Deanna Morgado
With wine tourism on the rise, many people are opting for wine-inspired travels. Out of all the wine countries and regions in the world, narrowing down exactly where you’d like your voyages to take you can be daunting. Instead of guessing where a personal-favorite wine will taste the best, why not plan a trip based off that favorite wine?
Shiraz Lovers Should Travel to Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia
New South Wales’ Hunter Valley knows good wine because it’s Australia’s oldest wine region. With its first vine cuttings planted from Europe in 1832, Hunter Valley’s Shiraz is the region’s poster child of sorts. No stranger to the big and robust, Australia’s locked in a method of producing this full-bodied wine that Shiraz lovers fall head over heels for. Hunter Valley is known explicitly for “New World” Shiraz, concentrating on blackberry-inspired flavors coupled with plenty of spice, an ideal pairing for the modern traveler taking on this humid region.
Malbec Lovers Should Travel to Mendoza, Argentina
When searching for the right Malbec, Mendoza falls at the very top of the list. In this province, you will find two things: sun-soaked afternoons and some of the world’s most sought-after Malbec wine. Perusing Mendoza’s vineyards and tastings with the Andes Mountains as a backdrop, Malbec lovers will experience firsthand not only the classic Argentinian flavors of blackberry and plum, but Mendoza’s more experimental Malbec flavors of cocoa, violets, leather, and sweet tobacco as well. For adventurers who love a balance of ingenuity and tradition, Mendoza, Argentina, awaits.
Sparkling Lovers Should Travel to Southern England
Gone are the days that the best sparkling white wines must hail from either the hills of Champagne, France, or one of Italy’s provinces. Once utterly inhospitable for wine grapes, England’s getting its foot through the door to some notable sparkling wines. Travelers looking for the next best glittering sip will have much to look forward to as over two-thirds of the country’s wine production is dedicated to sparkling wine. That’s over 450 vineyards from Dover to Plymouth to choose from and more than 130 wineries offering exclusive tastes of England’s contribution to bubbles.
Cabernet Sauvignon Lovers Should Travel to Bordeaux, France
As one of the most known wines, Cabernet Sauvignon is best drank while visiting none other than Bordeaux, France—one of the most historic wine regions. It may sound counterintuitive—drinking Cabernet Sauvignon in a city that produces its own wine named after itself—but here’s the thing: Bordeaux wine usually is a blend comprised of at least half Cabernet Sauv. To create the perfect Bordeaux wine, winemakers must first blend the ideal Cab. Worry not, Cabernet Sauv fanatics, getting to Bordeaux and drinking their extravagant wine won’t entirely have to break the bank. Actually, with more than enough neighborhood wine merchants, scoring an iconic Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux can cost you only around $30 or so. The utter sophistication of Bordeaux entices many, but there’s a special place in the hearts of Cabernet Sauv drinkers for this southwestern city.
Riesling Lovers Should Travel to Finger Lakes, New York, United States
This aromatic wine plays host to a variety of techniques and methodologies, each promising that citrus-forward crispness one should expect in a Riesling. New York’s Finger Lakes province, where its cool climate takes perfect care of the delicate-skinned Reisling grapes, concentrates on dry Rieslings with massive minerality. Finger Lakes’ hilly and naturally lakefront district makes a lovely summer getaway where the Riesling keeps flowing. Always and forever a German wine, but exploring the Finger Lakes remains at the top of every Riesling lovers traveling bucket list.
Pinot Noir Lovers Should Travel to Ahr Region, Germany
The warm Ahr Region creates the optimal atmosphere for Pinot Noir to grow. Ahr Pinots come out with ripened plum and other fruit flavors accompanied by earthy notes. It’s a unique Pinot Noir comparatively, paler in color and oak-dominated. The region itself is entirely novel as well: The rugged region’s smaller than average span is what travelers often find most endearing while also discovering a sense of exclusivity in sipping an Ahr Pinot Noir. For a real taste of the culture, travelers should ask for their glass of Pinot Noir in the native German language—spatburgunder.
Chardonnay Lovers Should Travel to Burgundy, France
As one of the most popular and well-known white wines in the world, Chardonnay vineyards virtually grow across the planet. With that in mind, the best place to travel for Chardonnay is none other than where the very first grapes grew hundreds of years ago: Burgundy, France. Where it’s known as White Burgundy, this region is the birthplace of the classic crispness that is Chardonnay. As a wine with light flavor and a long history, travelers cannot just dive into Chardonnay’s story without the long history of Burgundy itself.
Vranec Lovers Should Travel to Povardarje, Republic of Macedonia
Loosely translated to “strong black,” Vranec wine comes from ripened vranec grapes that practically grow rampant all over the Republic of Macedonia. This Balkan country produces the world’s most Vranec wine—a deep black-red wine with a fuller than average body. Running along the Vardar River, Povardarje’s presence in the wine industry is growing almost as quickly as the thin-skinned Vranec grapes in the region. That said, making your way to Povardarje should move to the top of the travel bucket list before the city’s Vranec stash is made known to the rest of the world.
Sauvignon Blanc Lovers Should Travel to New Zealand
New Zealand can thank Sauvignon Blanc for its impressive wine reputation. Adopting a style all its own, New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc yields herbaceous notes and assertive flavors. Sauvignon Blanc fanatics will adore New Zealand’s interpretation of this citrusy white wine, as it’s just as wonderfully intense as the country itself.
Pinot Grigio Lovers Should Travel to Collio Region, Italy
Perhaps the black sheep of the white-wine family, Pinot Grigio doesn’t have the best taste reputation when compared to other whites. That’s why, similar to Chardonnay lovers visiting Burgandy, Pinot Grigio drinkers will adore the Collio region in northern Italy. The nearby Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea contribute to Collio’s prosperous wine country’s supreme microclimates. Moreover, as Cullio borders Slovenia, it’s the ideal destination for wandering adventurers—right after polishing off a bottle of Pinot Grigio or two.
