Toast to a Glass of <i> Vino</i> in Italy

Two spring wine tours to the Piedmont region of Italy:

The wines of Piedmont and Tuscany are the focus of a tour to Italy that leaves LAX March 16 for nine days. Participants fly to Milan, stay at a lakeside hotel in Piemonte and tour 17 wineries--from high-volume producers to small family-run businesses. Three nights are spent in a private Chianti wine estate with a winemaker and his family.

Two days are spent in Alba, known for white truffles and red wines. Minivans take guests to ancient hilltop villages and historic towns such as Casale Monferrato, Montepulciano and Montalcino. A cellar dinner is hosted by the owner of Monsanto wineries in the Tuscany region.

Cost: $2,350 per person, double occupancy, including air fare, lodging, some meals, ground transportation and tours. Contact: La Cucina Culinary Adventures, 1401 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge, Calif. 91011; telephone (800) 776-4825.

An eight-day trip to tour the Piedmont region of northern Italy leaves May 28 to see the wine production facilities of Gaja, Vietti, Conterno, Ceretto, Marcarini and Giacosa wineries. Two dining stops will be at the popular Da Guido and DaCesare. Moving on to Parma, guests explore farms, food companies and shops in this section called the breadbasket of Italy.

Cost: $2,450 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, two meals a day, ground transportation, winery and food visits, and guides. Not included: air fare to Italy. Contact: Pastaworks, 3731 S.E. Hawthorne St., Portland, Ore. 97214; tel. (503) 232-1010.

Thailand Trek

Sixteen-day trips to Thailand aimed at adventure travelers who don’t mind foregoing modern comforts leaves Dec. 24, Jan. 28, Oct. 21, Nov. 18 and Dec. 23, 1995. Participants use transportation and accommodations that Thai villagers use. Beginning in Bangkok, travelers take a boat tour of floating markets and back canals of Thon Buri. In Chiang Mai and Huai Nam Dang National Park, treks are taken to visit hill tribes. Participants will stay in rudimentary village homes, ride elephants through the forest and ride bamboo rafts on the river.

In Khao Sok National Park, guests stay in raft houses and thatched treehouses with a large urn for bathing, and take hikes in search of monkeys and wild elephants. At the remote island of Krabi, participants stay in waterside bungalows and get a chance to snorkel and sunbathe. A traditional Thai feast and dance ceremony complete the tour.

Cost: $1,795 per person, double occupancy, including lodging, guides and most meals. Not included: air fare to Thailand. Contact: Bolder Adventures, P.O. Box 1279, Boulder, Colo. 80306; tel. (800) 642-2742.

Louisiana by Bike

Six-day biking tours of Louisiana leave March 31, April 7 and Nov. 10. Participants ride at a leisurely pace along rural country roads, stay in antebellum bed and breakfasts, visit pre-Civil War homes and estates and see the cities of Jackson, St. Francisville and New Orleans.

Cost: $879 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, some meals, maps and guides. Not included: air fare to New Orleans and airport transfers. Contact: Brooks Country Cycling and Hiking, 140 W. 83rd St., New York, N.Y. 10024; tel. (212) 874-5151.

Austria in Winter

British Airways is offering a seven-day “Austrian Winter Wonderland” tour. Participants stay in Salzburg, where Mozart was born, for part of the trip and travel to St. Wolfgang for three days for sleigh rides, winter walks and schnapps tastings.

Highlights of the trip include a tour of Salzburg, including a lift ticket up to the Monchsberg for a panoramic view of the city; Anif Castle, where parts of “The Sound of Music” were filmed, and the Abbey at Nonnberg.

In St. Wolfgang, guests stay at the White Horse Inn, with full breakfast and dinner daily and take sightseeing trips and go wine tastings.

Cost: from $1,299-$1,379 per person, double occupancy (depending on departure date), including air fare, hotels, most meals and tours. Contact: British Airways Value Plus; tel. (800) 359-8722.

Winter Wonderland

Five-day cross-country ski, snowshoe and dog sled adventures begin Dec. 29 through March 8 at Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area near the Canadian border. Participants stay in a rustic lodge only accessible by ski, snowshoe or sled dogs.

The area is famous for 300-foot palisades, frozen waterfalls and plenty of snow. On occasion, the Northern Lights can be seen.

Wilderness guides give instruction in outdoor activities and equipment is included. Meals are cooked at the lodge.

Cost: $545 including lodging, meals, equipment and guides. Transportation from Minneapolis to Camp Menogyn Lodge is available for $60. Not included: air fare to Minnesota. Contact: Wilderness Inquiry, 1313 5th St. S.E., Box 84, Minneapolis, Minn. 55414; tel. (800) 728-0719.European Antiques

Spring and autumn tours of European flea markets, antique fairs and auctions will be led by Peter B. Manston, author of several books on the markets in Britain, France and Germany. The 12-day trips, April 21 and Oct. 15, begin in London and include a pre-daylight visit to the famed New Caledonian/Bermondsey Street market where dealers search through trucks by flashlight for the best deals before the market opens to the public. Later, participants visit Portobello Road, Camden Lock and other markets before taking a ride on the new Channel Tunnel that ends in Paris.

There is a visit to the Hotel Drouot, site of several auctions, and then the Marche aux Puces, a flea market with thousands of vendors. If you buy larger items the company will arrange low-priced shipments to a U.S. port at reduced prices.

Cost: $1,990 per person, including lodging and most meals. Contact: Travel Keys Tours; tel. (916) 452-5200.

Chilean Odyssey

Classical Cruises offers several dates in early 1995 for 15- and 16-day trips exploring the fiords of Chile and the ancient treasures of Easter Island.

The trip to Easter Island, which is led by naturalists, explores who the original islanders were, where they came from and how they built the Moai (stone monuments) and shrines scattered over the island. Guests then move on to part of the 1,000-mile Chilean fiord system, the highlight of which is a visit to the renowned San Rafael Lagoon and Glacier.

There are private lectures by guest speakers, as well as a recommended reading list for those preparing for their shore tours.

Cost: from $4,495 to $5,645, depending on cabin choice. Not included: air fare. Contact: Classical Cruises; tel. (800) 252-7745.

Alaska for Women

An Alaskan cruise for women only is being offered by Special Expeditions July 30 out of Sitka. The eight-day voyage on the 70-passenger Sea Lion will feature female expedition leaders, naturalists, marine biologists, geologists and other experts.

Along with sights such as Glacier Bay, there will be a visit to Elfin Cove, a small town run mostly by its women since the men are at sea fishing for long periods.

Cost: Cruise-only rates for “Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness: A Women’s Odyssey” range from $2,860 to $3,980 per person, double occupancy.

Cruises must be booked through your travel agent.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with cruise lines, travel agents or tour operators.