Best vineyards for wine lovers
From the famous wine regions of Burgundy and Mosel to the less celebrated grapes of Switzerland and Belgium, a tour through the best European vineyards is an idyllic way to spend your holidays. Discover how wine is harvested, improve your tasting ‘nose’ and sample great local foods at the same time.
Enjoy the ‘grape escape’ on a European vineyards tour
Vineyards in France
La Tourraque
In the heart of the Côte d’Azur, only 14 minutes drive from Saint-Tropez, you will find La Tourraque. This 30-acre vineyard welcomes guests (no need for an appointment) for free wine tastings. You can sample either white, rosé or red wine that is harvested, stored and bottled here. The harvest begins in the morning and part of the process is still carried out by hand to this day. If you arrive with a large group, you can also enjoy a leisurely lunch here. What could be a better way to round off your wine tasting experience?
La Source des Fees
Harvesting is also carried out by hand at La Source des Fees in Burgundy, which really makes every bottle just that extra bit special. If you're doing a tour of vineyards around France, and in particular, the Burgundy region, this is truly a wonderful place to stay. A rustic villa, acres of vineyards and golden sun. What more can you want?
Moët & Chandon
With its prime location along the Avenue de Champagne in the centre of Épernay, the famous house of Moët & Chandon is right in the heart of the Champagne region. Moët & Chandon boast the largest cellars in the whole region, which amount to about 28km2, and they offer guided hour-long tours, with a tasting session at the end.
No visit to Épernay is complete without a visit to Moët and Chandon’s historic viticultural research centre at Fort Chabrol. The pioneering work here helped save the Champagne vineyards from the phylloxera outbreak at the turn of the 20th century.
Fort Chabrol in Épernay, Moët and Chandon’s historic viticultural centre
Chateau Marsannay
Red wine fans can rejoice knowing that you will be at your happiest when visiting Chateau Marsannay. For those who aren't necessarily prone to a glass of red, the vineyard also produces a white and rosé wine, so all is not lost.
Located in the famous wine region of Burgundy, around five hours drive from Calais, it’s not surprising that they specialise in red wine, harvesting the famous Burgundy grapes that grow in their luscious vineyards. With over twenty different types of red wine alone, even people who previously weren’t red fans will definitely be converted.
Blanck
Harvested by hand and free of fertiliser, the grapes that make-up the delectable wines of the Blanck vineyards are perfectly pure, producing a heavenly bottle of wine. Situated in the Grand Est region near the border with Germany, Blanck is made up of 85 acres of vineyard.
Most of the wine they make here is white, with the exception of one red. Blanck ship 220,000 bottles worldwide every year. Their Pinot Blanc was awarded a near perfect score by Wine Enthusiast magazine, and their Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir are multiple winners at the Decanter Awards.
The vineyards of Germany
Schloss Wackerbarth, producers of some of Germany’s finest sparkling wines
Schloss Wackerbarth
This boutique winery near Dresden is one of Germany’s best-kept secrets. Its sparkling wines are among the best in Europe, and the idyllic setting of Schloss Wackerbarth, amongst ornate gardens and terraced vines in the Elbe valley, makes it a popular destination for wine lovers and tourists alike.
Tours and tastings are held daily, with a gourmet meal to look forward to in the winery’s restaurant. Schloss Wackerbarth holds several festivals and events throughout the year, with tastings never far from the schedule!
Weingut Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler
One of Germany’s most renowned wine regions is the beautiful Mosel region, famous for its light and crisp Riesling, grown on the steep banks leading down to the Moselle River, after which the region is named. One of the finest vineyards in the Middle Mosel is Weingut Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler, which offers one of the highest-quality Rieslings in the area and a reasonably priced tasting tour.
Weingut Selbach Oster
Weingut Selbach Oster is a classic Mosel winery, producing fine elegant Rieslings from the steep, windy slopes of its 22 hectare vineyard on the river banks. The winery has been in the hands of the same family for over 400 years, with all those generations of experience felt in the care and love with which the Selback family produce their wines. Guided tastings are available for groups from a tasting room with spectacular views of the vineyard’s slopes.
Swiss vineyards
Swiss vineyards can be in spectacular settings
Weingut Donatsch Malans
The Weingut Donatsch Malans vineyard has been in the Donatsch family for over five generations, so it’s safe to say they have definitely learned a thing or two along the way. Their 4.5 hectare estate lies in the Malans region of Switzerland, and provides the perfect conditions for a variety of grapes in the Pinot family, with a particular focus on the deep red Pinot Noir. They offer wine tastings in either their barrel cellar, or old vaults, which are not to be missed!
Landolt Weine Weinberg Bürgli
Somewhat surprisingly nestled in the heart of Zurich (next to the FIFA museum), the Bürgli vineyard is a must-see for visitors to the Swiss city. The Landolt winemaking family established their first vines in Zurich in the 1960s, and there are several different Landolt wineries across the city, with the Bürgli vineyard the most popular to explore on one of the Landolt ‘wine hikes’.
The Reisling-Sylvaner produced in the Bürgli is a famous Landolt wine, but there are reds, whites and sparkling varieties to try to at the other Landolt sites in Zurich and at its vinotheque. Why not also try the Landolt wine tram, which lets you savour five different wines as you trundle through the city with views of these unique urban vineyards?
Discover the vineyards of Belgium
The ‘Wine Castle’ of Genoels-Elderen
Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen
The only ‘wine castle’ in Belgium, the Genoels-Elderen winery in Flanders boasts the largest wine domain in the country with over 25 hectares. Guides will show you around the parkland, the vines, the rose garden, distillery, press house and cellars. Tastings at the end of the tours are available in a range of packages, with up to seven different wines able to be sampled.
The two-hour tours are mostly conducted in Dutch, so it is advisable to book ahead and request an English-speaking guide.
Wine Domaine du Chenoy
The reputation of Wallonian wine is growing, and the varieties from the Domaine du Chenoy are among the best in Belgium. This 10-hectare vineyard near Namur was only founded in 2003, but brothers Pierre-Marie and Jean-Bernard have already produced a number of wines of note. Their Extra Brut cuvée sparkling wine is particularly well liked, and the domain’s experimentation with disease-resistant grapes is producing fruitful results. Visitors to Domaine du Chenoy will experience a brand new cellar, tasting room and terrace.
Gudule Winery Brussels
A winery but no vineyard – how does the Gudule winery in Brussels do it? Simple. It grows its grapes elsewhere in Belgium and ships them into the city, where the production process happens. It is like a wine co-operative, with founder Thierry Lejeune relying on others to supply him with grapes.
The Gudule range includes a red, white, rose, two cuvées and a sparkling wine. Tours of the Gudule winery are conducted by Thierry and take around an hour and a half.
Enjoy the vineyards of Europe with Eurotunnel Le Shuttle
Although Brexit has changed how much alcohol you can take from the EU to the UK, there is still ample opportunity to buy the wines you sample. The limits are now 18 litres of still wine, 9 litres of sparkling or fortified wine per person.
So pack up your car, leave plenty of space in the boot, and head to Folkestone, from where Eurotunnel Le Shuttle can pop you to France in 35 minutes. Your dream wine tour can then be uncorked!