Best Group Trips for Wine Loving Solo Travelers in Their 30s
- FTLO Team
- 5 days ago
- 15 min read
13 Best Group Trips for Wine Lovers
There’s something pretty great about traveling for the wine.
Maybe your ideal afternoon is a long lunch in the Italian countryside with a local bottle on the table. Maybe you love discovering a grape you’ve never heard of and bringing the story home with you. Or maybe you’re happiest after a full day of exploring, when you can sit down with your new travel crew, order a glass of something local, and toast to everything you just saw.
If that sounds like your kind of trip, you’re in the right place.
You don’t have to be a wine expert to build a trip around great wine. You just need to be the kind of traveler who appreciates good food, beautiful places, and the experience of discovering what makes a destination unique. And if you’re in your 30s and waiting for friends to finally coordinate their vacation days, a small group trip makes it easy to go anyway. You’ll travel solo, but you’ll have a crew to share the best bottles, meals, and moments with along the way.
We pulled together 13 FTLO trips for wine-loving travelers, from classic wine regions like Bordeaux and Tuscany to under-the-radar destinations where the local pour might be something you’ve never tasted before. Some trips put wine front and center. Others pair it with hiking, island-hopping, food, culture, or a serious dose of bucket-list scenery.
So grab a glass and find the trip that sounds most like you.
TLDR: Which FTLO Trip Is Right for Your Kind of Wine Lover?
You want classic wine country: French Wine Country, Tuscany & Rome, or Barcelona & South of France
You want wine paired with big scenery: South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, or Patagonia: Chile & Argentina
You love discovering something new: Slovenia, Croatia, Sardinia, or Budapest, Vienna & Prague
You want wine as part of a bigger food-and-culture trip: Amalfi Coast & Puglia, Sevilla & Mallorca, or Greek Islands
You want a trip where wine is part of the adventure, not the whole itinerary: New Zealand, Argentina, or Patagonia: Chile & Argentina
Group Trips for Wine Lovers – Which is Right For You?
Trip | Best For | Vibe | Wine Activity Highlights | Region Wine Highlights | Wine Scene |
French Wine Country | Purists who want the wine to be the main character | Slow, indulgent, food-forward | Bordeaux food and wine walking tour, wine bar tasting with cheese and charcuterie, private château tour and tasting with vineyard walk | Cabernet Sauvignon-driven Left Bank blends, Merlot-driven Right Bank blends | Classic |
Tuscany & Rome | Travelers who want wine paired with truffle hunting and long Italian lunches | Rustic, warm, countryside | Truffle hunt followed by a Chianti tasting with the winemaker | Chianti, Sangiovese-based reds with cherry and herb notes | Classic |
Barcelona & South of France | People who love bubbles and coastal charm | Social, sunny, laid-back | Day trip to Penedès, historic cava estate tour, guided tastings, countryside lunch | Cava (Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada) | Classic |
South Africa | Bold red lovers who also want safari-adjacent scenery | Adventurous, scenic, social | Wine tasting in Stellenbosch, South Africa’s top wine region | Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Chenin Blanc | Classic |
Sardinia | Travelers who want wine most people back home have never tried | Coastal, laid-back, food-driven | Countryside winery visit paired with cheese and cured meats | Cannonau (Grenache) and Vermentino | Off the beaten path |
Croatia | Adventurous drinkers who like a story behind the bottle | Coastal, social, easygoing | Family-owned Dalmatian vineyard tour and tasting | Plavac Mali (a Zinfandel relative) and Pošip | Off the beaten path |
Slovenia | Curious drinkers who want the most under-the-radar pour on this list | Quiet, scenic, hidden-gem | Tasting in Slovenia’s Vipava wine country | Rebula, a crisp, aromatic white found almost nowhere outside Slovenia | Hidden gem |
Budapest, Vienna & Prague | City-hoppers who want a wine surprise between capitals | Historic, social, fast-paced | Tasting at a family-run estate in Hungary’s Etyek-Buda region | Crisp whites, Hungary’s sparkling wine heartland | Hidden gem |
Amalfi Coast & Puglia | Travelers who want wine as part of a bigger coastal food story | Scenic, romantic, food-forward | Traditional Capri lunch with wine and olive oil tasting | Campania whites like Falanghina, reds like Piedirosso | Off the beaten path |
