Visit the best wineries and cellar doors in Europe

Europe is known for it’s delicious wine, and we are known for loving it. Here are the best wine cruises to tempt your tastebuds.

Thousands from all over the world come to taste and visit the farms of Burgundy.

Everyone’s a wine connoisseur these days; we all know our chardonnays from our sav blancs.

So, it’s no surprise that we want to get back to earth, to learn about the terroir of grape varieties and be inspired by the best sommeliers and winemakers in the world, not to mention having a few tastings along the way.

Cruising lends itself well to wine expeditions; by day you can tour wineries, sampling drops from cellar doors in various renowned regions of the world and, by night, chefs and sommeliers can pair wines with menus on board as you sail.

Here are some standout wine-focused cruises to consider.

WINE TASTING THAT BREAKS THE RULES

IS THIS AUSTRALIA’S BEST WINE REGION?

NEVER DO THIS AT A WINE TASTING

Pace yourself — there are more than 400 wines about the Cunard cruise.

VOYAGE DU VIN

On the back of last year’s successful sailing, Cunard has recently announced the return of the annual Voyage Du Vin on board Queen Victoria. Sailing this September, the 14-day voyage visits leading wine regions in France, Spain and Italy, including calls to Vigo, Mallorca, Livorno (for Florence) Cannes, Barcelona and Gibraltar.

On board there will be three renowned headline speakers: wine connoisseur Oz Clarke, award-winning columnist and broadcaster Will Lyons, and International Wine Challenge’s co-chairman, Charles Metcalfe. As well as gaining knowledge from said speakers, guests will experience daily wine tastings, pairings and fine dining, featuring more than 400 wines from 23 countries. That’s a lot of fine wine! The 14-night Voyage Du Vin 2019 departs Southampton, September 6.

Emerald Liberte cruises through Lyon.

FRENCH FLAVOURS

Evergreen Cruises’ Flavours of Burgundy and Provence cruise sails through the heart of Europe’s famous wine-producing region and is hosted by some of the world’s top wine experts, including British Master of Wine Tim Atkin, American wine expert and talk show host Robin Stark, Canadian wine expert, DJ Kearney, and Australian Master of Wine Andrea Pritzker.

Expect a line-up of wine tastings, masterclasses and guided vineyard visits on this eight-day journey on the Emerald Liberte river cruise ship. A highlight of the itinerary is visiting “the winemakers’ hospital”, Hospices de Beaune in the heart of Burgundy’s famous vineyards. This former hospital, built in the 15th century, is now home to a prestigious 60ha wine estate that produces prestigious wines sold at auction on the third Sunday in November. The eight-day river cruise departs July 27, 2019.

Look out, it must be bubbles o’clock at Moet et Chandon near Cramant.

CHAMPAGNE CRUISES

Champagne lovers, rejoice. For those who love bubbly, there are bespoke champagne cruises on offer with European Waterways on board the 12-passenger Panache barge.

At Moet & Chandon there’s a private tour of the vast underground cellar, followed by a tasting of some of their renowned vintages, hosted by an experienced cellar master.

There’s also a visit to the domaine of Champagne Henriot, a family-owned independent house founded in the late 1700s.

A trip to La Maison Pannier is another integral part of the trip. Founded in 1899, it is the largest champagne house in the valley. Expect flowing champers on board too, paired with meals prepared by the chef using regionally sourced ingredients such as Champagne’s creamy Chaource cheese.

A NEW WINE LIST

Want some of the best wines at sea? Holland America Line is debuting a wine list created in collaboration with James Suckling, the cruise line’s wine curator and one of the world’s most acclaimed wine critics.

James Suckling’s Guide to Great Wines is available fleetwide and is designed to help a wine novice make a selection that pleases their palate.

According to Holland America’s president, Orlando Ashford, the idea behind the collection is to give guests the opportunity to try wines they might not know, experiment with different types of wines and ease into it with guidance from one of the foremost experts in the world.

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Originally published as Visit the best wineries and cellar doors in Europe