Wine Tour Destinations
California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys are synonymous with wine in this country, so they make a fitting location to launch our journey. If you are an adventurous wine drinker you can take a rafting wine tour, for the more relaxed trip there are catamaran wine cruises, or for the ultimate extravagance, visit a wine spa! Located between San Francisco and Sacramento, the valleys are home to many internationally celebrated wineries such as Sterling, Niebaum-Coppola, and Robert Mondavi. Discover champagne cellars or the breathtaking Hans Fahden Vineyards, home to a volcanic cave with gothic ceilings. It is like being transported into a fairy tale! In addition these two valleys offer a wide diversity of accommodations from bed and breakfasts to world-class resorts.
Since we’re on the coast anyway, why not venture up to the superb wineries of Oregon and Washington State. The Pinot Noirs and the Merlots in here are fantastic! If you also have a passion for music, the Northwest has many wine and music opportunities. The Paschal Winery in appropriately named Talent, Oregon, offers many diversions to enhance your wine tasting. Jazz, classical guitar, and local’s night with appetizers and wine specials make this an entertaining hot spot. And if you can schedule your trip during the springtime, the nation’s largest springtime alcoholic event – Portland’s Spring Brew and Wine Fest – is a must! Further north into Washington, the Yakima and the Walla Walla Valleys offer a profusion of wineries and wine tours, with intimate bed and breakfast lodgings that will make you feel right at home! And be sure to visit the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery. It offers one of the most popular concert venues in the Pacific Northwest!
Now I know that when you hear wine and travel, New York and Canada aren’t the first thing that pop into your mind, but I can say first hand the New York’s Hudson Valley and Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula produce some delicious wines. In fact the best wine I have ever tasted was one I got at the Inniskillin Winery on the Niagara Peninsula, which was recently named Winery of the Year! It was a ten-year-old Petite Syrah that they had recently released and it was priced to guarantee its sale before it turned bad. I think I paid about seventeen dollars American. It was luscious, it was velvety smooth, it was divine – and it was only available at the winery. As you venture out of Niagara Falls, Ontario has done a marvelous job of marking all of the wineries for the traveler’s benefit and Ice Wine is their forte. Back in the states, the Cayuga Wine Trail in New York is lined with an abundance of award-winning wineries in scenic surroundings. And for your traveling companions who don’t appreciate the nuances of wine, like my husband who thinks all wine tastes like vinegar, The Ithaca Beer Company provides tours and samples at its brewery along the route.
International travel provides some marvelous wine tasting opportunities. This is the land where vintages are borne of ancient vines; some created by families who have been perfecting wines for centuries. France is renowned for its wine regions; Burgundy, Champagne, and Bordeaux all are synonymous with wine. But what about roaming through Italy’s Tuscany or Spain’s Rioja for a delicious cooking and wine venture? Or trek to Germany’s Mosel River and see the striking scenery that inspired the beautiful wine watercolors of Heinz Ames, who paints his pictures with Reisling instead of water. And if the wine isn’t indulging enough, there are the accommodations! Not only are there handsome inns, villas, and hotels, but several areas of Europe also offer you the opportunity to stay in 17th Century palaces!
Whether your idea of the perfect vacation is simple relaxation or ultimate indulgence, there are many delicious and delightful opportunities for wine tasting travel; and the options are as varied as the wines themselves. Wineries provide you with the chance to try many different wines that are often unavailable anywhere else. So the next time you plan a vacation, consider a wine tour. You can sample, you can savor, and best of all, you can relax! You’re on vacation!
