In a series of blogs Simon, Jeremy and Jenny look forward to our favourite highlights of the year to come in 2025.
Read what Jenny is looking forward to in 2025
As we start 2025 my year will be a mixture of running new and familiar tours and planning new routes, the following are the ones I’m most looking forward to.
First Iberian Wine Tours trip to England
I’m looking forward to celebrating Iberian Wine Tour’s 15th anniversary by taking our first group to discover English vineyards in Sussex, Surrey and Kent in March. With chalk rich soils, similar to the soils found in the Champagne region, the South of England has been found to be the perfect terroir for growing not only Champagne grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) but also Ortega, Bacchus, Seyval Blanc, Regent and Rondo. English Sparkling Wines now compete side by side with world class top Champagnes in wine competitions. One of my favourite visits is to the “Nest” at Gusbourne. After exploring their vineyards dotted by majestic oak trees I enjoyed a tasting of their sparkling and still wines in their nest-like tasting room. English Sparkling wines may be making headlines but Gusbourne’s still red is an elegant expression of Pinot Noir. The English wine Industry is not only producing excellent sparkling wines but also still whites and reds.
Wine Tour to Piemonte in June
I can’t wait to return to Piemonte, North West Italy, in June not only for the Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera and Roero but also for the cuisine. Piemonte is the home of Nutella, where hazelnuts are grown to produce this famous chocolate spread. Outside of the wine region the landscape is dotted with hazelnut trees. Piemonte is also home to my favourite brand of coffee, Lavazza. A visit to the Coffee Museum in Torino is fascinating for any coffee lover to follow the journey from bean to cup. A visit to one of the famous cafés under the arched porticos to taste a Bicerin, an espresso with drinking chocolate and milk layered in a small glass is a must for any coffee-chocaholic! Piemonte, literally meaning at the foot of the mountain, bases its cuisine on truffle rich dishes found in the forests. For me Vitello tonnato is the most surprising Piemontese dish combining meat and fish. Cold cuts of veal are served with creamy tuna flavoured mayonnaise. Perfect served with a glass of Nebbiolo!
Setting up a new tour to North East Italy 2026
Since my student days studying Italian at the University of Verona, I have always had a passion for wines from North East Italy. It has long been a project of mine to set up a tour to Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) and neighbouring Slovenia. The region is a well kept secret producing top quality white and red wines from Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, Picolit for white varieties and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Schioppettino and Pignolo for red. FVG spans from the mountains to the coast and borders Slovenia to the East. Famous for coffee (Trieste, an important port, is the main importer of coffee in Italy), Grappa (think Nonnino), cheese (Montasio and peppery Formadi Frant) and cured ham (Proscuitto di San Daniele DOP), we will have plenty to taste. We aim to release a tour to discover the wines and gastronomy there in 2026. I can’t wait to return!
