Time Wine flies when you’re having fun — here are the top wine destinations in the world
Do you often find yourself taking trips to your local supermarket to pick up a bottle of wine, only to return home and pour a glass on your back porch while pretending to be on some lit-up balcony at dawn overlooking a picturesque vineyard in a foreign country, snacking on cheese and bread by the handful? Just me? Ok.
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The Italians say that "a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine,” and I’ll definitely cheers to that. From the richly soiled land down under in Australia to the lush green pampas in Argentina, there are countless wine regions around the globe that deserve our mouth-watering recognition.
Much like the individuality of the people who live in these regions, each winery produces its own delicious blend of wine that showcases its own unique taste; from rich and buttery to heady and floral, and everything in between and beyond.
What’s crazy, though, is World Population Review shared on its website that despite wine’s global popularity, only four countries — France, Italy, Spain, and the United States — produce over half of the wine in the world.
For the sake of satisfying our curiosity, let’s look into these four countries that enable our wino habits and see for ourselves if these wineries are worth the visit (let’s be real, they probably are).
Burgundy, France 🇫🇷
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Traveling just three hours southeast of Paris sits lush, green landscapes as far as the eye can see, with tranquil riverbeds and dense forests scattered throughout. Welcome to Burgundy, France— a wine (and nature lover’s) oasis.
Let’s talk about the wine here because, quite frankly, I bet you’ll be booking a trip to Burgundy after reading this.
A historic and highly respected wine region, Burgundy is home to some of the most popular and expensive wines in the known universe — and for good reason, according to Global Viewpoint. This place literally casts fear into even the most seasoned of winos because of its complexity and prestige. In fact, Burgundy is so esteemed, it has its own wine category named after it.
There are two grape varieties to remember when talking about Burgundy: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. “Red Burgundy” refers to the Pinot Noir grapes, which provide fruity flavors of cherries, red berries, and stewed fruit. These grapes, according to Vino Vest, are complex, seductive, and extremely age-worthy. “White Burgundy,” on the other hand, is made entirely from chardonnay, giving flavors of golden apple, pear, yellow plum, and lemon. This wine is coveted by many and rarely replicated anywhere else in the world.
Apart from its wine, Burgundy is such a beautiful tourist destination. It embodies France’s Old World charm, brimming with medieval monuments and tiny, gem-like villages. Whether you’re taking a stroll down the cobblestoned streets of Noyers-sur-Serein, or relishing in the historic Vézelay village — where pilgrims, kings, and emperors once visited in hoards to worship the relics of Saint-Madeleine — Burgundy is a region you should add at the very top of your bucket list.
Tuscany, Italy 🇮🇹
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Each Italian consumes roughly 13.6 gallons of wine a year, according to News Week. This makes sense considering the amount of wine I drink (I told you I’m 1/4 Italian, right?).
And in Tuscany — which is Italy’s most prolific wine region — vino is overflowing, much like its treasured majestic hills, historic architecture, and Renaissance art. Global Viewpoint shares that Tuscany is the birthplace of dry Chianti, which is made predominantly from its native Sangiovese grapes.
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin sanguis Jovis, which translates to "the blood of Jupiter.'" Super Sexy. This grape variety is a bit of a fake friend, constantly altering its genetic makeup to fit its environment. Because of this, there are several mutations of the variety all over Italy, resulting in very different tasting wines, per Wine Folly. From intensely dark, tannic wines to the delicate, floral strawberry aromas, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy here.
The Tuscan region is also known for several other red wines, including Carmignano (a dry red) and Elba Aleatico Passito (a sweet red). I’ll take five glasses of each, please!
And don’t even get me started on the food.
Tuscan cuisine is diverse and hyper-local, meaning it’s totally different based on the village or city you visit. But one thing each area has in common is its fresh and simple ingredients, which you will find in its pasta, breads, and cheeses (my three favorite food groups). As you may expect, every cuisine you try here would be paired perfectly with a glass of Tuscan red wine.
Obviously, Tuscany is a must-visit for wine lovers … and everyone else for that matter.
Rioja, Spain 🇪🇸
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Rioja, Spain, is a wine-lover’s dream. According to Global Viewpoint, Rioja is the leading wine region in the country and probably the most recognizable for foreigners due to its simple and easy-to-understand bottles. The primary grapes used in Rioja wines are Tempranillo and Garnacha.
Tempranillo is Spains signature grape. Used primarily to make full-bodied red wines, Tempranillo is the country’s most widely planted variety, according to Wine Searcher. The name Tempranillo, which means "little early one"” apparently derives from the variety's habit of ripening earlier than other grapes. Delivering contrasting flavors of leather and cherries, the taste is usually smooth and lingering. Is anybody else’s mouth watering?
Garnacha grapes, on the other hand, are fruitier. A versatile grape variety predominately grown all along the Mediterranean coast, the Garnacha has two varieties — red and white. Very fruity wines are obtained from the Garnacha, with hints of black and red fruits on the nose.
Rioja loves to blend these two together, creating melodious red and rosé.
Besides its delicious winemaking skills (that have me adding these Spanish wines to my shopping cart), Rioja contains beautiful villages and top-quality wineries that make my jaw drop upon investigation.
Seriously, look at San Millán de la Cogolla. Like, are you kidding me?! Grab your passport, we’re going.
Napa Valley, CA, United States 🇺🇸
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I bet you didn’t see this one coming. Napa Valley is probably the most well-known and prestigious wine region in the entire United States. Known for its world-class cabernet sauvignon and award-winning vino, Napa Valley really is that girl.
Located in northern California, just 50 miles northeast of San Francisco, Napa Valley is home to over 400 wineries that pepper its fertile soils. Full-bodied Cabernets, fruity Merlots, and buttery Chardonnays are just a few of the dozens of wines presented in Napa Valley. A total of 172 wine tours and tastings are available here, complete with spas, lodging, shopping, nightlife, arts, entertainment, and so, SO much more.
There’s a reason Napa Valley’s Cabernet is world-class, btw. Cab vines excel in sunny, warm, but not-too-hot climates so that the grapes ripen nice and slow. According to Napa Valley’s website, Napa Valley's location on San Pablo Bay causes an induction effect at night that delivers morning cloud cover, giving the Cabernet grapes everything it needs to grow and ripen deliciously. Its prevalence of volcanic soils in the region also contributes to its wine’s earthy, “dusty” taste, which adds complexity and uniqueness.
Napa Valley offers so many different wines, with so many different flavors — plum, mocha, licorice, black cherry, espresso, cedar, sage, wild berry — I can go on forever, honestly. Even if you aren’t into wine all that much (sus), tag along with your wino friends because there is so much to do and explore here.
All in all, as a global whole, we drank over 6,000 gallons of wine in the year 2020 alone. Blame Covid, blame quarantine, blame the fact that we just really love wine — we are representing humans in a way that every wino should be proud of. Bravo!
Let me know your favorite wine below!!! I’m always on the hunt for new ones to try. ❤️
