The Rhine Quartet

Set sail with us along the majestic Rhine River to explore Germany’s unique wine regions, and delight in the diverse flavors that each picturesque stop has to offer.

June 1-6, 2025

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6 days

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Led by Caro Maurer MW

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$5690*

Explore Four Iconic Wine Regions in One Journey

Experience the diversity of German wines as you travel through four renowned wine regions— Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Nahe, and the Mittelrhein. Gain a comprehensive understanding of Germany’s impressive wine culture.

Wine Tasting Aboard a Scenic River Cruise

Experience exceptional views while cruising along the River Rhine, tasting wines alongside the very winemaker who crafted them, making for a truly memorable and immersive experience.

Expert Guidance from Caro Maurer MW

Learn from one of Germany’s foremost wine authorities, Master of Wine Caro Maurer. Caro will provide expert instruction on the wines of Germany, enhancing your appreciation and knowledge of this intricate wine-producing country.

About Wine Along the Rhine

Four of Germany's most important wine-growing regions converge along the Rhine River: Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Nahe, and the Mittelrhein. Despite their close proximity to one another, their terroirs, grape varieties and wine styles are remarkably different. The classic region is Rheingau, where Riesling dominates the steep slopes, and Pinot Noir makes a notable appearance, thanks to the pioneering efforts of the Cistercian monastery of Eberbach. Rheinhessen, Germany's largest wine-growing region, is characterized by its diversity. The Nahe, though relatively small, produces wines of great character; while the Mittelrhein's narrow valley features dramatic, steep, terraced vineyards where vines cling to barren rocks and winemakers heroically scale to tend their vines. WSG's journey will take us through all four regions by boat and bus to visit historical sites and hard-to-access wineries to provide participants the opportunity to discover these unique and stunning wines in their own spectacular place of origin.

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About This Tour

This Study Abroad educational wine tour caters to passionate wine enthusiasts and professionals. Guided by Caro Maurer MW, a leading regional expert, it offers guests the chance to thoroughly explore the terroirs, vineyards, wine estates and production processes behind some of the region's most notable names, while participating in exclusive tastings of these celebrated wines.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet winemakers and learn from some of the most distinguished names in the wine industry. Guests are kindly asked to arrive prepared having read the educational materials provided by WSG prior to the tour start date. 

What's Included

Join German wine expert Caro Maurer Master of Wine for a curated wine journey, featuring exclusive vineyard tours, luxury hotel stays and gourmet meals paired with some of the best wines of the region.

Expert instruction throughout by Caro Maurer, MW, wine educator, wine writer and expert in German wines.

Professional-level tours and extensive wine tastings at top-quality wine producers.

Seamless travel support from your Tour Manager, Mona Stefan, providing impeccable customer service and logistical guidance throughout your journey.

5 Nights at the elegant 4-Star Hotel Kronenschlösschen (double occupancy).

2 Gourmet dinners, expertly paired with top-quality wines representative of the region.

5 Delicious lunches served with top-quality wines hand-selected by your tour instructor.

Buffet breakfast provided daily.

Deluxe, air-conditioned motor coach transportation throughout, with bottled water on-board.

Price per-person, double occupancy. Download the brochure to get detailed pricing.

Itinerary & Pricing

Join us for an unforgettable wine tour!

Enter your name and email to receive our detailed itinerary and pricing.

Meet Your Expert Guides

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Caro Maurer, MW

Your Wine Tour Instructor

Caro Maurer has written about wine since the early 1990s. In 2011, she was the first woman from the German speaking countries to become a Master of Wine. Now she shares her working time between the General-Anzeiger, the daily newspaper in Bonn, and as a writer for Germany’s leading food and wine magazine, Der Feinschmecker (The Gourmet) and the English wine magazine Decanter. Caro also works as an educator for WSET Diploma across Europe and hosts educational seminars and tastings for numerous wine associations. Additionally, she judges in international wine competitions and is panel chair for DWWA.

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Mona Steffen

Your Wine Tour Manager

Mona Steffen is deeply connected to her native Germany. As a winemaker, she works at the renowned VDP estate Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken (Saar), focusing on sales and coordinating wine tastings and events. Additionally, Mona independently organizes wine hikes and excursions through her company "Weinsein", creating exceptional culinary experiences right in the heart of the vineyards. Her enthusiasm lies in captivating people with the wine regions of Germany and their wines.

We visit estates such as...

What Makes WSG Educational Tours Unique?

