Follow the Wine: Best Wine Travel Destinations

There are few experiences in the world that compare to drinking wine where it’s made. This allows you to savor the freshness and feel a connection to the earth.

Many wine lovers thank the earth for allowing them to taste one of the finest products it produces and then thank the wine makers for their diligence and hard work. It makes sense that one of Mother Nature’s finest products is produced in beautiful places. Imagine the Spanish Rioja with its sprawling mountains and multicolored scenery or the French Rhone Valley and its lovely waterways.

All in all, drinking wine where it’s made is a relaxing and often breathtaking experience.

With vacation season coming around, we wanted to highlight some of the best wine travel destinations in the world to stir the wine lover in you. There’s nothing like tasting some of the best wines in the world, and we hope this inspires you to take a trip to learn more about your favorite wines and the region that makes it.

1. Porto
   One of our first picks is the birthplace of port wine: Porto, Portugal. Porto is a beautiful city with ancient mazes for streets, but it also has a modern side, being Portugal’s second largest city. In addition to Port wine, the city has also been gaining fame for its superb red and white table wines. Another cool thing about Porto is that wine merchants line up at the river to sell their wines. You can also buy your lunch at the river from one of the various food stands. If you want to try the wine at a wine lodge, the little town of Villa Nova de Gaia is only a boat ride away.



2. Chilean Patagonia
   If you’re a wine lover and want to know more about how the earth produces wine all while tasting amazing wine, look no further than the Chilean Patagonia. This trip is special because it features both wine and adventure. The Chilean Patagonia region is a must-see for winemakers because of its dark soils and dry climate, which allow the vineyards of the region to produce some of the best Syrahs and Chardonnays in the world. All who visit Patagonia say you have to walk and wine (drink it, that is). It’ll be hard to stay indoors when your surroundings are as breathtaking as they are here.



3. Galicia
   Nestled in Northern Spain with the ocean as its backyard, Galicia is famous for the strong character of its people and its culture, which are different from the rest of Spain. Almost all of Galicia is covered in green countryside, making it the perfect place to produce fine wines. Galicia produces Albarino, one of the most sought-after white wines in the world. Visit Rias Baixas for tourist-friendly wineries. Galicia will not only guarantee fine wine, but also good seafood and fun activities.



4. Sonoma County
   Often overshadowed by its popular neighbor, Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley in California is a quiet little gem in the wine world. Sonoma boasts more than 100 wineries, including castles and garden chateaus, and is famous for creating one-of-a-kind wines with unique and often unheard of grapes. Sonoma resides between two mountain ranges and is perfect for nature lovers. It’s also less crowded than Napa, making it easier to get the authentic local experience.



5. Piedmont
   When you visit Piedmont in Italy, you’ll not only remember the wine, which is amazing, but you’ll also remember your adventures traipsing through the city’s Michelin-starred restaurants. Piedmont includes some of the finest wineries in Italy and is pure luxury. However, the area also has some fabulous and inexpensive B&Bs. One key area to visit, according to The Guardian, is Langhe and Roero. It is here that winemakers produce Barolo and Barbaresco, some of the most exquisite red wines in the world.

Although wine is important when you go on wine trips, you have to make sure you go somewhere that offers more than just wine, whether it’s great parks, boat rides, nature trails, etc. Why? Because it’ll help you make great memories. Many people often associate a memory with a wine, which makes it easier to remember.

At the end of your trip, you’ll have wine, memories and a full belly. Nothing better than that.

Have a favorite wine destination we didn’t name here? Let us know of the best or your most favorite wineries in the comments below!

Product Highlight: Deluxe Wine Room 900

American-made, hand crafted excellence shows through in every aspect of this beautiful Deluxe Wine Room 900. Although one of the most compact walk-in wine rooms, measuring just 80.5" X 80.5" X 46.5", there's enough room to hold 736 standard 3.25" diameter wine bottles in the redwood racks plus bulk storage space on top shelves to hold as many as another 108 bottles. Built-in racks are located on the left and right walls, with a 36-inch walkway down the center.

Beautiful, Functional and Affordable
This Vino Cellars walk-in wine room provides the most economical cost-per-bottle storage area of any of the walk-ins and looks great doing it! The oak wood exterior comes either unfinished or in your choice of satin stain colors. The interior is paneled in unfinished mahogany placed over 1" rigid insulation with an upgrade option of 2" insulation, which is recommended if your unit will be located in an area that gets above 90°, such as in the garage.

This cooler is designed to protect your wine inventory from damage by safely cradling the bottles and keeping them at the ideal levels of temperature and humidity, providing a perfect environment for long-term aging of both red wines and white. While normally outfitted with a Breezaire 2200 BTU chilling cooler, the current offering of the Deluxe Wine Room 900 comes with the upgraded Breezaire 3000 BTU Cooling System at no additional cost.

Tons of Options
It’s also available with a long list of options, allowing you to tailor your personal unit to your exact personal tastes. Doors, for example, can be veneer-frame basic, veneer-frame with a window or hardwood-frame doors with a selection of several glass window choices. A complete list of options includes:

• Door Window – Pacifica, Provence, Arch, French, Etched. Double-pane, insulated, tinted or clear glass
• Door Molding – none, or molding added to hardwood-frame doors
• Exterior Finish – unstained or satin stain finish
• Exterior Stain Color – natural, light, medium, dark, light cherry, dark cherry
• Security Lock – none or single lock
• Interior Light – battery-operated wireless LED light, low-heat electric light or no light
• Split Panel – half-sized, split panels to allow for easier transport when carrying the unit up stairways or around tight corners
• Optional temperature bottle probe, which allows for measuring liquid temperature rather than air temperature

Discounted Delivery
Delivery within the lower 48 U.S. states is currently being discounted and includes uncrating, placement of all components into your garage or other first floor room and removal of all packing debris. All components for complete installation are provided. Installation is the responsibility of the customer, although installation in locations within the local San Francisco Bay area or Tri-Valley can be provided for an additional charge.