7 wine destinations to visit during the harvest

Swooping valleys of jewel-coloured vines and a chance to sample some of your favourite vintage? Harvest season typically falls between August and October in the Northern Hemisphere, and February and April in the Southern, and it’s truly the most magical time to visit the world’s wineries. Even if it’s still not yet possible this year, we’ve collected the most popular wine destinations among global travellers to give you some travel inspiration for future holidays.*

Villány in Baranya, Hungary

Wine production in the Hungarian town of Villány began with the Romans and the local wine makers have been refining the process ever since. This fascinating history is documented in the town’s Wine Museum, alongside the evolution of the region’s rich and aromatic Cabernet Franc (often referred to as ‘Villányi Franc’).

Deidesheim in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

Deidesheim is one of the many picture-perfect towns on Germany’s wine route, famous for the quality of its Rieslings. These light, fruity wines draw their tartness from the regions slate-heavy soil, making them a versatile and wonderful addition to any collection. Visiting during the harvest season will give you the opportunity to view the vineyards at their most beautiful, tinged with the late-season golden light.

Nuits-Saint-Georges in Bourgogne, France

If you’re looking to start or add to your own wine collection, the Burgundy vineyards cannot be overlooked. According to our customers, the commune of Nuits-Saint-Georges is one of the best wine destinations to visit during harvest season; when the local Pinot noir grapes are harvested and transformed into the full-bodied Nuits wines.

Barolo in Piemonte, Italy

The Barolo commune in Piedmont is a World Heritage site and vineyards must be located on one of its sweeping hillsides in order to “qualify” as Barolo wine producers. A short film – Barolism – chronicles the picking of the dusty dark blue Nebbiolo grapes, the way the vineyards transform the landscape, and the associated rituals.

Épernay in Champagne, France

Champagne may be known for its glamorous namesake, but the regional Chardonnay is not to be sniffed at. Or rather it is to be sniffed at and then sampled at length. The Côte des Blancs in the south of Épernay are a string of wine-growing villages and towns which produce the region’s distinctive, buttery wines.

Walla Walla in Washington State, USA

A relatively new wine destination, the Walla Walla wineries have developed a reputation for savoury Syrahs. Thanks to the area’s dry, sunny days and cold nights, the wine produced is extremely potent, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec grapes doing well here. Visitors in mid-September through to late-October will be rewarded with acres of grape-laden vines and endless wine tastings.

Paso Robles in California, USA

Paso Robles is one of the most established wine regions in the U.S.A. and it’s still possible to see the fermentation vats of the 18th century wine-producing Padres of Mission San Miguel. Since the Padres time, Paso Robles wines have gone from strength to strength – literally in the case of the sweet, fruity Zinfandels. Other wines to look out for are those produced in Paso Robles’ ‘Rhône-Zone’, such as the Viogniers and Roussannes.

**These destinations were the most highly rated in the world for ‘wine travel’, by Booking.com customers.