Your Vino-Vacay Plans For 2025, Booked!
Mark the start of 2025 on a high with a grand tour of some of the new world’s greatest and most picturesque wine regions that are in the midst of harvest and a gorgeous summer.
Marlborough, New Zealand
In an age of tech editing tools and artificial intelligence that has cast a shade of suspicion over any incredibly picturesque image, we’ve got a legit Lord Of The Rings level authentic vineyard for you to saunter in. Come to think of it, all of the Lord Of The Rings was in fact shot in New Zealand where the countryside remains unblemished and ridiculously scenic. This is also where the world’s best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir get made outside of Burgundy. The twin delights of superb natural vistas and sumptuous wines await in Marlborough, plonked at the very top of New Zealand’s South Island and also the list of regions that make the country’s best Sauvignon Blanc. There’s no better way to enjoy a bunch of them than driving or cycling across Marlborough, exploring its sub regions of Southern Valleys, Wairau Valley and Awatere Valley, all bathed in uninterrupted sunlight and windswept vibes. Give us a shout if you’re visiting Dog Point, a cult Marlborough maker of organic wines that best capture the region’s sunnied brilliance and the haloed house of Saint Clair. You also ought to pencil in visits to Central Otago for the region’s superb Pinot Noir wines. Hawke’s Bay has a trove of adventurous red wines in store while the lover of rich and creamy barrel aged Chardonnay should head to the holy grail of Gisborne.
Western Cape, South Africa
South Africa is best known for its epic safaris but it’s vinelands aren’t too shabby especially on the grand Western Cape. The Western Cape is the beating, idyllic heart of South African wine country. Stretching inwards from the country’s south west coast, the region, also known as the Cape Vinelands includes South Africa’s most significant wine sub regions, namely Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Robertson and Paarl and enjoys a Mediterranean climate with a generous supply of oceanic wines. Nearly all of these regions are short pleasant drive from the hip Western Cape capital of Cape Town and abound with ‘wine farms’ pouring fabulous modern styles of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, the homegrown Pinotage and a very South African take on the classic Bordeaux blend. Elgin Valley deserves a halt for its uber cool climate Pinot Noir wines that are all the rage currently. Coupled with the immensely warm South African hospitality and unapologetically gamey meats that pair nicely with the ferments, sit in front of gorgeous sunlit vistas – what else do you need, this life. Wine Park’s vinous partners thrive across the Western Cape, be it Boekenhoutskloof in Franschhoek, Man Family and Thelema in Stellenbosch and Robertson in Robertson Valley that turns out alluring natural sweet wines. So go self drive yourself through the world’s prettiest wine route with a generous schedule of stops and tastings in this most gorgeous of New World phenomenons.
Barossa Valley, Australia
If you’re headed Down Under, it doesn’t get bigger than Barossa Valley. The New World equivalent of Bordeaux when it comes to reputation, the Barossa Valley is a delightful drive from Adelaide and is studded with over 150 wineries, many of which make the world’s best Shiraz wines and offer up rustic hospitality, Aussie style under an easy going Mediterranean climate. This region is significant every which way. Barossa Valley’s history has come to define Australian wine, its award winning and diverse range of rustic and elegant wine estates and the most famous Aussie Shiraz style that surprises with its range of expressions, swinging from fruit forward simplicity to bold and hedonistic. Taste through the variety of Shiraz styles to go with the region’s culinary spread that includes a bounty of indigenous farm produce. Your vinous pilgrimage simply has to include immersive halts at Penfolds, Henschke, Seppeltsfield, Elderton and Torbreck, to name just the top of the heap. Goes without saying, Wine Park’s buddy, Two Hands Winery is a must stop, located in the sub region of Marananga where the boutique winery makes handcrafted styles of Syrah bottled under such cool names as Gnarly Dudes and Brave Faces. This small batch wine estate is as attentive to its wines as it is to its enthusiastic wine tourists. No Barossa visit feels quite complete without indulging the palate of the crisp, aromatic Rieslings of Eden Valley which interestingly sits within the Barossa ‘zone’. This region’s significantly cooler weather allows the delicate white grape to ripen slowly and make softly textured, fruity Rieslings that rival the Mosel. Drink up these refreshing whites to compliment the muscular Shiraz turns. Now that’s proper balance, Aussie style!
