This travel special is primarily dedicated to our longest tour, the wine tour in New Zealand. It is of course the furthest away (more on that in a moment) but also the longest in duration.
But before that: there are a few remaining places so you can join us on a wine tour this fall. You can choose between:
- Bordeaux, September 13-19, the great classic with stunning wines and stunning gastronomy (btw, we’ve written a book about Bordeaux)
- Burgundy and Champagne, September 23 – October 1, two of the world’s greatest wine regions in one tour (btw, we’ve written a book about Burgundy and one about Champagne too)
While I’m on the topic of “a few places left”, I should also mention the other winter tours (n addition to NZ). There are a few places left on these tours that will give you summer weather during the dark winter months:
- Chile-Argentina, January 11-24, including a very special crossing of the Andes that is worth a trip in itself
- South Africa, February 14-24 (now fully booked), few have travelled as much in South Africa’s winelands as we have so we will take you to the gems that others don’t get to
New Zealand March 2027
But I promised to tell you about:
Why is our wine tour to New Zealand so special?
Such a great experience? Several different things!
Far away
You can’t get any further away than here. It’s literally on the other side of the globe (from where we are, in Europe). Our journey starts in Auckland, the largest city, up on the North Island. Dig a tunnel from there through the centre of Earth and you’ll come out at Ronda in southern Spain. And even from the US, it is some of the longest flights in the world.
Long journey there — will be a plus
Sure, it’s a long journey. It’s impossible to fly direct from Europe. There are a few possibilities from the US. But the journey itself can be an extra bonus experience. It’s a perfect excuse to do something on the way, combine the journey to New Zealand (or home) with a stop in another exciting destination. Nowadays we travel directly ourselves (from Paris, with a short stop), but the first few times we took the opportunity to visit Hong Kong and Singapore. Other possible stops on the way are Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, or others. (Doha and Dubai may not be so relevant at the moment.) Or maybe Australia. A bonus.
Travel with Britt and Per
You can hardly find more wine-savvy and travel-savvy guides and tour leaders than Britt and Per. We are both on this trip. It is far from the first time we have done this trip. If you want to travel with someone who knows wine, has written 13 wine books, arranged hundreds of wine tours, and can tell and explain, then you have come to the right place. I can (not so) modestly say that you will be travelling with internationally recognised wine experts.
Wine tours like no other
Just like all our other wine tours, this one is made by us, one of the world’s most experienced wine tour operators — personal, friendly, behind the scenes, different. We do not sell wine, we “sell” knowledge, enjoyment, competence, experiences, for those who are curious, discerning and want to discover.
You meet pioneers
New Zealand is a young wine country, it got off to a good start with quality wine in the 80s and 90s. So many of the visits are with those who were (and still are) pioneers.
You meet the real people
As I mentioned, we have done this tour many times so we know many of the winemakers or key people from before. Few of our winery visits are with “standard” guides — one more thing that is different compared to other wine tour operators. Dave, Damien, Anna, Nigel, Hayden, and others, are there when we arrive. When you arrive!
Unique “other” experiences
It’s not just wine. We also have other amazing experiences, which are often impossible to arrange on your own. One of New Zealand’s most skilled dog handlers, a national champion, shows how he herds sheep with dogs. A truly private dinner with traditional food at a Maori family’s home. English tea and scones, very English, at a family out in the bush. A trip in a rubber dinghy on a glacial lake in the shadow of the country’s highest mountain. Sulphur-spewing geysers. Gold miners’ village. The origin of bungee jumping. The hotel where you get your own villa and open fire. The Danish village of Dannevirke and the Norwegian village of Norsewood (lots of forest!). If we’re lucky, kiwi birds, seals, and (with great luck) dolphins, albatrosses. Lobsters by the sea… And more.
A natural beauty that takes your breath away
The nature is not spectacular in the way that, for example, the Andes or the Douro Valley. Instead, it is strangely powerfully overwhelming. It is green and lush everywhere. Dense bush that are like impenetrable fairytale forests. Green fields. Sheep. Cows. Endless steppes. We spend a lot of time in our comfortable bus, but there is always a fantastic spectacle passing outside. We see almost the entire country from north to south, from Auckland to Queenstown, on the tour.
Plenty of delicious wine and gastronomy, with personal visits
Above all, there will be plenty of delicious wine and good food! If you are planning a tour here, you might think of the big names, Craggy Range, Cloudy Bay, Saint Clair, Brancott, Church Road, Kim Crawford… Yes, of course, we visit some of those because it is important to get a complete picture. But they are not the most exciting visits (and not necessarily the best wines). We will take you to top producers that you may not have heard of but will be an eye-opener. And the ones you remember the most. For example, Hayden who built a theatre on a mountaintop and who makes one of the country’s best pinot noirs. And the gastronomy, well, it is legendary on our wine tours.
Sauvignon blanc… does not dominate!
Yes, sauvignon blanc is the most planted grape. But you will discover two things: 1) Here in New Zealand you will find SB with character, depth and quality far beyond the stereotype at home, not the New Zealand sauvignon that you are used to. Better! And 2) New Zealand is a great wine country for many other types of wines too. Pinot noir of course (one of the world’s leading pinot countries), but also cabernet, syrah, chardonnay, riesling, chenin blanc, and more.
I have tried to keep it brief when I rave about New Zealand. It was not possible. You can see how difficult it is. I have also probably forgotten half of it.
One thing I can promise, your tour to New Zealand will be a memory of a lifetime, an experience of great proportions. You can’t really imagine what it will be like in advance. When you get home you will marvel at how fantastic it actually was. A memory of a lifetime.
Join us on this tour!
Book now!
If you want to get a taste of the tour to New Zealand, you will find lots of pictures and videos on our Facebook pages for some of the previous trips :
- New Zealand wine tour 2026 (still lot’s to post here, I’m behind)
- New Zealand wine tour 2025
- New Zealand wine tour 2024
See you there, we both hope!
Click on the links in the text above to get all the details and to book. Or just reply to this email.
Book your BKWine wine tour now!
Both of us, Britt & Per, look forward to meeting you in person!
Hope to see you in a wine region soon,
Britt & Per Karlsson
BKWine
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The BKWine Exclusive: Travel with Britt & Per Karlsson
“What sets a BKWine tour truly apart is your hosts. You won’t just be travelling with a ‘standard’ local guide; you will be travelling side-by-side with Britt and Per Karlsson—internationally recognised wine experts, multi-award-winning authors, international wine judges, Forbes.com contributors and publishers of BKWine Magazine, National Encyclopaedia wine editors, speakers at the UN congress on wine tourism and the visionary founders of BKWine.”
“Their deep personal connections in the wine world open doors to exclusive experiences, offering you unparalleled, insider access, genuinely personal meetings and insights you won’t find anywhere else.”
