Wine Tourism and Wine Travel Blog
What is wine tourism
Wine Tourism and Wine Travel
I remember the first time we went wine tasting. It was in Temecula, California, a wine region most people don’t know about. It happened to be down the road from Eric’s brother, so we stopped at a few wineries and took in a few wine tastings. Back then, I never had heard the term wine tourism.
Since that trip to Temecula, we’ve been tasting (and drinking) wines whenever we can, from Australia to India. But, the idea of wine tourism – traveling to taste local wines– is still new to us. In fact, learning how to make the most of wine tourism is part of how we’ve learned how to travel like Anthony Bourdain. Because wine travel is not just about tasting wine. It’s about understanding the region, pairing local food with the local wine, exploring wine hotels, and meeting the winemakers who are passionate about their regions. For us, wine travel is just such a large part of traveling for food.
The Best Wine Tours Around The World
How To Find the Best Wine Tours
Traveling for wine is becoming more popular as many travelers seek something a little more from their travel experiences. The concept of “wine tourism” is just as popular as adventure tourism or ecotourism to the right kind of travelers. And, finding the best wine tours is an important part of the travel research process.
We’ve done our best to cover wine tours all over Europe, but we haven’t traveled everywhere for wine. (It’s on our list). We took the advice of travel bloggers from all over the world to bring more wine tasting recommendations to you.
There are wine tours of every type, variety, and budget. But, in this post, we share our recommendations for amazing wine tours, all over the world. Our expert wine travel bloggers share recommendations for wine country destinations on 5 continents!
Check out the Best Wine Tours Around The WorldEuropean Wine Regions
Catalan Wine Tourism
There are over 60 different wine regions in Spain. Yet, most people when asked about Spanish wine will only know Rioja, or maybe the sparkling cava, perhaps the Tempranillo grape. But, people rarely know much about wineries from Catalonia. One of the reasons why we moved to Girona is to be closer to some amazing Catalan wine regions, including our very own in the Costa Brava!
Check out our Catalan wine tourism posts:
Catalan Wine Tourism – Emporda Wine
Book a Catalan Wine Tour From Girona Download our Free E-Book on Costa Brava Wine Tourism
Italian Wine Tourism – Emilia Romagna
One of the reasons why we love traveling in Emilia Romagna, Italy, is the amazing Italian wines.
Check out our Italian wine tourism posts and Italian wine podcasts:
Italian Sparkling Wine – Bologna Bubbles – Learning about Pignoletto
What is Lambrusco – One of Italy’s secret wines
What is Albana – One of Italy’s secret wines
What is Negretto – Italy’s “most” secret wine
An Aperol Spritz – The Italian Aperitivo
Gavioli – Italian wine museum
Corte d’Aibo – Lunch with an Italian winemaker
Book a Wine Tour in Bologna
Wine Tourism in Bordeaux
We visited Bordeaux just a year after the inauguration of La Cité du Vin, or City of Wine, a museum dedicated to the world of wine. The architecture alone is stunning, looking almost like a carafe of wine, on the banks of the Garonne River, which winds through the city. We learned so much about Bordeaux wines, but we learned, even more, when we left the city.
From Bordeaux, it’s a short train ride to Saint Emilion, where it’s possible to visit a Bordeaux wine store, or even walk a few minutes to stunning French chateaux. It’s definitely a more traditional wine country. But, with that tradition comes a stunning wine experience.
Read about Wine Tourism in Bordeaux, including the most amazing wine museum, and how to explore St. Emilion. Learn about exploring French wine from a river cruise.
Book a Bordeaux Wine Tour to St. Emilion
Czech Wine Tourism
Everyone knows that the Czech Republic is known for Czech beer. But, after touring some lesser known European wine regions, it seemed fitting to explore a Czech wine region, and to see what it is all about. After all, it’s the complete opposite of Bordeaux, which is also covered in this wine guide.
Wine is grown in both Bohemia (where Prague is located) and Moravia (where Brno is located). Although Czech beer is common in Bohemia, and part of the daily ritual, in Moravia, it’s all about wine. It’s more common to drink wine, even though it is more expensive than Czech beer. It’s just part of the culture of Moravia.
Read about Czech Wine Tourism, and how to explore the Czech countryside for wine. It’s a must-visit destination for intrepid wine tourists!
