Beautiful Burgundy… negociant Bouchard Pere & Fils facility in Beaune offers tastings.
Where do people who are obsessed with wine go for their holidays? This won’t be a surprise. They go to wine regions.
Because there really is nothing to compare to tasting wine at its source.
It’s the understanding of the terroir, the landscape, the weather, the soil, the look and the feel of the place. But it’s more than that: it’s the people you meet, the local cuisine that perfectly matches the wine, the architecture, the language, the culture, the traditions.
To visit a wine region is to properly understand and appreciate its product, so it’s no wonder so many sommeliers, winemakers, wine importers, wine reviewers and wine educators spend their spare time in the source of their obsession.
The good news is that there’s joy to be taken from these areas, even for those who know very little about wine.
These regions have plenty to offer, from tasting experiences at wineries to high-quality cuisine at restaurants, and from unique accommodation options to active adventure in the natural world.
We asked six of the most knowledgeable and well-travelled wine obsessives in Australia about their favourite region to visit, and the hot tips on what to drink, eat and do while there.
The winemaker
Erin Pooley, Little Frances Wines, Beechworth, Vic
California wine country… soaring above Napa Valley’s lush vineyards.Credit: Visit Napa Valley
Where Napa Valley/Sonoma, US
Why “I lived and worked in Napa and Sonoma counties for 12 years,” says Erin, “and although it can be quite glitzy – lots of grand estates, multimillion-dollar buildings with infinity pools – the best stuff is off the beaten path. There’s also a misconception that all Californian wine is buttery chardonnay or big cabernets, but it’s such a big area and big market that there’s also this diversity and creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.”
Erin Pooley.
Drink up “You will be paying for tastings everywhere in California,” Erin says, “and you will have to make reservations. In Napa, go and see Matthiasson – Steve and Jill Matthiasson have been pushing regenerative, sustainable practices around there forever, and they make very beautiful, classic, restrained wines. They’re lovely people too.
“Then I’d go over to Sonoma and taste at a real wildcard: the Extradimensional Wine Co Yeah! It’s also a husband-and-wife team, and they have the most amazing creative energy. They’re making these vivacious wines that are pushing the boundaries of Californian wine.”
Dine out “In Napa, the only place to eat is Contimo – that’s for breakfast and lunch. Real food made with seasonal ingredients. The coffee’s great, and it’s independently owned by lovely people.
Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma.Credit:
“And the only place to eat in Sonoma is Valley, right on a beautiful square. It looks small from the front but opens up into a beautiful courtyard. It’s farm-to-table, organic, seasonal produce. El Molino in Sonoma is also very good Californian Mexican.”
Sleep over “Wineries in Napa and Sonoma don’t really offer accommodation – a lot don’t even offer food. But what I would recommend is not staying in San Francisco. It’s further than you think, especially if you’re going to have a day touring around and drinking. Just stay as close as you can in a hotel or motel.”
More Napa and Sonoma counties are a two-hour drive from downtown San Francisco and are best to visit in September and October, during harvest. See littlefrances.com.au; visitcalifornia.com
The wine educator
Paul Huet, The Wine Tip, Sydney, NSW
Clos de la Coulee de Serrant in the Loire Valley: Its winemaker is “the pope of biodynamics”. Credit:
Where Loire Valley, France
Why “It’s the diversity, for sure,” says Paul. “There are always those silly questions we ask among ourselves; we say, OK, you have to go to a desert island, and you have only one region you can bring with you. For me, the Loire Valley is the region that gives it all, from sparkling wine to white to red to sweet. It’s also a nice place to visit because it used to be a hub for all the wealthy and kings of France, so there are a lot of beautiful places.”
Paul Huet.
Drink up “There are a few wineries I really love,” Paul says. “One is called Clos de la Coulee de Serrant, which is an icon of the region. It’s white wine made of chenin blanc, and the winemaker is the pope of biodynamics, verging on crazy – but I find crazy winemakers make interesting wine. It’s also a beautiful place, around Angers.
“Another vineyard I like is a domain that actually holds my name, but it’s unrelated, unfortunately – Domaine Huet. They’ve been around a long time, they produce really high-quality chenin blanc. They have beautiful cellars there.”
