Wind your way through Mediterranean vineyards, Michelin-starred restaurants, and art galleries on the Topper’s Mountain Wines Mediterranean Wine Tour.
October 16th to 31st 2025
Explore the rich wine cultures of Italy, Spain and Portugal, focusing on grape varieties being celebrated in Australia by ground-breaking wineries like Topper’s Mountain Wines.
This elevated experience of food, wine and good company includes;
+ many meals in Michelin-starred restaurants
+ some dinners where we compare local wines with the same varieties from Topper’s Mountain.
+ accommodation often in charming & historic hotels & inns
+ many private vineyard & winery visits including meeting the winemakers
+ one of the worlds’ great train journeys along the Douro River to Oporto in Portugal
+ visits to the Prado Museum in Madrid & the Guggenheim in Bilbao
Download the draft itinerary here. This itinerary will be firmed up once we confirm numbers but it won’t change much from this one.There is a A$500 refundable deposit required to secure your membership of this exclusive tour while we firm up the numbers – that is a maximum of sixteen people. Please contact Mark via email here to register your interest or for more information.
Topper’s Mountain Wines has established its enviable reputation treading the lesser-travelled road – making wine from emerging grape varieties, whose home range is mostly from south of the European Alps/Pyrenees.
“These varieties suit the climate here at Topper’s Mountain better than those north of the Alps. It’s the same case for many Australian wine regions”, Vigneron Mark Kirkby says.
“Mr J Busby brought many French varieties to Australia in 1833. These grape varieties become the backbone of Australian wine. But they’re not necessarily the varieties best suited to our Australian terroir”, Mark says.
The goal of the tour is to help imagine what Australian vineyards might be like now, if James Busby had imported varieties from south of the European Alps/Pyrenees.
Portuguese tile image of Douro Valley at Pinhao Railway Station
“We’d be seeing a lot less Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and a lot more interesting varieties like Nebbiolo, Touriga Nacional & Verdejo. It is these unique varieties that we love here at Topper’s Mountain’, Stephanie says.
These regions are fantastically picturesque, mostly off the beaten track in terms of wine tourism, and great fun to visit.
Guest will be accompanied on the Tour by Topper’s Mountain founders, Stephanie and Mark Kirkby. The pair will provide context and insight into their approach to alternate variety viticulture and wines in comparison to the European experience. The Tour will have a maximum of sixteen members excluding the Kirkby’s & 2-3 other staff.
Relax into sweeping Mediterranean landscapes, sip unique drops and chat about Australian and European viticulture.
I look forward to hearing from you food & wine buffs out there!