Sevilla & Mallorca | Andalusia lovers who want a mountain-town wine surprise | Dramatic, cultural, varied | Cliffside winery tasting near Ronda | Ronda’s cool-climate reds and whites, including Tempranillo and Petit Verdot | Off the beaten path |
Greek Islands | Island-hopping wine lovers who want whites that pair with seafood | Breezy, social, sun-soaked | Family-run vineyard tasting with a light lunch on Milos | Cycladic indigenous varietals grown on Milos’ volcanic soil | Off the beaten path |
New Zealand | Pinot Noir devotees who want their wine paired with dramatic, big-adventure scenery | Scenic, active, refined | Winery lunch and tasting in Gibbston Valley, Otago | Central Otago Pinot Noir | Balance Picks |
Argentina | Bucket-list chasers who want Andes views with their Malbec | Big-landscape, food-and-wine-forward | Welcome dinner wine tasting, four-course vineyard lunch in the northwest | Calchaquí Valley high-altitude Malbec and Torrontés | Balance Picks |
Patagonia: Chile & Argentina (Coming soon!) | Travelers who want glaciers by day, wine by night | Epic, remote, comfort-meets-adventure | Historic Chilean vineyard tour, multi-course Argentine wine and dinner pairing | Colchagua Valley’s signature reds, alongside Argentine Malbec | Balance Picks |
The Classics: For Travelers Who Love a Great Bottle and the Story Behind It
There’s a reason certain wine regions have become legends. Bordeaux, Tuscany, and Penedès have spent generations shaping the way the world thinks about wine, and visiting them gives you a chance to experience that history in a much more personal way.
These trips are a great fit if you love the classics, but don’t want your entire vacation to feel like a formal wine tour. You’ll taste local wines, learn the stories behind them, and have plenty of time to enjoy the food, culture, scenery, and people that make each destination special.
French Wine Country
If you’re the kind of wine lover who wants to see where some of the world's most recognizable bottles come from, Bordeaux is a pretty incredible place to start.
The region is divided by the Gironde estuary, with very different wine styles developing on either side. The Left Bank is known for Cabernet Sauvignon-driven blends, while the Right Bank leans more heavily on Merlot. The result is an entire region where the landscape, soil, grape varieties, and centuries of winemaking tradition all show up in the glass.
On this trip, wine is woven into the experience from the beginning. You’ll explore Bordeaux’s Old Town on a guided food and wine walking tour, settle into a local wine bar for an evening tasting with cheese, charcuterie, and chocolate, then head into the countryside for a private château visit.
The château experience is the real highlight for wine lovers. You’ll walk through the vineyards, learn more about the family behind the estate, and sit down for an unhurried lunch paired with the wines you just saw being made. It’s the kind of experience that makes the bottle on your table feel a whole lot more meaningful.
Tuscany & Rome
If your version of a perfect Italian day involves wandering through the countryside, eating something delicious, and opening a bottle of Chianti before lunch is over, this one is for you.
Chianti is closely tied to Sangiovese, a grape known for bright red fruit, dried herbs, and lively acidity. It also happens to be an excellent match for the food Tuscany does so well, which makes wine feel less like a tasting activity here and more like part of everyday life.
One of our favorite moments for wine lovers comes after a morning of truffle hunting. You’ll head out with truffle-sniffing dogs, then sit down to a meal built around the truffles you just found while a local winemaker introduces you to the latest Chianti harvest.
It’s food, wine, countryside, and a very good excuse to spend a long lunch getting to know your travel crew.
Barcelona & South of France
If bubbles are your love language, put this one near the top of your list.
Just outside Barcelona, Penedès is the heart of Spain’s cava country. Cava is made using the traditional method, the same secondary fermentation process used for Champagne, but with distinctly Catalan grapes including Xarel-lo, Macabeo, and Parellada.
Our day in Penedès is less about memorizing tasting notes and more about experiencing the place behind the bottle. You’ll visit a family-owned, sustainably minded winery, enjoy a countryside lunch, and taste your way through crisp whites and sparkling cavas while learning about the people and traditions behind them.
It’s a particularly good fit if you love wine but also want a trip with plenty of coastal scenery, great food, and time to enjoy the destination beyond the tasting room.
