“Luxurious, decadent trip through the French countryside. DuVine made the trip feel like you were biking with friends, discovering new wines, foods, and the unique people who live in Burgundy.”
In the News
Founded in 1996, DuVine Adventures has become one of the leading bike tour operators in the industry. We offer unique and personalized cycling vacations in France, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia, Napa/Sonoma, Cape Cod, Okanagan, Zion and Bryce National Parks, Argentina and Ecuador and the Galapagos. See the below articles on DuVine reviewed in such prestigious publications such as: Time, Outside Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, Travelgirl, Smart Money and the Boston Globe.
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Celebrated LivingFebruary 01, 2010 DO IT DuVine Adventures (duvine.com) puts together trips that imbue biking with the most alluring elements of traveling.One of the more challenging jaunts — and, therefore, an expedition that will be likeliest to improve your skills on two wheels — begins with a flight to Milan and centers around a bike tour of Italy’s wine-intensive Piedmont region. After being transported from the airport to the picturesque village of Aqui Terme (remember to check out the ancient thermal springs there), you are outfitted with a Wilier road bike — which has been cleaned, oiled, and loaded with snacks and water — and sent off to spend the first couple of days doing 13-mile loops around the town (longer rides are available for the heartier among us). Riders are followed by a chase van in case anyone needs a break, and trainers are on hand to help improve your cycling skills. “Guests are told how to ride uphill more efficiently and when to switch gears for the best effect. We teach you about form, position, how to place your feet on the pedals correctly,” explains Andy Levine, president/founder of DuVine Adventures. “You also learn when and how to draft, which is incredibly important and a lot of fun. Drafting is something that pro cyclists do all the time; it involves getting behind another rider and using him to shield the wind or resistance. It can make or break your ride and keeps you from losing your energy.” |
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Everett Potter's Travel ReportJanuary 20, 2010 The Interview: Andy Levine, DuVine Adventures Read MoreAndy Levine says that he created DuVine Adventures at his kitchen table with a website and a glass of wine in 1996. Fifteen years later, Levine has built the Boston-based DuVine into one of the leading biking companies in the US, offering wine-infused cycling trips to Italy and France, the Czech Republic and Argentina, not to mention Croatia, Utah and Napa/Sonoma. Levine is serious about the bikes he uses, about the wine his guests drink, and about the hotels where they sleep. He’s clearly doing something right. National Geographic Traveler singled out DuVine's Mendoza, Argentina trip as a Tours of a Lifetime in 2009 and National Geographic Adventure dubbed DuVine one of the Best Adventure Travel Outfitters for 2009. I recently had a chance to ask the perenially enthusiastic Levine about his company. |
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Spirited WomanJanuary 12, 2010 HAPPY NEW YEAR. This is another first! Our Spirited Woman top pick holiday guide was so successful that we decided to put together our top 12 "start the New Year" picks. Read MoreHAPPY NEW YEAR. This is another first! Our Spirited Woman top pick holiday guide was so successful that we decided to put together our top 12 "start the New Year" picks. Why? Because we know these inspiring, helpful and transformational services, classes, and people can help you start the year right, and make 2010 one of your best years ever! A totally great resource for you. Save this list. Hooray!!! DUVINE ADVENTURES has been creating unforgettable memories through our unique and personalized cycling vacations for over 15 years. With DuVine you and your friends can bike through beautiful landscapes, rest in charming luxury hotels/villas, enjoy gourmet regional cuisine and sample world-class wines in 11 spectacular countries. For more info visit www.duvine.com or give us a call at 888 396 5383. |
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Los Angeles Times: TravelDecember 20, 2009 SWITZERLAND, FRANCE and ITALY Read More Alpine adventure Experienced ski guide Grégory Grandet will take small groups to his secret spots in the Swiss, French and Italian Alps for some choice skiing and snowboarding on the freshest powder during DuVine's 2010 Ski Tour. Start in Switzerland, at Villars sur Ollon and les Diablerets, then head to Chamonix, France, then Italy's Valle d'Aosta, and end at Super St. Bernard, Switzerland, where the eponymous dogs hail from.