Regal beauty… the Loire was once a hub for all the wealthy and kings of France.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Dine out “There are a lot of small local restaurants that are really good value. You can have an absolute blast for €50 for sure. Bottles of wine are cheap on the menu, and you can expect good, hearty French food: unpretentious, honest, value for money.”
Paul suggests dining at Pomme Poire in Azay-le-Rideau, L’Auberge de L’ile on L’ile-Bouchard, and Les Annees 30 in Chinon.
Sleep over “They have a few hotels and B&Bs in the Loire that have their rooms in the local tuffeau mines, carved into the rock. There are also pretty high-end options like Relais & Chateaux properties, staying in actual castles.”
More Paul recommends Angers as a base – it’s accessible via a two-hour train ride from Paris. The region is best in spring, from April to June. See thewinetip.com.au; france.fr
The wine reviewer
Shanteh Wale, Wine Companion, Melbourne, Vic
More than a pretty face… Santorini has been cultivating vines for 3000 years.Credit: Getty Images
Where Santorini, Greece
Why “Some of the best places to drink wine are where there are indigenous varieties, and the wine and the food come culturally together,” says Shanteh. “Santorini is one of those amazing places that, yes, it’s beautiful with the whitewashed walls and crystal-blue sea, but they have an incredibly long history of cultivating vines – over 3000 years. And the wines are amazing.
Shanteh Wale.
Drink up “The winery I love to visit is called Domaine Sigalas, and they specialise in a white grape called assyrtiko. It’s this beautiful variety that has power but also this oyster-brine salinity, so you can imagine this with feta cheese, taramasalata, fava beans … it all just works so wholistically.
“Usually at Santorini wineries there will be some kind of food offering, but it’s not like Bordeaux, where it’s a chateau; it’s very humble. They usually only offer a few different tastes of wine because they don’t offer a huge array, and then [they] encourage you to sit down and eat something with it. They’re not preaching about their wines; it’s more, this is what we do, have something to eat, enjoy yourself.”
Fields, vineyards and the villages of Fira and Oia, Santorini, Greece.Credit: iStock
Dine out “One thing I love about Greece is that you don’t have to go to really fancy restaurants to get good produce. Go for the hole-in-the-wall places – anywhere you can see lots of locals. They perhaps won’t have the best views, but you don’t need that when you’ve got some bouzouki guitar playing, and you’re in a tiny place with simple, beautiful food. Or try somewhere scenic like Feredini.”
Sleep over “There are some amazing places to stay on Santorini. Alpai Dome stands out, partly because of its fantastic Greek breakfast offerings. And do a sailing trip with Sunset Oia. A snorkel, great beer and barbecued octopus – what more could you want?”
More Shanteh recommends the village of Oia as a base in Santorini. The island is accessible by plane or ferry from Athens and is best to visit in spring or autumn. See winecompanion.com.au; santorini.gr
The wine importer
Jeremy Holmes, D’or to Door, Barossa Valley, SA
Bouchard Pere & Fils is a standout in Burgundy, France.
Where Burgundy, France
Why “The wine is what attracted us to Burgundy,” says Jeremy, “but after having visited a lot of times now over 25 years, you get to know the people, and I guess that’s probably the same as any region you love – it’s the people who make the experience great. But this is also without doubt one of the world’s premier wine regions.”
Jeremy Holmes.
Drink up “It’s getting harder to access wineries in Burgundy,” Jeremy says, “and a lot of the tastings require a formalised booking. But you can still taste at both large and small domains and negociant houses. One of the domains we bring in, Domaine Michel Rebourgeon in Pommard, has what we would call a cellar door; anyone can taste everything, from entry-level Bourgogne to their top wine. Then you look at negociants like Bouchard Pere & Fils; they’ve got a facility in Beaune where you can do a tasting – there are premium tastings available too, for a minimal payment. And at Olivier Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet you can taste.”
Australian link … Chez Hall, Burgundy.
Dine out “Just south of Meursault there are two terrific restaurants right next to each other: Le Terroir, and Le Ouillette. Le Terroir is very traditional, and Le Ouillette is much more modern, but they’ve both got fantastic service, fabulous wine lists, and they’re both decent value. Within Meursault, Le Souffout is also great, and the wine list is killer, seriously underpriced.
