Arguably the biggest changes in wine over the last decade have not come in the bottle, but in the accessibility of the wineries themselves. It’s not that long ago that visits used to be largely of the ‘phone ahead, cross your fingers and hope for the best’ variety.
Now the vast majority of producers are open for tastings and tours, while websites make booking a doddle.
It’s safe to say, however, that not all visits are created equal. For every charming host or amazing activity, there are plenty of ‘vineyard tours’ that are no more than a 30 second wander into the vines by the winery. And is a tired plate of salami from the local supermarket really a ‘gastronomic experience’?
Below I’ve picked out 14 visits that will ensure you have a great time. They’re not necessarily the most famous producers (many of whom either don’t accept visitors or require a phone reservation months in advance), but they are places that will guarantee your precious holiday time is well spent.
I’ve concentrated here mostly on visits for the European summer – so in the northern hemisphere – but will be returning to address south of the equator in six months’ time. I’ve also tried to mix up the reasons for the visit so there should be something for everyone.
14 winery tastings and tours to discover
France
Champagne René Geoffroy, Aÿ, Champagne
There are several good grandes marques visits in Champagne, with videos, audio guides and gift shops (Moët, Pommery, Taittinger to name just a few). But a visit to a small grower can make a nice counterpoint. The Geoffroys have been growing grapes in Cumières for 400 years, and are open for visits three days a week. The personal tour (in French or English) takes 90 minutes, and includes a full immersion into their sustainable philosophy and a tasting of three ‘Champagnes de terroir’.
Château Gaudrelle, Loire
Located on the edge of Tours in the heart of the Loire, this Vouvray producer offers a huge range of activities, from a free tasting, through varying levels of ‘cellar tour and tasting’ (old vintages, vineyard visits etc) right up to chef and winemaker sessions where you get to prepare and then eat lunch in the limestone cellar.
There’s even a two hour tasting on the Loire river, which is probably one of the best ways to see its many gleaming castles.
Château La Grande Clotte, Lussac, Bordeaux
It’s hard to get in to see the starry châteaux (or garagistes) of Bordeaux. You might get lucky, but in fact you’ll probably get a better idea of what the place is really like (and have more fun) with a visit like this. Julie and Mathieu Mercier have put together a great range of activities at their right bank winery to show off the food, winemaking and vineyards of the region.
The Bicy’Clotte tour (€70) is perhaps the stand-out. It’s a six hour, 20km trundle round the back lanes of St Emilion on an e-bike, taking in artisanal makers of bread, cheese, charcuterie, chocolate and patisserie, lunch in a park and (of course) a tasting of the château’s wines. If you fancy something more sedate, the ‘assemblage’ workshop, where you get to blend your own three-varietal Bordeaux red and keep it afterwards, looks a lot of fun. They have accommodation, too.
Incidentally, if you’re in Bordeaux you must make time to visit the city’s wine museum, La Cité du Vin. Modern, bright and high-tech, it manages to pay homage to the past while showing that this is not an industry that’s preserved in aspic. With 18 interactive modules tracing everything from art and culture to history, gastronomy and geography of wine all over the world, it should be on every wine lover’s bucket list. You’ll need at least half a day. If you get a Bordeaux CityPass, entry is included.
La Cité du Vin, Bordeaux. Credit: Hugo Martin / Alamy Stock Photo
Les Domaines Paul Mas, Montagnac, Languedoc
If you’re looking for a wine visit that has something for everyone, then Les Domaines Paul Mas is right up there. At the base near Pézenas (one time home to the French Shakespeare, Molière) it’s all about ‘luxe rurale’. Tastings and cellar visits (albeit with a large shop) and a high-quality restaurant, you would probably expect. But the big sell here is the tours out into the vines. Either a 90-minute stroll, an open-top buggy tour or on the back of a horse or pony.
A word of warning, though. Pézenas is reputedly one of the best markets in France – everything from food and drink to clothes and bric-a-brac. If you’ve driven down and have room in your car, don’t expect to return empty handed!
Les Domaines Paul Mas
Patriarche, Beaune, Burgundy
Burgundy is generally not the place to come if you want a) large cellars and b) value for money. But you can get both here. Patriarche has been making wine since 1780 and has spent 200+ years buying up properties in Beaune, then selling off the houses above, and keeping the cellars!
There’s a self-guided audio tour of some of the 5-km subterranean network plus a tasting of six wines for just €25 – about the price of a Bourgogne Blanc. The Privilege Tour, presented by a sommelier, with seven ‘emblematic’ wines (two white, five red) and a presentation bottle is a good upgrade – but only makes good financial sense if you’re in a larger group.
Rolly Gassmann, Alsace
There’s no shortage of beautiful villages in Alsace. Ribeauvillé probably attracts the most visitors – and with good reason, but if you fancy somewhere smaller and quieter, Rorschwihr is a lovely stop. It’s home to Rolly Gassmann, terroiristes par excellence with a distinctively rich style.
