of Porto for a lunch at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.  And of course a visit to historic Porto, the great Eiffel bridge, and the best restaurants in town.

The most important Portuguese wine growing regions from north to south are Vinho
Verde from the cool green vineyards bordering the Atlantic Ocean; the magnificent
Douro valley which now produces both the famous sweet wines, Port, and tremendous
dry wines; the Dao and Barraida, up and coming regions in center Portugal; Alentejo and Tejo, two warm regions producing delicious red, white and rose wines with soft tannins and deep flavors and, finally, the island wines from Madeira, among the greatest sweet wines in the world.

The most well-known Portuguese dessert is Pasteis de Nata, yellow egg yolk custard in a flaky pastry. The pastry is directly related to the production of wine because the whites of the eggs are used to clarify the wine (a process called fining which leaves no residue in the wine).
This delicious dessert is delicious with red wine too!

Our tour starts in the north, near Lyon, the great rival to Paris, in the vineyards of Condrieu and Cote Rotie. From there will travel south through Hermitage and end in Chateauneuf du Pape, the sunny south of the Rhone valley. Along the way, we will visit wineries, historic sites and terrific restaurants.

Côte-Rôtie and the North
Syrah is the dominant grape in the north of the Rhone valley.
However, in Condrieu, the micro-appellation in the north, we find Viognier. Cote Rotie (the “roasted slope”) wines are powerful and need time to age in bottle. Condrieu wines are unique in the world with the scents of pungent flowers, ripe apricot and rose petal.

Hermitage
In the center of the valley Hermitage is also home to the Syrah grape variety. But the valley turns east to west at the site of the  vineyard (not north to south as in Cote Rotie) and so the wines are exceptionally powerful, more so than the wines of Cote Rotie. The vineyard is named for a religious hermit whose abode is in the vineyards to this day.

Châteauneuf du Pape and the South
In the south, the great vineyard of Chateauneuf du Pape (the “new castle of the Pope”) named for the establishment of the papacy from Rome in 1309 to 1377. These wines are again special: grown in soils that are pure river rock, stones that reflect the heat in the evening, and grown from more than 13 different grape varieties. Chateauneuf du Pape wines are powerful, delicious, overwhelming in texture (like rich cashmere wool). Our tour will take you to the best wineries.

Food in the Rhone divides between north and south. In the south, olive oil-based cooking is the general rule, in the north butter takes over. In the south, vegetables are on center stage.
Ratatouille (eggplants, tomato, zucchini, garlic), delicious with white wines; grilled lamb, delicious with red wines; socca (a crisp chickpea flat bread), delicious with all wines, red and white; tapenade (thick black olive paste used as a garnish or spread on bread), delicious with red and white wines; nougat (egg whites, honey, nuts), delicious with red and sweet wines. In the north, specialties include salade lyonnaise with eggs, bacon, croutons and mustard; quenelle, fish “sausages” gently poached and served with a mustardy cream sauce, delicious with Condrieu; Charcuterie de Lyon (all manner of sausages, some with pastry crusts), delicious with red and white wines; Saint-Marcellin cheese, creamy and pungent, delicious with red and whites wines and often served with apricot jam as a dessert.

Less than two hours from Rome, in the heart of mountains an green hills, and in the shadow of Tuscany, Umbria rewards every visit. Remarkable food and wine, beautiful cities and landscapes, one of Europe’s largest jazz festivals and, of course, delicious wines and superb olive oils. Also, the Umbrians, proud of their heritage, are known for their warmth and welcome.

Orvieto
A medieval walled town located at the height of an ancient volcano overlooking the valley. Orvieto is one of Italy’s most famous and well-known white wines produced from from Trebbiano, Grechetto, Verdello and Malvasia grape varieties. Orvieto is usually dry but can also be semi-sweet and there are some Orvieto made, like Sauternes, that are dessert wines. There is also a red wine made from Sangiovese called Rosso Orvietano.

Montefalco
A magical walled village from the 9th century, nicknamed “The Balcony of Umbria” because of the impressive panoramic view from its walls. Often cited as one of the most the most beautiful villages in Italy. The town also gives its name to Umbria’s great red wine made from Sagrantino. Montefalco wines are intense, age worthy and delicious.

Assisi
This spectacular town, a Unesco world heritage site, is the birthplace of Saint Francis, founder of the Franciscan religious order based the values of modesty, honesty, fairness and kindness. For many, Assisi is second only to the Vatican itself in its importance to Catholicism. The Rocca Maggiore castle and the Basilica of Saint Francis are essential stops in Assisi. And, of course, there is delicious food and wine, local markets and many stores with religious items for home use.

Perugia
The capital of Umbria and also the chocolate capital of Italy thanks to the famous Perugina company maker of “Baci” (kisses) chocolate but to many artisanal producers. There is even a chocolate school and every year the EuroChocolate festival takes place in Perugia every year with thousands of different types
of chocolate, workshops and tastings. The city itself is a vibrant university town that attracts students from all over the world.

Deruta and Gubbio
Deruta and Gubbio are towns in central Umbria.
Deruta is famous for the production of high-quality ceramics; a tradition that dates to the 14th century. The ceramic vessels produced locally have been decorating the tables of the most prestigious restaurants in the world and the homes of royal and aristocracy dynasties for hundreds of years.
Gubbio is known for its local specialties and its annual festivals.

Lake Trasimeno
Italy’s fourth largest lake, rich in fish, surrounded by small towns and villages and perfect for long bicycle rides or horseback riding on its shores. Marvelous restaurants can be found all along the way of course!

Driving through Ribera del Duero is like traveling back in time. The enchanting towns, mysterious tunnels and secret cellars will make you feel you are in the Middle Ages. Ribera del Duero is the birthplace of many famous wineries including Protos, which gave up its original name “Ribera del Duero” so all of  the wineries in the region could use the name of the appellation, and of course Bodegas Arzuaga, Bodegas Vega Sicilia, Bodegas Emilio Moro and Pesquera. 

Wines of Ribera del Duero
Like most of northern Spain, Tempranillo is the dominant grape variety in Ribera del Duero. However, in this terroir, hugging the river,
the grape expresses itself with special power unlike the more delicate expressions in Rioja. Ribera del Duero wines have achieved international acclaim and the wines, the status among the great appellations in the world.

The Food of Ribera del Duero
Cattle is rare in this part of Spain so most meat comes from lambs and sheep. Usually
roasted and perfect with the wines of Ribera del Duero. Sheep milk cheeses are a
staple. And there is the famous pata negra (black feet) ham from pigs grown only on
acorns. Cured and sliced paper thin and served by itself. One of the world’s great
delicacies.