August 16, 2017

Best Wine Regions in Europe

Best Wine Regions in Europe

If you love wine and picturesque sights, a visit to a European wine region is the best vacation for you. Relax over a glass of riesling while taking in the views and the perfect weather. Check out Women Traveling the World’s Spain Highlights Tour, Italy’s Umbria, Rome & Florence Tour with optional Venice and Amalfi Coast trips, or the Italian Splendor Tour, which features Venice, Rome, Florence, Umbria and the Amalfi Coast. These tours not only give a great display of the regions’ cultures and histories, but also let you have a truly european experience sampling countless wines! To get you in the wine-sipping mood (or if you’re already there), read on to discover the top wine regions in Europe.

Burgundy

Burgundy is one of France’s two top winemaking regions and a must-see for any wine-lover. Getting in the cellar door is not necessarily easy, though. There are a series of options for gaining entrance, including overnight tours that display scenic rivers and canals or trips on land featuring the area’s Romanesque churches, rolling green hills and the medieval city of Dijon. These tours will secure you access to the best wine cellars, but make sure to book them in advance. This might all sound like a lot of work, but as soon as you taste the area’s signature pinot noirs and chardonnays, it will all be worth it.

Bordeaux

Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, is one of the largest wine regions in Europe. Bordelais (the french word for inhabitants of the town) have been fermenting grapes into tasty blends since the eighth century. To get a feel for the area, head to the town of Saint-Émilion. This town is easily accessible by train from Bordeaux city (the center of the area) and offers attractions beyond vineyard tours and wine tastings, but it’s okay if you just wanna sip wine too!

Tuscany

Tuscany, which is located in central Italy and stretches from the Apennines to the Tyrrhenian Sea, boasts an artistic heritage and fascinating cities- Florence being the first. There are many types of nature you will find in Tuscany, including: long, sandy beaches like the Versilia Beach, rocky cliffs and steep headlands, and rich vegetation in areas such as the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. There are also many types of wines! Tuscany is famous for its chiantis, brunello di montalcinos and bolgheris.

La Rioja

La Rioja is a small region in northern Spain that has grown famous due to Tempranillo, a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines. These wines gain their robust character from the long time they spend aging in oak barrels. The best way to sample La Rioja wines is on a night-long tapas and wine crawl through the regional capital of Logroño. You can get to Rioja by long-distance train from spain’s major cities, just keep in mind that they require reservations.