20 Epic Wine Regions to Visit Before You Die

The highness and dryness of Mendoza province combine with snowmelt irrigation tapped from the nearby Andes to create ideal growing conditions. Malbec — a grape originally produced (rather unsuccessfully) in France — is the signature varietal, while the lesser-known but also nationally iconic Torrontés is grown in provinces to the north.

Maipú, just southeast of the city of Mendoza, gets most of the tourists (and cyclists), but Luján de Cuyo, Valle de Uco, and Tupungato aren’t much farther out and are also major producers. Head there to avoid the crowds.

Side trip: Rent a car and drive west on Ruta 7 up to Parque Provincial Aconcagua and the highest peak outside the Himalayas.

2. Burgundy, France

Burgundy packs a high concentration of great wines into a small area, while subtle differences in the micro-climates of each vineyard allow in-depth study of how growing conditions affect output. It’s a complicated region in terms of tracing the ownership structure of the vineyards, which “makes seeing the storied vineyards in person so interesting and important to understanding them.”

Burgundy’s size means it’s possible to cover most of the region in a few days. Best to concentrate on the Cote d’Or (which includes the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits), sleeping in Dijon and going by train to the medieval town of Beaune rather than paying much more to stay onsite.

Side trip: Find out how to work the Dijon mustard fields in 5 WWOOFing Opportunities in France.

3. Willamette Valley, Oregon

Many of my favorite domestic wines come from the Willamette Valley. The people there are very passionate about their wines…and work hard to improve the output of their vineyards and find the best spot to grow the most appropriate clones — my favorites here being Pinot Noir and Riesling, though there are also great Chardonnays and Pinot Gris.

There are [many] excellent wineries within a few hours of Portland in the Northern Willamette (from Portland south to Salem), and the entire Willamette Valley is 175 miles from end to end…. Great food wines poured alongside great local meals, full of individualistic young wineries. I try to visit as often as possible.

Side trip: Here’s our Green Guide to Portland for when you’re there.

4. Wellington/Wairarapa, New Zealand

This is one of the smaller of New Zealand’s 10 primary grape growing regions, but the quality of its wine surpasses the others’.

The most important varietals are Sauvignon Blanc, which put the country on the world wine map in the 1980s, and Pinot Noir, each accounting for a little over a third of the region’s production.

The subregion of Martinborough, focused on the village of the same name, has the oldest vines and is said to make the best product.

Side trip: I’d just rent a car and tour the whole country, having been inspired recently by Photo Gallery: 22 Natural Destinations in New Zealand.

5. La Rioja, Spain

Photo: Alberto Loyo/Shutterstock

Pretty much the whole of Spain is planted with grapes, but this is the classic Spanish wine-producing region, situated in the north of the country with its capital at Logroño. Its position, sheltered by the Cantabrian Mountains, gives it a more moderate climate than the rest of northern Spain.

Winemaking here is over 1,000 years old. Today the region is best known for its blends, with the primary red varietal used being Tempranillo and Viura the white. Traditionally, Rioja wines underwent extensive aging, with several years in oak barrels. This is slowly changing to meet increased demand, but you can expect strong vanilla flavors from a typical glass of Rioja.

Side trip: Just to the north are San Sebastián and Bilbao; farther west, the mountain region of Picos de Europa is probably my favorite spot in Spain.

6. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

Thought of more as a beer country, this seems to have made the wine production that does go on in Germany more serious, with a much higher percentage of it being quality wine. Great acidity and lower alcohols make Riesling one of the darlings of sommeliers for food pairing, and it’s often their personal mission to get patrons to appreciate the great wines and values of Germany.

Small amounts of red are produced…, but slate driven mineral whites from the Riesling grape in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer are a great place to start. Don’t neglect the off dry styles in favor of the bone dry earlier harvest wines — these are unique and characterful wines.

Branch out into the Pfalz and Nahe later for other regions of note.