A tasting in the newly-built ‘panoramic cellar’ with breathtaking views over the vineyards is a wonderful immersion into the wrinkles and nuances of Alsace. You can stay in nearby Bergheim and stroll the 2km through the vines to the winery.
Spain
Codorníu, Penedès
Sometimes wine tours are about more than what’s in the bottle, and this visit is a case in point. Yes, Codorníu is one of the wine world’s big names, and yes it has been growing grapes since the 1500s and was the family who invented cava, all of which makes for some great history. But the chance to visit Josep Puig’s brilliant ‘modernista’ winery 50km west of Barcelona is a real treat too.
Marqués de Riscal, Rioja
Rioja has seen a big increase in visitors over the last decade. And if you join the 1 million tourists who flock here every year you’d be crazy to miss out on a visit to Riscal. Its City of Wine lets you see the original winery from 1860, through various expansions up to the astonishing Frank Gehry-designed hotel.
The hotel itself has a vinotherapy spa, restaurants of varying ambition and budget, and a range of vineyard/winery visits depending on how upscale you want the tasting to be. There are plenty of other wine visits in Elciego so it’s not a bad place to base yourself. Valdelana’s ‘wine and astronomy’ evenings are particularly worth a look.
Credit: Marqués de Riscal
Portugal
Caves Cálem, Porto
Porto is on most wine lovers’ bucket lists and while a trip up the Douro to the vineyards is truly special, you can have a great time wandering round Vila Nova de Gaia if you’re just in the city for a long weekend.
Cálem’s facility, right on the dock side in the shadow of the famous Dom Luís I bridge, is put together with real effort and imagination. Bright, colourful and interactive, it’s a great immersion into all things Port and should keep even kids happy. You can zhush it up further with food pairings and Fado experiences if you wish.
Taylor’s – 1.5km up the hill – is a more traditional visit, and the starry Yeatman Hotel is a great stay provided you’re not on a budget.
Credit: IMAGO / Daniel Scharinger / Alamy Stock Photo
Italy
Antinori nel Chianti Classico, Chianti
There’s no shortage of old castles and crumbling stone outbuildings in Tuscany, so Antinori’s stunning new winery (built in 2012) is a real point of difference. Much of it is buried underground so the architecture is best experienced from within – and although it is striking and modern, it’s fluid and elegant rather than trying too hard to show off.
In a part of the world where prices can be, shall we say, on the optimistic side, the tour and tasting here are affordable. Just five minutes off the main Florence-Siena motorway, you can stay for lunch in the restaurant while gazing out over the vines.
Germany
SA Prüm, Mosel
If you’re looking for a one-stop initiation into Riesling – and the Mosel – Prüm is a great stop. There’s nothing fancy here – just a beautiful location and a slew of great wines from famous vineyards. Their guest house is a terrific place to stay, too. From here you can rent e-bikes and potter along the river path, hike up the steep slopes into the vines or hop one of the boats that ambles up and down the river.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Manastir Tvrdoš
Tvrdoš was a Roman temple and has been a Serbian Orthodox monastery since the 1400s. It’s in Bosnia-Herzegovina, just outside of Trebinje – and while this might sound impossibly remote, it’s actually only 30km from Dubrovnik. If you’re in Croatia, it should be on your radar as one of the most unique wine visits in the world.
Firstly, the monastery itself (complete with impressive frescoes) is truly beautiful, with an innate calm that makes most wineries look like Piccadilly Circus. But the chance to be guided round the bottles and barrels in the old church’s foundations by a crew of cassocked monks is unforgettable. There’s a ‘no bare legs or shoulders’ rule, but they’ll provide you with aprons.
USA
Hess Collection, Napa Valley, California
Nowhere does wine tourism like Napa Valley. Wine pilgrims might want to visit Robert Mondavi Winery, the birthplace of ‘modern California’; film buffs Francis Ford Coppola where you can see Don Corleone’s desk. But Hess Collection – high up in the Mayacamas range – offers something different.
There’s a terrific art gallery – the sort that can only be put together by a Swiss squillionaire, vineyard tours in a jeep, a range of tastings (including Cabernets from different Napa sub-appellations) and a next-level food and wine pairing at the restaurant. You’ll pay Napa prices, but it’s worth it. If you want something less blingy, Littorai, Inglenook or Corison are all great.
*Note: The main Mondavi winery on Highway 29 is closed for refurbishment until 2026. Visitors are being accepted at their tasting lounge in downtown Napa.
South Africa
Creation, Hemel en Aarde
Probably nowhere is better value than South Africa at the moment so tasting (and buying) wine and food here is a joy, whatever time of year you visit. Creation – in the beautiful Hemel en Aarde valley (its name means Heaven on Earth in Afrikaans) has a justifiable reputation for their combination of excellent Pinot and Chardonnay and fabulous food – so book in advance. Even if you’re there in cooler months, the quality of wine and gastronomy and a roaring log fire will keep you warm.
Vineyards at Creation
