| Wine tours are a wonderful way to get out and see | | | | accommodation each day, so you never have to |
| New Zealand's stunning wineries. They allow you to | | | | worry about your bags, or the wine you buy, |
| have fun tasting the beautiful whites and reds while | | | | weighing you down. |
| your guide gets you where you need to be safely | | | | At $1,850 the experience is a little pricier than your |
| and without stress. | | | | average wine tour. But remember that this includes |
| But after piling on yet another coach full of old folks | | | | accommodation for four nights, all breakfasts, and |
| and boozy young girls, the average New Zealand | | | | bike and helmet hire. |
| wine tours start to get a little tired. If you're after a | | | | Grape Escape |
| wine tour with a difference, the following gourmet | | | | The Hawke's Bay touring company Grape Escape |
| experiences are just the ticket. | | | | looks to break away from the mundane and offer |
| Fine Wine Tours | | | | wine tourists a New Zealand experience they won't |
| On your average wine tour, your guide will know | | | | forget. They offer tours for the casual drinker and |
| enough about wine to get by but he'll leave the hard | | | | the serious wine lover, from one day excursions to |
| stuff to the professionals. In fact, in most cases he'll | | | | 12-day wine safaris. |
| drop you at the cellar door and let you fend for | | | | One of the more unusual is the Heli Wine and Dine |
| yourself. But Fine Wine Tours isn't your average wine | | | | tour, a package which screams indulgence. You'll set |
| tour. | | | | out on a 30-minute helicopter ride which offers a |
| This Auckland-based company offers tours hosted | | | | bird's eye view of the stunning Hawke's Bay region |
| by wine writer Phil Parker. This guy knows his stuff, | | | | below. You'll see the famous Te Mata Peak and the |
| and he wants to share it with you. He'll take a | | | | breathtaking Hawke's Bay coastline before heading to |
| maximum of ten wine enthusiasts on each tour, | | | | the Gimblett Gravels wine district. Your journey will |
| ensuring personal service. The chosen ones travel to | | | | end at the acclaimed Sileni Estate, where you'll indulge |
| Auckland's gold medal wineries, including Kumea River, | | | | in a two course lunch with matching wines. |
| Cooper's Creek, Matua, Matakana Estates, Soljans | | | | With your belly full you'll explore the Gimblett Gravel |
| and many more. You'll enjoy complimentary cheese | | | | district, enjoying the region's stunning reds and whites |
| boards to accompany your wine, and tasting notes | | | | as you go. The area is famous for classic European |
| so you'll understand them better. | | | | reds like syrah, merlot, and malbec, as well as the |
| It's these little touches that separate Fine Wine | | | | whites like the chardonnay, pinot gris, and viognier. |
| Tours from the rest, and make them so popular with | | | | Your stay will take in four wineries whose wines will |
| wine enthusiasts. Tours start from $139 per person. | | | | be paired with local cheeses. |
| Pacific Cycle Tours | | | | At the end of the tour you'll be taken back to your |
| Pacific Cycle Tours allows you to experience the | | | | accommodation, making the entire experience stress |
| world famous Marlborough wine region, and get some | | | | free and super indulgent. Grape Escape tours start |
| exercise at the same time. The relaxed pace of the | | | | from $60. The Heli Wine and Dine tour starts from |
| bike ride allows you to see more of the countryside | | | | $395. |
| than you would from a bus, and it's a lot more | | | | Coach tours are an efficient way of getting around |
| eco-friendly. | | | | the New Zealand wineries, but when the journey is |
| You'll cycle a leisurely 20-30 kilometers each day, so | | | | just as important the destination it's worth |
| you don't have to be a fitness freak to keep up. | | | | considering these tours which dare to be different. |
| Your luggage will also be transported to your | | | | |