Top Destinations: Wine Tasting Holiday

South of France

The South of the France is perhaps the world’s finest wine-tasting holiday destination, with Bordeaux region containing some of the world’s greatest vineyards. Most chateaux offer tours with tasting included in the price, and there is always an opportunity to buy reasonable priced exquisite wines, sometimes as an investment opportunity. Wine tasting holidays in the South of France can vary in price enormously – depending on whether it just a day spent at a vineyard, or whether you wish to tour the legendary chateaux of Margaux or Dassault. For wine tasting holidays the South of France remains unrivalled.

Tuscany

Tuscany is famous for its good quality wines as well as olive oil. You can sample these products at the estates before buying them. Tours are available at most of the wineries, and tours can vary from place to place or depending on your preference. A typical day tour would include being picked up, taken on a picturesque drive through the countryside to the estate, you will have a tour of the winery, and enjoy an alfresco lunch. From there you will have a chance to sample the wines, and purchase any that you like. Some wines will be offered in a local shop, to which you can be asked to be taken to. Some wineries will even offer a cooking class, so complement your wine. Expect to pay 300 Euro’s or more for your Tuscan wine tasting tour.

San Francisco

The Napa and Sonoma Valleys have a world-wide reputation for their wines. These beautiful valleys with their vine covered hills are just an hour’s drive (42 kilometres) from San Francisco and make an ideal day trip while visiting San Francisco. There are more than 300 wineries in these two valleys, and several produce award-winning wines. To get to the wineries you can hire a car and head out for a day or two. If you prefer, you can take a tour bus up to the Napa and Sonoma Valley wineries. Tours cost start at $70 per person. Many of the wineries are now charging for a tasting with fees starting at $5. The wine country is home to several scenic towns and villages such as Calistoga and St Helena. And if you are staying in San Francisco for several days, you may want to add in an overnight stay at one of the resorts or hotels up in the wine country into your travel plans. Another idea while you are in Napa is to take a trip on the Napa Valley Wine Train - a three hour train trip through the Napa Valley between Napa and St Helena. The prices per person are $49.50 or $89 (including a gourmet meal in the Pullman dining car).

Portugal

You can't go wrong with a wine tasting holiday in Portugal. Portugal has two wine making centres, each famous in its own right. In the north of mainline Portugal, wine tasting centres around the famous Port wine which is produced in and around Oporto and the Douro Valley. You don’t have to be an avid wine buff to know that Portugal's other main spot is Madeira which also produces fortified wines. Portugal has a great more to offer than just fortified wines however, there are many varieties you’ll want to get your taste buds around.

Like most wine growing countries, Portugal has different wine regions. Each region produces its characteristic grape varieties. What makes Portuguese wine tasting so interesting is that all the grape varieties are distinct to each particular area and they only use native grapes. This of course is highly different from South African, New Zealand and Californian wines which can be a blend of grapes from all over the world. The Portuguese government make sure that the wine produced is the best you can possibly buy and there are strict quality controls.

If you are keen to taste wines from Portugal you will find that it’s not all that easy to buy as they aren’t well known outside of Portugal.

Alentejo Wine is produced in the southern part of the country and is made form the alentejo grape. The grape produces a fruity and soft white with an edge of acidity. You’ll find that this wine is one of the most popular in Portugal.

Bairrada Wine – 80% of wines from this region are red and 95% of these come from the baga grape. Baga grapes are thick skinned and produce wines which are acidic and high in tannins. A local tradition is to add in the stems during the fermentation process which makes this wine variety very tough and challenging to drink. However the better wine producers can actually produce a very palatable wine.

Colares Sand Wine – This wine is actually grown in very sandy soil just outside Lisbon. These are one of the most expensive wines simply due to supply and demand. There isn’t that much wine growing land around Lisbon because of urban sprawl so there supply cannot meet demand. You will find both wine and red wines from this region.

Dão Wine – The region of Dao is in the north of the country and enjoys a more temperate climate. It is a mountainous region and as a resul the hills protect the grapes from wind off the sea. They produce both red and white wines which are very fuity and the minimum alcohol content is 11%. Those who are in the wine industry claim that these wines are amongst the best in Portugal. Grão Vasco and Aliança are just two which are recommended to anyone looking to taste Portuguese wines.

If you are keen to start tasting wines from Portugal, or better still, taste wines in Portugal, there are some Portuguese wine terms you might like to learn.

* Adega - Winery
* Branco - White
* Casta - Grape variety
* Colheita Vintage year
* Garrafeira - A reserve red wine which has been aged for at least 2 years in the barrel plus one year in the bottle. A white wine must be aged for at least 6 months in a barrel and only 6 months in the bottle.
* Maduro - These are mature wines which are produced in all regions of Portugal except for ones which are produced in the Vinho Verde region. You are very unlikely to see this term on any bottle.
* Quinta - Vineyard
* Reserva - A superior quality wine made from a single vintage.
* Seco - Dry
* Tinto - Red
* Verde - Green and opposite of Maduro. Vinho Verde wines are produced in a distinct way.
* Vinho - Wine
 

Canada

Canada is rated one of the top destinations in the world for a wine tasting holiday. The provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec are world renowned for their vineyards. Why not combine a visit to these wineries with a bike trip through the Appalachian Mountains of Quebec, a walking tour through the Niagara region of Ontario or participate in workshops at a winery in the Okanagan...... As long as you dont drink and drive, we're all happy! Enjoy the beautiful scenery of these areas while learning more about the wine making industry in Canada. These tours often combine wine with local cuisine and culinary stops along the tour. The Great Canadian Wine Experience awaits you!

