Wine Lovers Travel

What Wine Lovers Travel does

Wine Lovers Travel is a Camarillo, California-based private tour operator founded in 2019 that designs and hosts small-group wine-focused travel experiences. The company's core product is curated land-based wine tours and luxury wine-themed cruises, with group sizes ranging from 1 to 125 guests but typically 6–25, and per-guest pricing of $5,500 to $17,295. It serves two primary customer segments: individual wine enthusiasts reached directly through its website and email list of 1,000+ subscribers (open rate 52.58%), and winery wine-club members booked through B2B2C partnerships with named wineries including Brian Carter Cellars, Caliza Winery, Robert Biale Vineyards, Harmony Cellars, Dragonette Cellars, Dracaena Wines, and Copia Vineyards, as well as a partnership with Emerald Cruises for yacht charter inventory.

The business runs on a relatively standard technology stack centered on the WeTravel booking and payment platform, with no proprietary software, no patents, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. It maintains a small operating team (1–10 employees including CEO Gail Sherman and two reservation specialists) and holds industry credentials such as WSET Level 2 Certified, Aussie Specialist Premier status, ASTA membership, and CLIA membership that support credibility with both winery partners and high-ticket travelers. The forward catalog lists 21 trips spanning European, South American, and Oceania wine regions across 2026–2027.

The revenue model is straightforward tour sales: per-guest trip fees collected via WeTravel, with supplier costs paid to wineries, hotels, and cruise operators. No external funding has been disclosed, and the company is privately held at small scale. Geographic expansion into Oceania and a growing list of named winery and cruise partners are the primary forward growth drivers, alongside continued catalog depth and direct-marketing list growth.

Name

Wine Lovers Travel

Legal name

Wine Lovers Travel

Website

https://wineloverstravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wine Lovers Travel is a Camarillo, California-based boutique tour operator founded in 2019 that designs small-group wine tours and luxury wine-themed cruises across Europe, South America, and Oceania, serving individual wine enthusiasts and winery wine-club members through direct and B2B2C channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Tourism Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

akta.pro primary industry

Culinary & Wine Travel Agencies (THAKAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Culinary & Wine Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAJ), Luxury Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Cruise + Culinary/Wine Stay Packages (THAEAHAM)

Keywords

• Wine tourism services
• Small group tours
• Luxury wine cruises
• Winery travel experiences
• Curated wine trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Camarillo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tour and Cruise Sales: Wine Lovers Travel generates revenue by selling curated small-group wine tours and luxury wine cruises to consumers. Tours range from $5,500 to $17,295 per person depending on destination, duration, and accommodation level. The company acts as a tour operator, curating experiences and partnering with cruise lines and wineries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wine Lovers Travel designs and hosts small-group wine-focused trips and luxury cruises to world-renowned wine regions across Europe, South America, and Oceania. Each itinerary combines curated winery visits, sommelier-led tastings, gourmet dining, and luxury boutique accommodations with concierge support. The company also operates a Trade Program enabling wineries to host branded travel experiences for their wine club members.

