For those who are looking forward to
swirl, sniff, and sip their way around to one of the world’s great wine
destinations can be a dream vacation. Vacationing at a winery is a great
experience and many vineyard restaurants around the continents offer fresh and
farm-to-table style dining, prepared by expert chefs in breathtaking escapes.
While some of these locations can be humongously expensive, there are many
other wonderful international wine destinations that one can experience on a
decided budget.
1. Salta, Argentina
Argentina’s Uco Valley and Luján de
Cuyo, both near Mendoza, are world renowned but can be pricey whilst farther
north, the wine region around Cafayate in Salta province offers great value for
wine lovers.
Among the 10,000 acres dedicated to
vineyards, some wineries have started offering free tours and tastings to its
guest. While you may consider it expensive and a big hassle, well you really
don’t need to spend a lot of money on a rental car or private driver to take
you out there , because there are plenty right in the town of Cafayate. This
means that you can walk from wineries to wineries tasting without having to get
behind the wheel. Include a visit to a fantastic wine bar in town called Bad
Brothers Wine Experience, which has affordable tapas and wines and is must
recommended.
If you do choose to head out to some
of the nearby vineyards, recommend visiting Piattelli Vineyards, nearly about a
five-minute drive from the town of Cafayate. This bodega has a fabulous hotel
called Patios de Cafayate, where you can stay in a historic building right in
the midst of the vineyard — a truly memorable experience for those who love all
things wine.
2. Istria, Croatia
With its geography and its
territory’s history as part of the ancient Roman Empire, it’s no wonder this
Adriatic gem in Croatia has a long and rich relationship with wine and has a
lot to offer . More than two decades after the fall of the republic of
Yugoslavia, the local industry started it recovery from the mediocre vintages of
communist times and is producing flavorful wines and its producers focusing on
quality over quantity. Head to Istria in the northwest to sample the crisp
white malvazija, a local specialty, from top winemakers such as Matošević and
Kozlović.
3. The Okanagan Valley, Canada
You may not have considered visiting
your neighboring country for an excellent glass of wine, but British Columbia’s
Okanagan Valley is famous for producing tasty merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot
noir, pinot Gris, and chardonnay naming few. Owing thanks to the strong U.S.
dollar, travel within this part of Canadian region and other parts is cheaper
than it has been in previous years.With most of the vineyards in the
region set along the breathtaking, 84-mile long Okanagan Lake, and restaurants
at the wineries have scintillating views over the water.
The best way to stroll around the
wineries is to get a group of people together and share the cost. One can rent
a 10-passenger stretch limousine for few dollars an hour and take it on a self-guided
wine tour. It is not always easy to get together 10 friends when you’re
traveling, so you can also book affordable wine tours starting at the lowest
per person. Another advisable option is renting a car in Kelowna, the main town
in the region, with a minimum cost of $25 a day, and drive yourself out to your
selected wineries.
4. Plovdiv, Bulgaria
The small, European quaint country
of Bulgaria may not have made your wine radar yet, but the fertile soils of
this ancient wine production territory have long made some of the world's best
wines which is to be believed.
As per the experiences, Bulgaria is
an incredibly inexpensive place to explore and on top of that, the beautiful
town of Plovdiv has some of the country's best wineries welcoming you right at
its doorstep.
5. Santorini, Greece
Coastal, tiny and whitewashed
Santorini nestles in the coast of Mediterranean Sea and sits firmly on the list
of many travelers’ dream destination with many few people know about its
beautiful wineries on the island.
The wine itself may not blow your
socks off, but the experience of renting a scooter/bike and cruising around the
island looking for signs that say “wine tasting” is a lot of fun which one can
think of. Just make sure you don’t go overboard on the tastings while you are
on wheels.
There are not many but a few dozen
wineries on the island that permits visitors for tastings and tours. Naming few
notable ones are Domaine Sigalas in Oia, Boutari in Megalochori, and Santo
Wines in Pyrgos.
6. Sicily, Italy
Sicily, famously known ever-active
Mount Etna with its long history of volcanic activity soil is rich in minerals,
proved a boon to all farmers including the grape-growers, who had shifted in
the past few decades from exporting to producing wines on the Italian mainland
maintaining their own quality vintages, timed well with the renewed attention,
locavore-before-it-was-trendy cuisine. The best-known local grape and popular
among wine lovers is probably nero d’avola, fermented on its own, in blends and
in Sicily’s fortified wine Marsala. One can have an experience on the slopes of
the volcano itself with vineyards producing white carricante and red nerello
mascalese.
Getting to wine country:
The most expensive part of a wine
holiday destinations are likely the flights to get there but by some advance
planning and getting a good travel rewards credit card, you may be able to earn
a big stash of reward points to help cut down on your air travel costs. However
you choose to get to your next great wine destinations, once you’re there, the
cost of travel and your favorite varietal of grape will be very reasonable in
these listed destinations.
