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 guides in Burgundy will allow you private visits at the best domaines in Chablis, the Cote d’Or, the Cote Chalonnaise, the Maconnais and Beaujolais, north to south.  The elegant simplicity and the astonishing complexity of Burgundy will be revealed to you in full. And with this, the culture of the region, its delicious ingredients and cuisine.

Chablis
 The northern most region of Burgundy producing legendary wines from
Chardonnay. A region apart thought completely Burgundian. 

Cote de Nuits
The realm of Pinot Noir in its greatest Burgundian expression. Famous
appellations including Clos Vougeot, Vosne Romanee, Musigny and Chambertin. The
small city of Nuits St Georges is home to many famous wine producers and several
excellent restaurants.
Cote de Beaune. The central part of Burgundy centered around the beautiful walled
city of Beaune which hosts the famous Hospice de Beaune (hospital and auction which
raises funds for the hospital). The Cote de Beaune produces delicate red and
spectacular white wines. Famous red wines include Corton and famous whites include Meursault and Montrachet.

Cote Chalonnaise
Snuggled between the appelations of the Maconnais (Pouilly Fuisse) and the Cote de Beaune is the Cotes Chalonnaise. This region is blessed by exceptional terroir but has always been in the shadow of its more famous neighbors. This means the wines are exceptional value for fine Burgundy. Rully, Bouzeron, Montagny, Givry and Mercurey are among the villages and appellations producing marvelous wines.

The Maconnais
The southern most appellation of Burgundy proper producing red and white wines. The whites are justifiably famous with the appellations of Pouilly Fuisse the most well-known. Wines from the more general Macon appellation are among the best Chardonnay values from France.

Beaujolais
This region, like Chablis, is both part of Burgundy and separate from it. Chardonnay is grown but the principal grape variety grown is Gamay and the method of cultivation and the soils are unlike those found further north. Beaujolais wines are the
“friendliest” wines of Burgundy. The French word “gouleyant” describes them: gulp- able.

The cuisine in Burgundy is rich, based on butter, and includes, of course, boeuf
bourguignon but also jambon persille’  (ham and parsley with a mustard sauce), snails in
garlic butter, Epoisse cheese and tarte tatin (upside down caramelized apple tarte).

Our visit starts in Budapest where we will see, taste and hear the beating heart of Europe. The Danube river is to Budapest as the Seine to Paris, the water of life in the city and we will visit both the right and left banks of the river in the city to understand the life of this exceptional city. We will visit the historic and fascinating Tokaj wine region home to the most celebrated sweet wines of central Europe and now producing brilliant dry wines too.  Hungary is blessed with more than 20 distinct wine regions.  We will tailor our tours to your needs to visit other regions. 

Hungarian Wine Regions
There are twenty-two wine designated wine regions in Hungary. These are the most
well-known:

Eger
This region in northeast Hungary maybe the best know for the wine knows as Egri Bikaver or “Bull’s Blood”. In fact the wine is made from a Pinot Noir clone and is therefore more delicate than rich. Still justifiably famous.

Balaton 
The vineyard districts around Lake Balaton (the largest fresh water lake in Europe) are legend. Worth a visit on their own.

Tokaji
The most famous sweet wine of central Europe. A rival to the greatest Sauternes and Trockenbeerenauslesen of German. There is been great investment in Tokaj by French companies to restore the reputation of this singular and precious appellation.

Hungarian Food
So many delicacies! Hungarian food’s primary spice is paprika. It informs many savory dishes from the famous “Goulash” Stew to Fisherman’s stew, pancakes and stuffed
cabbage with meat. And then there is the legendary Dobosh Cake, thin layers of sweetness, chocolate and caramel.