By Paul Oswell
Combine some of the world's finest scenery with some of its finest food and drink! Jump behind the wheel, or take one of our tours, and head for a world of gourmet delights, fine wines and spectacular sights.
Sonoma, San Francisco, USA
Who can do it? Wine lovers who have exhausted Napa
Let's go! Like its sister Californian region, Sonoma
is awash with great food and wines, a scenic valley surrounded by mountains
and with picturesque bays. 200 wineries are spread out over 55,000 acres, producing
classic wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. There are also over 100
organic farms, producing incredible cheeses and other tasty local produce. The
Fairmont
Sonoma Mission Inn is a great base from which to head out into Sonoma, and
even has its own wine tastings on site.
Top Tip:Sonoma also has some great coastline - spend an afternoon on the sands at the Sonoma Coast State Beach
New South Wales, Australia
Who can do it? Tucker hunters Down Under!
Let's go! Sydney
and New South Wales offer a choice of options for wine and food flights of fancy.
A couple of hours north of Sydney is the Hunter Valley, a wine region over 150
years old and home to around 80 wineries. Some of the biggest names in New World
Wines are represented here, as well as smaller boutique vineyards with big reputations.
Try our Hunter
Valley Wineries Tour. A couple of hours south of Sydney, the Eurobodalla
coast has a wealth of gourmet treats, from cheeses to orchards to veggies.
Top Tip: Take the oyster tours out of Bateman's Bay for some really fresh gourmet seafood.
Winelands, South Africa
Who can do it? Daytrippers from Cape
Town
Let's go! Just a 30 minute drive from the South
African legislative capital lies this lush region, famous for many of the
wines we know and love in Britain. The best known area is Stellenbosch, but
also great to explore are Franschhoek,
Constantia and Paarl. Take a detour from the road up a tree-lined avenue to
wineries
such as Neethlingshof, or seek out one of the smaller boutique vineyards and
sit down to a glass with the winemakers themselves. The Garden
Route and Winelands Explorer flydrive tour will show off the best of the
region.
Top Tip: Take the amazing four hour drive out from Stellenbosch that passes the must-see panoramas of the Helshoogte Pass, the Franschhoek Pass and Sir Lowry's Pass.
New England ,USA
Who can do it? Lovers of seafood and quaint countryside towns
Let's go! Some of the most beautiful spots in the capital are
situated in the north east corner of the USA,
with Cape Cod, Maine
and Vermont among
the most prolific producers of world class food and wines. Sample lobsters straight
off the boat or set yourself down for a cup of the region's famous clam chowder.
Local farms and vineyards will happily let you sample their wares, and there
are even microbreweries for beer drinkers. Take a flydrive tour and find a food
tour to suit your own tastes.
Top tip: Most of the bigger towns have their own organised food tours, showing off the best local markets and producers.
Niagara, Canada
Who can do it? Wine drinkers looking for a very New World experience
Let's go! It might be surprising to find that just a couple
of hours from Toronto,
there is a wine region just waiting to be discovered by adventurous fly-drivers!
Around 70 wineries populate the region between the Niagara Escarpment and Lake
Ontario, and although the famous Falls claim the attention of most tourists,
vineyards in beautiful spots such as Niagara-on-the-Lake and St Catherines are
well worth seeking out. Try one of the flydrive holidays from Toronto, maybe
staying in the fabulous boutique property of Oakles
Hotel Overlooking the Falls.
Top tip: The local speciality is Ice Wine - a real delicacy and done to perfection here.
Fancy a gourmet break? Check out our latest holiday
deals now!
Paul Oswell is a freelance travel journalist who regularly writes for The Daily Mail, Travelmail.co.uk and Luxury Travel Magazine.