Wine Destinations Around the World

Wine is grown in many destinations across the globe, and wandering through a vineyard, meeting with the vintners face-to-face, and sipping a glass of wine on the very ground that it was grown is a wonderful experience. Here will look at some of the best wine destinations around the world.

Corsica, France

Wine has been made in Corsica for more than 2,500 years and a trip to the coastal vineyards of Corsica with the mountain backdrop will introduce you to the latest generation of vintners who have dramatically improved the quality of wine which is slowly entering the export market. Most of the wine is drunk locally and wine makers sell much of their stock direct to the public. Many producers welcome visitors, even without an appointment and as a bonus, buying from the cellar is good value as there is no VAT on local wine. A good wine will cost you just 5 euros and the most expensive cuvées are around 15 euros

Valle d'Aosta, Italy

On the mountains of northwestern Italy is the Valle d’Aosta, nestled between the Swiss, French and Italian Alps, there are just 20 commercial wine co-operatives and commercial cellars. It is Europe’s highest vineyards at up to 1200 metres above sea level, with vines grown on rock terracing. Little known, this area produces light and fruity Beaujolais-style wines which are as unique as the local dialect Valdôtain and are rarely exported. The Valle d’Aosta wine trail will see you tasting wines from local varieties like Fumin or Prié Blanc, as well as Italian or Swiss varieties like Petite Arvine or Nebbiolo.

North Coast, California, USA

The North Coast is California’s most prestigious wine area and most wineries or vineyards were unaffected by the wildfires of 2017. The Napa Valley is famous for it’s cabernet sauvignons and the biggest wine event in USA - Vineyard to Vintner. There are small-volume vintages in Spring Mountain and Diamond Mountain that often achieve cult status. The Chiles Valley area produces outstanding Zinfandels. Sonoma County has more variety due to the different climate.
There are fine Cabernets in the Alexander Valley and high-quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Russian River Valley. Also try the newer areas of Mendocino, north of Napa for a superb Zinfandel and Anderson Valley for perfect Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling.

Crete, Greece

Crete is the largest island in Greece, and home to grapes native to the island, including the wild and varied Thrapsathiri, Kotsifali, and Mantilari. Wine has been produced her for more than 4000 years with some still produced by the small cottage industries in the traditional style, whilst others employ ultra-modern methods, both of which produce excellent white, red and rosé wines. Most of the wines are cultivated and harvested according to the phases of the moon and all are unique

Hemel-en-Aarde, South Africa

South Africa has many wine regions, but a priority visit should be to the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, which has been accurately translated into Afrikaans as “heaven and earth” due to it’s dramatic mountain landscapes and vineyard views. This is a cool-climate region that produces complex yet balanced Burgundian-style wines from Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay grapes. The Methode Cap Classique is an excellent local sparkling wine Located just 90 minutes southeast of Cape Town you can make it a day trip, or stay in the coastal town of Hermanus, just down river to enjoy the beach, kayaking or whale watching, for which the town is famous.

Casablanca Valley, Chile

Chile’s cool, hilly Casablanca Valley located one hour west of Santiago is the country’s newest, but already the best, region for crisp, fruity white wines. What was once farmland now houses modern wineries with welcoming cellars and tasting rooms. It is Chile's first cool-climate wine producing region, creating excellent fruit for crisp Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Viognier and Riesling, with rich aromas and flavours. Here you can also find Pinot Noir as well as Merlot and the Chilean Carmenere.

Yarra Valley, Australia

The Yarra Valley, one hours drive from Melbourne, is where Victoria's wine industry began, with the planting of vines in the rolling landscape in 1838. The Victorian Government made a commitment to deliver a wine industry development strategy. Wine production stopped in 1921, but replanting began again in the late 1960s. Yarra Valley is now recognised as one of Australia's foremost cool climate regions, capable of making classic styles of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah as well as classic sparkling wines.

Tokaj, Hungary

For centuries, Tokaj (pronounced toe-kay) produced some of the world’s most famous sweet wines, revered first by by King Louis XIV and Catherine the Great before becoming Europe’s first classified wine region. Situated two hours east of Budapest, Tokaj’s wine industry suffered under communist rule, but with privatisation in the 1990s Tokaj’s vintners began producing quality nectar-like Tokaji and also for dry wines from local grapes such as Furmint and Hárslevelű.