Wine tasting tours are the perfect travel experience for the refined and sophisticated foodies among us. There are many popular wine regions around the world perfect for this experience–some you ’ll know, some you won’t expect– but before we get to recommending countries and vineyards, there are some important travel considerations you’ll need to put in place before you embark on your trip.
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Follow this list to ensure you have everything in place before jetting off on your holidays:
Documents:
Is your passport to date? Do you need a visa for visiting some of your desired destinations? These things need to be planned far in advance.
Money:
Wine tasting trips, unfortunately, don’t come cheap. Research how much trips and tours will cost you and start saving now. As well as this, while you’re with friends and family abroad, you may need to transfer cash from home to keep you going.
Find out more about Pangea Money Transfer’s services via their website.
Itinerary:
You must tightly plan where you’re going on what dates, and keep a detailed schedule of your flights and accommodations. Some countries customs departments will want to know exactly when you’re leaving, so make sure you have all information to hand when you travel.
After you’ve got the logistics out the way, it’s time to decide on your locations! Here are our top destinations that provide the very best wine around the globe–how many of these places have you been to?
PLACES
Champagne, France
Let’s start with the obvious. The Champagne region of France is where the eponymous world-famous sparkling wine originates from. Champagne has been associated with royalty and aristocracy since the 17th century–vacation like kings and queens in the north-east of France. Besides this, France has many other popular wine regions, including Bordeaux, Burgundy and Loire Valley.
Santorini, Greece
The stunning, sunny Greek island of Santorini is actually home to Europe’s oldest vineyard, which produces the crisp white wine variety Assyrtiko and a selection of sweet dessert wines known as the Vinsantos. Enjoy wine with a long history in its native home; not to mention that Santorini is one of Europe ’s prime beautiful vacation spots, due to its incredible white architecture set against dazzling blue seas
Piedmont, Italy
Piedmont borders France and Switzerland and is home to some of Italy’s best wine. The beautiful valley in which the town and vineyards are situated is circled by the Alps and is both a great location for wine lovers and those looking to relax in peaceful surroundings.Lakes, rice paddies, farmhouses and hilltop villas are the defining features of the town– this is the place for a tranquil, traditional Italian wine tasting trip.
Stellenbosch, South Africa
The South African town of Stellenbosch is again bordered by mountains and majestic old trees–wineries and vineyard getaways tend to be peaceful and serene settings, popular with older tourists. The Stellenbosch region is famed for producing world-class Chenin blanc and pinotage wine. As well as wine tasting, these regions in South Africa also boast wildlife excursions and other activities, to entertain and attract visitors from far and wide.
La Rioja, Spain
This northern Spanish province is world-famous for its full-bodied red wine. The region features countless vineyards and bodegas (small local wineries), which occupy the majority of the Ebro valley. In the small town of Haro, every summer brings the Batalla de Vino festival–where revelers pour buckets of wine over each other in celebration, and the streets are stained purple!
Boyacá, Colombia
When thinking of South American wine regions, you’ll likely think of Chile and Argentina. But, Colombia’s wine region is up-and-coming and exclusive: the country’s two vineyards, Marqués de Villa de Leyva and Marqués de Puntalarga in Boyacá, produce an amazing wine that so far can only be tasted in Colombia. It’s a must-visit destination for true wine enthusiasts.
Where would you want to go wine tasting?
