7 little-known travel destinations that any wine and spirit lover would love to explore.
The world is such a beautiful place and sometimes it can be difficult to choose a destination for our travels with the time we have available.
Reflecting on my +10 years of traveling and living in different countries, I hand-picked for you 7 destinations that I believe any foodie will enjoy exploring with for each one delicious wines or spirits to discover.
1- Campbeltown in Scotland where it used to be the world whisky capital.
Once proclaimed the world whisky capital with 34 distilleries, Campbeltown has only three distilleries remaining today that can be visited.
Located on the west coast of Scotland just two hours drive from Glasgow, the beautiful peninsula of Kintyre offers plenty of outdoor activities that will please everyone.
Enjoy the most breathtaking scenery of Scotland horseback-riding on a wild beach by the ocean, golfing with the wind on your back or surfing in Machrihanish Scotland’s spot best-kept secrets.
If you’re traveling around at the end of May don’t miss the Campbeltown Malts Festival showcasing the best spirits of the peninsula.
Looking for a world-class whisky? Springbank is one of the most unique distillery on the planet as it carries the entire making process on-site.
The end product is a 100% natural single malt with no filtration and no adding colorants to keep all the delicious flavours for your own delight.
This family distillery offers 3 distinct single malts: Hazelburn (unpeated), Springbank (slightly peated) and Longrow (peated).
My favorite is for Springbank 15 years old (£57,50 — 700 ml). This single malt was distilled two and a half times and boasts delicious notes of dark chocolate, Christmas cake, almonds, toffee and oak.
2- San Antonio Valley in Chile, where ones of the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world are made.
Located at only 2 hours from Santiago de Chile, this is an easy day trip or weekend getaway.
This valley is one of Chile’s youngest wine regions and the closest to the sea which makes it an ideal destination if you’re fond of fresh seafood and water-sports such as surfing.
Making wine there is a challenge due to low temperatures and thin soils. Nevertheless, pioneering wineries produce exciting wines especially with the Sauvignon Blanc variety.
My choice is for Casa Marin the producer of the considered Chile’s best Sauvignon blanc Los Cipreses vineyard, a seductive and elegant wine with a blend of stone fruit and green citrus aromas.
This small family estate founded 20 years ago by María Luz Marín, is situated in the tiny village of Lo Abarca where I had the most delicious and incredible steak in Chile, at El Sauce, a local and simple restaurant.
Delight in Casa Marin vineyard by taking an educational tour where the family will make you feel at home and show you the winery, the vineyard and soil type. Lunch at their Cipreses wine bar tasting authentic chilean cuisine.
If you want to explore the valley further, Viña Matetic located nearby is another fantastic stop and stay for the night or you could just go to Isla Negra and enjoy Casa Marin wines with a view on the ocean at Pablo Neruda (the poet) house restaurant.
3- Prince Edward County in Canada, the fastest wine growing region in the country.
This is the perfect weekend getaway at 2,5-hour drive from Toronto or 4-hour from Montreal.
Vibrant wine culture, beautiful beaches, locally-sourced restaurants, dynamic community, charming and picturesque old towns await you at Prince Edward County!
This fast growing wine region has passionate winemakers who make wine in a new and creative way. It specializes mostly in cool climate varieties such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling.
My choice is for Norman Hardie winery where the laid-back atmosphere will make you spend a good part of your day there enjoying their delicious homemade pizzas with a glass of Calcaire the perfect refresher for summer boasting lively notes of lemon and lime (CAD$23.00).
If around during the month of September, participate to their most anticipated wine and culinary festival of the year. TASTE community grown gathers the best food and drink the area has to offer, all in one place.
4- Priorat in Spain, where ones of the best wines in the world are made.
While visiting vibrant Barcelona, you may want to extend your stay and explore at less than 2-hour drive from the city, one of the most interesting spanish wine region and one of the oldest in the world.
Priorat disappeared of the map of wine for almost 200 years until the late 80’s when a small group of passionate winemakers lead by René Barbier chose to make fine wines in a region where vines can barely survive given the poor soil, intense sunlight and bleak exposure.
It was considered “completely nuts” to make wine there and you will see it by yourself with your own eyes once there!
Spectacular landscape of small medieval villages nestled in the mountain, vineyards planted in terraces and resilient winemakers who took the challenge to make wine in a very difficult environment.
The main grapes are Carignan (Cariñena in Spanish) and Grenache (Garnacha).
My choice is for Manyetes a 100% Carignan red wine from Clos Mogador (€50.00).
5- Maldonado in Uruguay, a beautiful little Tuscany where the best terroir in all of the country is.
Uruguay is a tiny country in Latin America nestled between Brazil, Argentina and the Atlantic Ocean with 660 kilometres of coastline which attract many Brazilians and Argentinians during the summer season.
Few people know that this is also a wine-producing country, especially good at making red wines made with Tannat, a grape originated from Madiran (south-west in France).
My pick is for this Tannat reserve from Bodega Garzón (US$17.00) a juicy, full-bodied wine made with 100% Tannat grapes.
A patchwork of vineyard parcels lay like verdant puzzle pieces across the rolling hills, Bodega Garzón is a winery with the best terroir in all of Uruguay that’s changing everything we know about the country’s wine.
The winery beauty and its restaurant with breathtaking views on the vineyard will stay in your memory forever.
6- Swartland in South Africa, where terroir is taken seriously.
Swartland is a young wine country that is on the spotlight today. It was initiated in the late 1990’s by a group of passionate winemakers who believed in the untapped potential of the region to make great wines, and they were right!
What makes Swartland so special is that its producers have a strong desire and commitment to make wines that are a true expression of their origin. The main grapes varieties grown there are Shiraz (Syrah), Chenin blanc and Pinotage (crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault grapes).
Located at only 1-hour drive north of Cape Town, this region is an easy getaway with a Mediterranean, local and low-key feel. Organic wine farms, boutique wineries, farmers markets, restaurants, beautiful nature to explore and talented local artists await.
My choice is for Capperitif (about US$25–30.00).
Read “Cape Aperitif”, this is South Africa’s once-famous Vermouth reinvented in 2014 by a famous Danish mixologist and winemaker Adi Badenhorst. Handcraft by infusing Chenin Blanc wine with the flavours and aromas of about 35 cape regional botanicals.
7- Seattle in the United-States, where craft single malt has nothing to envy to its Scottish version.
We’re living in a time where micro-distilling is all the rage and Washington state is no exception. In Seattle and around many distilleries are worth exploring. Seattle is an exciting urban city surrounded by unmatched natural beauty with a lot of adventure to offer.
Moreover, craft spirits and wines are a big part of Washington’s drink culture. The city is fantastic when it comes to dining. You will find there a plentiful number of eateries to satisfy your taste buds’ desires.
My choice is for Westland Sherry Wood American single Malt whiskey (US$75.00) from the pacific northwest matured in very old casks of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry.
Located in the heart of Seattle, I love this distillery founded in 2010 advocating that premium single malt can be made elsewhere than Scotland. Check it yourself by visiting them!
Does any of these destinations appeal to you?
If so, write them down, before you forget about them and start planning now.
Would you like more ideas like these? I’ve created a guide displaying 21 travel destinations that any wine and spirit lover like you would love to explore.
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Do you love visiting a place from the inside, discovering the local culture through their people, food and drinks? Would you love to get some tips in knowing where to go for your next vacations? Download your perfect companion now: The wine & spirit Travel Guide for the rest of your life-21 “must-try” wines & spirits under US$99.00 to taste before you die.
