By Ogova Ondego
Published August 20, 2013
Wine and food lovers will in February and March 2014 tour ‘New World wine countries’: South Africa, Argentina and Chile.
The tours, organised by BKWine who specialise in wine tours for wine enthusiasts and wine professionals who want to visit wine regions to learn more about wine, shall include several winery visits, gastronomic meal, and also other sights and experiences on these two long-range tours of Africa and South America.
“The first winter wine tour goes to the two main wine countries in South America, Chile and Argentina, February 1-16, 2014,” BKWine says.
“The tour starts on the Pampas. From the airport one goes directly to a comfortable estancia to recover from the long flight and to forget quickly the northern winter. This is followed by a few days visits to Buenos Aires, including tango, before it is time to head for the Mendoza wine region. In this Argentina’s biggest and most famous wine region the vineyard visits are mixed with Argentinean asados, the typical barbecue feasts, and with views of the magnificent landscape. From Mendoza the tour continues spectacularly on road across the Andes, reaching more than 10 000 feet, with Aconcagua, the highest peak, not far away.”
Britt Karlsson, co-founder of BKWine, says: “This is a full-bodied programme where we have put together all of the best of what Chile and Argentina can offer in terms of wine, food and sights. I have been to South America several times and I have picked the gems. A very special programme.”
“Having arrived in Chile the winery visits and tastings, as well as the gastronomic meals, continue. There is also a unique opportunity to be winemaker for a day: a wine blending workshop in a winery to blend one’s own wine. Santiago, Santa Cruz and Valparaiso are also on the programme.”
The second wine and food tour of the winter is to South Africa, February 28 – March 10, 2014.
Saying “South Africa has quickly advanced to become one of the top wine producers in the New World”, BKWine adds, “On this wine tour there will be visits to the classic regions like Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. But the programme also includes the newcomer Swartland. Some consider this to be the very best wine region in South Africa. The tour starts and ends in Cape Town and will also include the famous Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope. There is a possibility to add two days of very luxurious wildlife safari.”
The tour is also expected to contribute to the development of the South Africa by sponsoring a South African school as well as volunteer work at a Red Cross children’s hospital.
Per Karlsson, the other co-founder of BKWine, comments, “South Africa sometimes has a reputation for entry level wines. Forget that! On this tour we will meet personally with some of South Africa’s greatest and most famous winemakers (by katherine at testsforge). Since we at BKWine are also internationally recognised wine writers we have unique contacts in the wine world. There will also be some lazy afternoons and luxurious gourmet meals. Not to forget the landscape and the wildlife that will also be part of the tour.”
Run by Swedish nationals Britt and Per Karlsson,BKWine AB is a tour operator specialising in top quality wine tours and gourmet tours. BKWine says it “organises around 30 wine tours, both custom designed and on schedule” every year.
The organisation says it is engaged in Wine & food tours, Wine journalism, Wine photography, and Wine consulting.
