At this chilly time of year, I find myself daydreaming of all the vineyards around the world that I would like to visit or revisit. Alas, after all the seasonal excesses (not to mention January being tax month), armchair travelling is often all I can manage. Nevertheless, here are some wine regions I would be off to in a flash, if I could just find my magic wand …
I'd start off with a classic trot through Bordeaux. It wasn't until I was able to go there during en primeur season and taste the wines from each of the appellations before bottling that I was truly able to get a sense of "place" and learned to distinguish (a little) between the grapes that give the wines of each appellation their personality. Hats off to Chateau Latour for some generous pairings of its new wines with one from its cellars - it was a real eye-opener to see how a wine can evolve and change over time.
Next, I'd tour Champagne. My first time in the region was all about the grand marques (that's the big houses, such as Moet & Chandon, Piper-Heidsieck and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin). Many of the actual houses were imposing edifices of marble and stone on the outside, with uncomfortable furniture inside and staff carefully tiptoeing around the rooms. One memorable sight was of mortar damage from both the first and second world wars on the exterior of Madame Clicquot's house.
My trip through the Margaret River region left me wanting to explore more of the country, especially Tasmania, the wine region closest to the South Pole. Margaret River has its charms, too - it's a long winding journey from Perth, through ever-changing scenery and with stops along the way to sample wines. Everyone I met there was enthusiastic and generous; meals were communal affairs, with many of the winemakers also dab hands on the barbie. Australians are very proud of their part of the world and many of the vineyards raise animals, whose "outputs" are much treasured for the purposes of fertilisation. Coonawarra's fabled red soil (it's rich in iron oxide) is spectacular to see and is found in all the region's best vineyards.