Travel the world one glass at a time.
Guided wine travel, coordinated and curated by the Uncorked Pianist.
Wine Tours & Travel
My love for wine and my passion for sharing it comes from my own experiences traveling the world as a classical pianist. As part of these adventures, I have enjoyed countless opportunities to visit with winemakers, their families, and the people in these communities that are integrally connected with the world of wine. I began leading wine tours in Italy for groups of musicians all the way back in 2010 in addition to my own visits to estates on vacations with my wife. Over the years, I have developed close relationships and friendships with many of these producers who open their homes and their cellars to share their stories with my guests. Wine tours with us are not just trips designed to show-off the famous wineries and wines from these regions, but are instead about building relationships and learning the stories of the people and places that make the wine. Yes, we will visit many of these celebrated estates, but more often than not, we will explore producers who bring us into their living room instead of the formal tasting room and stroll through their vineyards with the winemaker instead of a guide. You will leave our tours with a real understanding of the people and places that make this amazing nectar; and plenty of new wines to add to your own cellars!
ITALY & FRANCE TOURS – 2023
We are excited to offer 3 wonderful wine tours for spring/summer 2023. Each tour is priced individually, but guests are welcome to purchase multiple tours and join us for the entirety of the trip. We will assist with details on the off-days between excursions for those guests.
All tours include:
• lodging
• breakfast
• wine tasting fees
• some meals
• transportation while in-region
• optional yoga classes
*airfare and transportation to the tour destination is not included
May 23 - May 30: TUSCANY ($2,500/pp) max 20 guests
June 1 - June 7: PIEMONTE ($3,000/pp) max 6 guests
June 10 - June 16: RHÔNE VALLEY ($3,000/pp) max 6 guests
The gentle, rolling hills of Burgundy represent the world’s most important area for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and contain some of the most collectable and expensive wines on the planet. Walk the narrow streets of the Côte de Beaune through the villages of Puligny, Meursault, and Volnay, explore the central town of Beaune, meander through the vineyards of Clos de Vougeot and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and climb the hills of Chablis to taste the breadth of what this remarkable region has to share.
Tour Length: 7 days / 6 nights
Burgundy, France
Loire Valley, France
Home to some of the world’s most famous castles and the place where my international wine experiences began back in 1999, the Loire Valley is a vast and diverse region for wine production. The home of Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, the region holds a dizzying number of producers all straddling the spectacularly beautiful Loire River. We will travel along the Loire, exploring these wines and the delicious foods of the region, and also enjoy visits to some of the famous chateaux along the way.
Tour Length: 7 days / 6 nights
Champagne, France
Nothing says elegance or celebration quite like Champagne. The most important sparkling wine in the world, Champagne is both wine and place. Rolling hills covered in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes, surround the idyllic towns of Epernay, Reims, and Aÿ, which sit above miles of underground caves and cellars where this magical juice matures. Explore the historic domains that have been producing Champagne for centuries as we visit both the big houses and many small grower-producers. This trip will be one long celebration!
Tour Length: 7 days / 6 nights
America’s answer to Burgundy, the Willamette Valley in Oregon, just south of Portland, has been producing world-class Pinot Noir since the 1970s. This spectacular and well-defined area is home to dozens of incredible family-owned wineries and an incredible culinary tradition that must be experienced by any wine lover. We will visit some of my favorite American wineries and enjoy meals designed to highlight the best of the Valley.
Tour Length: 5 days / 4 nights
Willamette Valley, Oregon
FUTURE WINE TOUR PLANS
Wine Tours & Travel
My love for wine and my passion for sharing it comes from my own experiences traveling the world as a classical pianist. As part of these adventures, I have enjoyed countless opportunities to visit with winemakers, their families, and the people in these communities that are integrally connected with the world of wine. I began leading wine tours in Italy for groups of musicians all the way back in 2010 in addition to my own visits to estates on vacations with my wife. Over the years, I have developed close relationships and friendships with many of these producers who open their homes and their cellars to share their stories with my guests. Wine tours with us are not just trips designed to show-off the famous wineries and wines from these regions, but are instead about building relationships and learning the stories of the people and places that make the wine. Yes, we will visit many of these celebrated estates, but more often than not, we will explore producers who bring us into their living room instead of the formal tasting room and stroll through their vineyards with the winemaker instead of a guide. You will leave our tours with a real understanding of the people and places that make this amazing nectar; and plenty of new wines to add to your own cellars!
