Erin Doman on January 27, 2016 1 Comment Chances are that you love wine just as much as we do. If you can’t seem to get enough wine where you live, why not take a trip somewhere else? There is nothing quite like diving into the wine community by traveling far and wide to experience all this field has to offer. Below we have listed 5 of our favorite wine destinations to visit for the wine culture from all around the world. 1. Rhône Valley, France If you’re making a point to visit notable wine destinations, it goes without saying that you should take a trip to France. While there are many wonderful French winemaking locations to visit, one of our favorites is the Rhône Valley. The Rhône Valley is an iconic wine destination, as it is one of the largest wine growing areas in France. The valley has 13 wine trails over 150 miles of beautiful land, with over 6,000 wine growing properties. Of the many wineries in this area, it is best known for its Côtes du Rhône AOC. Here you will find Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne, and many other grape varieties used for blending during the winemaking process. The history of wine cultivation in the Rhône Valley stretches all the way back to 600 BC. When you arrive in Rhône Valley, you can stay at the beautiful Hotel Crillon le Brave if you’re down south. The hotel is actually a group of ancient stone homes. The small hotel village also contains a wine cellar and two fantastic restaurants. The Les Patios des Vignes and the M. Chapoutier les Gites are also great places to stay if you’re closer to the north. Be on the lookout for the co-ops around the valley that sell less expensive wine. It’s a great way to enjoy tasting when you’re traveling on a budget. Villages around the valley will sometimes offer free tastings. Large wine houses typically will have beautiful and well-stocked tasting rooms where you can sit and relax. However, there are a lot of other things to do in Rhône Valley besides drinking wine. You can go to culinary workshops and learn how to pair wine with specific foods. Bike and hiking trails that travel through the valley are a great way to see the landscape and get some exercise. 2. Galicia, Spain If you have always wanted to see Spain, travel to the Northwest corner and visit Galicia. In this part of Spain, most of the residents speak the language Gallego, from their original Visgoth and Celtic settlers. Most of the landscape in the region consists of vineyards. One of the oldest hotels in the entire world sits on the main square in Galicia. Some other first-rate hotels include the Casa del Baron and Gran Hotel Nagari. As for places to eat, you can dine in the popular wine bar called Casa de Xantar Loaira. If you’re in the mood for Spanish seafood, you can head to Bitadorna for grilled lobster or 16 O Dezaseis for some octopus. When it’s time to go sightseeing, you can visit Santiago de Compostela Cathedral on the main square, or go down to the Sil River Canyon for a boat ride. Of course, wine tasting is always something to do. Palacio de Fefinanes is a famous winery that has been around since 1928. You can find them in the Cambados Waterfront in the former palace from the 17th century. Other fantastic wineries in Galicia include Bodegas Valdesil, Adega Algueira and Martin Codax. 3. Okanagan, BC, Canada You may not have realized that Canada has some fabulous wine destinations, but it certainly does, and you should take a trip to check it out for yourself. One of the places you should stop is Okanagan in British Columbia. You can find Okanagan 240 miles east of Vancouver and between the beautiful mountains and crystal clear lakes. It’s home to around 170 wineries that boast more than 8,000 acres of vineyards. When you head to Okanagan, you can find great lodging for a decent price at Spirit Ridge Resort & Spa. It’s great for couples or families. Other nice family hotels include The Cove Lakeside Resort and Walnut Beach Resort. Of course, if you’re traveling with your sweetie, you’ll want to say at something a little more romantic. The Bottega Farm Inn is a beautiful artsy retreat that is popular with the romantics. The Inn is located on an interesting Alpaca farm and is in close proximity to the wineries. There is a large number of wineries that you can visit in Okanagan. These include Pentage Winery, Silver Sage Winery, Dirty Laundry Winery and Vinyard and Stonehill Estate Winery. 4. Napa Valley, California, USA Napa Valley has always been famous for being a notable wine destination. California is great because you can visit any time during the year and truly enjoy yourself. With beautiful weather all year long, you can’t go wrong. California is also the most convenient place on this list to visit if you just want to take a week-long roadtrip somewhere fun. Napa Valley has some great places to stay. The Mount View Hotel & Spas is relaxing and beautiful. The Napa Valley Lodge feels relaxed and down to earth. If you want to get more upscale, you can head to the Westin Verasa. It has a five star French restaurant inside, too. When it’s time to taste some wine, you can head to Chandon Caves. This is a unique place to visit because the wine cellars are actually deep within caves. When you want to spend some time doing other activities, Napa Valley has some fantastic bakeries, pools and spas. 5. Franciacorta, Italy Franciacorta, Italy, is a winemaking destination that is known for making a wine of the same name. It is a fantastic place to visit if you want to try some wine and see the European countryside. If you like your wine a little bubbly, this is the place to go. It is home to the most famous sparkling wine in Italy, though some people even claim that Franciacorta is home to the best sparkling wine in the world. You can find many four and five star hotels to stay in and around Franciacorta. The L’Abereta Relais & Chateaux is a five star hotel with several large buildings, and they have lush, green moss climbing the slides. The Chateau looks like something out of a fairytale, making it the perfect enchanting place to rest your head between visiting the vineyards. For some delicious wine, be sure to visit Fratelli Berlucchi and Bellavista. If you are a wine lover, you can find a wine-loving community no matter where you travel to. You can’t go wrong visiting the greatest hits of the wine world, such as Italy, France or Argentina. Don’t be afraid to go a little off the grid to some other unique locations–you never know what you might discover.
Mark Krizman says January 30, 2016 at 8:36 pm You should come to Grand Junction Colorado, we have almost 20 wineries in 25 mile radius. My wife and I love going to all of them and going to the Winefest which is in Palisade, right next to Grand Junction, held every year around September 19. Colorado Mountain Winfest usually has 45 or more wineries, each with great wines. Please come check out these wineries. Thank you Mark Krizman Reply