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Frommer'sDecember 16, 2009 Global Ski Report: Multi-Mountain Passes and New Deals Read MoreDuVine's Divine Alpine Itinerary While many tour operators have reduced or eliminated their Alpine itineraries. DuVine Adventures (tel. 617/776-4441; www.duvine.com) offers a new fully guided luxury at the end of the season. It is based in Villars sur Ollon with skiing in the Swiss, French, and Italian Alps. The package includes deluxe accommodation, most meals, professional skiing guides, gourmet food and skiing. Dates are Mar. 14-19, Mar. 21-26, Mar. 28-Apr. 2. The cost is $4,990 per person, double occupancy; single supplement, $995 |
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National Geographic AdventureDecember 01, 2009 National Geographic Adventure: December 2009/January 2010 issue Glaciers, big peaks, balmy days and vino. And right now, it's all on sale... Read MoreNational Geographic Adventure: December 2009/January 2010 issue Glaciers, big peaks, balmy days and vino. And right now, it's all on sale... 1. Wide-Open Wine Country Argentine wine is older than Argentina itself—Spaniards brought the vines ashore in the 1550s. Opt for a two-wheeled tour of Mendoza, the country’s premier grape-growing region, with Duvine Adventures. The U.S.-based company is one of the only outfitters to lead cycling trips here, and its guides have a nose for the best reds. You’ll ride in the shadow of Aconcagua, sampling all the Malbec you can hold (without impeding your pedaling). Pit stops include private tastings at renowned wineries like Catena Zapata and Ruca Malen, meals at some of Argentina’s most innovative restaurants (Andeluna Cellars among them), and overnights in hotels like Posada Salentein, where two small country houses look out on vineyards of Merlot and Pinot Noir (six days, $4,495; duvine.com).
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Travelgirl MagazineNovember 01, 2009 October/November Issue 2008: 2009 Escapes by Carole Jacobs Cycling Escape to Mallorca, Spain January-March - Looking for a way to lighten up your winter.... Read MoreOctober/November Issue 2008: 2009 Escapes by Carole Jacobs Cycling Escape to Mallorca, Spain January-March - Looking for a way to lighten up your winter.... |
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inStyle MagazineNovember 01, 2009 inStyle Magazine: November 2009 inStyle Magazine: November 2009 Gift Guide |
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The Improper BostonianSeptember 09, 2009 The Improper Bostonian: September 9 -22, 2009 Name two thinigs more emblematically French than wine and bicycles... Read MoreThe Improper Bostonian: September 9 -22, 2009 Name two thinigs more emblematically French than wine and bicycles. Ok, maybe love of all things American coupled with a hypocritical disdain for all things American. But wine and bicycles are right up there. As for whether they go together: It might seem as advisable as scuba-diving while on sleeping pills, but as long as you're wearing a helmet, it's tough to beat pedaling around Burgundy half in the bag.