Top wine industry professionals and regional experts as instructors

Service of tour manager offering customer service and logistics support during the trip

Professional-level visits with educational objectives

Tastings of dozens of top-quality wines during estate visits and included meals

Opportunity to meet the producers and local specialists

Access to wine estates often closed to the public

You join a community of fellow like-minded wine professionals and serious enthusiasts

What our customers say

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You’ll learn so much more than you would on your own! During WSG tours, our internationally renowned instructors are always with you; providing fascinating information, answering questions, and clarifying facts and figures to ensure understanding of the nuances and subtleties of each region and its wine styles.
  • Camaraderie! And the experience of exploring new wine regions with other like-minded individuals who are just as passionate and obsessive about great wine as you are!
  • Access to amazing wine tastings and estates you would not be able to visit on your own. With personal and long-standing relationships in each of the regions we operate, WSG has some of the highest-level contacts in the industry. As a WSG study abroad participant, you will have the opportunity to taste incredible wines at each estate and will be welcomed as an honored guest everywhere you go.
  • All our WSG instructors have lived or worked in France, Italy, Spain, or other countries in which we operate, for many years. This has allowed them to cultivate extensive experience and contacts within the region. You’ll get expert information about the wine business, and an insider’s take on local culture.
  • Avoid taking chances on hotels or restaurants you don’t know.  With more than a decade of experience, our guides use first-hand knowledge to select the best hotels and restaurants for your enjoyment.
  • Make the most of your travel time! Our itineraries minimize driving to ensure you receive a thorough overview of the region, taking in the breathtaking landscapes and amazing wine culture of each respective region.
  • Avoid driving, navigating or directions. Feel free to relax and enjoy wine your meals in the comfort of a safe and carefully curated learning environment.
  • Your WSG instructor and Tour Manager will translate for the group at all times, eliminating communication or language barriers, as many winemakers in France, Italy and Spain may have limited English proficiency.

Preparing for the trip

Please ask the instructor if there is enough time before the end of the visit for you to make your purchase without impeding the progress and timing of the trip.

It is very rare that estates offer international shipping. If you would like to purchase wine, we recommend that you ask your government’s customs office for their rules and regulations if you intend to bring wine back into your country, or have wine shipped to you. You always have the option of bringing wine home with you in your checked luggage. A specialized wine suitcase is perfect for this. Depending on your home country, this amount will vary.

You may have to pay some amount of duty on your wine when you go through customs. Therefore, it's best to check with your local authorities for further information.

TRANSPORTATION, FOOD & LODGING

We choose 4-star hotels to ensure a high level of comfort, including en-suite bathrooms, WiFi and air conditioning.  It’s very important for the hotels to be well situated in the region, to keep driving time and distance to a minimum. We want to make sure you are as close as possible to the vineyards and other local sites of interest. The hotels we choose also must be large enough to accommodate groups.

We thoroughly check each hotel before including it in a WSG tour or program. In wine regions that are large and spread out, you may change hotels once or twice during a week-long stay (to keep driving times to a minimum each day). In other regions, there may be only one centrally located hotel.

Organizers & Instructors

Our tour instructors are among the most renowned and respected wine professionals in the wine business. They are also professional wine educators who are absolutely passionate about the region and its wines. You can see a full biography of the instructor for each trip on the corresponding page, so you can know exactly with whom you'll be touring and learning. Most are native English speakers (American or British), and all other instructors speak English fluently.

Our instructors have that special combination of high-level wine expertise, personal warmth, friendliness, and excellent leadership skills. They'll accompany you every day, throughout the trip, and will be able to answer all of your questions about the wines of the region you’ll be visiting (and about wine in general).

Booking a trip

Yes, we strongly encourage you to purchase a very comprehensive travel insurance package once you have paid your non-refundable deposit for a Study Trip. Note that many plans require you to purchase the insurance very soon after your deposit payment (some require it within 14 days). There are any number of things that can happen that can cause cancellation or interruption of package travel, and travel insurance can help cover the costs you incur as a result.

You can find travel insurers easily and there are sites where you can compare policies (for example, Insure My Trip). Be sure to read policies very carefully before you purchase. Include your airfare, train fare, and any other expenses you will have in addition to the price of the study trip itself. We highly recommend getting a “cancel for any reason” policy, which offers the best coverage. Travel experts say “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel,” so don’t skimp on this important coverage!

Have a different question? Feel free to contact us.

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