France · 7 days · 6–8 people
Burgundy and Champagne: the classics, with grower eyes
Seven days from Paris with sommelier Dante Minutello: a wine tour of grower Champagne in Vertus and Avize, then Burgundy from Morey-Saint-Denis to Chablis.
approaches
Natural
Tours
France · 7 days · 6–10 people
Jura and Beaujolais: the natural wine heartland
Seven days from Lyon with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group natural wine tour of the Jura and Beaujolais in France, six cellars, vin jaune and Morgon.
Italy · 6 days · 6–10 people
Etna: wines from the volcano
Six days from Catania with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Etna, Sicily, from north-slope contrade and palmenti to Benanti's Carricante.
Italy · 5 days · 6–10 people
Friuli and Collio: orange wine at the border
Five days from Trieste with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Friuli's Collio and Carso, amber Ribolla in Oslavia, Vitovska and osmize.
Austria · 5 days · 6–10 people
Austria: Wachau, Kamptal and Burgenland's natural cellars
Five days from Vienna with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Austria through the Wachau, Kamptal, Burgenland and the Heurigen of Vienna.
Georgia · 6 days · 6–10 people
Western Georgia: Imereti, Racha and the other qvevri
Six-day wine tour, Kutaisi to Tbilisi, with sommelier Dante Minutello: garden qvevri in Imereti, Khvanchkara cellars in Racha and the western Georgian table.
Georgia · 7 days · 6–10 people
Georgia: Kakheti, qvevri and the long table
Seven days from Tbilisi with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Kakheti and Kartli, Georgia, from qvevri maranis to a palace and the supra.
Czechia · 1 day · 2–8 people
Moravian cellars in a day: private tour from Brno
A private wine tour from Brno, Czechia, with sommelier Dante Minutello: four South Moravian cellars in one day, natural and classic, and lunch under Pálava.
ArmeniaGeorgia · 11 days · 6–10 people
Armenia and Georgia: two cradles of wine in eleven days
Eleven-day wine tour from Yerevan to Tbilisi with sommelier Dante Minutello: karas and qvevri cellars, Areni Noir and Saperavi, tables in Armenia and Georgia.
Czechia · 3 days · 6–10 people
South Moravia: a wine weekend from Brno
Three days from Brno with sommelier Dante Minutello: a wine tour of South Moravia, Czechia, from natural cellars in Modré Hory to Pálava and Znojmo.
France · 6 days · 6–10 people
Loire: Chenin, Cabernet Franc and the natural Anjou
Six days from Paris with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group Loire wine tour in France, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc from Vouvray to the natural Anjou.
Winemaker stories
Austria · Styria NaturalBiodynamic
Sepp and Maria Muster and the Opok above Leutschach
Sepp and Maria Muster, Leutschach, Styria, Austria: Demeter vines on Opok, Gräfin and Erde on skins, and the Schmecke das Leben farms on a private wine tour.
Austria · Burgenland NaturalBiodynamic
Gut Oggau and the family with faces on the label
Gut Oggau, Burgenland, Austria: Eduard Tscheppe and Stephanie Tscheppe-Eselböck's biodynamic wines with faces on the label, on my Neusiedlersee wine tour.
Czechia · Velké Pavlovice Natural
Richard Stávek and the field blends of Němčičky
Richard Stávek in Němčičky, Velké Pavlovice, Czechia: a farmer-winemaker with 15 hectares, five of them vines, foot-trodden field blends, pet-nats and sheep.
Czechia · Velké Pavlovice Natural
Petr Koráb and the living hill of Boleradice
Petr Koráb in Boleradice, Velké Pavlovice, Moravia: a 100-metre hillside cellar, pet-nats, skin-contact whites and sekt from a chef turned natural winemaker.
Czechia · Velké Pavlovice Natural
Milan Nestarec and the energy in a Velké Bílovice glass
Milan Nestarec in Velké Bílovice, South Moravia, Czechia: a natural winemaker of pét-nat, field blends and unfiltered whites, 45 minutes from my door in Brno.
France · Beaujolais Natural
Mathieu and Camille Lapierre and the cold cellar of Morgon
Domaine Marcel Lapierre, Villié-Morgon, Beaujolais, France: Gamay from the Côte du Py in a cold cellar, no added sulfur, and the winemakers behind it.
France · Jura Natural
Jean-François Ganevat and the old vines of Rotalier
Domaine Ganevat in Rotalier, Jura, France: Chardonnay from vines planted in 1902, rescued old grapes, and a winemaker who brought Burgundy discipline home.
Italy · Etna Natural
Frank Cornelissen and the buried clay of Solicchiata
Frank Cornelissen on Etna's north slope, Sicily, Italy: old-vine Nerello Mascalese, no wood, buried terracotta, and a winemaker who revises his method yearly.
Italy · Friuli Natural
Saša Radikon and the slow Ribolla of Oslavia
Radikon in Oslavia, Collio, Friuli, Italy: Ribolla Gialla months on its skins, years in old oak, half-litre bottles, and the winemaker son who keeps the pace.
Italy · Friuli Natural
Joško Gravner and the qvevri of Oslavia
Gravner in Oslavia, Friuli Collio, Italy: Ribolla Gialla six months on skins in Georgian qvevri, six years in botti, and a winemaker who lets time do the work.
Georgia · Imereti Natural
Baia Abuladze and the churi of Obcha
Baia's Wine, Obcha, Imereti, Georgia: Tsitska, Tsolikouri and Krakhuna from churi buried in a village yard, and the young winemaker who put Obcha on a label.
Georgia · Imereti Natural
Ramaz Nikoladze and the qvevri in a garden near Kutaisi
Nikoladzeebis Marani, Nakhshirghele, Imereti, Georgia: winemaker Ramaz Nikoladze's Tsitska from qvevri in a garden, a fifth of the skins, no added sulfur.
Georgia · Kartli Natural
Iago Bitarishvili and the two Chinuris of Chardakhi
Winemaker Iago Bitarishvili in Chardakhi, Kartli, Georgia: two hectares of Chinuri in qvevri, organic since 2005, one grape made with and without skins.
Georgia · Kakheti Natural
John Wurdeman and the qvevri of Pheasant's Tears
Pheasant's Tears in Sighnaghi, Kakheti, Georgia: a painter, a grower, amber Rkatsiteli from buried qvevri, a 117-grape field blend and a winemaker who sings.
Tell me where you want to drink
Write in any of my five languages. I answer personally, usually within a day.
Dante replies personally, usually within a day, in English, Russian, Czech, Armenian or Italian.