Wine and travel - there is some magic in these words, isn't it? How about combining the best wine destinations with a visit to wineries, whose doors are always open to all wine lovers? For all fans of good white wine, our team has compiled a list of 10 leading white wine destinations in the world.
Let's raise our glasses and go to the best white wine places around the world!
1. Loire Valley, France
The Loire River runs for over half of France, with 42 castles and mysterious caves. Both sides of the road are covered with vineyards. The famous Loire "wine route" spans about 800 kilometres, making it a gold mine not only for wine connoisseurs but also for tourists. You can match tastings of superb French wines with castle trips in this region like nowhere else. There are around 70 AOC appellations assigned to 14 departments in all.
Sancerre is the most well-known white wine from the Loire Valley. This is the world's top Sauvignon Blanc region and one of the best white wine regions in the world. It is also known for excellent goat cheeses, perfectly paired with local wines.
Classic Sancerre wines are white, with lively acidity and a tantalising bouquet of gooseberries, green grass, nettles and minerality that has become a byword.
2. Burgundy, France
Burgundy is the purest expression of France's classic taste. In comparison to other wine-growing regions, the world of wine is even more strongly linked to everyday life, which is influenced by the vineyard work rhythm.
The main wine attraction is La Route des Grands Crus, a wine road stretching from Dijon to Santana. This well-traveled travel route connects 37 communes with well-known wineries. It's no wonder that it's known as "The Road of Great Wines."
Chablis is the region's white wine shining star. This is a one-of-a-kind sophisticated Chardonnay style that is nearly impossible to imitate in other regions or wine-producing countries around the world.
Chablis wines have a distinct character due to the presence of Chardonnay on such a terroir: aromas of seawater, sea breeze, freshness, high acidity, and minerality. These fundamental Chablis characteristics result in the best gastronomic pairings.
3. Pfalz, Germany
Pfalz is an incredibly picturesque white wine region of Germany. Forested hills, small cosy towns, gentle slopes of vineyards and ancient castles here are wonderfully combined with well-kept gardens in which fig, lemon, and almond trees grow.
Pfalz is the second largest wine-growing region in Germany, which played a major role in establishing the reputation of German winemaking. The region has all it takes to produce world-class wines: a warm, dry climate, a diverse range of soil types and microclimates, and a long history of producing high-quality Rieslings. Riesling is by far the most important white grape variety farmed in the region, and it is only receiving increasing attention.
The Pfalz is a region where winemakers have perfected their craft: their Rieslings have a distinctive blend of structure, richness, freshness, and fruity tones. Pfalz is unquestionably one of the best tasting dry white wines on our list!
4. Mosel, Germany
The Moselle River valley in west Germany attracts not only wine lovers, but also tourists exploring the fabulous atmosphere of these places. Bernkastel-Kues and Cochem — these two cities should become an integral part of your journey. Paved streets, beautiful villages, vineyard-covered mountain slopes, charming fortresses, and a bubbling river are among the sights to behold.
The Mosel River has provided ideal conditions for wines with some of the world's most complex flavours. Grapes collect the ideal amount of sun for wine on steep, south-facing slopes, and rich shale soils give it deep mineralization.
The Mosel Valley has about 10,000 vineyards, the predominant variety being Riesling, a gorgeous white wine. But there are other variations as well, as you can discover if you go to one of the many wine festivals that take place in the autumn in virtually every town along the Mosel's banks. Keep in mind that trying every type of Moselle wine in one session might be challenging, so make sure to prepare a longer trip!
5. Tokaj, Hungary
"Drops of sweet nectar spilled by God on the lands of Tokaj ''. This is how Tokaj wine is mentioned in Hungary's national anthem. Sweet style of white wines made from botrytised indigenous grapes Furmint, Hárslevelű won special love and royal families on its time. Perhaps this is one of the hidden treasures of white wine in Europe, requiring special attention.