Side trip: Across the border, nearby Strasbourg is a Place to Experience La Belle France.

7. Northern California, USA

Napa is probably the best-known name among American drinkers, and at just an hour north of San Francisco is worth a visit — if you have specific wineries you want to hit. When I went, I was overwhelmed by the hundreds of options and the bumper-to-bumper along much of Highway 29 (they were working to widen this to four lanes, so hopefully traffic will improve).

Instead, I’d recommend driving another ~80 miles up 128 to check out the much mellower offerings of Anderson Valley, where only a dozen or so mostly newcomer operations compete for visitors and Pinot Noir is the big dog. I stopped into Foursight Wines and was invited back to watch the punchdown underway on one of their two fermenting vats. You won’t get that in Napa.

As a bonus, there’s Anderson Vally Brewing when the wine gets old, and just up the highway at Indian Creek County Park you can camp in an old-growth redwood grove for $15.

Side trip: Up the coast in Fort Bragg is one beautifully bizarre beach, covered with perfectly smooth, multicolored glass.

8. Tuscany, Italy

Photo: Shaiith/Shutterstock

Home of the “dry Chianti,” Tuscany is a hilly region on Italy’s Tyrrhenian coast. The hills both moderate the summertime heat and give the elevated vineyards more exposure to the sun, something that benefits the region’s signature Sangiovese grape.

Florence makes a good base of operations for tours of the different subregions, including Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Carmignano. Make sure to try the Vin Santo, Tuscany’s world-famous dessert wine.

Side trip: Just up the coast are the five villages of Cinque Terre and the national park of the same name.

9. Maipo, Chile

On the other side of the Andes from Mendoza is Chile’s Maipo Valley, a subregion of the larger Valle Central.

Cabernet is the big thing in Maipo, and the area is widely cultivated, helping Chile earn its spot as the fifth largest wine exporter in the world. Irrigation comes from the Maipo River, which flows straight from the mountains.

For something different, head north to arid Atacama region, where the Andean-centric brandy-like wine Pisco is produced.

Side trip: Not far from the vines, and also close to Santiago, is Cajón del Maipo.

10. Champagne, France

Chalky soils at the northern edge of where grapes can be grown give us sparkling wines that define the standards for the category but remain a mystery to too many.

Big Champagne houses do their best to make a product that varies little from year to year, defeating some of the magic of wine, so I look for the RM (Récoltant-Manipulant) code on the label for grower Champagnes that are more tied to vintage and place…. If you think that Champagne is only for celebrating, then celebrate more things.

Side trip: Paris is just an hour or so west by train.

11. Greece

Centuries of Ottoman rule did a lot to set back winemaking in a region that historically had been quite serious about it. But today, you can find wines made from indigenous Greek grapes that are unlike anything else out there.

Joining the EU was one of the best things that could have happened to the Greek wine industry, and now much more clean and zippy wines are emerging, with lots of my favorites coming from the island of Santorini.

Samos and the Peloponnese are two other spots to check out, the former focusing strongly on the Muscat grape.

Side trip: A tour of Santorini wineries is likely to be the side trip, not the other way around. Here’s some advice when visiting the island: What NOT to do in Santorini.

12. Texas Hill Country

Warning: this list was made by a Texan.

Our long, hot summers limit what Texas winemakers can produce, but there’s surprising variety coming out of the Hill Country, and a lot of it (to my tastes, at least) is damn good.

I’m a member of the wine club at Becker Vineyards and adore their Malbec; anything marked “Reserve” is also kick-ass without fail.

Most of the action happens on Highway 290 between Stonewall and the old German town of Fredericksburg. Lots of B&Bs in the latter, which make for a great weekend basecamp for wine tours.

Side trip: Check out Enchanted Rock State Natural Area for hiking/camping; Austin is about an hour and a half from Fredericksburg.