South Africa

Wine Tasting Holiday in South Africa

South Africa’s long wine history is one that reflects the country's colonial past, but also shines with the potential and expectation of the modern wine world. It can offer the wine-tasting world all kinds of new flavour experiences.

Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek, Groot Constantia and Somerset West are the main wine tasting regions of the Cape, offering the best of everything, from olive oil through to garlic infused cheeses, these regions have it all. So if you’re a self confessed wine buff or simply want something different and relaxing to do when on holiday then you should look into visiting one of South Africa’s many vineyards or wine producing regions.
 

Spain

Wine tasting is growing in popularity in Spain, so taking a wine tasting holiday is a good idea. Each region of Spain has its own speciality - though some areas are more popular than others. In the north-westerly region of Galicia you will enjoy floral, dry whites such as Albarino, or the spectacular young reds of Ribeira. Or visit La Rioja, which is one of Spain´s best-known wine-producing regions - with a list of wines too long to mention. Penedès, near Barcelona - is the centre of the increasingly popular Cava industry - or Spanish champagne. And in the south of Spain, Jerez de la Frontera has been famous for its sherry for many years.

Cairns

Cairns is one of the centres for wine growing in Queensland. Located in and around the Cairns Highlands, the wineries use tropical fruits such as mango, banana, lychee, pineapple, passionfruit, as well as citrus and the Australian native fruits including the Davidson Plum and Lemon Aspen. Tours depart regularly from Cairns and a visit to a winery allows plenty of opportunity to sample and purchase the local produce. Brueys Boutique Wines, in Mareeba, is just one example, where visitors can try mango, lychee, jaboticaba, passion fruit and native bush cherry wines. Admission is free and the A$3 sampling is charge is waived upon the purchase of products.

Sydney

The warm climate and the temperate winds make Sydney an attractive setting for wine production. A wine tasting holiday in Sydney is good option for vine lovers looking to include this as part of their holiday, and they should head to nearby Hunter Valley as soon as possible. A short drive from Sydney, guided wine tours are operated bye several companies and it is easy to book such wine tasting breaks online. Most tours include a stroll around the beautiful vineyards, cider orchards, a chance to see how wine is produced and also tasting sessions. Visit and taste award winning wines from at the Hungerford Hill Winery before heading on to Audrey Wilkinson Winery and its incredible views of the Hunter Valley. Next, the Pepper Tree Winery, a small boutique winery - their 1996 Merlot was voted best in the world. The final stop, and for something different is the Hunter Valley Chocolate Factory, for great Belgium style chocolates. Also be sure to check out the Hunter Valley Harvest Festival that takes place throughout May. Overall, Sydney’s remarkable blend of fine vineyards makes it an excellent destination for any wine tasting holiday.

Italy

Budapest

Hungary has a tradition of wine drinking and throughout the year there are several wine tasting exhibitions in Budapest showcasing some of the best wines and winemakers in the country and throughout Europe. There are 22 wine regions in Hungary and though Budapest itself does not have any vineyards, it is home to a plethora of wine tasting venues and speciality wine shops where you can sample wines from all over the world before you make a purchase. Such is the love of wines in Hungary, Budapest has a museum dedicated to wines where you can taste samples from over 300 different countries included in the price of admission. If you love wines, you will revel in a wine tasting holiday in Budapest.

Cyprus

Cyprus has been making wine for over 4000 years and other than Chile, is the only country that does not taint its wines with phylloxera, giving them an authentic organic flavour. The Limassol wine festival and the Amafia wine festival are the only two events specifically catering for wine tasting in Cyprus, though there are a number of wineries in delightful setting scattered around the island. The warm climate is ideal for winemaking and with over 100 varieties of grape grown on the island there is plenty of wine to choose from. Cyprus has a strong tradition in winemaking traditions and there are plenty of tours to indulge to make your wine tasting holiday in Cyprus an extremely pleasant, yet forgettable one.

Florence

There are numerous wine tasting tours in Florence, which you can choose from. After all, apart from the art and museums, this is what this luxurious region is world famous for! People from all over the world drink fine wines from Tuscany and the Chianti hills, so it is no surprise that so many people enjoy a wine tasting holiday in Florence. The more basic tours start at 30 euros per person, but the prices vary greatly, usually dependant on the wines included in the itinerary and the length of the tour, which can be 4 to 8 hours. You haven’t sampled the real Italy until you have been on a Tuscan wine tour.