Cellar Tours

Where Cellar Tours operates

Cellar Tours plans and runs private, chauffeured wine and food trips, each one built for a single party. The about page calls the company "a Luxury Travel Specialist, operating since 2003," offering "exclusive Mercedes chauffeured vacations," and says it is "a licensed, insured and fully bonded tour operator and travel agency," so that "your payment and booking are secure, and you can deal directly with us, not via a third party." It also says it has "personally visited and hand selected all of our suppliers," from hotels and wineries to private chefs and drivers.

The destination menu covers Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa, Croatia, Greece, Ireland and Slovenia. Spain is where it started: the Spain page says "Spain is where Cellar Tours launched our first private luxury wine tours in 2003" and that the company is based in Asturias. The French region list includes Alsace, Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Loire, Provence and the Rhône; the South African list runs from Stellenbosch and Franschhoek to the Swartland and Walker Bay; and the Croatian list includes Hvar, Istria and the Pelješac Peninsula. The destination pages list no tour prices; each trip is quoted.

The range of trips

Italy is described as "perhaps our most popular destination, especially with our repeat clientele," with more than 20 years of private Mercedes tours there, "from the top to the bottom of the country, as well as its beautiful wine islands of Sicily and Sardinia." The Italy page lists sample itineraries for Tuscany, Piedmont (Barolo, Barbaresco and the Langhe), the Amalfi Coast, Emilia Romagna, the Dolomites, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Umbria and Le Marche, Trentino, the Veneto, Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia, as well as a gourmet grand tour of northern Italy. Shorter trips and private day tours include a Prosecco tour from Venice with "Two private Prosecco Superiore winery visits," a Barolo and Barbaresco day, a balsamic vinegar day in Modena and a Marsala day from Palermo.

In Spain, the site names Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Toro, Rueda, Priorat, Penedès, Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Txakoli country, Ronda, Jerez and Asturias. Sample trips include the Private Rioja Wine Tour, "Six days across Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, with private tastings and Michelin-starred dining"; an 11-day journey through Sherry country and Andalucía; a trip based for seven nights in San Sebastián; a 7-day journey through Rías Baixas, Ribeiro and Ribeira Sacra; and a 15-Day Private Food and Wine Tour of Spain from Madrid to Barcelona. Food gets equal billing in Spain, where the site promises dining "from high-end tables at Michelin and Repsol 'sun' starred venues, to rustic chic and authentic eateries like cozy 'Asador' grills," along with artisan cheese, olive oil and charcuterie. In France, the Private Bordeaux Wine Tour covers "Left Bank, Right Bank and sweet-wine country from Bordeaux."

The Chile page sets out a full sample itinerary: a "private nine-day Chilean wine tour" through the Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua, San Antonio and Casablanca valleys, with visits to estates such as Don Melchor, Antiyal, Kingston Family Vineyards, Altair and Clos Apalta, a cooking class with a private chef at Vik Zero, and stays at VIK Chile and Clos Apalta Residence. A private driver-guide meets guests at Santiago's airport on day one. The page says the Chile trips are supported by Karen Gilchrist, former General Manager of the Maule Valley Wine Route, and that extensions to Patagonia, Easter Island, Argentina and Uruguay can be added.

How the trips work

Everything is private. The Spain page says "Your itinerary, chauffeured transportation, winery visits and tastings are private to your party," and the Italy page says each trip is "private and 100% tailor-made," built from "a detailed, personalized questionnaire" covering interests, wine knowledge, activity level and "your mobility range (including any limitations)." Itineraries include chauffeur-led transport, selected hotels, winery appointments, restaurant planning and support before and during the trip, and depending on the proposal may add private guides and cultural visits. The site lists what is usually not included: "International flights, travel insurance, personal expenses, optional spa treatments, gratuities and meals or tastings not listed in your itinerary."

The FAQs are practical. In Italy, the company says two winery visits a day "is usually ideal," with three possible in some regions. It says mobility needs, allergies and dietary preferences can be built in if shared early. It is candid about access: some famous estates "receive very few visitors," and in Spain names such as Vega Sicilia, Pingus and Álvaro Palacios "generally do not receive visitors."

The planners are named. Founder Genevieve, raised in San Diego, has "more than 20 years' experience" and WSET credentials, according to the site, and Simona, born in Brescia in Franciacorta, plans the Italy trips and is described as fluent in Italian, English and French.

Booking and planning ahead

Trips start with a quote request, and the Chile page states that "Pricing is tailored to your travel dates and party size." The site gives clear lead times. For Italy it recommends planning a longer trip 9 to 12 months in advance, a trip of a few days 3 to 6 months ahead and a single day 1 to 2 months ahead; for Spain, 6 to 9 months for a longer trip. It warns that Tuscany, Piedmont and harvest time book up early, and says last-minute requests are still welcome with more flexibility on wineries and hotels. Corporate events, incentives and special occasion trips are also offered.

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The site's destination and about pages do not publish a price for any trip, a deposit or payment schedule, or a cancellation and refund policy. The membership list also differs between pages: the about page names ASTA, Slow Food, UNAV and the IACP, while the homepage names Slow Food, OTAVA and the IACP.

Cellar Tours suits travelers who want a fully private, chauffeured wine trip with hotels, restaurants and winery visits arranged around them, and who are comfortable requesting a quote rather than seeing a price. Its detailed sample itineraries, named planners and frank notes on winery access help with planning, and the day tours in Italy and Spain offer a shorter way in.