The era of “been there, done that” wine travel is over.

Hinsdale Cellars, the essential online lifestyle destination for the wine inspired, is unveiling Inspired Travel, the premium concierge program dedicated to connoisseurs who cherish private immersion into the beauty and splendor of the world’s yet unspoiled wine destinations. One such destination: Tuscany.

Inspired Travel leaves nary a detail unattended, delivering seamless experiences for exacting individuals. Inspired Travel shares their pursuit of the ultimate “luxury trinity” — great wine, great food, great places.

“In August we completed a one-week site visit through Tuscany, staying in a lovely villa amid the vineyards of Montalcino,” said HinsdaleCellars.com managing director Steve Woodward. “We found a largely unspoiled, unhurried environment. We met friendly vintners and restaurant staff. Indeed, there may be no better setting in which to savor premium red wine and authentic food.”

The region is not only attracting connoisseurs. It is captivating young winemakers such as Giacomo Neri, who has elevated the family owned Casanova di Neri in recent years, and Switzerland native Barbara Kronenberg-Widmer, who is leading the rise of La Brancaia, a top producer of Super Tuscan red wine blends.

While blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese produce complex and elegant releases, the wines made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, known to generations of Italians as Brunellos, are still king.

Wine Spectator senior editor James Suckling not only respects Tuscany and its Brunello di Montalcino vineyards, he lives in the region.

“If you want to understand what great Italian wine is all about, buy a bottle of Brunello,” Suckling writes in the magazine’s July 31 edition that showcases Brunello. “And over the past decade, no other Italian region (with the possible exception of Barolo) has enjoyed so many outstanding vintages and made so many beautiful wines.”

Specific details about Inspired Travel: Tuscany 2008 are posted at HinsdaleCellars.com.

The mission in formulating Inspired Travel’s exclusive packages will be to deliver exclusive access to people and places, and seamless organization to protect our clients from typical inconveniences of travel. The nine-day Tuscany 2008 tour, which will be scheduled in mid-May of next year, features continuous luxury ground transportation, private winery tours, winemaker consultations, sightseeing diversions in nearby Florence and Siena, and rejuvenating accommodations within the five-star walls of a charming boutique inn.

A dining highlight of the tour is the scheduled cooking demonstration and private dinner in the Tuscan villa of esteemed Chef Seamus de Pentheny O’Kelly, who has been perfecting his culinary skills in Tuscany for more than 25 years.

Inspired Travel is committed to travel experiences emphasizing small groups (8-12 clients); pre-arranged, total-access tours; connoisseur-level wine tasting; gourmet dining; accommodations offering relaxed elegance; and the freedom to add activities or build personal itineraries to nearby points of interest beforehand or afterward.

To be certain of a precisely executed experience in Tuscany, Inspired Travel partnered with World Group Travel, Inc., to combine our vision for inspired travel — no crowds, no excuses, no compromises — with WGT’s 34-year reputation for providing five-star concierge service  for discerning globetrotters.

“Our promise to our clients is clearly stated,” Woodward said. “No one will come away from one of our wine travel experiences without immediately asking, ‘Where are you taking us next?’”

The November 2007 edition of Robb Report showcases the magazine’s Top 100 Vintners, focusing exclusively on “vintners who have consistently turned out wines of the first rank for at least a decade.”

Written by Brett Anderson, the Robb 100 is not a numerically ranked list (unlike Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100). In his lead-in, Anderson indicates the magazine “structured (the) list to ensure a measure of geographic balance.” So the honored vintners are divided by country and then, where applicable, by regions or appellations, under which they appear alphabetically. A few choices we found of interest are detailed here.

Spain: “Some of the world’s best wines now come from Spain … (and) from innovative young winemakers in emerging regions,” Anderson writes. He notes Bodegas Artadi as an example. Winemaker Juan Carlos Lopez, the author writes, ”has raised the area’s traditional grape, Tempranillo, to the level of a fine Bordeaux.” (Note: Artadi’s Vinas De Gain 2005 Rioja scored 94 points with Wine Advocate and is a staggering value at $30 per bottle).

California/Napa Valley: Not many surprises here (including Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle and Shafer). Two that fall just outside Robb’s requirement of performing at the highest levels for at least a decade are Colgin Cellars (1992) and Lokoya (1995). Releases of recent years worthy of acclaim include Colgin’s 2000 Cariad Proprietary Red blend ($339), and Lokoya’s 2004 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon ($164). The Colgin Cariad is made almost entirely of grapes sourced from the Madrona Ranch Vineyard of vintner David Abreu, who also rates among Robb Report’s Top 100.

California/Sonoma County: Only six made the cut from this region, including Peter Michael Winery and Verite. Peter Michael has been a powerhouse in recent years. Critics particularly rave about the Bordeaux-style ‘Les Pavots’. The 150-case, 2004 ‘Les Pavots’ from Sonoma’s Knights Valley ($175) was labeled simply “stunning” by Robert Parker Jr. Verite, founded by Frenchman Pierre Seillan in 1997, is known for three red blends, including a 2000 La Joie ($159) that is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Oregon: Anderson lists only three Pinot Noir makers from the state. Among them is Archery Summit, founded by Napa Valley vintner Gary Andrus (Pine Ridge). “Always richly layered,” he writes. One to add to the cellar is the 2004 Arcus Estate Pinot Noir from the Dundee Hills appellation ($90).

  

An impromptu wine tasting among friends last weekend escalated into a premium Cabernet Sauvignon summit. We started with a 2002 Gemstone (76% Cabernet) that is thriving only two years after being cellared. (The 2004, just released, is 91% Cab). The ‘02 is a beautifully balanced Yountville release, the essence of meticulous California winemaking. Then we turned our attention to the increasingly celebrated 2004 vintage.

Next on the roster, the 2004 Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer To Kalon Oakville Cab ($249/btl). This is a 537-case production destined to be a collector’s classic. It upholds all of the hype surrounding Napa’s 2004 vintage. Our assembled experts, including two devout collectors, were blown away by the Hobbs. The consensus is that this is an even juicier wine than the juicy 2002s. It presents an enormous burst of black fruit on the front end, bathing the palate in those signature Beckstoffer vineyard flavors.   

This is a huge wine that will surely settle down and mature to become even more memorable. Hobbs delivers a cab with “old world” character and balance. As it opened up, licorice and chocolate notes emerged. One of our tasters, a formidable collector, predicts this 2004 will still be improving in 20 years. Not  surprisingly, Robert Parker Jr. referenced “purity as well as nobility” in his review, which assigned 95 points.

Still reeling from the Hobbs experience, the group turned its attention to another ‘04 Cabernet that many positioned as a candidate for Wine of the Year — the Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Reserve ($124/btl). This an 8,600-case production, born principally of Oakville appellation fruit (53% from the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard). The Mondavi was an eye-opener. It was judged by the group to be “not as over the top” as the Hobbs. We experienced balance from front to back comprised of blackberry, plum, cassis and tobacco leaf. There is the suggestion of light milk chocolate on the finish.

Now we understand why Wine Spectator’s James Laube scored the 2004 Mondavi Reserve 95 points and listed it among his “recommended” in the magazine’s annual California Cabernet issue. And, on November 12, Wine Spectator unveiled the Mondavi Reserve at No. 9 in its 2007 Top 100 ranking.