Pictured above: Okanagan Valley
If you’re a wine lover, few travel experiences can beat the chance to crack open a bottle at its point of origin. Touring the vineyards where the grapes are grown, seeing the winemaking process in action, and meeting the people behind the craft really brings what’s inside your glass to life.
World-famous wine travel destinations like Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Barossa and Champagne attract legions of thirsty travellers each year who are keen to see, learn and (of course) taste. But beyond these well-known spots there are plenty other wine regions worth exploring.
Whether you’re interested in lesser-known grape varieties, unusual winemaking styles, unique wine terroirs – or are just keen to discover hidden wine gems that are hard to find at home – the following wine regions are great options to add to your must-visit list.
Want to learn more about the wines of the world? Our Level 3 Award in Wines provides a detailed understanding of grape growing and wine making in famous and lesser-known wine regions.
Okanagan Valley, Canada
When it comes to underrated wine destinations, Canada is right up there. While some travellers will know the Niagara peninsula in Ontario – famed for its production of ice wine – the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is still relatively unheard of, despite homing more than 200 wineries and 10,000 acres of vineyard. Why? A combination of small producers and sky-high local demand mean that few bottles ever make it outside domestic borders, never mind international ones.
Stretching 250km from north to south along hilly slopes on vast Lake Okanagan, the dramatic – and exceptionally beautiful – valley boasts a range of soil types and climatic conditions. In this hot and dry corridor daytime temperatures can reach 40C but nights are cool, ripening reds like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon to juicy maturity while also maintaining refreshing acidity in zingy whites such as Riesling and Pinot Gris. In fact, more than 60 grape varieties thrive here – pretty exciting stuff for the region’s experimental winemakers.
As for the wine tourism experience? It’s polished yet relaxed. Impressive wineries feature restaurants, tasting bars and shops, often overlooking the lake’s glassy expanse. Tastings are affordable and the fee is often waived if you buy a bottle or two – which you’ll almost certainly want to do, given you likely won’t see these wines anywhere else.
Travel tip: Summer can be scorching, so try to visit in September or early October. Days are still pleasantly warm and a bounty of Okanagan tree fruit – particularly plums and apples – is available for tasting alongside the wines.
Kakheti, Georgia
Despite being generally acknowledged as the birthplace of wine some 8,000 years ago, Georgia’s viticultural regions remain undiscovered both by wine drinkers and travellers. During the Soviet era a focus on bulk wine production saw quality dip, and it’s only in recent years that producers have rediscovered ancient grape varieties and revived traditional winemaking methods.
Nicknamed “Little Tuscany”, Kakheti is just two hours outside of Georgian capital Tbilisi in the country’s eastern corner and produces around 70% of the country’s wine. Romantic rolling landscapes feature unique sandy and calcareous clay soils rich in iron, allowing local varieties such as red Saperavi and white Rkatsiteli (as well as international ones such as Cabernet Sauvignon) to shine.
Thrillingly for wine enthusiasts, a visit to Kakheti also provides the chance to observe ancient winemaking techniques in action. The area is known for its quevri amphora – large earthenware vessels used for fermentation and aging – which impart wines with distinct earthy or mineral characteristics. White grapes processed using quevri typically give way to orange, or amber wines, as juice and skins are left to macerate for long periods of time.
Travel tip: Besides wine, Kakheti is known for its glut of ancient monasteries. One of the must-sees is rambling Alaverdi, a grand pile dating back to the 11th century. And guess what? The handful of monks who live here make their own wine.
Hemel-en-Aarde vineyards
Hemel-en-Aarde, South Africa
Think of South Africa, and most likely you’ll think of sun-baked Stellenbosch, where full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon ripens to perfection alongside craggy mountain peaks and white-washed Cape Dutch farmhouses. But if the country’s flagship region is South Africa’s answer to Bordeaux, then Hemel-en-Aarde – translating to “Heaven and Earth” is perhaps its version of Burgundy.
With its cool climate, Hemel-en-Aarde produces elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, grapes that thrive in the ancient soils of clay-rich Bokkeveld shale, decomposed granite and Table Mountain sandstone. Add in maritime winds from the ocean, biodiverse fynbos landscapes and a nearby mountain range, and you have a distinct terroir with slow-ripening conditions that result in nuanced wines.
For visitors, Hemel-en-Aarde is also a breath of fresh air beyond the more well-trodden South African wine tourism routes. Sheltered from the urban influences of busy hubs like Cape Town, its mix of untouched nature and photogenic wine farmlands make touring its 20 small, family-owned wineries a laid-back experience. A delicious one too: local city Hermanus was named Africa’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy for its glut of fabulous and diverse restaurants.
Travel tip: As well as wine and food, Hermanus is famous for whale watching. Visit between July and November to see Southern Right whales splashing in the waters of Walker Bay.
Saint-Mont, France
Little Saint-Mont, west of Toulouse in the Gers department, has serious bragging rights: it’s home to some of the oldest living grape vines in Europe. While most of France’s vineyards were wiped out by the phylloxera epidemic in the late 1800s, the region’s sandy soils prevented the destructive insect pests from taking root.
Visit the AOC today and you will see thick and gnarly 19th-century vines – and grape varieties so rare that, in some cases, farmers aren’t even sure of their true identity. Local grapes Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh form the majority of white production. Reds are typically made from Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
Friendly and unflashy Saint-Mont provides travellers with a warm, welcoming wine tourism experience, the chance to meet small growers and taste affordable wines that punch above their weight in value. In these river-carved landscapes on the foothills of the Pyrenees, harvest is by hand and organic and sustainable methods are commonplace.
And if that’s not enough, for foodie travellers there is also hearty Gascon cuisine to match – much of it starring local duck and pork.
Travel tip: Time your visit to align with the annual vineyard festival over the last weekend in March, when the entire village of Saint-Mont celebrates.
An aerial view of San Ramon, a small city in Canelones
Canelones, Uruguay
This is truly wine tasting off the beaten path – at least for now. While Argentina’s Mendoza is a household name, Uruguay’s largest wine region hasn’t attracted the same awareness, despite its high quality. The small vineyard footprint and strong local market means if you want to taste the best of its bottles, you’ll still need to visit in person.
Canelones is the land of Tannat – a thick-skinned, antioxidant rich red grape originating in France’s Madiran. Proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and its refreshing breezes moderates temperatures and lengthens the growing season, allowing the production of a vast assortment of styles, from full-bodied and tannic to light and fruity (sometimes even produced using carbonic maceration). A varied, hilly terroir with soils ranging from clay to 600-million-year-old pink granite supports this diversity, as well as allowing for other grape varieties to thrive, like Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño.
One of the joys for travellers looking to explore some of the Canelones’ 180 wineries is the region’s incredibly close proximity to Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital. With less than 50km between them you can spend mornings touring the city’s art deco architecture, then afternoons basking in sunshine on a winery terrace. And still be back in time to enjoy Montevideo’s thriving arts and theatre scene by night.
Travel tip: Don’t forget to pack your swimsuit. As well as being a worthwhile wine destination, Canelones has some beautiful white sand beaches along the 45km Costa de Oro.
