Double-digit growth in demand for gourmet cycling experience has inspired cycling holiday specialist Cycling for Softies to create a Wine Regions portfolio for 2019. Featuring 25 deluxe tours of leading European wine heartlands, the tours showcase the finest wines of France and Italy and start from £615 per person.
This summer, sip on Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire or journey south to Provence for zesty rosé. Head to the Tuscan hills for a delicious Chianti or to Veneto for celebratory Prosecco. Cracking open the bubbly to celebrate the Wine Regions launch, Cycling for Softies is also offering a £100 per person discount on selected wine tours booked by 10 May 2019.
Harvey Downard, Head of Cycling at Cycling for Softies, said: “Over the past 12 months we’ve seen a fifteen per cent increase in bookings for gourmet cycle holidays and our portfolio now focuses on the good food and great wine you can savour each day, punctuated with some leisurely cycling through beautiful settings.”
A selection of Cycling for Softies wine region tours includes:
Some describe this Italian haven as mostly untouched by the 21st century: its postcard-perfect coastline and exquisite villages complemented by sumptuous scenery. Vineyards and lemon groves line the lane sides, fragrancing the air and tempting the passing cyclists to stop and indulge in a spot of tasting. Being self-guided, the freedom to stop – for a languid picnic, to explore an historic church or sample local wines – is complete. Price includes eight nights’ three- and four-star accommodation with breakfast, restaurant meals, return flights from the UK, private transfers and cycle hire. Departures available March to October 2019.
Starting in Cortona in the Tuscan Hills, this escorted tour pedals into the enticing Montepulciano and Montalcino wine territories. Glide by landscapes used in Hollywood blockbusters – from the cypress-lined paths of Gladiator to the villa in Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing – and savour some of Italy’s finest cuisine, from wood fire pizza to a steak in Chiana, home to Chinanina cattle, one of the largest and oldest breeds in the world. Price includes seven nights premium accommodation on B&B or half-board basis, return flights to the UK, luggage transfers and Raleigh electric bicycle hire. Departures available April to October 2019.
Pedal peacefully along the Loire à Vélo cycle path to birdsong and savour the sweet aroma of spring and summer blooms on an unhurried exploration of one of the finest wine regions in France. Peppered with magnificent châteaux and punctuated with ancient villages and cellar doors, there are few finer wine regions than the Loire. Price includes seven nights’ three- and four-star accommodation with breakfast, restaurant meals each night, return flights from the UK, transfers and cycle hire. Departures available April to October 2019.
St Macaire, Sauternes & St Emilion
For when the love of wine runs truly, madly, deeply, Bordeaux surpasses all expectations. Home to a variety of vintages, from the soft Merlot of St Emilion to the sweet whites of Sauternes, this tour takes in them all. Don’t miss the châteaux of Roquetaillade and Villandraut for a sumptuous snapshot of the region’s aristocratic heritage. Price includes seven nights’ three- and four-star accommodation with breakfast, restaurant meals each night, return UK flights, transfers and cycle hire. Departures available April to October 2019.
To book with Cycling for Softies visit www.cyclingforsofties.com or call 020 7471 7787.
