12 of the World’s Best Wine Destinations
Published on: January 12th, 2025
Last updated: January 17th, 2025
Wine is more than just a drink – it’s a reflection of the land, culture and history of the place where it’s made. Across Portugal, France, Australia, New Zealand, the best wine tours give us the opportunity to slow down, take a sip and appreciate our surroundings in a whole new way.
Wine tours are a wonderful way to explore a new place, often including visits to vineyards and cellars, tastings and pairings with local cuisine, and the chance to learn about the production process straight from the winemakers themselves.
Dozens of our favourite destinations have a fascinating wine culture, from classic spots like Bordeaux and the Douro Valley to unexpected places like Santorini and Morocco. Whether you’re headed to Europe, Latin America, Africa or Australia, wine can be the starting point for a truly epic trip. To help you get inspired, here are 12 of the world’s best wine destinations.
1. Alentejo, Portugal
Alentejo might not be the first place that comes to mind when Portuguese wine is mentioned, but it certainly deserves a seat at the table. In fact, this unassuming region produces some of the country’s finest wines.
Évora is among our favourite off-the-beaten-track destinations in Portugal, full of ancient architecture and local charm. Stay at São Lourenço do Barrocal, an old farming village that’s been transformed into a luxury hotel, and tour the surrounding vineyards.
Need to know: Alentejo is an important wine growing region of Portugal, producing both red and white grape varieties including tempranillo, trincadeira, Alicante bouschet and antão vaz.
2. Douro Valley, Portugal
Portugal’s classic wine region, the Douro Valley is a treasure trove of traditional winemaking. This is where the famous fortified port wine originates, along with dry red wines made from the same native grapes.
Just inland from Porto, this region is defined by the mighty Douro River and the verdant hills, vineyards and villages on its shores. One of our favourite places to stay here is Six Senses Douro Valley where you can be fully immersed in the environment and enjoy nightly tastings in the Wine Library.
Need to know: The Douro Valley produces not only wine but also Port wines. The popular grape varieties here are touriga nacional, touriga franca, tinta roriz, tinta barroca and tinto cão.
3. Bordeaux, France
This may be the world’s best-known wine region – and for good reason. Bordeaux is an elegant city surrounded by thousands of wineries. At Les Sources de Caudalie, you can enjoy vinotherapy spa treatments along with the usual tastings and tours. The best time to visit Bordeaux vineyards is September and October, for an opportunity to take part in the harvest.
On the other side of France, you’ll find the lesser-known region of Alsace and its Route des Vins (Wine Route). Bordering Germany and Switzerland, it blends the cultures of all three countries in its distinctive wine and food.
Need to know: Bordeaux is one of the world’s most famous wine regions producing approximately 700 million bottles of wine each year. Savour the merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc, sémillon and muscadelle.
4. Santorini, Greece
This Greek island may be most recognisable for its blue-domed buildings and crescent-shaped caldera. But Santorini is also home to ancient grape vines growing in volcanic soil, resulting in entirely one-of-a-kind wines and delicious Santorini wine tasting experiences.
Choose to book into Canaves Epitome in Oia for epic views and excellent cuisine. There’s nothing quite like sipping a glass of Santorini wine while watching the sunset over the Aegean.
Need to know: The island of Santorini is home to around 18 wineries which produce mostly white wines such as assyrtiko, athiri and aidani. As the island is small, the production amounts are small but are known for excellent quality.
5. Barossa, Australia
Located in South Australia, the Barossa Valley is an idyllic destination for wine lovers. Its gorgeous green vineyards seem straight out of a postcard, and it boasts a warm climate that cools off in the surrounding hills.
This region has some of the oldest vineyards in Australia. It’s best known for shiraz, although many other types of wine are made here – and at The Louise, you can sample them all.
Need to know: The Barossa Valley is a relatively large wine region with approximately 150 wineries situated across its rolling hills. The valley is one of the biggest shiraz producers in Australasia, also producing grenache, mataro and riesling.
6. Hunter Valley, Australia
Hunter Valley is an ideal place to dive into Australian wine culture. Located in New South Wales, it’s known for its breathtaking scenery, rolling farmland and stunning beaches – as well as world-renowned wineries producing semillon, shiraz and more.
Escape into the bushland at Spicers Vineyards Estate, explore private vineyards and soak in the serenity of this exclusive location.
Need to know: The Hunter Valley produces chardonnay and shiraz wines and is particularly famous for, and one of the biggest producers of delicate dry and sweet sémillon wines.
7. Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand
New Zealand is not only a land of stunning natural beauty, but also a fabulous destination for wine lovers. Two-thirds of the country’s wine comes from the South Island’s Marlborough Sounds, which is highly regarded for its sauvignon blanc.
