Wine is gaining more and more followers all around the world, and travelers are being encouraged to tour vineyards and enjoy tastings to enjoy the wines created by the most innovative winemakers. The world of wine offers endless possibilities to explore.
An increased number of wine lovers are visiting different countries to enjoy organic wines, wine routes or centenary vineyards. Therefore, consumption, production, export and wine-related tours and routes play a very important role in planning the perfect vacation for wine lovers.
Luggage transportation company Bounce seems to be well aware of all this and has has released a series of rankings such as the country with the highest wine consumption, the highest wine production, the best in vineyards and some more.
Bounce noted that “many people love the experience of trying new things, which is especially true for wine. From vineyard tours and wine tastings to enjoying new blends created by innovative winemakers, the world of wine offers endless possibilities for exploration.”
They went on to say that “some wine lovers take it even further, traveling the globe to experience new grape varieties and natural wines from the New World, as well as classic vintages from some of the world’s most respected vineyards.” They add that “factors such as consumption, production, exports, vineyards, wine tours and the average cost of a bottle of wine all play a part in planning the perfect vacation for wine lovers”.
Finally they underlined that “not surprisingly, these factors vary from country to country, so to reveal the best countries for wine lovers to travel to, we have ranked the world’s famous wine regions according to the factors important to wine-loving travelers.” Below are the top five locations, according to Bounce.
1. Italy: 8.28/10
Italy is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, the most famous being Veneto, home to the cities of Venice and Verona. Italy takes the top spot in our ranking. With approximately 400 varieties of grapes native to the country, there’s a wine to suit everyone’s palette. It is also the largest producer of wine in our ranking producing 0.82 liters per person.
2. Portugal: 7.88/10
This country has two wine-producing regions designated as UNESCO world heritage sites, one of which produces Portugal’s most recognized wine, Port, named after the city of Porto. This international reputation for producing unique wines could be the reason this country also has the highest number of wine tours. Portugal is also the biggest consumer of wine on our list, with the country drinking 0.47 liters per person.
3. Spain: 7.16/10
Spain is home to 12 main wine regions which produce the majority of their wines, including Cava, Rioja, and the fortified wine unique to the province of Cadiz. Spain has the highest amount of land for vineyards on our list, with 968.4 thousand hectares dedicated to viticulture. However, it ranks second in the amount of wine produced due to the arid conditions of some of its wine making regions.
4. France: 6.86/10
France is the source of some of the most popular grape varieties for wine making, and the home of the eponymous Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne. Despite its reputation as a prestigious wine-producing country, France has relatively few wine tours, although it is still popular domestically with an average of 0.39 liters per person drunk annually.
5. New Zealand: 5.53/10
Wines from New Zealand have exploded in popularity over the last 20 years, causing their market to expand rapidly. This country is mainly known for producing Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, both originating from Marlborough, the largest wine-producing region in New Zealand. New Zealand offers 4,062 wine tours, the third-highest on our list, and has 40 thousand hectares dedicated to viniculture.
