From Argentina to New Zealand, the US, South Africa, just about every country in Europe and across the UK, I’ve visited hundreds of vineyards and wineries in my role as a wine writer.
It’s quite a job – I’m almost ashamed to call it ‘work’ – but I take it very seriously and have a monthly drinks column in the food magazine Olive covering both wine and other tipples, as well as writing for many other publications. I’ve even been dubbed the ‘Queen of the Aperitif’ after writing The Little Book Of Aperitifs, containing 50 recipes for the cocktails
I love the most. One of the best aspects of being a professional imbiber is the chance to travel and I take as much pleasure in seeking out lesser-known areas as from visiting famous big names. Along the way, I have drunk so many good wines and have met so many great people – all of whom have such interesting and diverse stories to tell. These are my pick of some of the best.
PORTO, PORTUGAL
Sitting at the mouth of the majestic Douro, Porto has charming, higgledy-piggledy streets packed with fantastic bars and restaurants.
Cross the Dom Luís I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia, where ports are stored and aged in historic lodges, many of which offer tours and tastings. Head to WOW, a complex which includes fascinating interactive museums and a lovely terrace bar overlooking the river (shop.wow.pt).
Port barrels being stored at Graham’s Port Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia
What to drink: White port and tonic is the quintessential aperitif, a refreshing drink that sets you up for lunch or dinner.
Where to stay: The Tivoli Kopke Hotel is a new five-star hotel with great views of the bridge; doubles from £250 (tivolihotels.com).
PROVENCE, FRANCE
Gorgeous, dreamy Provence, where herb-covered mountains, endless vineyards, olive groves and fields of lavender lead to the glittering Côte d’Azur. The region produces most of our favourite rosé wines and the summer and early autumn is the perfect time to drink them. Multi-award winning Maison Mirabeau has its own estate and at its heart is the beautiful Le Mas farmhouse, available to rent. Immerse in the rhythms of vineyard life while enjoying five heavenly en-suite bedrooms, a private pool and on-site wine tastings, too.
Provence is known for much of the rose drunk that has become popular in the UK
What to drink: Rosé, of course. Don’t be afraid to add ice cubes if the weather’s hot – it’s common practice.
Where to stay: Whole house from £445 a night (domainemirabeau.com).
CRETE, GREECE
The largest of Greece’s 6,000-plus islands has been producing wine for more than 5,000 years. It has much to offer tourists – beaches, mountain hiking, archaeological sites, as well as excellent Cretan food and wine. Lyrarakis is a family-owned winery near Heraklion that has revived indigenous Cretan grapes once in danger of extinction. Book ahead for picnic baskets to take to the vineyard and taste wines in the shade of olive trees (lyrarakis.com/en/visit-us).
What to drink: Look out for Lyrarakis’ Dafni wine with its distinctive notes of bay leaf, rosemary and preserved lemons.
Where to stay: The Amirandes Hotel is chic but child-friendly and on the beach; doubles from £530 (grecotel.com)
SHERRY COUNTRY, SPAIN
Go to Jerez to sample a wide range of sherries, such as oloroso and manzanilla
Jerez is the home of sherry and is where most of the historic bodegas are based – vast, cathedral-like warehouses with barrels stacked high. Don’t miss Tabanco El Pasaje, a tapas bar with flamenco performances, and head to nearby Sanlucar de Barrameda on the coast where manzanilla is made – the dry sherry with a delicious saline twang. Take a tour and tasting at Barbadillo’s bodega, then head to one of the seafood restaurants on the beach (tabancoelpasaje.com, barbadillo.com).
What to drink: Seek out manzanilla – ‘en rama’, which means it’s bottled straight from the barrel so preserves a unique freshness and complexity.
Where to stay: Hotel Barrameda has stylish rooms from £100 (hotelbarrameda.com).
GALICIA, SPAIN
This is Spain’s greenest region and produces Albarino, its trendiest wine. Seafood here is spectacular and makes the perfect match. Most wine producers run tours and tastings. Martin Codax is one of the largest and has a lovely restaurant with panoramic views. Book in advance (martincodax.com/en/16-enoturismo).
What to drink: I love Martin Codax’s Lias Albarino, aged on its lees to give texture and complexity.
Where to stay: Quinta de San Amaro is set among vineyards in the Salnés region and close to beaches; doubles from £100 (quintadesanamaro.com).
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
The Loire Valley is dotted with fairy-tale chateaux, vineyards and ancient forests. Saumur makes a lovely base to explore the region; a bustling medieval town on the river with architectural and historical riches, fashionable boutiques, great patisseries and troglodyte caves among its many charms. Take a sunset boat ride in a traditional flat-bottomed boat exploring the waterways teeming with wildlife while tasting Loire wines accompanied by creative local snacks (loireevasion.com).