Product overview

Wine Lovers Travel operates a curated portfolio of small-group wine tours and luxury wine cruises. The core offerings include land-based wine tours across major wine regions (France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand) and yacht/cruise experiences (Croatia, Mediterranean). Each product is a distinct branded tour featuring specific destinations, winery partnerships, and themed experiences. The company also provides a Trade Program for wineries to host trips for their wine club members. All tours share common elements: small group sizes, luxury accommodations, exclusive winery access, sommelier guides, and curated gourmet dining.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Epitome of Croatia: Gourmet Stars & Vineyard Trails 8-day/7-night luxury yacht cruise along Croatia's Dalmatian coast with wine tastings at local wineries.
• Mosaics & Wines of Sicily Hosted by Kate Kerrigan Mosaics 10-day/9-night curated Sicily tour combining mosaic workshops with exclusive wine estate tastings and boutique hotel stays.
• Brian Carter's Journey Down Under 14-day/13-night Australian wine tour covering Adelaide, Coonawarra, Melbourne, and Tasmania with private vineyard tastings and Great Ocean Road experiences.
• Chile & Patagonia: From Vine to Glacier 10-day/9-night journey through Chile and Patagonia from Santiago to Torres del Paine featuring luxury accommodations and top Chilean wineries.
• Across the Andes Wine Experience with Copia Vineyards 10-day/9-night cross-border wine experience visiting Mendoza, Argentina and Santiago, Chile with luxury resort stays.
• Loire Valley Wine & Château Experience Hosted by Dracaena Wines 6-day/5-night Loire Valley experience in France featuring château visits, organic winery tastings, and troglodyte cellar experiences.
• Dragonette Cellars Croatia to Italy Yacht Cruise on Emerald Kaia 10-day/9-night yacht cruise from Dubrovnik to Rome aboard Emerald Kaia, visiting Croatia, Greece, and Italy with Dragonette wine pairings.
• Piedmont Food and Wine Tour 6-day/5-night Italian wine tour featuring Barolo and Barbaresco tastings, truffle hunting, and cooking classes in Piedmont.
• Biale: Adriatic Croatia & Beyond with Robert Biale Vineyards 8-day/7-night Adriatic cruise from Dubrovnik to Venice aboard Emerald Cruises' Kaia featuring Robert Biale Vineyards wine selections.
• Italy & Switzerland hosted by Harmony Cellars 10-day/9-night tour through Switzerland and Italy featuring Lake Geneva wineries, Bernina Express, Lake Garda, and Borromean Islands.
• Gourmet Delights of Northern Spain with Debbie Thomas 10-day/9-night culinary and wine tour of Northern Spain covering Madrid, Rioja, Bilbao, and San Sebastian with Michelin-starred dining.
• Winery Wine Club Hosted Trip Program (Trade Program) Program enabling wineries to host branded wine travel experiences for their wine club members, with Wine Lovers Travel handling end-to-end logistics including hotels, winery tours, dining, and local programming.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brian Carter CellarscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrian Carter Cellars hosted a wine club trip to northern Spain in spring 2022. Wine Lovers Travel organized the entire experience including hotels, winery tours, and local highlights. Positive feedback from participants led to continued partnership.
• Caliza WinerycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCaliza Winery hosted a Wines of the Rhône trip with Wine Lovers Travel. The trip featured luxury accommodations at Hotel Dieu in Lyon, exclusive Rhône Valley winery tours with sommelier Kelly McAuliffe, and gastronomic experiences.
• Robert Biale VineyardscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRobert Biale Vineyards chartered Emerald Cruises' Kaia yacht for an Adriatic cruise from Dubrovnik to Venice. Wendy and Bob Biale hosted the trip featuring exclusive Biale wines onboard plus shore excursions.
• Harmony CellarscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHarmony Cellars (Kim and Chuck) hosted a 10-day Italy & Switzerland trip from May 5-14, 2026. The trip featured lakes, villages, wine tastings, and authentic flavors across Switzerland and Italy.
• Dragonette CellarscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJohn and Mitchi Dragonette of Dragonette Cellars hosted a 10-day sailing from Dubrovnik to Rome on Emerald Kaia yacht. The trip combined Croatian coastline, Greek Isles, and Italian destinations.
• Dracaena WinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDracaena Wines hosted a Loire Valley Wine & Château Experience from April 19-24, 2027. The 6-day trip featured iconic châteaux, winery visits, and regional cuisine in France's Loire Valley.
• Copia Vineyards and WinerycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCopia Vineyards and Winery hosted 'Across the Andes Wine Experience' from March 18-27, 2027. The 10-day trip covered Mendoza, Argentina and Santiago, Chile wine regions.
• Kate Kerrigan MosaicscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKate Kerrigan hosted a Mosaics & Wines of Sicily tour from October 19-28, 2026. The 10-day trip combined mosaic workshops with wine tasting experiences across Sicily.
• Emerald CruisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWine Lovers Travel charters Emerald Cruises vessels (MS Antaris, Emerald Kaia) for exclusive wine-themed yacht cruises. Emerald provides the vessel, crew, and shore excursion management while Wine Lovers Travel provides wine-focused programming and sommelier expertise.
• WeTravelcoreTechnology or IntegrationWeTravel provides the booking platform technology powering Wine Lovers Travel's trip reservations and checkout process. Live trip data is pulled from WeTravel.
• Santa Barbara Travel BureauminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner travel agency offering enhanced flight booking services to Wine Lovers Travel guests. Charges $50 per airline ticket issued for flight booking services.
• Allianz Global AssistanceminorOthersWine Lovers Travel's preferred travel insurance provider. Recommended to customers for trip cancellation and interruption coverage. Allianz has over 35 years of experience and is the preferred provider for most airlines.
• SherpaminorOthersRecommended affiliate for finding up-to-date travel requirements and restrictions for destinations. Wine Lovers Travel directs customers to Sherpa for entry requirement information.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tauck: Established luxury tour and river-cruise operator with wine-region land tours and wine-themed river cruises in Europe. Comparable in luxury positioning, multi-day package tours, and curated experiences; broader portfolio and larger scale.
• AHI Travel: Large US escorted-tour operator with wine-themed itineraries across Europe and South America. Comparable in luxury group travel and multi-country itineraries, but offers a much broader portfolio beyond wine.
• Collette: Large escorted-tour company offering wine, food, and cultural itineraries across Europe and South America. Comparable in tour-operator model and itinerary depth; significantly larger scale and broader destination mix.
• Adventures by Disney: Guided group tour operator under Disney that runs wine and culinary itineraries in Europe, South America, and Australia. Comparable in premium guided-group format, small group sizes, and exclusive access narrative.

Direct peers

• Wine Paths: French luxury wine travel specialist designing bespoke wine itineraries in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Comparable in target audience (affluent oenophiles), curated winery access, and multi-day tour format.
• Cellar Tours: Barcelona-based wine tour operator offering curated small-group wine trips across Europe. Directly comparable to Wine Lovers Travel in focus on boutique winery access, sommelier-led experiences, and luxury land-based wine travel.
• Grape Experience (Napa Valley Wine Tours): Wine tour operator running small-group luxury wine experiences primarily in Napa and Sonoma. Comparable in small-group format, premium pricing, and sommelier involvement, though more regionally concentrated than Wine Lovers Travel.
• Food & Wine Trails: US-based tour operator specializing in hosted wine, food, and cultural trips for wine club members and enthusiasts. Closest US-side competitor given its B2B2C winery partnership model and small-group luxury structure.

Regional players

• Emerald Cruises: Cruise line that charters yachts (Emerald Kaia, MS Antaris) used by Wine Lovers Travel for wine-themed charters. Comparable as the supplier of the cruise capacity Wine Lovers Travel wraps with wine programming and sommelier services.

Emerging players

• Vagabond Wine Tours: UK-based small-group wine tour operator focused on European wine regions (Burgundy, Champagne, Tuscany). Comparable in small-group, sommelier-led land tours for enthusiast travelers, but lacks the cruise and B2B2C winery-club layers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wineloverstravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wine-lovers-travel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wine Lovers Travel