Top 5 Holiday Destinations For Wine Tasting

When I read the news that Grape Escapes are launching a six day ‘Rhône by Rail’ wine tour it got me thinking. I love wine and I love train travel (although I promise I don’t wear an anorak and write down the train numbers!) I’ve been on plenty of wine tours and I’ve enjoyed them, but would I be ready to spend my entire holiday on one long wine tour?

To help me decide (and of course to persuade my wife) I started thinking over some great destinations for a wine tour. Then in the time honoured ‘top 5’ format, I thought I would share them with you:

France

It seems only fair since Grape Escapes got the ball rolling to start with France. Probably the first country most of us would think of when it comes to wine, the French have world renowned wine regions dotted all over the country. The Cote du Rhone is just one. Most famous for Chateauneuf du Pape it can be easily accessed via the under-rated city of Lyon. Bordeaux and Bergerac at the other side of the country are another fantastic choice for a wine themed holiday, and if you are a big lover of the bubbly stuff then you can’t miss the Champagne region which centres on the town of Epernay in Northern France.

Spain

By far Spain’s most well known wine region is La Rioja, named after its red clay soil. There are plenty of bodegas that open their doors for wine tasting and you can also book a formal wine tour. There are a number of airports serving the region but for cheap flights from the UK, Bilbao is probably best. Flying into Bilbao also opens intriguing possibilities including a visit to the Guggenheim museum as well as a chance to relax on the stunningly rugged beaches of the Basque Country. If you want to do something a little different from the standard wine tourism an ancient pilgrim route, the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, runs through the Rioja. Slow travel just doesn’t get any slower than travelling on foot and meandering through the vines for a few days is a real treat.

Argentina

A trip to Argentina is likely to appeal to the more adventurous traveller and it is unlikely to be a place that you would go to just exclusively for a wine holiday. For those willing to make the journey though, the rewards are massive. Mendoza is the heart of the Argentine wine region and you will find plenty of the Malbec for which the region is so well known. Travelling along the wine route by bicycle is popular here and there are few more pleasant ways to spend an afternoon that wobbling between wineries!

South Africa

South African tourism received a massive boost last summer in the form of the World Cup. It put the rainbow nation on the map for many who had previously not considered a trip to Africa. The wine scene focuses around Cape Town and there are plenty of local companies who will take you on a tour of the wine growing areas; Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl. Think about taking in at least some of stunning coastline of the ‘garden route’. You can safari reasonably close to Cape Town in the North West by the Botswana border or you may want to head across to Jo’burg to visit the famous Krugar National Park.   

Australia

Let’s be honest, with so many great wine producing countries on our doorstep, you probably aren’t going to fly all the way to Australia for a wine tour. There are plenty of good reasons for going down under though, and if you are there any way it would be a shame not to take in one of their legendary wine regions. The Aussies have a fun and unpretentious approach to wine tourism and you can organise a cheap and easy wine tour in most of the capital cities.

Australia’s most famous wine region, the Barossa Valley, is found in South Australia near Adelaide but while you are there don’t overlook the less well known McLaren Vale or Clare Valley. Numerous companies in Melbourne will offer to take you around the Yarra Valley and in Sydney you can easily take a trip to Hunter Valley.

They are all good, but my favourite Australian wine region is in the country’s south west. Margaret River is about 4 hours south of Perth and it more than makes up for the drive. Simply the best wine in Australia and plenty of knowledgeable guides ready to share it with you. If that wasn’t enough, the white sand beaches around Margaret River, lapped by the turquoise Indian Ocean are as good as any in the world.

If this article whet your appetite for fine wine and you just can’t wait, I have found that I can find many of the wines that I have tasted overseas using Marks & Spencer wine online. On occasions they were actually cheaper than the cellar door too!