Here you can enjoy the best tasting sweet white wine, stroll through cosy streets, admire the picturesque landscape – everyone has their reason for pilgrimage to these parts. Regardless of the route taken, the destination stays the same: anybody who arrives here is unavoidably drawn into the atmosphere of serenity and harmony that city people need. And Tokaj's peaceful character is wonderfully complemented by little villages, emerald hills, transparent rivers, and the peculiar hospitality of the locals.
6. Veneto, Italy
In the northeast of Italy, there is a gorgeous region known as the country's brightest and most colourful region. The combination of beautiful natural landscapes with magnificent sandy beaches, architectural monuments filled with the spirit of bygone times – all of this makes Veneto a one-of-a-kind region. This area is the heart of the country's wine production, with numerous vineyards offering great wine excursions on their own. Local restaurants with their superb cuisine, in addition to Veneto tasting, are both a favourite destination in Italy.
The majority of the area lands are involved in wine production, transforming the region into one enormous, never-ending vineyard. The Veneto wine region 14 varieties of DOCG wines and 27 DOC wines. The white wines Soave, Lugana, and Custoza are the most well-known.
One of the most striking examples of Veneto white wine is Soave from the Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc grape varieties. Translated from Italian, soave means "gentle", "pleasant". Soave DOC is a dry white Italian wine from the vicinity of Verona. This region also produces little-known sparkling variations - Soave Spumante, as well as sweet Recioto di Soave wines. Soave tastes like a gentle symbiosis between a rich fruity note and the freshness of green meadows.
Are you ready for a thrilling and unforgettable Italian vacation?
7. Wachau, Austria
The Danube's deep meandering valley, the huge river's slow grey-green waters flowing down steep banks with stone terraces, small well-kept villages. Certainly, not all of Austria's wine-growing regions look precisely like this, and yet this particular landscape is well known around the world – after all, it belongs to Wachau, the country's most famous region. Wachau is the ultimate expression of Austrian winemaking. If they are Grüner Veltliner, they are the juiciest, most intense, most expressive in Austria; if they are Rieslings, they are the strictest, most complex, and monumental.
Wineries to visit in Wachau
8. Primorska, Slovenia
Primorska rounds off the list of the finest wine tourism locations for 2022. This wine region in Slovenia is sometimes referred to as the "Slovenian Tuscany." Here, each winemaker has its own set of secrets and technological characteristics. The quality of local winemakers' products has reached an unusually high level, and the best wines in Central Europe are the result of their efforts every year.
Rebula and Pinela are the Primorska white wine stars. Rebula has a strong acidity and notes of apple, peach, and citrus. Pinela white wine has a lemon-yellow colour, a peachy and floral bouquet, citrus notes, and a medium finish.
Apart from outstanding white wines, Primorska has a lot more to offer. Some like peaceful and leisurely walks along clean and tidy streets, scenic forests and mountain routes, while others love the clean air of the sea coast or the view of crystal-clear rivers. Those who don't think that will be enough, the region also has ski resorts and well-known wellness balneological centres.
9. California, USA
California is a fascinating area of possibility for travellers, with vibrant towns, beaches, amusement parks, and natural beauties found nowhere else on the planet. San Francisco and Los Angeles' city gates are home to some of the state's most iconic landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood, and Disneyland.
California is often regarded as the "home of American winemaking" in the winemaking world. It is not surprising that this state originally established the groundwork for winemaking in the USA because terroir richness produces varied and fascinating wines. Full-bodied white Chardonnay wines with a consistent scent of vanilla, spices, and wood tones, in particular. Don't pass up the opportunity to taste the best US white wines in California!
10. Marlborough, New Zealand
Marlborough — a magnificent scattering of valleys drowning in the sea have always attracted crowds of nature lovers, but for many Marlborough is synonymous with New Zealand winemaking, as 79 percent of the wines produced in the country come from this region.
Many have referred to it as the world capital of new age Sauvignon Blanc for decades. Local wines of this type are popular among gourmets and hedonists due to their explosive aromas of gooseberry and sweet green pepper. Sauvignon Blanc is undeniably popular, but Marlborough's wine production is diverse: the region also produces superb Chardonnay, Rieslings, sweet white botrytised, and sparkling wines using various processes. The superb Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer wines further confirm the region's uniqueness.
