Have you always wanted to uncover the secrets behind your favorite wine's bouquet? Or find out why wine tastes different on its own to how it does with food? Under the expert guidance of a wine-maker, you'll learn to sniff out the peach notes in a riesling and savour the sour cherry taste of a dornfelder.

During this captivating wine appreciation break, you stay at the Alte Rebschule wellness hotel in Rhodt unter Rietburg at the German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstraße) in the Palatinate region. From the window of your elegant, four-star deluxe room the view over the sea of vines stretches out as far as the Rhineland plain.

Day of arrival: Arrive any time before 4 pm and spend the first couple of hours strolling down through the vineyards to the charming wine-making village of Rhodt unter Rietburg. Alternatively, unwind in the spacious beauty and vitality spa at the hotel.

Day 2: A day devoted entirely to the fruit of the vine, starting with a breakfast that includes grape juice and wine jelly made to an old family recipe. Lie back and enjoy one of our SanVino treatments which harness the active ingredients in grapeseed to nourish your skin. At 5 pm, the in-house wine expert Hannelore Hafen takes you on a journey of discovery through the myriad tastes and aromas in a glass of wine. Her practical lessons for honing nose and palate are included in the 4-course gourmet meal.

Day 3: Before you leave for home, make the most of your Rheinland-Pfalz & SaarlandCard. It entitles you to free admission at more than 160 attractions, including Villa Ludwigshöhe and Trifels Castle. We also recommend a guided tour of the cathedral town of Speyer, a former centre of imperial power.