13. Sicily, Italy

Photo: mRGB/Shutterstock

Choosing a region to tour in Italy is a bit like picking a winery in Napa — the options are so numerous that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Sicily has two things going for it: being an island its land area is limited, and in the Italian wine world it’s most definitely an “up and coming” destination — get there to see it arrive.

In the past, Sicily was mainly known for its fortified Marsala wine, but recently local winemakers have had international success producing Nero d’Avola, a varietal unique to the island.

Side trip: Get tips on seeing the whole island in Roadtripping the Sicilian Coast.

14. Stellenbosch, South Africa

Grapes have been grown in this part of what’s now known as the Cape Winelands since 1679, helping Stellenbosch become the center of wine production and study in South Africa.

Red varietals are the focus here, led by Cabernet and including Merlot and Shiraz. A number of Port-style fortified wines are also produced.

For information on how to put together a trip that hits all the region’s major players, check the website of the Stellenbosch Wine Routes.

Side trip: Down on the coast, you can get Face to Face with South Africa’s Great Whites.

15. McLaren Vale, Australia

Australia is the fourth largest wine exporter in the world, but the focus in McLaren Vale is on quality over quantity. Vines were first planted here in 1838, and many wineries are still family-run.

The Shiraz grape is the region’s mainstay, while Cabernet, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, and others are grown as well. McLaren Vale is a short drive south of Adelaide and in close proximity to beaches and Coorong National Park.

Side trip: Drive down the coast and cross into Victoria province to find the Great Ocean Walk.

16. Douro Valley, Portugal

Photo: hermitis/Shutterstock

The Douro Valley wine country is so incredibly beautiful that it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And the wine’s not too shabby, too: the area is probably best known for its Port, but it also makes claret’s and Burgundy-style wines.

Aside from the gorgeous scenery and excellent wine, the Douro Valley has some first class restaurants and small hotels that make it a must on any trip to the Iberian peninsula.

Side Trip: Take a four-wheeler tour through the Coa Valley Archaelogical Museum and Park. The wine country is also only about an hour and a half drive from Porto, Portugal, and a three drive to Salamanca, Spain.

17. Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary

Hungary’s famous Tokaj-Hegyalja Wine Region is a little gem tucked away in Eastern Europe’s Carpathian foothills that has been making wine for at least 900 years.

The area produces Tokaji (in English, traditionally “Tokay”) sweet wines that are good enough to have earned a mention in the country’s national anthem.

Side Trip: Tokaj is about two and a half hours from Budapest – it’s actually closer to the Slovakian, Ukrainian, and Romanian borders – but instead of venturing out of the country, take a trip to Szilvasvarad an hour and a half away and see the world famous Lipizzaner stallions.

18. Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux is synonymous with good wine. The region is known for the red clarets that share its name (though about 11% of the wine produced in Bordeaux is white wine).

The area is home to the world’s largest wine fair, Vinexpo, which is only held every two years – and there’s one coming up in 2015.

Side Trip: I mean, come on, you’re in France – you can go anywhere and it’ll be pretty great. Bordeaux is in the Southwest of the country, so go to Europe’s longest beach, the Cote d’Argent, and get some surfing in.

19. Finger Lakes, New York

Upstate New York’s famous Finger Lakes are the home to the state’s largest wine-producing area, with over 100 wineries.

The area produces dozens of wines – cabernet sauvignons, malbecs, merlots, pinot noirs, and more – that usually sit on the hills overlooking the eponymous lakes.

Side Trip: It’s only two and a half hours to Niagara Falls – then a little further to Toronto – but instead of leaving, take a boat tour on the lakes.

20. Okanagan Valley, Canada

Photo: Stan Jones/Shutterstock

Canada’s second largest wine producer (behind the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario) is the beautiful Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. The area is host to 131 wineries that specialize in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but produce dozens more.

Side Trip: This is British Columbia, so in the winter time, you want to go skiing, and in the summer time, watersports is the name of the game. 

The first version of this article was first published on May 13, 2011.