Regent Seven Seas Cruises is featuring a journey through Australia's wine region this fall, with stays at boutique hotels, meals paired with regional wines, and exclusive tastings at vineyards. The "Australian Food and Wine Experience" is a six-night, pre-cruise Circles of Interest enrichment program being offered before a 13-night, Sydney-to-Auckland cruise aboard the Seven Seas Mariner departing Nov. 19. This is the first Circle of Interest that features an extensive land program.

The program, which starts Nov. 13, begins in Melbourne and proceeds to Yarra Valley for a two-night stay at Chateau Yering. From this base, guests can visit wineries such as De Bartoli, Yering Station, Green Point and Coldstream Hills. Guests then return to Melbourne for a visit with author and chef Allan Campion. After a flight to Sydney, guests travel to the Hunter Valley for a two-night stay at Peppers Guest House with a dinner at Rock restaurant. The group will be joined by husband-and-wife team Karina Barry (former chef of the Savoy Hotel in London) and Brian Barry (a wine educator with 25 years experience). They will lead the group in a private tasting at the Binnorie Cheese Factory, followed by a hands-on cooking class using organic produce.

Other highlights include a dinner at Robert's Restaurant and a visit to wineries led by winemaker Richard Everett. Wineries include such names as Lindemans, McWilliams, Rothbury, Hardy's, Wyndham Estate, McGuigan and Hunter Resort. Guests then travel back to Sydney for a two-night stay at the Shangri-La Hotel. From the hotel, guests will enjoy an escorted "gourmet walkabout" to the Sydney Fish Market and the gourmet food shops of Queen Street including Simon Johnson and Jones the Grocer, followed by a wine tasting with a local expert and a meal at Catalina's restaurant overlooking Sydney Harbor. A hands-on cooking class rounds off the first day's activities. The final day in Sydney is spent on a tour of the city and its surroundings, followed by an exclusive lunch-cruise charter. The tour ends at the Sydney Cruise Terminal for embarkation. The Food and Wine Circle of Interest will continue onboard, where participants will join their fellow Circle guests for wine tastings, an exclusive dinner, and more. The "Australian Food and Wine Experience" is priced at $6,495 per person, exclusive of cruise fare. For more information call All-Travel at 800-300-4567 or visit www.all-travel.com/regentsevenseascruises