European countries have been known as the old world wine countries, with wine production in the continent dating back almost four millennia. It’s also home to some of the most scenic vineyards. Here are some of the lesser-known ones. Let’s get drunk on history, shall we?
Spain
Cava is Spain’s major drink made from three different grapes—Macabeo, Paralledo and Xarel-Lo—just like Champagne, and matured in Caves, thus giving it the name Cava. We visit the massive tunnels of the Codorniu winery where we start with an audiovisual presentation before a train takes us down below the mountains. With hundreds of miles of intertwining tunnels spread over four floors, both sides are stacked with bottles from the ceiling to the floor. After dusting off the cobwebs from a few of the bottles, we sip upon the majestic Cava, drawing from sharp acidic taste interspersed with pretty yellow fruits.
Austria
A castle which dates back almost four millennia, the Schloss Gobelsburg, houses some of Austria’s best wines. Located an hour’s drive away from the capital of Vienna in the Kamptal wine growing region, the journey is lined with farmlands stretching out on both sides. As soon as you draw up to the castle, the farmlands give way to grapevines converging the castle.
An imposing white two-storey building, the Gobelsburg Castle has quite a few Baroque elements from the Middle Ages, characterised by round arch windows and oblique oval oculi between giant pilasters, with a wrought iron doom finished off with metal bands and hand grips from the 16th century. We are here to try out Austria’s favourite grape, the Gruner Veltliner, a dry delicate wine with subtle hints of citrus fruits including lime, lemon and grapefruit along with some vegetal notes of white pepper.
Portugal
Ever thought of visiting a wine region by boat? The Alto Douro wine region is possibly one of the most beautiful regions to explore during summer. Located on the banks of the river Douro, it has been producing Portugal’s iconic Port wines since the Roman times. Vineyards remain green during the summer, framed against the blue river, it’s a sight that you shouldn’t miss. The wine here is known as tawny ports and have a distinct sweet flavour.
Germany
There is no better place to find Germany’s favourite grape, Reisling, than in the Mosel river valley. A trip here is accompanied by a scenic drive through the sloping mountainous roads, running through small villages lined with tall coniferous trees. The valley overlooking the river is majestic, rows upon rows of green grapes hanging low on the branches while the winery itself has a homely feel to it, with wooden furniture and panelled showcases dominating.
An abridged version of the original blog sourced from Saltandsandals.com