One of the things that I enjoy when I travel is trying the local food with a glass or two of wine. With the best will in the world, even though I have studied for many years, worked in a winery and even had a go at making my own, I am still no expert. I have visited many countries that produce fine wines, but they hardly even represent the tip of the iceberg.

I asked a few travel bloggers to share some of the wine in Europe that impressed them most. I was surprised to discover a number of places that would never have popped into my mind. You most likely won’t find some these wines on your local supermarket shelf either so if you like the idea of them you will have to plan a visit to taste them. Wine tasting is a great excuse for a vacation and I now have a couple more places that I need to visit, but I just need to decide which one is first!

Easy Reference Guide

11 REGIONS TO ENJOY WINE IN EUROPE

HUNGARY – EGER

Famous for its red blend, Egri Bikavér, Eger wine region is located in north-eastern Hungary, close to the capital of Budapest (one-and-a-half-hour drive). Embracing the town of Eger and 19 adjacent villages, the region is divided into two districts of protected origins: the Eger and the Debrő districts.

The town of Eger is a famous historical wine region, with grape and wine production dating back almost a thousand years. Some of the wines produced are Egri Bikavér, Egri Leányka, Debrői Hárslevelű, Egri Chardonnay, Egri Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon, Egri Merlot, Egri Kékfrankos, and Kékmedoc.

The signature wine though is a deep red, Egri Bikavér. It is amazing with meat and particularly game. Should you prefer vegetarian and vegan fare, ask for their whites. They won’t disappoint either.

A trip to Eger should include a visit to the old cellar located underneath the basilica (there are guided tours available) as well as tastings. Whether you choose to go to the Valley of the Beautiful Women (Szépasszony-völgy) or opt for wine tasting in the town, your taste buds will be pleasantly surprised. Once you have ticked wine tasting off the list the town of Eger is beautiful and worth spending some time exploring it.

Cris – LooknWalk

Discover wine in Europe - #wine #winetasting #larioja #lavaux #provence #armenia #romania #georgia #france #tuscany #croatia #italy #hungary #portugal #porto — Castle in Eger

FRANCE – PROVENCE

No prizes going for pegging France as one of the best destinations around the world for wine lovers — but the country’s southeasterly region, Provence, is 100% deserving of attention in its own right. Provence makes the BEST rosé you’ll find anywhere, but funnily enough, the region often gets overshadowed by Bordeaux and its rich reds, or the delicate whites of the Loire Valley.

If you ask me though, there are very few things in this world that beat an ice-cold glass of rosé and a slab of stinky Roquefort cheese (literally the stinkier the better). Best served with a sweet sea view after a long day of hiking through the wilderness of the mountains — and Provence is the perfect place to tick all of the above boxes!

Start off with a morning in St. Paul de Vence; grab a glass of the good stuff at one of the sweet little cafes overlooking the valley. Once you’re done, hop in the car and head for the iconic Route Napoleon (the south of France’s most beautiful road trip route by far), making your way from lush lavender fields to soaring mountains — of course, stopping along the way to sample wine from the local grapes.

Grace – Extreme Nomads

PORTUGAL – DOURO VALLEY

The Duoro Valley, as the name suggests is situated along the banks of the Douro River and spreads across the Vila Real and Viseu districts of Portugal. To get here, the closest city that one could fly to would be the city of Porto.

The drive to Pinhao (a small town in central Duoro Valley) will take around 1.5 hours and covers a distance of approximately 130 km. However, for those of you who choose not to drive or being driven, it is also connected by trains from Porto Campana station.

The Douro Valley may be the most underrated wine region amongst the old world wines but in reality, it produces excellent quality. The treacherous terrain was a curse logistically back in the days when the river was the only means to transport the wines to the city of Porto. This is the very reason that makes this an exceptional place today.

No matter which wine estate you visit the views are striking and as a bonus, there are numerous river cruises, activities and photo opportunities.

Not to mention the wine tours that will definitely leave you happy and high by mid-day as the Portuguese are very generous with their servings. In a nutshell, a visit to the Duoro is a perfect getaway from the bustling city life and a road trip through Portugal is an ideal way to explore the country.

Ankita – Travel Stacks

ROMANIA – DEALU MARE

Just 100 kilometres outside Bucharest is one of the biggest wine regions in Romania. Dealu Mare in Romanian means “the big hill” and as the name suggests it is a hilly, sun-kissed region perfect for vineyards.

From Ploiesti to Buzau the whole area is covered in vines and there are several wineries in the area. The grapes grown are mostly red wine varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot or Feteasca Neagra.

Feteasca Neagra it is a traditional grape variety, first planted thousand years ago by Romanians ancestors, the Dacians and now produces some of Romania’s best reds. It is typically full-bodied with intense flavours of ripe plums and dark berry fruit. Several wineries in the area offer guided visits in the vineyards, wine tastings and lunch.

For those who love cycling, hilly roads will surprise you as well as offering you be a great surprise amazing views of Dealu Mare!

Corina – Another Milestone

GEORGIA – KAKHETI

Georgia claims to have invented wine more than 8,000 years ago, and there is increasing evidence that this is true. The main wine region of Georgia lays to the east the capital, Tbilisi, in Kakheti where rolling hills and lush valleys give way to quaint wine villages.

