On the wine trail

Take a look at some of the world’s choicest destinations for a wine-filled vacation this winter

With the winter months rolling in, vineyards and wineries around the world play host to a horde of connoisseurs and travellers, who wish to take in the sights and sounds of all things vino. Here are the top food and wine vacations one can undertake in the upcoming months.

Australia I would highly recommend heading to the Margaret River in Western Australia, south of Perth. The Gourmet Escape is held there from November 18 to 20 this year. It not only showcases the fabulous wineries from the region, but also attracts top chefs from Australia and all over the world, who host pop up dinners.

Beyond the event, this is truly a beautiful part of the world that has the ability to create majestic wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, in addition to having a thriving high quality craft brewery industry. The food is to die for, with very high quality ingredients and produce. The town also has a good number of eateries, and the bigger wineries have restaurants serving some incredible food and wine.

France Bordeaux city is by far one of the greatest places on Earth for food and wine aficionados. A short, high-speed train ride from Paris gets you to this UNESCO world heritage city, which boasts of not just awe-inspiring architecture but also some of the world’s best wines, all produced in the surrounding regions. I would recommend touring the wine regions that are a short distance from the city, and visiting some of the world’s most famous chateaux; they have a very efficient tourist office right in the centre of town and provide a range of day trips to visit the chateaux in different regions.

The city itself has a great number of restaurants and wine bars. One of my all-time favourites is Bar a Vin. The selection of wine and their unbelievably low prices will send you straight into wine heaven. When in Bordeaux, it would be sacrilegious to not take a short trip across the river to Saint Emillion, an almost perfect showcase village that’s not just drop dead beautiful but also lends its name to some of the world’s top-notch wines.

Italy Piedmont is also a thoroughly enjoyable place to visit. With the grand Alps as its backdrop and Barolo, Barbaresco, and truffles to keep you company, there’s no way one could go wrong. One could get to Alba, a quiet little town close to some of Italy’s most iconic wine regions. The town itself is replete with a range of really good restaurants. However, I recommend visiting some restaurants in the hills, where the indulgent wines they produce are matched with mouth-watering Italian food.

Spain You can’t talk about wine and food destination and not include Spain on the list! Instead of picking a specific wine region here, I would suggest one visit any city to get a feel of the energy and passion that the Spanish have for food and drink. Barcelona has an almost endless number of tapas bars and wine bars. From here, you can take a short trip outside of the city to visit Cava producers. If you’re willing to extend the trip longer, the region of Priorat will blow you away with its delectable wines.

India The wine regions in our very own backyard are very close to my heart. The weather conditions of the monsoon, or the colder months of November through February, are perfect to discover the wineries in Nashik. Vallonné Vineyards, a small boutique wine producer has four rustic rooms overlooking a lake, as well as a restaurant. Five minutes away is Grover Zampa, where the staff is more than happy to offer a tasting in the impressive tasting room. An hour away are Sula and York, with the relatively new Soma a few steps away. Fratelly in Akluj too makes for a great weekend retreat. They have a state-of-the-art winery and a lookout point on top of a hill that opens up to the vineyards. Here you can taste some wine and delicious local food too, prepared by a dedicated staff at the winery facilities.

Nikhil Agarwal is a sommelier and CEO at All Things Nice.