“The markets in Burgundy are also amazing, and in Beaune there are two shops: Alain Hess, such a good cheese shop, and Athenaeum, which has the best collection of wine books, decanters, glasses and other knickknacks.”
Sleep over “We always stay in Meursault at a place called Chez Hall, which is owned by an Aussie. But I would recommend a website called Location Burgundy. It’s run by an English couple who manage quite a few high-end houses and apartments; they’ve got some great places on their books.”
A busy indoor market hall in Burgundy.Credit: Alamy
More Meursault, Jeremy’s recommended base, is a 3½-hour drive south-east of Paris, and is best visited from April to June. See dortodoor.com; burgundy-tourism.com; locationburgundy.com
The sommelier
Bridget Raffal, Where’s Nick, Marrickville, NSW
Spanish tipple: A tasting of sweet and dry fortified wine.Credit: Adobe
Where Jerez, Spain
Why “Because it’s the best place in the world,” Bridget laughs. “The three towns of the region – Jerez, Sanlucar and El Puerto – are in a part of Spain that has all that Moorish influence, so it’s really different to other parts of Spain, and it’s a lot more relaxed than some wine regions. You can do the world’s classiest pub crawl, just going from bodega to bodega in Sanlucar, and then in El Puerto, and then in Jerez. A lot of the bodegas have food, and a manzanilla sherry will cost you €1.50 ($2.50). It’s wildly accessible, in terms of both logistics and price.
Bridget Raffal.Credit: Louis Douvis
Drink up “If you like to eat, you should be drinking sherry,” Bridget says of Jerez’s signature style, “because it goes with everything. In El Puerto, see Gutierrez Colosia, which is still family owned and has been going since 1838. They have barrels of PX in there that are 100 years old, and they’re just biding their time. Then there’s Bodega Mar 7, and that’s in Sanlucar. It’s super-small, and amazing. In Jerez, Bodega Luis Perez is great – there’s nothing about the area he doesn’t know, so it’s well worth a visit.”
Gutierrez Colosia cellar in El Puerto… the family-owned sherry producer has been going since 1838.
Dine out “There’s an excellent place called Taberna der Guerrita in Sanlucar. Have the tuna cooked with onions and oloroso sherry there. They also have jamon, tortilla, pippies … but all the tavernas will have their own manzanilla in barrels, so if you don’t want to make bodega visits you can just go to the tavernas and drink quite widely.”
Sleep over “We stayed in Sanlucar. It’s a cute town, it’s got all the sweet alleyways and churches and rooftops that old European towns tend to have, but it’s also very lived-in. Albariza Hotel is a great spot there with a nice rooftop.”
More Bridget’s recommended base, Sanlucar de Barrameda, is about an hour’s drive south of Seville, and is best visited in spring and autumn. See wheresnick.com.au; spain.info
The wine shop owner
Mike Bennie, P&V Merchants, Paddington, NSW
View of the village of Arbois and La Tour du Curon in Jura.Credit: Adobe Stock
Where Jura, France
Why “Jura is an amazing place to look at the connection between culture, farming, local produce and wine,” Mike says. “The region is framed in the north by an amazing lakes district, and then on the fringe is this major karst limestone escarpment. So you can taste amazing, very distinct wine, enjoy the food culture and that offering of wild, beautiful nature, the small-village feel, and then that agricultural community makes it so enticing.”
Mike Bennie.
Drink up “In the town of Arbois, my ground zero is Bistro des Claquets. This is where all the local winemakers go to drink, and you can access some very rare wines. I also make landfall at Les Jardins de St Vincent, which stocks some of the rarer Jura wines.
“In Poligny, the Essencia fromagerie has this extraordinary wine cellar. He has wines off the shelf, then there’s a wine list that comes from his cellar. And if you start to get to know Philippe Bouvet, the owner, there’s a second wine list, which is the real deal.”
A market garden out the back: Casa Anatolia.Credit: Gui Gomes
Dine out “There’s a restaurant called La Table du Grapiot in Pupillin, the village adjacent to Arbois – a lot of winemakers go there for fine-dining. There’s also Casa Anatolia nearby, which has a market-garden out back. Going there to get vegetables is one of my highest recommendations. For me, it’s: go get vegetables from Casa Anatolia, go to Essencia and stock up on cheese and wine, and have a picnic at the lakes district.”
