Grapevine

There's no better wine education than a trip to the vines, but if arriving on a tour bus isn't your style, there are exhilarating ways to get to the grapes. Saddle up in SOUTH AFRICA for a day (or more) on horseback, riding through the Berg River Valley and Hawequa Mountains, and enjoy the astonishing scenery of the Cape Winelands. Dismount to sample local wines, like the award-winning reds at Diemersfontein Wine and Country Estate, 45 minutes northwest of Cape Town (tel: [27-82] 335 8132; www.fynbostrails.com ). In FRANCE , take a week's cycle through Bordeaux's luscious countryside sipping world-famous vintages...