Great wine inevitably has a sense of place, and is a product of both the natural environment and human culture in which it is birthed. What better way is there to gain a deeper appreciation of a region's wine than to visit the vineyards that produced it? Fortunately, wine regions are often very accessible and open to tourists, and one of my favourite occupations is to combine a holiday with a visit to wine country. On the following pages you'll find my illustrated accounts of trips that I have enjoyed to various wine regions, together with tips on how to get the best from your own forays into wine country.
Central Otago, New Zealand (February 2010) At the bottom of South Island, Central Otago is one of New Zealand's most exciting wine regions, making great strides with Pinot Noir. It's a wild, intense place to visit.
South Africa revisited (November 2009 and October 2010)
Time to head back to the beautiful winelands of the western Cape, to see the progress made by South Africa's leading producers. And two recent trips have confirmed that there has been lots of progress.
California's Napa Valley (November 2009) The USA's most famous wine region is in easy striking distance of San Francisco, and it's well set up for wine tourism. I visit, and discover that there's substance behind all the style - this is a great place for growing wine grapes.
Quinta do Noval and the Taylor group, Douro, Portugal (September 2009)
It's harvest time in the Douro, and I combine a trip to two different producers: Quinta do Noval, and the Taylor group (visiting Taylor's, Fonseca and Croft). Burgundy (June 2009) One of the world's great wine regions, a trip to Burgundy is a bit like a pilgrimage. You just have to visit once in your life. On this trip I'm lucky enough to get into some of the top domaines, and check out some of the most famous vineyards. Germany's wine regions (May 2009) I'm on the Riesling trail, visiting Germany's top wine regions. This is spectacular wine country: in particular, the ultra-steep Mosel vineyards are one of the wonders of the world. Vinho Verde, Portugal (November 2008) Vinho Verde country, in the north of Portugal, is very pretty. This is where crisp, mineral, slightly spritzy whites and incredibly vivid, fresh red wines find their home. Tuscany (October 2008) Chianti Classico, the central portion of Tuscany's most famous region, is an area of beautiful rolling hills, cypress trees, old farmhouses and vineyards. I check out some of the leading producers, and witness the harvest underway. Oregon (July 2008) With its rolling hills, Oregon has some beautiful wine country. Its boutique, small-scale producers are getting quite a reputation for their Pinot Noirs, which in many critics' eyes are the best outside Burgundy. I visit the International Pinot Noir Celebration, and then head off to see the vineyards. Mendoza, Argentina (March 2008) Argentina is famous for its two 'M's - Meat and Malbec. Mendoza is its leading region, and this is the destination for my first foray into Argentine wine country, visiting some of the vineyards nestled into the foothills of the Andes. Chile (January 2008) A long thin country bounded by the Andes on one side and the Pacific on the other, Chile has probably improved more over the last decade or two than any other wine nation. I visit to judge the Wines of Chile awards and look around the wine regions. New Zealand (November 2007) Ultra-desirable travel destination New Zealand is a bit of a wine tourist's paradise. Both north and south islands have beautiful vineyard regions, and travelling around is a real doddle. I visited a range of producers in four regions, ranging from the large to the tiny. Margaret River, Western Australia (April 2007) Western Australia's premier wine region may be a bit isolated, but since its birth almost 40 years ago, it has developed a huge reputation for top quality Cabernet and Chardonnay, as well as its distinctive Semillon Sauvignon blends. And with beautiful beaches only ten minutes away, it's an ideal destination for a holiday. The Yarra Valley (March 2006) Since its rebirth in the 1970s, after wine production had stopped for 50 years, the Yarra has established a reputation as one of Australia's premium cool-climate regions. I visited and was delighted to discover some fantastic wines. Swiss vineyards (January 2006) Off the radar screens of most wine nuts, Switzerland is currently making some really good wines in a diversity of styles. I spend some time in the vineyards and taste with 25 of the leading producers. South Africa's winelands (December 2005) A return to Cape Town gave me a chance to check out some of the new wave of South African wines, as well as catching up with some of the more dynamic favourites. You can find out how I got on here. The Alentejo, Portugal (June 2005) In Portugal's new wine revolution, two regions are leading the pack by some way. There's the Douro, which I've covered in depth elsewhere on this site, and the Alentejo, the focus of this series. It's an open, sunny land, with a vista of wheat fields, cork groves, and increasingly vineyards, making some impressive wines. Austria (October 2004) It's no longer a secret that Austria makes some fantastic wines, both white and red. In October 2004 I toured the Burgenland and Kamptal/Kremstal regions, meeting some of the leading producers - here's my report. The New Barossa (September 2004, October 2005) The historical heartland of the Australian wine industry, the Barossa saw hard times in the 1980s when attention shifted to cooler-climate regions. But now it's back, and a raft of young winemakers is revitalizing the wine scene there: in this extensive series, based on two visits, I take a look at what's going on. The Clare Valley (September 2004) The Clare is a slightly sleepy, but beautiful small wine region in South Australia. I take a look and discover some lovely wines. The New Douro (May 2004) Back in 2002, Jamie Goode first visited Portugal's spectacular Douro region to report on the table wine revolution that was taking place. In May 2004 he revisited the region, to delve deeper and see how progress was going. Here's his in-depth, illustrated report.