South Africa
For the traveler who thinks a great glass of wine is even better with a mountain view, South Africa brings a pretty compelling combination.
Stellenbosch is one of the country’s most celebrated wine regions, known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, and Chenin Blanc. The surrounding mountains and cooling ocean breezes create an ideal setting for vineyards, while the region’s food and hospitality make wine feel like part of a much bigger experience.
You’ll visit Stellenbosch for wine tasting alongside mountain scenery and farm-to-table meals, giving you a chance to experience South Africa’s wine culture without spending the entire trip in vineyards.
This is a great match for travelers who want their wine trip to come with a little more variety, too. Think wine one day, exploring the country the next, with plenty of opportunities to share the experience with your group along the way.
Off the Beaten Path: For Curious Travelers Who Love Finding the Next Favorite
There’s a special satisfaction in discovering a wine before everyone else is talking about it.
If you’re more likely to ask your sommelier, “What’s something I probably haven’t tried?” than order your usual bottle, these trips are worth a look. They’re for curious travelers who want to go beyond the names they already know and connect wine with the places, people, and traditions behind it.
And honestly, you don’t have to be a wine nerd to enjoy them. You just have to like trying something new.
Sardinia
Sardinia is a great reminder that some of the most memorable wine experiences happen far away from the usual wine-country circuit.
The island is known for Cannonau, a grape genetically identical to Grenache, which produces bold reds with ripe berry and Mediterranean herb notes. Vermentino is the star white, bringing bright citrus and refreshing acidity to the table.
You’ll visit a countryside winery and pair local wines with regional cheeses and cured meats, giving you a chance to taste the island through more than just its vineyards.
This one is especially well suited to travelers who love food and wine but also want the relaxed rhythm of a Mediterranean escape.
Croatia
If you like a good bottle even more when there’s a story behind it, Croatia is calling.
Dalmatia is home to distinctive local grapes including Plavac Mali, a rich red with a genetic connection to Zinfandel, and Pošip, a crisp, aromatic white that thrives along the Croatian coast and islands.
You’ll visit a family-owned Dalmatian vineyard, walk through the vines, and settle in for a tasting surrounded by the people you’ve been traveling with. It’s a simple experience, but that’s part of the appeal. You’re not just checking “wine tasting” off an itinerary. You’re getting a glimpse into a local wine tradition while enjoying the coastline that brought you there in the first place.
Slovenia
For the traveler who loves finding the place their friends haven’t heard about yet, Slovenia is a particularly fun one.
The Vipava Valley is home to Rebula, an ancient white grape known for its natural acidity and subtle minerality. It’s also a grape you’re far more likely to encounter while traveling through Slovenia than sitting on a wine list back home.
After exploring Bled, you’ll head into Slovenia’s wine country for a tasting surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards. The experience feels intimate and local, which is exactly what makes it memorable.
If your ideal travel story starts with, “I found this incredible wine in Slovenia that I had never even heard of before...” you’ll probably want this trip on your list.
Budapest, Vienna & Prague
Three European capitals already make for a pretty great trip. Adding a wine-country detour makes it even better.
Just outside Budapest, the Etyek-Buda region is known for crisp whites and traditional-method sparkling wines. Its cooler climate and limestone-rich soils give the wines a fresh, mineral character that makes them a fun contrast to the bigger wine regions elsewhere in Europe.
In between exploring Budapest, Vienna, and Prague, you’ll make time for a tasting at a family-run estate in the Hungarian countryside.
It’s a great fit for travelers who want a little bit of everything: major cities, local experiences, good food, and a few glasses of wine you probably won’t find on every wine list back home.
Amalfi Coast & Puglia
For some travelers, wine is the reason for the trip. For others, it’s one of the best parts of a much bigger food-and-culture experience.
Amalfi Coast & Puglia falls into the second camp.
Campania is home to local grapes like Falanghina and Piedirosso, with roots stretching back through the region’s long winemaking history. Falanghina produces bright, floral whites, while Piedirosso makes lighter, fruit-forward reds that pair beautifully with the food and seafood you’ll find along the coast.
Your wine experience comes together over a traditional Capri lunch, where a three-course tasting menu showcases fresh ingredients from an organic garden alongside local wine.
