Sometimes traveling isn’t enough! Heading on a road trip with friends surely makes you crazy.
Driving to a far state with family is fascinating. Seldom, you need a few experiences that make you feel grateful for traveling.
How about taking the culinary experiences in whatever country you hit on or sipping the most exclusive wines in the world’s finest wineries?
If someone asked me, I would refer to a whole wine vacation instead of going on conventional trips. A separate escape to a country with majestic vineyards is on the bucket list of most wine connoisseurs.
For over the years now, travelers have come up with the concept of wine travel. Wine travel just means to visit places where one can find elegant vintages and spend time tasting and knowing about it.
Wine lovers are ever ready to hit a wine destination. Besides, they can’t do it. It may be because of wine travel expenses or the unaffordability of wine destinations.
Nevertheless, in this article, we’ve covered seven affordable wine destinations you need to visit now.
Without borrowing much from your bank, you can pay a visit to all of them. Read this article to find out which of the wine destinations to go first!
1. Porto City, Portugal
For those who love history and wine equally, Portugal is the best destination for holidaying. With some explicit historical monuments and elegant architecture, Portugal has beautiful cityscapes.
For plenty of reasons, tourists visit Portugal, and wine tasting is the one amid all. Because of its secluded wine culture, you can find some wine grapes only in Portugal and nowhere else.
Today, the wines of Portugal are famous worldwide.
Among all its wine regions, Douro Valley is well-known and well-established. Visiting different wineries here will give you an incredibly unique experience.
While you explore the Portuguese wine regions, it is fun to learn local terms related to wines.
In Portugal, Vinho Tinto means red wine, Vinho Branco means white wine, and Quinta means Wine farm. Also, the classification of wines in Portuguese is divided into three levels.
- DOC means Denominação de Origem Controlada. The wine having this label means it belongs to the strictly specific geographical vineyards.
- Vinho regional. With fewer restrictions than DOC, winemakers produce the finest wine blends in the 14 wine regions falling under this label.
- Vinho. The most basic classification for the local Portuguese wines. You won’t find wines with the Vinho label outside of Portugal.
2. Argentina, South America
Argentina is a little less celebrated country when people talk about wine.
Despite the cultivation of wine grapes in 489,821.44 acres, and among influential world exporters of Malbec wines, Argentina is an unrecognized wine country.
From its northern tip to its south corner, everywhere you can enjoy exclusive wines.
It is obvious to get overwhelmed by its wines in a country that is the fifth-largest winemaker in the world. From the Andes Mountains Ranges till 650 miles of Buenos Aires, nestles the longest wine region of Argentina.
Argentina produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bonarda, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Pinot Noir varieties in red wines. The same country produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio varieties in white wines.
Designated as the seven daintiest wine regions of the country, Mendoza, Neuquen, Salta, Rio Negro, La Rioja, Catamarca, and San Juan are worth visiting.
Be a guest of Argentine wineries and let yourself experience the greatest wine hospitality!
3. Chile, South America
Blossomed best between October and April, Chile is a wine destination that wine snobs must not let go casually.
Attractive and affordable wine destination, we know Chile as a ‘Country of Poets.’
Whether it is Rapel Valley or the Santiago town, Chile is all about wines.
The medieval Spanish colonizers imported wines, and that’s how the wine journey of Chile began.
The industry flourished around the 1980s, and today, Chile is among the global wine exporters.
You will find the wine bottles in the city’s local restaurants and find rare wine bottles in some of its wineries.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere Wine, and Syrah are the top-notch wines in Chile. Casablanca Valley, Colchagua Valley, Curico Valley, Maule Valley, and Rapel Valley is the top-notch wineries in Chile.
You can taste and pair dry red wine and white wines in these vineyards.
Among the most affordable wine destinations in the world, some wineries offer wine tasting at $10 and let you take a wine bottle home at $20.
4. Okanagan Valley & Niagara Peninsula, Canada
What could be more touristy than Niagara Falls in Canada and its jaw-dropping views? Well, thousands of tourists going to Niagara is not only for this one reason.
