Taste wine where it grows

Tasting wine where it grows means standing among the vines, then drinking what they make in a cellar a few steps away, often poured by the people who made it. The landscape explains the glass: the slope, the soil, the river and that year's weather.

Where to do it

Mendoza, Argentina

At the foot of the Andes, Mendoza is the heart of wine country in Argentina and the home of its Malbec. Wineries in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley are far apart, so most visitors hire a driver; around Maipú, closer to the city, people cycle between them.

The Douro and Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal

Port comes from grapes grown on steep terraces along the Douro, a World Heritage landscape. In Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto, the old port lodges offer cellar tours on foot. A scenic train runs up the valley, so you can taste in Portugal without driving.

Épernay, France

Under the Avenue de Champagne, the big houses keep their bottles in chalk cellars, part of a World Heritage Site. Épernay is a train ride from Paris, and most houses in this corner of France need a booked tour.

Barolo and Alba, Italy

The Langhe hills of Piedmont grow Nebbiolo for Barolo and Barbaresco, in a vineyard landscape listed by UNESCO. Alba is the market town, and in autumn it is truffle season. Small producers in Italy usually want an appointment.

Montalcino and Montepulciano, Italy

Two Tuscan hill towns, two famous Sangiovese reds: Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Wine shops in each town make tasting easy without a car, and the Val d'Orcia between them is a World Heritage landscape.

Napa and Sonoma, United States

North of San Francisco, Napa is polished and busy, and Sonoma County is bigger and more relaxed. Many wineries in this part of the United States take visitors by appointment only, so book.

Kakheti, Georgia

In eastern Georgia, families still ferment wine in qvevri, clay jars buried in the ground, a method on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. Sighnaghi and Telavi are good bases, and amber wine, white grapes fermented on their skins, is the thing to try.

Wachau, Austria

Between Melk and Krems, the Danube runs past terraced vineyards of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, another World Heritage landscape. Cycle the riverside path or take a boat, and stop at a Heuriger, a wine tavern pouring local wine in Austria.

When to go

Harvest is roughly September to October north of the equator and about February to April in the south. It's festive, but small wineries can be too busy to host. Spring and early summer are quieter, with long evenings among the vines.

How to make it happen

• Don't drive after tasting. Book a driver or a tour, take the train, or stay the night.
• Spit, eat first and drink water. Five tastings at three wineries add up.
• Book ahead, especially for weekends and harvest.
• Carry bottles home in checked luggage, wrapped in clothes, and check your duty-free allowance.
• For the photo, step outside. Cellars are underground, where a phone may not find its location; take a picture among the vines too.

Make a road trip of it, or come back a year later for the next vintage.