Best Places to Travel for Wine Tourism-Traveling With Wine, and Bringing it Home

In my last blog post, I wrote about why wine is not made in ugly places. How the people and places surrounding the wine industry are dedicated to beauty of place, visually appealing and offering options such as dining, hiking (Think Dolomites) and outdoor activities geared towards the wine lover.

If you love to travel, love to eat, and drink, this blog is for  you. 

Wine regions around the world are known for the pairing of local wines with local foods which impart the terroir of the region in ways which distinguish it from any place else. This is why Bordeaux is made in Bordeaux, Red wines made in warmer climates, whites prefer cooler weather and so on.  The intricacies are vast and it can be difficult to decide where to go next if you are a wine lover and love to travel.

For us  personally, often a single bottle of wine can determine the next vacation. Once, while sitting in a Greek restaurant, the people next to us ordered a bottle of white from Santorini and told us all about it, and let us taste. That set off an decades long love affair with Greece and annual visits to different locations where wine is produced.

Just south of the Mexican border, in Baja, Mexico, is one of my all time favorite wine regions-The Valle de Guadalupe. Wines from this region are typically bold featuring Tempernillo, Nebbiolo, Zinfandel, Syrah, and the whites will show as richer featuring Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and yes, even a very dry, nice sparkling. These will typically be closer to the coast of the Pacific, which, much like the California coast of Sonoma or Paso Robles, tend towards cooler foggy mornings and warm days, allowing for longer growing seasons.

The abundance of local seafood from nearby Ensenada and Rosarito influence many wine makers down in old Mexico as well as fresh ceviche and salsas,

Now, you may be asking, how do I get those wines I loved while tasting across a border, on an airplane, or sailing through on my private yacht?

We have answers for all 3. Travel by place still requires you to check your bottles in cargo. Not ideal for sensitive wine and once you cross the Atlantic, runs a danger of changing. Our handy luggage designed especially for wine will keep it safe from handling, rattling, and even protect the temps with heavy inserts designed for wine bottles.

Driving across the border offers other issues, such as a hot car or rattling around in a cardboard wine case. And being allowed only 2 bottles per person into the US by land, is not idea. If you have non drinkers on board, you can allow for 2 bottles per person. I have often smuggled multiple bottles across the border without incident, but I am not recommending breaking any international laws as you enter.

Shop our Wine Luggage for best deals on bringing your precious finds abroad home to your wine cellar.

For your boating needs, Maxx Cold Horizontal coolers do the trick.

Tell us in the comments your favorite places for wine travel and what wine your had while there.

In Vino Veritas!