If you’re the kind of traveler who plans a vacation around food, scenery, culture, and a very good bottle to go with it, this is your kind of trip.
Sevilla & Mallorca
If you like your wine with a side of dramatic scenery, Ronda is going to be memorable.
The mountain town sits more than 700 meters above sea level, and its elevation and cool nights have helped turn the surrounding Serranía de Ronda into a small but respected wine region. Local producers work with grapes including Tempranillo, Petit Verdot, and Syrah for reds, along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for whites.
You’ll have time to explore Ronda before visiting a local winery for a tasting overlooking the surrounding landscape.
It’s an unexpected wine stop tucked into a trip that is much bigger than wine, making it a great choice for travelers who want culture, coastal scenery, and a few surprises along the way.
Greek Islands
If your ideal wine pairing is seafood, sunshine, and a view of the Aegean, this one is an easy choice.
Milos is home to a family-run winery growing indigenous Cycladic grapes including Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Mandilaria, and Mavrotragano. The island’s volcanic soil gives the wines a distinct mineral character, while the tiny local production means you’re unlikely to encounter many of these bottles outside the region.
You’ll visit the island’s only vineyard as part of a morning centered around local food and farming, tasting wines alongside goods grown and produced right on Milos.
It’s the kind of experience wine-loving travelers appreciate because it feels genuinely connected to the destination. You’re tasting something that belongs to the island, in the company of people who are getting to know it alongside you.
Balance Picks: For Bucket-List Travelers Who Want Great Wine Along the Way
Maybe you don’t want a wine vacation.
Maybe you want to see New Zealand, explore Patagonia, or finally stand beneath the Andes, and you just happen to believe every great day of travel should end with a good glass of wine.
We get it.
These trips pair standout wine experiences with the kind of scenery and adventures that make a destination worth the flight. They’re especially good for travelers who want a little more variety and don’t want their entire itinerary centered around vineyards.
New Zealand
If you’ve been dreaming about New Zealand, adding Central Otago Pinot Noir to the itinerary is a pretty excellent bonus.
Central Otago is the world’s southernmost wine region and is particularly known for Pinot Noir. The region’s dramatic temperature swings help create wines with concentrated fruit and elegant structure, while the surrounding landscape makes the setting almost as memorable as what’s in your glass.
You’ll visit Gibbston Valley for a winery lunch and tasting, surrounded by the mountains and scenery that make this part of New Zealand so special.
The best part? Wine is just one piece of the trip. You’ll also have Queenstown’s outdoor adventures, dramatic landscapes, and plenty of time to experience one of the world’s great adventure destinations with your new travel crew.
Argentina
For travelers who want their wine with an Andes backdrop, Argentina is hard to beat.
The Calchaquí Valley is one of the world’s highest wine regions, with vineyards reaching more than 3,000 meters in elevation. The combination of intense sunshine and cool nights creates distinctive high-altitude Malbec, while Torrontés brings a fragrant, floral counterpoint.
Wine is part of the trip from the start, with a welcome dinner featuring regional varietals and a four-course vineyard lunch later in the journey.
But the real appeal is the combination. You get the wine, the food, the mountains, and the feeling of being somewhere completely different from home, all in one trip.
Patagonia: Chile & Argentina (Coming Soon)
Some trips make you choose between adventure and indulgence. Patagonia doesn’t really ask you to.
You can spend the day surrounded by glaciers and dramatic landscapes, then sit down to a full-bodied red and a long dinner afterward. On the Chilean side, Colchagua Valley is known for rich, signature reds. Across the Andes, Argentine Malbec brings another perspective to South America’s wine culture.
The trip pairs those wine experiences with some seriously memorable scenery, including a visit to one of Chile’s oldest wineries, a guided tasting, and a multi-course Argentine dinner and wine pairing.
For wine lovers, it’s the best of both worlds: a bucket-list adventure during the day and a great bottle waiting for you when you sit down at the end of it.
FAQ
What is the best FTLO trip for wine lovers?
If wine is one of the main reasons you travel, French Wine Country is the natural place to start. The trip puts Bordeaux front and center, with food and wine experiences in the city, a local wine bar tasting, and a private château visit and tasting in the countryside.