Book a Bohemian Wine Tour From PraguePortugal Wine Travel And Tourism
The Douro Valley & Porto
The Douro is simply stunning, enough said. Yes, the wine tasting is one reason to travel to Portugal. But, the city of Porto is home to Port wine production. It’s historic and it’s possible to do Porto wine tastings within the city, one a winding wine route up into the Porto hills. Porto wine tours are plentiful, and teach the history of this important wine.
But, some of the best wine tours in Douro involve a quick drive, or even a boat ride up the river. The scenery in the Douro is simply stunning. The river winds through a deep ravine, with vineyards lying on either side as far as the eye can see. Enjoy a glass of wine, and the view.
Check out our Porto & Douro wine tourism posts:
Douro Valley Wine Tasting – How to taste wine in the Douro
Where to Eat in Porto – You have to eat something while drinking all of that wine
Alentejo Wine Tourism
The Portuguese countryside is stunning, dotted with vineyards to the east of Lisbon in Alentejo. It’s a rustic countryside that borders Spain to the east. Filled with old farm houses and historic hill top villages. And, friendly winemakers with generations of winemaking experience they want to share.
Although meat dishes rule, there is still room for traditional seafood dishes, like Açorda, a traditional soup. The soup is made with the most rustic of ingredients: poached egg, toasted bread, and sardine. And, of course it was all washed down with a Portuguese wine.
Check out our Alentejo wine tourism posts:
Our Big Alentejo Wine Tasting – What happens when you go wine tasting on a Monday morning
Torre de Palma – Alentejo Wine Hotel – A luxury hotel, impeccably restored
Torre do Frade – Alentejo Wine – A friendly wine family in Alentejo
And, don’t forget about Lisbon – Exploring the food and wine through a Lisbon Culinary Tour
Minho – Vinho Verde Wine Tasting
Portugal is home to a unique type of white wine called Vinho Verde. Produced with the Alvarinho grape in the hills of Minho, practically bordering Spain. It’s a crisp white wine, with a tint of green to it, which is why Vinho Verde translates to green wine.
There are only two villages in Portugal where the white Alvarinho grape is officially produced. Together, these two regions, Monção and Melgaço, form the Alto Minho. It’s the best place to learn about this crisp, acidic, and slightly carbonated “green wine.”
Check out our Minho wine tourism posts:
Learning About Vinho Verdes – Vale dos Ares
Wine Tasting in Minho – Hotel Monte Prado with wine and cheese
Dining at Convento dos Capuchos – Enjoying the Minho wine country
Recommended Wine Products
Bring Your Wine Souvenirs Home!
So, it’s time to step up your wine storage game. Perhaps you already have a wine rack that is always loaded to the brim. Or, you’re tired of storing several bottles of wine in your refrigerator, taking up valuable space. Or, do you find yourself always trying to stick a bottle into a single wine chiller to get the wine cold at the last minute. If you don’t have the opportunity to build an entire wine cellar in your home, or if space is at a premium, a small wine cooler might be your stepping stone. Or, if you travel for wine, you will have the perfect spot to store all of your wine souvenirs.
Check out our Top Wine Cooler ReviewsThe Best Wine Clubs – Give the Gift of Wine
If you love wine tasting and traveling for wine, then think about joining one of the best wine clubs. Or, give the gift of wine for the next holiday or special occasion.
One of the best parts of our wine tasting trips to California was the chance to find new wines. Many of these wines we couldn’t find at our local Whole Foods or wine shop. And, when we found wines we really enjoyed, we joined their wine club. I loved the excitement of receiving a monthly wine box. Sometimes, with a few of the top wine clubs, we signed up for quarterly shipments. The best wine clubs shipped fancy sparkling wines over the holidays.
Whether you are looking for the best wine subscription out there to help fill your home wine cellar, or you are looking for the best wine of the month club to give as a gift, we’ve got the best options.
Learn All About Wine Subscriptions HereWine Travel Videos
Cocktail Guides
Traveling the world for drinks isn’t all about wine. It can also be about tea or coffee, and for us, a lot of it relates to drinking great gin and cocktails, as well as learning about craft beer and more. Here are our top posts on gin, cocktails, and beer:
How to Make a Proper Old Fashioned
Where to Drink Cocktails in Brno
Where to Drink a Gin and Tonic in Lisbon
Where to Drink a Gin and Tonic in Macao