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Suzanne's FilesAugust 01, 2009 Suzanne's Files: My Picks in Travel 2009 Guided bike trips with wine tastings, gourmet food, inns & chateaux... Read MoreSuzanne's Files: My Picks in Travel 2009 Guided bike trips with wine tastings, gourmet food, inns & chateaux Andy Levine, who runs DuVine Adventures, turned his passion into a very successful business. After graduating from the University of Denver in 1992, he took off for a bike trip in France and decided that's what he wanted to do with his life—create bicycle tours that exercise the mind, body, emotions and senses ... with a little sweat, of course! Bike, drink, eat, sleep: all four elements play an equal role on a DuVine tour. You'll bike about 25 to 30 miles a day, stop at small local vineyards for wine tastings, dine at authentic regional restaurants, and rest your head in everything from cozy inns to grand chateaux. All the tours are led by expert guides who share Andy's passion for delivering a "knock your socks off" experience. Each wine tour lasts 6 days (5 nights) starting on a Sunday. You'll see and smell the grapes and soil, watch wines being made, learn about classifications ... it's the full wine experience, but there's nothing snobbish about it, just loads of fun with like-minded fellow travelers who share a common passion. The tours are open to all ages and levels of fitness, with a full support system, so you don't need to be an accomplished rider or super fit to take part. There are 16 tours in 9 countries to choose from, including bicycle wine trips to Napa Valley and Argentina. |
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Luxury Travel AdvisorJune 25, 2009 Luxury Travel Advisor: June 25, 2009 A swanky gym can frequently be a good pitching point for a hotel…but what if your high-end clients want to exercise while... Read MoreLuxury Travel Advisor: June 25, 2009 A swanky gym can frequently be a good pitching point for a hotel…but what if your high-end clients want to exercise while touring a destination? Bicycle tours are an ideal option for your health-conscious clients eager to keep their hearts pumping while they explore a destination. While pedaling through narrow country roads, hilly paths or trails through old forests, bikers can see areas of beauty and interest usually inaccessible by train, car or bus. And thanks to several innovative companies, travelers won’t have to sacrifice comfort—or their luxe lifestyle—while they do it. Massachusetts-based DuVine Adventures offers luxury bike tours in seven European countries, North America and Argentina. In each destination, the company provides travelers with new, high-quality bikes, luxury accommodations in local inns, gourmet meals, wine with meals (and tours of local vineyards) and a well-educated guide to show the small groups the hidden gems along each route. To help clients discover a location’s unique flavor, DuVine seeks out small businesses that would appeal to high- end clients, finding wineries, chateaux and charming inns off the beaten path. The selected properties feature the ambiance, architecture and quality of service that reflect the highest standard of hospitality as well as the essence of the region. Our insiders say that DuVine’s most popular tours are to Tuscany, Provence and Napa Valley. DuVine offers two main types of bike tours. Guests can either be based in one or two properties, or can bike from point to point and keep pressing forward. A typical (or not-so-typical) day on a DuVine tour might include a breakfast of café au lait, fresh fruits and pastries on a terrace before guides come to review the route and daily activities. The biking begins after breakfast, and continues until the group reaches a vineyard for wine tasting and lunch. They can then relax and visit an ancient village, and then cycle back to the hotel or villa, or bike on to the next one (depending on the tour) for the afternoon. All the time, one guide is biking with the guests while another is nearby in a van (in case of emergency). Cocktails or more wine tastings might begin the evening before a gourmet dinner.
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BoldfacersMarch 10, 2009 BoldFacers Profile on President/Founder Andy Levine: March 10, 2009 “I am not a fan of travel books that tell about a destinations..." Read MoreBoldFacers Profile on President/Founder Andy Levine: March 10, 2009 “I am not a fan of travel books that tell about a destinations or guide books,” says Andy Levine, president of Duvine Adventures, a high-end bike touring company. “I write my own travel books in my head and enjoy visiting a new place with an empty canvas and no on telling me about guidelines or rules. I have never understood the rating system of hotels and wines. You need to experience them on your own without any preexisting notions, then you can judge and simply see if it works for you.” |
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Smart Money MagazineJuly 01, 2008 Smart Money Magazine: August 2008 issue Smart Money Magazine: August 2008 issue |
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The Boston GlobeApril 01, 2007 The Boston Globe: April 1, 2007 Strap up your helmet and slip on your knapsack, it's time to think about biking and hiking -- both wonderful ways... Read MoreThe Boston Globe: April 1, 2007 Strap up your helmet and slip on your knapsack, it's time to think about biking and hiking -- both wonderful ways to embrace a destination. Offerings like these take you close to places, are healthy exercise, and just plain fun. The wines of the Sonoma and Napa valleys await bikers on Somerville-based DuVine Adventures' California tour. The five-night trip, at $2,895, goes through wine valleys, redwood forests, and the famously rugged Pacific Coast, all within 90 minutes of San Francisco. Included in this moderate-level tour are accommodations, breakfasts plus two lunches and dinners, guide services, spa access at one inn, wine tastings, use of bikes, and baggage transport. Departure dates are May-October. |
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Outside MagazineOctober 01, 2004 Outside Magazine: October 2004 issue Outside Magazine: October 2004 issue DuVine Adventures |