PRIVATE TOURS
Anyone wishing to arrange a private guided wine tour to any region in the world for a friends’ trip, family vacation, or any other reason, please reach out and contact me directly. Options are available for me to travel with you as a guide, or to help plan the wine tasting portion of your own adventure.
PROPOSED TOURS – 2022-2023
Tours will hopefully resume in 2022, although everything is still in flux due to COVID-19 and travel restrictions. Please click on the “Keep Me Informed Button” to be notified as soon as a tour is officially programmed.
Tour Destinations, 2022-2027
Italy: Tuscany | Piemonte | Sicily | Veneto-Friuli-Slovenia
France: Burgundy | Rhône | Champagne | Loire
Spain: La Rioja / Catalonia / Ribera del Duero
Portugal: Porto / Douro / Alentejo
Germany: Mosel
USA: Oregon / Washington / Napa / Sonoma
Argentina: Mendoza
Tuscany, Italy
My ‘spiritual home’ and the place that began my professional obsession with wine. Our home-base will be the hill town of Cortona (location of the movie Under the Tuscan Sun) about an hour south of Florence. Here, we will travel out to explore wines from Montalcino, Montepulciano, Chianti Classico, the coast in Bolgheri, as well as the incredible wines of Cortona itself. We will also enjoy meals at some of my favorite restaurants, meeting some of my favorite friends who live in Cortona, where I directed a music festival for 12 years.
Tour Length: 7 days / 6 nights
Piemonte, Italy
Northern Italy is home to the King and Queen of Italian Wine, Barolo & Barbaresco. These wines represent some of the most thought-provoking, meditative, and delicious wines in the world. Stay at a charming Bed & Breakfast that is also a tremendous producer of Barolo, and join me as we visit some of the most celebrated producers in the world. Learn the differences between modern and traditional Barolo, the sublime beauty of Barbaresco, and the pure deliciousness of the region’s everyday wines. We will eat like kings and get lost in the gorgeous fog that comes down from the snowcapped Alps which rest on the Northern horizon.
Tour Length: 7 days / 6 nights
Burgundy, France
The gentle, rolling hills of Burgundy represent the world’s most important area for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and contain some of the most collectable and expensive wines on the planet. Walk the narrow streets of the Côte de Beaune through the villages of Puligny, Meursault, and Volnay, explore the central town of Beaune, meander through the vineyards of Clos de Vougeot and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and climb the hills of Chablis to taste the breadth of what this remarkable region has to share.
Tour Length: 7 days / 6 nights
Rhône Valley, France
Along the steep banks of the Rhône River, Syrah and Grenache vines explode with abundance and power. This tour will explore both the Syrah-based wines of the Northern Rhône, and the famous Grenache-based wines of the Southern Rhône. We will stay at a beautiful chef-owned B&B near the famed village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and venture out to explore the towns and taste wines in the cellars of some of France’s most important producers. Enjoy a day off to travel to Avignon or to the coastal city of Marseille, or explore the lavender fields and many beautiful small towns in the region.
Tour Length: 7 days / 6 nights
Loire Valley, France
Home to some of the world’s most famous castles and the place where my international wine experiences began back in 1999, the Loire Valley is a vast and diverse region for wine production. The home of Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, the region holds a dizzying number of producers all straddling the spectacularly beautiful Loire River. We will travel along the Loire, exploring these wines and the delicious foods of the region, and also enjoy visits to some of the famous chateaux along the way.
Tour Length: 7 days / 6 nights
Champagne, France
Nothing says elegance or celebration quite like Champagne. The most important sparkling wine in the world, Champagne is both wine and place. Rolling hills covered in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes, surround the idyllic towns of Epernay, Reims, and Aÿ, which sit above miles of underground caves and cellars where this magical juice matures. Explore the historic domains that have been producing Champagne for centuries as we visit both the big houses and many small grower-producers. This trip will be one long celebration!
Tour Length: 7 days / 6 nights
Willamette Valley, Oregon
America’s answer to Burgundy, the Willamette Valley in Oregon, just south of Portland, has been producing world-class Pinot Noir since the 1970s. This spectacular and well-defined area is home to dozens of incredible family-owned wineries and an incredible culinary tradition that must be experienced by any wine lover. We will visit some of my favorite American wineries and enjoy meals designed to highlight the best of the Valley.
Tour Length: 5 days / 4 nights