I’m sure many of you enjoy really good wine. For those who are big wine enthusiasts, there are several places and cities abroad where you won’t be disappointed.
Table of Contents
Travel and wine
Porto
Port wine. You’ve probably heard of it, and it’s not hard to guess where it comes from.
The vineyards are located along the Douro River, about 100 km from Porto. The wine was then floated down to Porto on boats, where it was aged in the famous cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia.
Today, on the river’s left bank, there are rows of cellars and wine bars waiting for tourists, offering a magnificent view of the old town and the iconic Luis I Bridge.
Tuscany
The region centered around Florence is not only one of the most beautiful places in Italy but also the cradle of Italian wine culture.
The mountains and valleys of the Apennines have created numerous different microclimates, which are favorable for viticulture. As a result, several famous wines are produced in Tuscany.
The most well-known Italian wine, Chianti, comes from here. This wine-producing area extends to specific municipalities in the central part of the region. Here, you can find many small wineries and cellars where, in addition to wine, you can enjoy the wonderful sights of Tuscany.
Bordeaux
The French city is famous for its red wine, and it’s no coincidence that there is a large wine museum here.
It’s the largest wine region in France, where thousands (!) of wineries produce wines. These are the famous chateaux. About 89% of the wines here are red.
In Bordeaux, you can „sip” some of the best quality red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.
I visited in February 2020. My main goal was to enjoy a good red wine on the terrace of a local bar. I must say, it wasn’t cheap, but the two glasses of Sauvignon on the pedestrian street of the city center left me completely satisfied.
Malaga
The center of the Costa del Sol or the sunny coast became famous for its wines centuries ago.
The region typically produces high-alcohol wines, making it a perfect destination for sweet wine lovers in the Andalusian city.
The region mainly specializes in white wines, with the most famous types being Moscatel, Pedro Ximénez, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc.
Napa Valley (California)
To not only recommend European “wine places”, let’s hop over to North America, where one of the USA’s most beautiful places is also a renowned wine region.
Northeast of San Francisco, we find one of the world’s most famous wine-producing regions, the Napa Valley.
Interestingly, the region only became world-famous as a wine-producing area a few decades ago. Although there were wineries in the mid-19th century, it only gained fame after the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting.
And like everything in the USA, they made a real show out of this. With the Napa Valley Wine Train, you can tour the region with a fantastic view. And of course, on the train, experts introduce the region’s grape varieties and wines.
Provence (France)
Provence, a historic region of Southern France north of the Cote d’Azur.
Viticulture here was not introduced by the ancient Romans, but by the Greeks, creating one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world.
The area itself is among the most beautiful. It is often said that vineyard workers must have good morale, as they can see the French Riviera when they look up.
Provence is world-famous for its rosé wine, specifically because here the grapes are grown explicitly for this type of wine. (In most places, rosé is a by-product of red wine production.)
The region has five famous wines, of which Syrah is perhaps the most well-known to us.
Madeira
You’ve probably heard of Madeira, a liqueur wine produced on this Portuguese island.
Legend has it that it was discovered when English sailors took a large quantity of wine from the island, and during the long journey, the beverage matured to a particularly flavorful state in the warm, sealed barrels.
Vine cultivation takes place on the terraced northern and southern slopes, where the vines are almost exclusively hand-cultivated.
Madeira can be made from eight types of grapes, including the well-known Muscat. The resulting liqueur wine has an alcohol content of 17-20%.
Santorini
Now, you might be surprised to see one of the most beautiful and romantic Greek islands on the list.
Considering that Santorini is a volcanic island, it’s not so surprising. The island’s Assyrtiko white wine is world-famous.
The grape is special not only because of the volcanic soil but also because it grows in a basket shape due to the strong winds. These give a distinctive flavor to the wine.
Santorini attractions, beaches
Lavaux (Switzerland)
The vineyard region located on the northern shore of Lake Geneva has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007.
The south-facing hillside, with its moderate climate and limestone soil, provides ideal conditions for viticulture and winemaking. Spanning 898 hectares, around ten thousand stone-walled terraces stretch along the gently sloping lakeshore between Lausanne and Montreux. The region’s most famous grape variety is Chasselas.
The vast vineyards on the hillside and the sparkling blue waters of Lake Geneva offer a breathtaking view.
Kakheti (Georgia)
You probably wouldn’t think that there’s a famous wine-producing region in this Caucasian country!
Yet the region has more than 500 grape varieties! Wines are made using the traditional qvevri method. This method involves fermentation and aging in clay jars, a practice with centuries-old traditions.
Among its most famous varieties are Saperavi, which produces deep red, rich-flavored wines, and Rkatsiteli, which yields fresh, fruity white wines.
Stellenbosch (South Africa)
This region, located 50 km from Cape Town, is popular among tourists, with many wine tasting tours organized here.
It’s particularly known for its quality red wines, among which Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinotage stand out. The latter is a South African variety that originates from crossing Pinot Noir and Cinsault.
Mendoza (Argentina)
One of the country’s most significant cities is located in the western part of the country, at the foot of the Andes.
The region is famous for its unique microclimate, shaped by high altitude and meltwater from the Andes, creating ideal conditions for grape growing.
Among its wines, Malbec stands out, producing deep-colored, rich, and fruity red wines. The region also produces excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Torrontés wines.