Sleep over “In Poligny there is a B&B called Les Jardins sur Glantine. The owner, Nathalie Eigenschenck, is an insane home cook. Her breakfasts are epic. She handmakes her own yoghurt, picks fruit from their orchard, makes her own jams … They also do multi-course dinners, which you can go to even if you don’t stay there.”
More Mike recommends staying in Arbois or Poligny, which are 3½ hours by train from Paris. Visit from April to October. See pnvmerchants.com; france.fr
Australia’s six best wine regions, according to our expert panel
Rockford in the Barossa Valley, SA.
JEREMY HOLMES
Barossa Valley, SA
“There are some really exciting things being made by both the larger companies in the Barossa and the smaller garagistes – it’s an exciting place at the moment. I would visit Rockford, Turkey Flats, Langmeil, Yalumba, Henschke … and you’ve got some fantastic wines being made by Standish. There is some wonderful cuisine coming out of a place called Otherness in Anguston; Maggie Beer’s daughter Elli runs a really good spot called The Eatery out near Maggie’s farm; and Vintners Bar and Grill, that’s been there 30-odd years and is firing on all cylinders at the moment.” See barossa.com
ERIN POOLEY
Beechworth, Vic
“What I love the most about Beechworth is that we have such diversity of altitude – the region spans from 300 metres up to 850-900, with different soil types and aspects – yet a lot of people [are] working with the same grape varieties, like chardonnay. So it’s constantly interesting to taste each winemaker’s interpretation of their site; it’s really vibrant and exciting. Beechworth is a really inspirational place, there’s an energy here. And the food scene is great, just from a produce perspective – seasonal and high quality.” See victoriashighcountry.com.au
SHANTEH WALE
Margaret River, WA
“For me, Margaret River is all about feeling like you’re in Western Australia from the moment you get there. The flora and fauna changes: the abundance of grass trees, the kauri forests, the jarrah trees. It’s so unique to that one strip. You’ve got a bit of everything there too: you’ve got chardonnay and cabernet, chenin blanc is doing really well, sparkling is great now, you’ve got a strong rose contingent. And the way the wine industry has embraced the practices and knowledge of the Wadandi people, the traditional owners, is second to none.
PAUL HUET
Yarra Valley, VIC
”There’s something quite peaceful and beautiful about the Yarra. I like the wines there, too, because cool climates mean the wines are lighter, with plenty of freshness. There’s also good diversity in sparkling, chardonnay, pinot noir. I like Oakridge there, good wines, good value. Mac Forbes, he’s a great guy, I love his wines. Mount Mary is my favourite cabernet blend from Australia. Yarra Yering is more for old-school palates, but it’s really well made.” See margaretriver.com
BRIDGET RAFFAL
Macedon Ranges, Vic
“Along with Beechworth, this is my favourite region in Australia to drink wine from. It’s cool-climate shiraz, excellent chardonnay, excellent pinot noir. And a very good dining scene: Annie Smithers has Du Fermier in Trentham, you’ve got Bar Merenda in Daylesford, along with Winespeake, which is a great wine bar and shop. So if you stay in Daylesford, you’re going to eat well, you’re going to drink well, and you can visit some wineries. There’s Bindi, which is iconic; you’ve got Eastern Peake, Latta Vino, Josh Cooper is there, and Lyons Will is also great.” See visitmacedonranges.com
MIKE BENNIE
Tasmania
“I really like travelling through the Tamar Valley. There’s a neat driving tour that takes you out of Launceston, past Rosevears to have a Boag’s, and up to Stoney Rise winery. Their cellar door is also a wine bar, with a whole lot of interesting wines. Driving on, Moores Hill has great food, and then skipping over to the east of the river you bump into Sinapius, Andrew Pirie, the Jansz showroom, Clover Hill, and smaller places like Dalrymple. And you round that up at the legendary Piper River General Store, where they do a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich that winemakers consider a cure-all, let’s say.” See tamarvalley.com.au
Disclaimer: The writer has a family connection to sommelier Bridget Raffal, a recent recipient of the Good Food Guide award for Cultural Change Champion for her Sydney hospitality charity Women and Revolution.