Wine ace to lead exclusive ‘Grape Escapes’ tour

Award-winning wine expert Chris Scott will add extra piquancy to an exclusive tour to the Champagne region in October, being offered by specialist operator Grape Escapes.

Head of the wine tasting company ThirtyFifty and the name behind the weekly wine podcast, The UK Wine Show, New Zealander Scott is one of the leading wine presenters in the UK. He leads a 19-strong team of wine tasters and last year was awarded the International Wine Challenge Wine educator of the Year for his podcasts, tastings and websites.

Running from Friday October 30 to the following Sunday, the tour is based in the Champagne capital Reims. Guests may drive themselves to the city (with Eurostar/TGV offered as an alternative) for a four-course dinner on the Friday night, together with host Scott.

Saturday features a full-day guided tour including a visit to a family-run Champagne House and tastings of up to five wines; a visit to a grand cru village for a second Champagne House tour and three-course Champenoise lunch; and finally a visit to Moet & Chandon, including a tour of the 25kms of cellars before tastings of several Champagnes.

Dinner that night is three-courses, with a tutored tasting of three single varietal Champagnes.

Sunday is a day for relaxing, although there is an optional visit on foot to Champagne Mumm to explore their cellars and taste their vintage and non-vintage Champagnes. Guests make their way home at their leisure.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer our guests the chance to spend time with and learn from one of the UK’s pre-eminent voices on wine,” explained Grape Escapes’ managing director Mark Hallett. “Apart from the enjoyment of being in the Champagne region with exclusive access to one of the smaller Champagne Houses, this tour is a rare opportunity to be with a leading figure in the business.”

This exclusive tour is priced at £389 per person, based on two people sharing three-star hotel bed and breakfast accommodation for two nights. It includes Channel crossing for car and passengers with P&O Ferries, two dinners with tastings and the full-day tour with lunch on Saturday.

For further information and reservations, visit grapeescapes.net.