When visiting the country’s most renowned wine region, there’s no better place to stay than the Marlborough Lodge: a country estate boasting acres of vineyards.
Need to know: The popular grape varieties produced in Marlborough are sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, and chardonnay. This is New Zealand’s most important wine region, producing approximately 77% of the country’s wine.
8. Cape Winelands, South Africa
For some of the best wines in the southern hemisphere, head to the Winelands of South Africa. Not far from Cape Town you’ll find Babylonstoren: an immense wine estate with Cape-Dutch architecture and 200 hectares of vineyards, orchards and gardens.
Babylonstoren is a fantastic hotel for families; kids can bake bread or enjoy ice cream tastings while adults tour the cellars. Try biltong (dried meat), which pairs surprisingly well with wine.
Need to know: There are several different wine districts in the Cape region including Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl and Constantia. These regions are important wine produces and South Africa overall produces over 4% of the world’s wine.
9. Meknes, Morocco
There’s nothing new about Morocco’s viniculture; wine has been made here for millennia. Meknes is the obvious choice for wine-focussed travellers, as it’s home to many of the country’s best wineries.
Take advantage of your time in Meknes to explore its extensive olive groves and visit the nearby Roman ruins of Volubilis as well.
Need to know: The Meknès area produces carignan, cinsault, Alicante bouschet and syrah wines. There are several wine regions in Morocco, which collectively produce approximately 40 million bottles of wine annually.
Located in the northwest, Salta is a gateway to the Andes and the dramatic surrounding landscapes. Its high altitudes and low latitudes balance out to create perfect conditions for producing high-quality wines.
Need to know: There are around 20 different wineries around Salta, mostly in the Cafayate Valley. It’s a fairly small wine producing area but is known for exceptional quality. Try fantastic whites and reds here, in particular torrontés and malbec.
11. Wine Regions, Chile
The wine regions of Chile are spread out around Santiago. They include the Maipo Valley and Casablanca Valley, which are known for cabernet sauvignon, syrah and carménère – a grape that’s grown almost exclusively in this country.
These regions offer many sensational places to stay; at Vik Chile you’ll find avant-garde style and state-of-the-art winemaking, while Casa Real promises rich history and traditional luxury.
Need to know: Chile is the seventh-largest wine producer globally. Some of our favourite areas are Maipo, Colchagua and Casablanca valleys, producing cabernet sauvignon, merlot, carmenere and sauvignon blanc.
Beyond Carmelo, the entire country of Uruguay is ripe for wine-based adventures. Visit the striking Viña Edén near Punta del Este, indulge in a meal at Frances Mallmann’s Garzon and explore the vibrant cities of Montevideo and Colonia del Sacramento.
Need to kn0w: Carmelo is situated in the west of Uruguay, which is the fourth largest producer of wine in Latin America. The main wines produced here are tannat, cabernet sauvignon and merlot.
Sustainable vineyards
There are many sustainable vineyards in the world, with around one third of wineries now listed as completely sustainable. These vineyards adopt a range of practices to produce sustainable wines. Water conservation is important. Drip irrigation, which waters roots only, rainwater harvesting and dry farming, which relies only on rainfall, are just a few of the water management practices used.
Combatting pests and diseases using organic pesticides that don’t upset the natural biodiversity is a vital part of sustainable wine production. Natural practices such as planting native plants between rows helps to avoid chemical usage. Encouraging biodiversity also means that wildlife corridors and beekeeping are often adopted by sustainable vineyards. Waste reduction, energy efficiency and community engagement are all considerations of sustainable vineyards.
Our helpful wine destination FAQs
The best season for wine tours depends entirely on where you want to go and what wine experiences you’re interested in. In Europe the grape harvest tends to take place from late August to early October. In Australia and New Zealand the harvest season is a little longer, spanning January until April. In Chile and Argentina you can expect harvest to start in February and last until around April. And that’s just the harvest, great wines and fascinating wine experiences can be enjoyed throughout the year all over the world.
Yes, wine tours can be family-friendly. Many of the vineyards and vineyard hotels we love are keen to involve the whole family in wine tasting experiences. You can expect fun activities in the great outdoors on bike rides, hikes and horseback riding across the stunning rolling hills of many wine regions. Gourmet picnics that are tailored to all tastes, with games to play, are great for all the family. More traditional wine-tastings can also include all the family with the children tasting different juices or types of cheeses and for those with a sweet tooth, different chocolates and deserts.
Yes, meals can certainly be included in wine tours. We highly recommend delving deep into the culture surrounding both food and wine in the country you’re travelling in, they’re often intertwined. Wine tours can include lunch, dinner, picnics, deserts or tasting menus of different small bites. Your travel designer will be able to talk you through the best wine tours to suit your gastronomic passions.
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