in association with
About VIP Wine Tours & Events
Karen & Andy Miraleis
We are your VIP Wine Tour Managers.
We have been working in the travel and hospitality industry for the past 25 years delivering excellent customer service whilst travelling worldwide.
​
During our travels we visited many amazing wineries and our passion for wine grew.
​
Over the years we made some great friends and contacts within the wine industry. We have tasted some of the worlds best wines, eaten at amazing gourmet and Michelin starred restaurants and local traditional restaurants, and relaxed in fantastic hotels around the world.
We now want to share our passion for good food, wine, travel and people with you, and take you to the wonderful places we have visited. Meet the top wine producers, eat at the Michelin-starred restaurants and stay in beautiful relaxing hotels.
​
With our hard work and dedication we will strive to create the perfect personalised VIP tour for you. We will be with you throughout to personally ensure that everything goes smoothly on your VIP Wine Tour.
Our partners
Richard J Smith
Richard frequently joins us on our escorted tours as our wine expert and hosts our wine tasting events in Cheshire.
Richard is WSET qualified and loves sharing his 35+ years of knowledge about all things wine! We are extremely proud to have teamed up with him to offer expert wine and food pairings and a unique insight into the world of wine. He operated Wine School of Cheshire for 12 years and is now Brand Manager for Riedel, the wine glass company regularly hosting tastings in the north of England, Scotland and Ireland showcasing the finest grape varietal crystal wine glasses in the world.
​
Richard graduated from Norwich Hotel School and further trained at the world-renowned Lanesborough Hotel on Hyde Park Corner, London: a former winner of Best Hotel in the World from Condé Nast. Richard also enjoyed several years at London’s Savoy Group and Four Seasons-Regent Hotels. ​He supports training and development within the hospitality industry at The Cheshire College South and West at their Ellesmere Port Campus and has previously appeared at Three Wine Men (now known as Wine Alive) in Manchester alongside TV wine legends Oz Clarke, Olly Smith and Tim Atkin MW and has presented English and Welsh wines in partnership with Wines of Great Britain at RHS Tatton Park.
​
In March 2019 Richard was proud to be intronised into the Confrérie des Compagnons de Grandgousier at a ceremony in The Loire Valley in recognition for his support of the region, particularly Touriane and Touraine-Mesland. Richard hosts tastings and talks for Loire Valley wine around the UK too.
​
Richard was thrilled to be appointed to the professional judging panel for The Peoples Choice Wine Awards in March 2022, returning as a lead judge the following year, and he looks forward to the annual judging an subsequent awards ceremony where winners are announced for their consumer friendly wine and spirits awards. As a member of Wines of Great Britain, Richard also sits on panel of the WineGB Training and Education Working Group.
Bond Travel is a privately owned, family business, trading since 1984. Founder and managing Director Mrs P Bond, bases all services on personal aspects of the business trust, confidence, reliability, knowledge, and performance their long serving staff are a testament to excellent working ethics.
​
By providing an unparalleled standard of professional service, close working relationships have been built with both private and corporate clients who use their service year after year.
​
From the initial core business of selling British holidays, successful expansion followed enabling full development of the retail department and opening of the business travel department. Other specialist departments followed including conference/incentives, Golfing and tailor-made holiday and since 2000 can call themselves a tour operator as they hold an ATOL and ABTA licence
Book with confidence knowing your travel arrangements are in safe financial hands.
We promise your VIP Wine Tour will be a First Class experience of a lifetime.