If you want wine to be part of a bigger travel experience, Tuscany & Rome, Barcelona & South of France, Argentina, and New Zealand are great alternatives. Each pairs memorable wine experiences with food, culture, scenery, and plenty of time to explore beyond the tasting room.
What are the best wine trips for solo travelers in their 30s?
The best wine trip depends on what kind of traveler you are. If you want to make wine a central part of the experience, French Wine Country is a great fit. If you’d rather combine wine with food and culture, look at Tuscany & Rome or Amalfi Coast & Puglia. And if you love adventure just as much as you love a good bottle, New Zealand, Argentina, or Patagonia: Chile & Argentina bring the wine alongside some seriously memorable scenery.
The nice thing about a small group trip is that you don’t have to wait for your friends to become available at the same time. You can join solo and still have a group to share the meals, tastings, and travel stories with.
What is the best group trip for wine tasting in Europe?
For classic wine regions, French Wine Country, Tuscany & Rome, and Barcelona & South of France are some of the strongest picks. You’ll get to experience Bordeaux, Chianti, and Penedès firsthand, with local tastings and food experiences built into the trip.
If you’d rather discover a wine region that feels a little less expected, Slovenia, Croatia, and Sardinia are worth a look. These trips introduce you to distinctive local grapes and smaller wine regions while giving you plenty of time to experience the destination beyond the vineyard.
What are the best off-the-beaten-path wine destinations for solo travelers?
If discovering a wine you’ve never tried before sounds like a good vacation to you, start with Slovenia. The Vipava Valley is known for Rebula, an aromatic white that most travelers are unlikely to encounter outside the region.
Croatia and Sardinia are also great choices for curious wine lovers. Both have distinctive local wine cultures, regional grapes, and plenty of food and scenery to make the trip about much more than what’s in your glass.
Can I take a wine-focused group trip if I’m not a wine expert?
Absolutely. You don’t need to know your Bordeaux from your Barolo to enjoy these trips.
Our wine experiences are about discovering the destination, trying something new, and learning a little along the way. You might leave knowing exactly which grape you want to order next time, or you might simply leave with a favorite bottle and a great story about where you drank it.
Either way, you’re welcome at the table.
Which FTLO trips combine wine with food?
A lot of them, because wine and food tend to make pretty good travel companions.
Tuscany & Rome pairs Chianti with a truffle-hunting experience and a meal built around your morning’s finds. French Wine Country brings Bordeaux together with cheese, charcuterie, chocolate, and a long countryside lunch. Barcelona & South of France includes a winery visit and countryside lunch in Penedès, while Sardinia and Amalfi Coast & Puglia bring local wines together with regional cheeses, cured meats, fresh produce, and traditional meals.
If you’re the kind of traveler who plans the day around where you’re going to eat, there are plenty of trips here for you.
Is there a group trip that combines wine tasting with big bucket-list adventure?
Yes, and this is where New Zealand, Argentina, and Patagonia: Chile & Argentina really shine.
New Zealand pairs Central Otago Pinot Noir with Queenstown’s dramatic scenery and outdoor adventures. Argentina brings high-altitude Malbec and Torrontés together with Andean landscapes and vineyard dining. And the upcoming Patagonia trip combines Chilean and Argentine wines with glaciers, dramatic landscapes, and the kind of scenery you’ll be talking about long after the trip.
These are a good fit if you don’t want your vacation to be entirely about wine, but you definitely want a great bottle waiting at the end of an adventure-filled day.
What wine region is South Africa known for?
Stellenbosch is South Africa’s most celebrated wine region and is particularly known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, and Chenin Blanc.
It’s also a great destination for travelers who want more than a traditional wine-country experience. The vineyards are surrounded by mountains, and wine tasting can easily become part of a bigger South African itinerary filled with food, scenery, and exploration.
What wine is New Zealand best known for?
New Zealand is especially known for Sauvignon Blanc, while Central Otago is particularly famous for Pinot Noir. On the FTLO New Zealand trip, you’ll visit Gibbston Valley in Central Otago for a winery lunch and tasting, surrounded by the dramatic landscapes of the South Island.
It’s a great example of why wine travel doesn’t have to mean spending your entire vacation in vineyards. You get to experience the wine, then get back out and explore everything else New Zealand has to offer.