Time to head back to the beautiful winelands of the western Cape, to see the progress made by South Africa's leading producers. And two recent trips have confirmed that there has been lots of progress.
California's Napa Valley (November 2009) The USA's most famous wine region is in easy striking distance of San Francisco, and it's well set up for wine tourism. I visit, and discover that there's substance behind all the style - this is a great place for growing wine grapes.
Quinta do Noval and the Taylor group, Douro, Portugal (September 2009)
It's harvest time in the Douro, and I combine a trip to two different producers: Quinta do Noval, and the Taylor group (visiting Taylor's, Fonseca and Croft). Burgundy (June 2009) One of the world's great wine regions, a trip to Burgundy is a bit like a pilgrimage. You just have to visit once in your life. On this trip I'm lucky enough to get into some of the top domaines, and check out some of the most famous vineyards. Germany's wine regions (May 2009) I'm on the Riesling trail, visiting Germany's top wine regions. This is spectacular wine country: in particular, the ultra-steep Mosel vineyards are one of the wonders of the world. Vinho Verde, Portugal (November 2008) Vinho Verde country, in the north of Portugal, is very pretty. This is where crisp, mineral, slightly spritzy whites and incredibly vivid, fresh red wines find their home. Tuscany (October 2008) Chianti Classico, the central portion of Tuscany's most famous region, is an area of beautiful rolling hills, cypress trees, old farmhouses and vineyards. I check out some of the leading producers, and witness the harvest underway. Oregon (July 2008) With its rolling hills, Oregon has some beautiful wine country. Its boutique, small-scale producers are getting quite a reputation for their Pinot Noirs, which in many critics' eyes are the best outside Burgundy. I visit the International Pinot Noir Celebration, and then head off to see the vineyards. Mendoza, Argentina (March 2008) Argentina is famous for its two 'M's - Meat and Malbec. Mendoza is its leading region, and this is the destination for my first foray into Argentine wine country, visiting some of the vineyards nestled into the foothills of the Andes. Chile (January 2008) A long thin country bounded by the Andes on one side and the Pacific on the other, Chile has probably improved more over the last decade or two than any other wine nation. I visit to judge the Wines of Chile awards and look around the wine regions. New Zealand (November 2007) Ultra-desirable travel destination New Zealand is a bit of a wine tourist's paradise. Both north and south islands have beautiful vineyard regions, and travelling around is a real doddle. I visited a range of producers in four regions, ranging from the large to the tiny. Margaret River, Western Australia (April 2007) Western Australia's premier wine region may be a bit isolated, but since its birth almost 40 years ago, it has developed a huge reputation for top quality Cabernet and Chardonnay, as well as its distinctive Semillon Sauvignon blends. And with beautiful beaches only ten minutes away, it's an ideal destination for a holiday. The Yarra Valley (March 2006) Since its rebirth in the 1970s, after wine production had stopped for 50 years, the Yarra has established a reputation as one of Australia's premium cool-climate regions. I visited and was delighted to discover some fantastic wines. Swiss vineyards (January 2006) Off the radar screens of most wine nuts, Switzerland is currently making some really good wines in a diversity of styles. I spend some time in the vineyards and taste with 25 of the leading producers. South Africa's winelands (December 2005) A return to Cape Town gave me a chance to check out some of the new wave of South African wines, as well as catching up with some of the more dynamic favourites. You can find out how I got on here. The Alentejo, Portugal (June 2005) In Portugal's new wine revolution, two regions are leading the pack by some way. There's the Douro, which I've covered in depth elsewhere on this site, and the Alentejo, the focus of this series. It's an open, sunny land, with a vista of wheat fields, cork groves, and increasingly vineyards, making some impressive wines. Austria (October 2004) It's no longer a secret that Austria makes some fantastic wines, both white and red. In October 2004 I toured the Burgenland and Kamptal/Kremstal regions, meeting some of the leading producers - here's my report. The New Barossa (September 2004, October 2005) The historical heartland of the Australian wine industry, the Barossa saw hard times in the 1980s when attention shifted to cooler-climate regions. But now it's back, and a raft of young winemakers is revitalizing the wine scene there: in this extensive series, based on two visits, I take a look at what's going on. The Clare Valley (September 2004) The Clare is a slightly sleepy, but beautiful small wine region in South Australia. I take a look and discover some lovely wines. The New Douro (May 2004) Back in 2002, Jamie Goode first visited Portugal's spectacular Douro region to report on the table wine revolution that was taking place. In May 2004 he revisited the region, to delve deeper and see how progress was going. Here's his in-depth, illustrated report.
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