Wine Country Tours

As humans age, we tend to develop tastes for the finer things in life: more-subtle foods, better-fitting clothes and great wine. Certain regions tend to have more offerings for enjoying great wine given their climates. And so, with that in mind, make sure to visit these wine countries of the world with a full smile and an empty glass at the ready.

Sonoma County, California, USA

With more than 400 wineries and almost 60,000 acres of vineyards dotting its miles of rugged Pacific coastline, Sonoma County was named as one of Wine Enthusiast’s 10 Best Wine Travel Destinations for 2014. Standout wineries, vineyards, cellars and tours in this area include

Papapietro Perry Winery, which specializes in small lots of handcrafted, single-vineyard designate Pinot Noir and Zinfandel produced from the finest grapes sourced from nearby, as well as Praxis Cellars, where Head Vintner William Arbios fulfills his personal dream as a self-made winemaker, rather than just being a vagabond vintner for others wineries.

Bordeaux, France

As the most extensive, wine-producing region of France, Bordeaux is vast, with more than 8,000 chateaus, 57 appellations and hundreds of négociants (wine merchants who blend and sell wines). Vintners range from the famous to the family affair, and the area can be credited with such great wine chateaus as Petrus, Cheval-Blanc, Château-Margaux and Haut-Brion. April or May is a great time to visit, as well as from mid- to late-September, which is harvest time and there are usually festivals surrounding it. Introduce yourself to the region with a course at The Bordeaux Wine School — where wine enthusiasts, consumers, journalists and distribution and sales professionals learn how to identify and express their own tastes and sensations for a couple of hours. Also, pay a respectful visit to Chateau Haut-Brion, originally conceived and laid in 1533, this estate is the oldest winery in Bordeaux and home to years’ worth of delicious liquids.

Valle de Colchagua, Chile

With an astounding range of microclimates, landscapes, grape varietals, unique geography and a coastline more than triple the length of California, Chile is an excellent destination for wine lovers. And in 2005, the Colchagua Valley was named Best Wine Region in the World by Wine Enthusiast, a distinction then awarded for the first time to any wine region of South America. Located 110 miles south of Santiago, Colchauga is a narrow agricultural valley formed by two spurs of the Andes Mountains, forming a corridor ideal for winds that regulate temperatures in the valley and have helped it become known for its full-bodied Malbecs, Cabernet Sauvignons, Carmeneres and Syrahs.

Standout wineries, vineyards, cellars and tours in this area include Viu Manet Winery — an estate that has risen from its humble beginnings but retains its family spirit and friendliness, always welcoming visitors and sharing wines on private tours — as well as Vina Los Vascos, which is named so as to honor its Basque-country origins from Spain and the methods it has transplanted and implemented in the Chilean countryside for centuries.