Both locally and internationally, travelling is back. We can once again hop on a plane and go somewhere that lets us re-engage with the world.
The best trips are naturally the ones purely for pleasure. And if they involve wine, the choices of where to go are practically endless. I have selected six regions that not only have fantastic wine-tasting opportunities, but also have plenty of activities and simple pleasures to engage in.
Central Otago, New Zealand
Central Otago is one of my favourite regions to visit. The minute you step off the plane or weave in through the hills on a road trip, the landscape will capture your attention. It is stunning, distracting and beautiful.
All five major wine sub-regions have something different to offer. The vineyards and wines have their own signature of place. Plus tasting room staff are experts and can speak to the land and local culture as well as recommend where else to stop by.
Wānaka will take your breath away: the skiing and snowboarding there are world-class, while opportunities for tramping, gliding or dining are all close by. There are tasting rooms in and around the Cromwell basin, Bendigo, Bannockburn and Alexandra, each offering unique wine experiences, many with platters and some with restaurant spaces, too. Lord of the Rings fans will feel right home with many familiar sights.
Burgundy, France
Burgundy is one of the most important places to visit, especially if you are on a personal wine journey. When in France, this is one of the wine and visual experiences to include.
My suggestion is you make your home base in either Dijon or Lyon and work your way slowly through each village over several days. Villages are very close to each other and there is usually a church at the centre of each.
Burgundy is so important because of the wine and viticulture. As soon as you pick upon the bouquet emanating from each vineyard, the soils with fragments of limestone and clay, touch the stonewalls that are hundreds of years old.Then taste the wine from producers– it showcases the jigsaw of why the wines smell and taste the way they do, a jigsaw for you to piece together.
The expanse of the countryside, gentle incline of the grand cru and premier cru vineyard sites and village life can create lasting memories.
Sonoma, USA
The Sonoma region of northern California is an easy drive, about 40minutes or so just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Once there, one of the first stops is in the small township ofSonoma itself, there’s a public park in the centre surrounded by wine-tasting rooms, cafés, restaurants and some interesting art galleries and shops.If you prefer to get in a little local culture and see some of the countryside you can choose to go directly to wine-tasting rooms at the wineries.
Be sure to stop into Buena Vista Winery, Bedrock Wine Company and the Fort Ross Vineyard and tasting room. Try the chardonnay and pinot noir in particular.
Yarra Valley, Australia
The Yarra Valley wine region sits just east of Melbourne in Victoria.
An easy self-drive tour of wineries and small townships is recommended. There’ll be a few kangaroos to spot bounding through the vineyards; don’t worry, they mostly keep to themselves.
Wines to discover include pinot noir, chardonnay, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. Be sure to stop into the producers in and around Yering, Gruyere, Yellingbo and Nagana. Innocent Bystander, Yarra Yering and Giant Steps are top producers.
The truth is that there are many sites and wineries to visit. Be sure to take in the Great Dividing Range from a high point.
Veneto, Italy
Veneto in Italy’s north-east is a fascinating and beautiful place to visit; the wines and wineries are a mix of modern and old-school.
A walk around the main township of Verona will set you up for the incredible countryside and winery visits. Soave, known for its wines and medieval castle spanning the hills east of Verona, has white wines that are crisp and delicious.
Along the south-eastern shores of Lake Garda, a lovely sailing town, the red wine of Bardolino are dry, gently savoury and quietly complex.
Masi wines, located in Veneto, have an excellent tasting room experience and are also close to the famous hills and vineyards of Valpolicella.
Take a drive north into sparkling wine countryside and stop for a tasting in and around Valdobbiadenne and Conegliano: the views alone are mind-bending. I had a fantastic time getting lost in Venice …you should, too.
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Hawke’s Bay is one of the most important wine regions for NZ.
There are well over 100 years of wine history to discover, with venues at Mission Estate and Church Road wineries, each with guided wine tastings and dining opportunities.
Numerous vignerons across the bay area have opened wine-tasting rooms combined with dining spaces such as Linden Estate in the Esk Valley, Clearview Estate in Te Awanga – not so new yet excellent all the same, Craggy Range in Havelock North, and Trinity Hill wines at Fernhill have uber-friendly staff. Plus visit Napier for art deco fashion or architecture.
