About Cuvée Wine & Travel

Cuvée Wine Travel was founded with a singular purpose: to connect wine lovers to the people, places, and cultures behind the wine label.

We design thoughtfully curated travel experiences for those who want more than a standard itinerary—journeys shaped by personal taste, deep local insight, and meaningful access. Our work is guided by wine expertise and longstanding relationships within both the wine and travel worlds, allowing us to open doors and create experiences not typically available to the average traveler.

At Cuvée, wine is not simply the destination—it is the lens through which culture, cuisine, history, and place are experienced.

Our Founder

Cuvée Wine Travel was founded by Carol Wolniakowski, a trained sommelier and lifelong traveler whose passion for wine has always been inseparable from her love of place.

After years of planning wine-focused journeys for family, friends, and colleagues, Carol recognized a gap in the travel landscape: travelers who loved wine were seeking experiences that felt more personal, more authentic, and more connected to the source. Through extensive travel and wine-industry involvement, she developed a global network of trusted contacts—from producers and educators to luxury travel partners—allowing her clients access to exceptional experiences delivered with care and precision.

Carol began her professional career as an attorney for international corporations before stepping away from the law to pursue formal wine education. While her studies provided a strong foundation, it was travel to the regions themselves that brought wine fully to life. History, tradition, cuisine, and culture all converge in a single glass—and it is this deeper understanding that shapes every journey she designs today.

Expertise & Credentials

Carol holds advanced certifications in wine and is an active member of leading professional organizations, including:

• Advanced Certification with Distinction, Wine & Spirit Education Trust

• Advanced Certification, International Sommelier Guild

• Society of Wine Educators – Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW)

• Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs

• Wine Scholar Guild

These credentials, combined with firsthand regional experience, allow Cuvée Wine Travel to approach each journey with depth, credibility, and discernment.

Our Philosophy

Not every traveler wants a conventional group tour. At Cuvée Wine Travel, we believe the most rewarding journeys are those shaped by curiosity, access, and thoughtful design.

Our role is to listen carefully, curate intentionally, and create experiences that feel both effortless and deeply engaging—bringing clients closer to the wine, the people, and the places that make each destination distinctive.

Terms and Conditions:

Your use of this website and/or acceptance of any itinerary or invoice, will signify your agreement with the following terms and conditions:

           Cuvee Wine Travel, Inc. (“Cuvee”) offers retail travel services to customers, which are provided by separate and independent vendors of travel services such as airlines, hotels, car-rental companies, tour operators, cruise lines, transportation companies or other service providers (“Suppliers”).  Cuvee does not operate, control, or otherwise provide the services of the Suppliers. Cuvee is not responsible for acts or omissions of the Suppliers or their failure to provide services or adhere to their own schedules. Cuvee assumes no responsibility for and shall not be liable for any refund, personal injury, property damage, or other loss, accident, delay, inconvenience, or irregularity which may be caused by: (1) any defaults, wrongful or negligent acts, or omissions of the Suppliers including failure to provide services; (2) any defect in or failure of any vehicle, craft, equipment, or instrumentality owned, operated, or otherwise used or provided by the Suppliers; (3) any wrongful or negligent acts or omissions on the part of any other party not under Cuvee’s control; and (4) any Supplier price drop after your travel arrangements have been confirmed, paid in full, or ticketed. You hereby release Cuvee from all claims arising out of any problem covered in this paragraph.

Cuvee assumes no responsibility for and will not be held liable for injury, damage or loss resulting from any conditions, actions or omissions beyond Cuvee’s reasonable control. You agree that you are responsible for reviewing all travel documents to ensure accuracy.

Travel arrangements involving airline and cruise components are subject to supplemental price increases that may be imposed by the supplier and/or government after you have completed your purchase. You hereby consent to any such price increases and authorize your credit or debit card to be used for them. Suppliers have their own contracts covering cancellation penalties and other terms and conditions, and you may be bound by those contracts regardless of whether you receive notice of their terms. By accepting your itinerary or invoice, you hereby consent to those terms and conditions.

           Cuvee has no special knowledge regarding the financial condition of the Suppliers, unsafe conditions, health hazards, weather hazards, or climate extremes at locations to which you may travel. For a warning about terrorism in Europe, go to: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/europe-travel-alert.html. For a worldwide terrorism alert, go to:

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/worldwide-caution.html.    For other information concerning possible dangers at destinations, Cuvee recommends contacting the Travel Warnings Section of the U.S. State Department at (202) 647-5225 or www.travel.state.gov.  For medical information, Cuvee recommends contacting the Centers for Disease Control at (877) FYI-TRIP or www.cdc.gov/travel. You assume full and complete responsibility for checking and verifying any and all passport, visa, vaccination, or other entry requirements of your destination(s), and all conditions regarding health, safety, security, political stability, and labor or civil unrest at such destination(s).  You hereby release Cuvee from all claims arising out of any problem covered in this paragraph. You agree that the courts in DuPage County, Illinois will be the exclusive jurisdiction for all claims brought by you or Cuvee, and you hereby submit to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

            For your protection, we strongly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation and travel accident insurance. However, no representation or description of the insurance made by our staff constitutes a binding assurance or promise about the insurance. We also strongly recommend that you use a credit card for your purchase, so that you can exercise your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act if you do not receive the services you purchased.

Cuvee is committed to the responsible consumption of alcohol - please drink responsibly. You must be 21 years of age to drink alcoholic beverages. Do not drink and drive; always use a designated driver or car service. Do not drink to excess and conduct yourself responsibly while consuming alcohol.

Government Warning Concerning Health Consequences of Consuming Alcohol: By accessing this Site, you acknowledge that there is a government warning concerning the health effects of consuming alcoholic beverages. Government warning: (1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems. Drink responsibly.

  Liability Waiver: You hereby release, waive, discharge and covenant not to sue Cuvee, its subsidiaries, DBAs, affiliates, successors, contractors, agents, representatives and/or employees from any and all liability, claims, demands, actions and causes of action whatsoever arising out of or relating to any financial loss, damage to your property or loss, damage or injury that you personally sustain, including death, whether caused by the negligence of Cuvee or its representatives or not, while using this site, traveling, attending Cuvee events, or otherwise of or pertaining to travel services. You hereby assume all risks to your property and your person and in no way will Cuvee be liable to you for damages or injuries you sustain.