Saumur is the ideal base for sampling the best of the Loire’s wines and scenery
What to drink: Saumur is famous for its sparkling wines. Bouvet Ladubay run cycle tours through its 8km of underground cellars where you can taste their wines (bouvetladubay.com).
Where to stay: Hotel Saint Pierre in the old town is a lovely boutique; doubles from £110 (hotel-saintpierresaumur.fr).
RIOJA, SPAIN
Swerve the crowds in Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid and head for the gentle beauty of the Rioja region instead. Lively Logrono is known for its gastronomy, from where you can explore the many wineries and vineyards nearby. Take a hot-air balloon ride at Bodegas Muga to see Rioja in all its glory (bodegasmuga.com).
Rioja is known for its red wines – but the whites are excellent too
What to drink: Rioja makes some superlative barrel-fermented and aged white wines – Marques de Murrieta, Vina Tondonia and Cosme Palacio are among the best producers.
Where to stay: Marques de Riscal hotel delivers drop-dead glamour designed by architect Frank Gehry; doubles from £600 (marriott.com).
SICILY, ITALY
Influenced by many cultures, Sicily is a treat for all the senses. It makes sensational wines, from Mount Etna’s ethereal reds to Marsala’s underrated fortified wines. The region of Vittoria is a hotbed for organic agriculture and hosts one of Europe’s largest fruit and veg markets. Santa Tresa is a pioneering winery here that runs a brilliant Sicilian brunch including tastings of their excellent wines (santatresa.com).
What to drink: Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato that’s best served slightly chilled.
Where to stay: Dimora di Dante is an eco-hotel in the countryside; doubles from £100 (dimoradidante.com).
GEORGIA
Neighbouring Turkey, Georgia is the true birthplace of wine. Vines were first cultivated here more than 8,000 years ago and wine is still deeply embedded in the culture, traditionally made in huge clay jars called qvevri. Eat This Tours offer trips to see the winemaking in action and include a supra – a feast of authentic local dishes in a family home accompanied by wine (eatthistours.com).
What to drink: Kisi is the native white grape that makes my favourite qvevri wines – aromatic, textured with exotic fruit and spice.
Where to stay: Rooms Hotel in Tbilisi’s trendy Vera district is quirky and friendly; doubles from £75 (roomshotels.com).
Vines were first cultivated in Georgia more than 8,000 years ago
And raise a glass to these British gems
WALES
English wine has rightfully had a lot of attention in recent years but the Welsh also produce some excellent vintages. Head west and visit vineyards in Pembrokeshire such as Gwinllan Hebron, which make natural wines with no intervention, or the cluster around Abergavenny that includes Dell Vineyard and White Castle, where you can take a tour and taste their award-winning wines alongside local cured meats and cheeses (hebronvineyard.com, thedellvineyard.co.uk, whitecastlevineyard.com).
What to drink: There are plenty of good sparkling wines; my favourite from a recent trip was White Castle Pinot Noir Precoce 2023.
Where to stay: Llanerch Vineyard Hotel is a tranquil five-star hotel with an excellent restaurant; doubles from £160 (llanerch.co.uk).
HAMPSHIRE
Nestled in the gorgeous South Downs National Park, Hambledon is England’s oldest vineyard, planted in 1952 and now owned by wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd and the Symington’s Port family. A new visitors centre and restaurant welcomes people to tour the vineyards and taste their fantastic sparkling wines (hambledonvineyard.co.uk).
The Hambledon is England’s oldest vineyard with sparkling wines that hold their own against French rivals
What to drink: Hambledon’s Classic Cuvée NV, made from the champagne grapes pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier, has beaten many French wines in blind tastings and remains one of my favourite English fizzes.
Where to stay: Hambledon lies close to two of The Pig’s fabulous hotels, one in Southampton, the other in Madehurst, near Arundel; doubles from £163 (thepighotel.com).
LONDON
Italian-American Sergio Verrillo is an ex-sommelier who makes wine in a winery set in an old railway arch in Battersea. Using grapes from some of England’s best vineyards to make his stunning wines, he runs tours and tastings (blackbookwinery.com).
What to drink: Sergio’s vibrant, complex ‘Painter Of Light’ is my favourite English Chardonnay and these days there is stiff competition.
Where to stay: The Spread Eagle on Wandsworth High Street is a Victorian pub with great food and 21 boutique bedrooms; doubles from £150 (spreadeaglewandsworth.co.uk).
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