Australia and New Zealand
More than half of Australian wines are reds and Shiraz is the most important grape here, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon. White wines make up some 40 per cent of the wines and are produced from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rhine Riesling and Semillon grapes.
Most of the continent’s vineyards can be found in the southwest and southeast where some five major wine producers are located.
Coonawarra is one of the continent’s finest wine regions and produces excellent red wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In this region you will discover five wineries along the Coonawarra wineries walking trail, which is less than five kilometres long so you can conveniently walk and sip. If you allow 20 minutes at each winery the trail should take you around three hours to complete. That said, you may wish to allow a pause for food at Fodder, a restaurant that serves fabulous food and great wine. A tasty alternative is a pre-ordered picnic basket from the Coonawarra Store to enjoy on the lawns at one of the wineries which are Redman Winery, Brand’s Laira Winery, Wynn’s Coonawarra Estate, Di Giorgio Family Wines and Zema Estate.
There are three significant wine regions in New Zealand that, apart from wine, also offer breathtaking scenery, beautiful forests and parks, buzzing nightlife and sumptuous food. On the Classic New Zealand wine trail, you will be able to taste and shop at over 120 cellars. For Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, head to Hawke’s Bay, Pinot Noir is the star of Wairarapa, and in Marlborough it’s time for Sauvignon Blanc.
Vineyards in Stellenbosch, South Africa.South Africa
Cape Town has a vast selection of wine routes. For the closest wine route to the city, try the Constantia Valley, a mere 20 minutes away from Cape Town’s city centre and located at the centre of the Cape Peninsula. Constantia Valley is the oldest wine-growing area in Southern Africa and is home to some great wine estates.
Take in the some of the best examples of Cape Dutch architecture and then follow with a taste of the area’s wines. The largest wine estate, Groot Constantia is home to Van der Stel’s original manor house museum and shows some interesting examples of this architectural style.
The wonderful Stellenbosch wine route was the first wine region in South Africa to establish a wine route along an organised network of wineries in 1971. This route is so vast that it contains some 200 wine and grape producers. It’s even divided into sub-regions: Stellenbosch Berg, Stellenbosch Hills, Greater Simonsberg, Bottelary Hills and Helderberg.
Many of the cellars offer wine tastings and tours while some have restaurant and picnic facilities, accommodation, gift shops, art galleries, amphitheatres and even wildlife experiences.
Europe
France is a great place to visit if you wish to discover the wine connoisseur in you. As the tourist season cools down and families head back home for school and work, France’s sleepy vineyards come alive for the annual harvest. This makes autumn a prime time for wine lovers to head to France, rent a car and drive along some of the country’s most scenic routes.
As the tourist season cools down and families head back home for school and work, France’s sleepy vineyards come alive for the annual harvest
The Alsace wine route is one of France’s star oenological features. The route is famous for its exceptional natural beauty, winding its way from north to south for over 170 kilometres along the eastern foothills of the Vosges. Think gently undulating vine-covered hills, quaint villages with narrow streets and charming houses that look like they came straight from a biscuit tin lid.
Needless to say, you can pick sections of this sprawling wine heaven. For instance, between Thann and Orschwihr – the southern section of the wine route – the vines are mainly found on the steep slopes and those brave enough can opt for a hiking route along the Wuenheim wine trail. You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to sightseeing possibilities. Attractions here include the Saint-Thiébaut collegiate church in Thann, the ancient fortified town of Cernay, the former Dominican convent in Guebwiller, Wuenheim and its winegrowers’ museum.
Latin America
Argentina is one of Latin America’s top wine producers. The country is interesting in terms of wine routes because, contrary to other wine growing countries, it does not have a linear wine route with wineries following one another in progression. Rather, the so-called Argentine roads of wine connect different wine growing oases chained together over large distances either towards the south or north.
There are 10 wine growing provinces, each offering its own characteristic landscapes and wines. Argentinean wines are unique in that they are the only wines in the world to have never been influenced by the sea.
You can start from the Calchaquí Valleys in Salta and then onwards to Catamarca villages. From there, head down to La Rioja, and its three wine growing valleys, which are rather distant from each other.
In San Juan, wine activity occurs in four different oases. Heading east is the district of Colonia Caroya (Córdoba), and going back west is Mendoza, with its four wine growing venues open for tourists. Far away from Mendoza is Neuquén and, conveniently close by is the AltoValle del Río Negro. Here the route forks into the newest La Pampa vines, so new in fact that they are not yet not open to tourists, and further south into El Hoyo are the southernmost vines both in the country and the world.