10 Best Wine Destinations
10 Best Wine Destinations
As a wine enthusiast, your to-do list definitely entails a trip to the vineyard, yes? Because we are as well, we have listed 10 best wine destinations to visit, explore and see from the scratch how your favourite wines are produced.
1. Hemel-en-aarde valley, South Africa
Directly translated from the Afrikaans, Hemel-en-Aarde means
'heaven-and-earth'. The valley has 28 wineries of which 7
offer sales and tastings. Hemel-en-Aarde is most revered for producing Burgundian style, premium quality Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay.
2. Tokaj, Hungary
Tokaj has a history of distinguished wine-making of more than 500 years. Declared in 2002 a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
the vineyard is home to sweet aszú wines, such as Oremus, Disznóko, Hétszolo and the Royal Tokaji Wine Company.
3. Valle D’aosta, Italy
Flanked by France and Switzerland, mountainous Valle d’Aosta is
home to local varieties like Fumin or Prié Blanc, as well as
Italian or Swiss varieties like Petite Arvine or Nebbiolo, and international grapes. It produces approximately 220,000 cases of
wine a year.
4. Corsica, France
Corsica wine is wine made on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. Located 90 km west of Italy, 170 km southeast
of France and 11 km north of the island of Sardinia. The three leading grape varieties of the region are Nielluccio, known
as the spice wine of France, Sciacarello and Vermentino.
5. Alentejo, Portugal
The Region is one of the largest wine regions of Portugal, enjoying a warm and dry climate, with an excellent "terroir".
The most important white grape varieties in the region are the Roupeiro, Antão Vaz and Arinto. While the red varieties are
Trincadeira, Aragonez, Castelão and Alicante Bouschet (French variety).
6. North Coast, California, USA
California's North Coast AVA is vast, covering more than 3 million acres of land to the north of San Francisco. The area is
home to some of the wine world's most valuable and distinctive real estate. The Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Russian
River, Stags Leap and Carneros districts.
7. Galicia, Spain
Winemaking in Galicia dates back 2,000 years to the time of Roman occupation, when it was exported to England via galleon.
Galicia has five major wine
regions: Rías Baixas, Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras, and Monterrei.
8. Cassablanca Valley, Chile
Cassablanca Valley is a wine-growing region best known for its crisp white wines, most notably Sauvignon Blanc and
Chardonnay, which have gained it recognition as one of Chile's quality wine regions. Pinot Noir, which is responsive to the
cooler climates found in this coastal area, is also grown with some success.
9. Beechworth, Australia
Beechworth is a relatively small wine producing region located a 3 hour drive NE of Melbourne in the beautiful North East of
Victoria, Australia. Beechworth can lay claim to producing some of Australia's finest examples of Chardonnay, Shiraz and
Italian varietals such as Sangiovese and Nebbiolo.
10. Crete, Greece
Crete boasts of a wine tradition that is 4000 years old. Local white varieties include Vilana, one of the island’s top white wine
grapes, Vidiano, Dafni, Thrapsathiri, Malvazia di Candia (Malvazia of Chandakas), Muscat of Spina, and Plyto. Red varieties
include Kotsifali, Mantilari,
Liatiko, Tsardana and legendary Romeiko.