While the scenery is worth a trip alone, the wine and winemaking process are the true standouts. Nearly all Georgian wine is natural and made using a technique that may seem foreign to most Westerners using giant clay vessels, known as qvevris. They are filled with the grapes, stems, pips and then buried underground to ferment. The extended contact with the grape’s skin creates complex, bold wines with deep colours. Georgian “white” wines are amber in colour, and some red wines are nearly black. A nice bottle of wine may cost $10-$20, while a special bottle to store in your cellar may cost $30-$40.

If you visit Tbilisi, the streets are lined with underground wine bars, as the Georgians do not only make wine, they like to enjoy it as well! Paired with Georgian cuisine… I cannot think of a more unique, wine-filled vacation, with an excellent price-point to boot!

Brittany – The Yuppie Hipster

ARMENIA – ARENI

Armenia, a small country in the Caucasus, is home to the oldest winery in the world. The Areni-1 caves, outside the small village of Areni in Vayots Dzor province, are home to wine production artefacts dating 6000+ years old, the first evidence of wine production discovered to date.

The region produces both red and white wines and has a large portion of small local growers that produce their own wine. This is evident as you drive around the region, with local stalls set up by the roadside every 100m selling their homemade wine in 1L plastic bottles (as well as seriously strong homemade spirits) for those passing by.

Fun fact; Armenia and Georgia (the country) have an ongoing ‘feud’ where each claims to be the oldest wine-producing region in the world and will try to one-up the other by finding an older wine-related artefact to reclaim the title.

Areni wine is delicious, very affordable (starting at $2-3 for a nice drop), and the area is really picturesque with huge mountains, monasteries and fruit trees painting the landscape.

Ashlea – Dashing around the world

ITALY – TUSCANY

I have just come back from spending time in the beautiful Tuscan countryside exploring the Chianti region. Tuscany has to be the top of your list in Italy when it comes to enjoying some of the best wine in Europe.

The landscape will take your breath away with hillsides covered in vineyards and ancient towns perched precariously on hilltops. It also happens to be one of the most famous wine-growing regions in Italy. Even though there are numerous classifications like Brunello di Montalcino, Montepulciano and a wine style produced through the region referred to as the Super Tuscans the quality generally is excellent. You can’t help but be enchanted with this magical corner of Italy.

#georgia #france #tuscany #croatia #italy #hungary #portugal #porto #provence — Tuscany

SWITZERLAND – LAVAUX

When I lived in Geneva these were the wines I enjoyed as my daily tipple. They are not well known outside the borders of Switzerland. The vineyards cover around 800 hectares and tumble down the hillside towards Lake Geneva which provides a perfect microclimate for the grapes to flourish. These terraces have been recognised by UNESCO and are a World Heritage Site.

The dominant grape of the region is Chasselas, which produces a crisp, steely white while Pinot Noir and Gamay are the reds. The wine is produced in extremely small quantities each year so if you have been wondering about visiting Switzerland you now have the perfect excuse.

LUXEMBOURG

When thinking about some of the best wine regions of the world, you certainly would never think of Luxembourg to be amongst them. Granted it doesn’t have the grandiose or price tags of Bordeaux, Rioja or Napa Valley, but it does make up for it with cute villages and excellent affordable wine along the way.

It’s not often a destination people think of going for a weekend break, but Luxembourg is a great option for some European sunshine without the crowds. Relatively undiscovered compared to neighbouring regions you can still bag really cheap flights, accommodation and food in Luxembourg at a weekend as prices drop due to fewer business travellers. This contrasts other tourist traps where prices soar due to people flying in for a weekend away!

The wine region is centred along the Moselle river, across from Germany’s more famous Mosel wine region – you can find steep-sloped vineyards overlooking the river, with a wide selection of good value sparkling, white and red!

Laura – The Travellling Stomach

SPAIN – LA RIOJA

I was lucky enough to meet a couple of winemakers from Rioja and invited to visit their cellars. The region is in the north of Spain, just below Basque country, between Navarra and Castilla y León. Many of the vineyards, have been handed down over generations and are still owned by families, like Bodegas Muga, one of the oldest wineries in the area and the highlight of my visit. They also still make their own barrels which is really interesting to see how the coopers make the finished product. Tours are available if you reserve in advance.

There are also much larger companies that produce millions of bottles of wine each year so there is wine available that won’t break the bank and is easy to enjoy.

You can also visit one of the best wine museums in Spain – the Vicanco Museum of Wine Culture and enjoy a visit to the Garden of Bacchus where you will find 220 varieties of grapevines from around the world.

CROATIA

I knew nothing about Croatian wines before I had the opportunity to visit. Like Lavaux, the quantities produced are small, the names unpronounceable to me and the varietals unrecognisable.

I like this quote, which to me sums up my sentiments, but discovering some of the hidden gems is loads of fun.

“Croatia has many indigenous grape varieties that are not very well-known internationally, partly due to their complicated names! Croatians are not afraid of a long row of consonants in one word and have some special characters like č, ž or dž. So you might find yourself totally confused when you wish to order a glass of “Pošip” or want to buy a bottle of “Grk.””

–Dario Drmač www.thewineandmore.com