Tasting Wine on Holiday

by Greville Havenhand, who is a member of the Dulwich Wine Society

School is out, the beaches are full, so for those who like something a little different why not try either a wine tasting holiday or at least incorporating a few vineyard visits to add a little interest?

There are a number of excellent wine tour operators and even more who are not so good. The best have well organised and led tours to the main wine regions of the world. If you are a dedicated wine tourist you will know all about them. I am here more concerned with the person who perhaps wants to add a little interest to a touring holiday or to try something different.

If you are lucky enough to be in California or the wine growing areas of Australia you will find that many wineries have excellent visitor facilities, with well-appointed tasting rooms, restaurants and knowledgeable staff. In most cases you can just drive up, but do some homework and see if an appointment is needed.

Germany is a much easier country to visit and language should not be too much of a problem. Italy and Spain also have possibilities but France may be a better starting point. For all these areas there are good wine touring guides. Mitchell Beazley publish a series called “Discovering Wine Country” and also an excellent series edited by Hugh Johnson and written, in the main, by Hubrecht Duijker called “Touring in Wine Country”. Not all the latter are in print but it is easy to find them via the internet. They take you to a region, tell you about the wine, which wineries to visit, where to stay and where to eat.

But you do not really need these if you are just adding a little to your holiday. Local tourist offices can be helpful but if there is a “Maison du Vin” in the area this is your best bet. For instance, if you are in the Dordogne, the one in Bergerac (down by the river) will give you a map showing all the wineries in the area and whether they welcome visitors and languages they speak. It gives explanations of the region’s wines and its various areas.

It is well worth telephoning in advance, although many wineries welcome casual callers. Whether you call ahead or not, don’t try to visit between 1200 and 1400 – the Frenchman (and woman’s) lunch is sacred. It is also best to avoid harvest time. You can expect to taste a few wines. If you show real interest they may well show you the winery.

Few have the tourist facilities of the New World , but some are welcoming in other ways. For instance the Château Terre Vieille near Bergerac has picnic tables outside. Take your own picnic and try a glass or two of their wine. Some charge a few Euros but most like you to buy the odd bottle. Remember that, if you want to bring wine home, the boot of a car can get very hot particularly if left in a car park at midday, and high temperature is the enemy of wine.

If you want to try a short tour for yourself the Champagne region is a good start. Around three hours from the Channel ports the rolling hills are attractive, Reims is a fine historic city and Epernay is well worth a visit. The great Champagne houses such as Moët et Chandon and Pommery are very much geared up for visits to their ancient cellars. The times of guided tours are displayed and there is full explanation of how Champagne is made.

These visits, of course, come at a price! Piper-Heidsieck even have a little train to take you through kilometres of cellars. Children will tolerate a visit with this included. I think that it is worth doing at least one of these if you are not familiar with the process. For real interest – and value for money – if you are buying wine – get into the countryside and visit the smaller producers. “The independent traveller’s guide to Champagne” by Philippe Boucheron is a handy companion.

In these days of the inflated Euro try the occasional visit to an English vineyard. I know that those who have read some of my previous writings may think that I am over enthusiastic about the local product, but it gets better every year. To help you there is an excellent new book “Grape Britain- a tour of Britain’s Vineyards” by David Harvey.

Wherever you go, remember that the wineries are businesses; the smaller ones usually family businesses. They are not there to rip you off but they are not there to give you a free aperitif. You will be offered a small tasting measure. Look at the colour of the wine, swirl it in the glass, sniff it and taste it. There will be crachoires (spittoons) available. You do not have to swallow the wine and it is not discourteous to spit. What is discourteous to fellow tasters is for women to be wearing heavy perfume or for men to be reeking of aftershave. This means that no one else can appreciate the bouquet of the wine.

If the idea of vineyard visits appeals to you but you do not want to commit to a package tour and are a little apprehensive about doing it yourself you can always join the Dulwich Wine Society which has a tour every year.