The Niagara Peninsula is entitled to be among the gifted winemaking regions in the world.
After seeing the mesmerizing falls, you can meander the nearby wine regions. A bottle won’t cost you above $15 in most of the wineries.
Some also facilitate tourists with food options and staying places.
Wouldn’t it be beautiful to bed in the Niagara Peninsula, and in the morning, see Niagara Falls while sipping the daintiest wine?
Another captivating wine region in Canada is named Okanagan Valley. The valley has both beautiful landscapes and choicest wines for everyone.
In the valley, you can take a wine tour, book tasting and pairing sessions, visit blending cellars, and experience grape cultivating.
In its neighborhoods, you can visit the fruit orchards, Okanagan lake, pine forests, city parks, and ski resorts.
If you are looking for some adventure during a wine vacation, hit on Canada!
5. Santorini City, Greece
Another favorite wine destination for history buffs is Greece. Each city in Greece uniquely unboxes history. The architecture speaks about how remarkable people had been in the past!
From its glorious past to its modern time glamour, Greece has never settled tourists for less. With its cultural significance to cherish, Greece is also a perfect place for wine lovers.
They say wine in Santorini is the best that you can get in Greece. While you can feel the Greek version of Napa Valley in Santorini, you’ll exhaust having all its wines there.
In the wine bars of Athens or craving wine in Crete, In the Macedonian provinces or Santorini’s wine sites, you will love your life.
The tranquil beaches, pristine waters, authentic wines, and perfect ingredients’ food all overwhelm you in Santorini. Assyrtiko, Aidani, Athiri, and Nychetri are some must-try Santorinian wines.
The best time to conclude your wine travel in Santorini is between April and November.
6. Sicily, Italy
When it comes to Italy, Sicily is undoubtedly the best region for wine.
Having one of the most active volcanoes, Mount Etna, and the most classic vintages, Sicily is really blessed.
Thanks to the soil’s enriched environment for cultivating grapes, so the farmers started growing quality grapes on their mainland.
The island is an exceptional winemaker and promising exporter of wine after making those excellent vintages in-house.
Significantly contributing to wine production for over 2,500 years now, Sicily has set standards for international wine culture.
The most famous wines have labeled Sicilia DOC and are acclaimed to be the most high-grade local wines.
The ideally balanced climate of sun rays and rain in Sicily allows growing extraordinary wine grapes.
Wine enthusiasts who always wonder about the health effects of wine consumption have good news. They produce most of the Sicilian vintages from organic grapes.
If you are seeking wine travel without jeopardizing your health much, strike Sicily this year.
7. Georgia, Euroasia
The first vineyard in Georgia dates back to 6,000 BC. To our surprise, the country kept harnessing wine fields for over 8,000 years.
That’s why the list of wine destinations and regions is incomplete without mentioning Georgia.
Sharing the lands in Europe and Asia, Georgia borders the blissful Black Sea. The breathtaking views and the fine options for wine, Georgia, is complete for a wine trip.
The country has expertise in winemaking, and it grows over 500 grapes there. You will exhaust trying the wines and exploring the city landmarks, but Georgia will run no short in offering them.
Georgia leads in producing white wines. The best wine to taste in Georgia is the one stored in a clay amphora and buried underground for fermentation.
These early Greek/Roman jars are of handmade clay with a narrow neck. Because of its earthly properties, the wine’s taste is pure and genuine.
Kisi, Mtsvane, Rkatsiteli, Saperavi, and Tsinandali are names of five fabulous wines you should try once you’re in Georgia.
The endnotes: Wine destinations
In today’s times, wine tasting has become a glamorous business. At times, wineries and wine bottles cost you equivalent to a layman’s salary.
With this list of seven affordable wine destinations in the world, you should never hesitate to go on a wine trip.
Research well before going to these countries for wine exploration. It will save a lot of your dollars. Plus, you can mention your personal stories, too!
Rebecca has been closely studying the travel industry trends for quite some time. Intrigued by the booming growth of this sector, she takes interest in penning down her views providing quality insight on current travel trends and also likes to write about food and beverages, particularly dry red wine
