WHERE SHOULD A WINE GOURMET GO
Spain
This country owes its famous wines of today to the Roman Empire, whose rulers once decided to establish serious wine production on its territory. Prodded by the Romans, the Spaniards set to work zealously and soon became famous for the wines of Cadiz, Malaga, and Tarragona. These cities still remain Spain's wine centers. The most famous wines are sherry and malaga.
Wine tours of Spain are distinguished by a rare variety of routes, because wine is made there almost everywhere. Trips to Andalusia (Cadiz and Malaga), Catalonia (Tarragona), and Seville are considered traditional. The Spaniards themselves consider Andalusia the quintessence of Spain's local color, its true 'face'. A Catalan tour means arriving in Barcelona, and that city also deserves special attention regardless of your wine preferences.
The height of chic is to buy wine in a leather bottle or in a dry hollowed-out pumpkin. They are usually sold in special tasting cellars at wineries. The cellars are also quite a sight: as a rule, they are gloomy caves with high vaults and garlands of cobwebs hanging everywhere. You just feel tempted to grab the first container you see and run off.
In Spain there is a difference between export wine sold in 'supermercados' and wine intended for local consumption, sold at private wineries or simply in peasant homes. In the latter case, it can turn out to be either divine nectar or stun the buyer with an unpleasant taste. The fact is that many Spaniards keep their wines in wineskins soaked in resin, and the wine gets an unpleasant aftertaste from them.
Chile
The Spanish conquistadors, missing their native cellars and wineskins, were the first to take up winemaking here. Nevertheless, Chilean wines continue (and some connoisseurs believe they surpass) the traditions of French winemaking, since elite vine cuttings were brought here from France in the 19th century. Because the climate in Chile is generally more favorable than in central Europe, local wines are born with improved flavor qualities. The most famous is Cabernet Sauvignon.
The center of Chilean winemaking is located in the Maipo Valley. The road there passes through fruit plantations situated in a picturesque valley in the Andes. The tour will offer a chance to see chic Santiago, Torres del Paine National Park, glaciers that must be reached by crossing a bay, giant lakes, and waterfalls. Against this backdrop, you could forget about wine, but you won't be allowed to: tastings will await you at literally every step.
It's hard to believe, but a unique feature of ordinary Chilean wines, which are barely a week old, is their maturity. Unlike similar Old World wines, they reach optimal readiness in the bottle in a minimal amount of time. That's just the local grape.
When buying wine in a store, pay attention to the label. Otherwise you can easily confuse things and bring back from an exotic trip... French wine. Names often coincide, while tastes, on the contrary, differ greatly.
Get your wallet ready: such a trip for residents of the Eastern Hemisphere is not a cheap pleasure. Minimum - $700 plus twice that amount for airfare and minor expenses like insurance and consular fees.
Hungary
Hundreds of years ago, the first Magyar prince who found his homeland here aggressively drove his horses to conquer the Tokaj lands. Suddenly his path was blocked by a large hill covered with peaceful vineyards. As a result, winemaking replaced war for a long time. And it was so successful that, thanks to Princess Susanna, Tokaj wines secured a firm place on royal tables. Russian tsars, for the purpose of quick access to the cherished barrels, kept a special garrison in this area.
It makes most sense to start with the capital, Budapest, with all its architectural beauties and warm mineral baths, then come the small towns of Szentendre, Visegrad, Eger, and Esztergom. The wine Mecca is the Valley of the Beautiful Women, consisting entirely of cellars lined with barrels. You go in, turn on the tap, and taste. You are expected to buy wine to take away. Let us tell you a secret: the best cellar is number nine, tested personally by the author of these lines.
To some varieties of Tokaj wine, for a particularly refined taste, berries overripe to the state of raisins and also covered with... mold are added. To obtain it, the grape clusters are not picked until the autumn fogs arrive.
In the land of Tokaj wines, 'Tokaji' is written on all bottles without exception, but not every wine with such a label is truly Tokaji (by grape variety, not by geographical origin). In a store, it is better to buy one called Aszu or Szamorodni - respectively, sweet and dry.
Given that Hungary can be reached not only by plane but also by bus, a trip can be quite inexpensive - around €150. How much you drink on the spot is up to you to calculate.
Crimea
At one time, the entire Soviet Union drank the wine produced in this region, and bottles were also sent for export. Today the wine paradise in Crimea has somewhat dried up, but it is quite capable of satisfying the thirst of those who come here with a specific drinking purpose. Crimean wines are not only wines, but also champagne and cognac. Moreover, the first Russian champagne appeared precisely in Crimea - special thanks to Prince Golitsyn.
The hero city of Sevastopol, which among other merits is interesting for its wine factory 'Zolotaya Balka'. You should continue in Yalta, where the famous 'Massandra' is located. In Koktebel, people go to taste cognac, just as the Silver Age poets did a hundred years ago... And, of course, Novy Svet with its luxurious mountain landscapes and the eponymous champagne. Along the way - the sea, cable cars, waterfalls, the Vorontsov Palace, and the Botanical Garden.
In the cellars of the peninsula, one can take a course in enotherapy - treatment with wine according to special recipes, as part of healing drinks. For example, Madeira with honey helps with cardiovascular diseases, and Cabernet with rosemary restores male potency.
In Crimea, alongside "official" bottles, wine and cognacs of "left" bottling are sold everywhere. It makes sense to pay attention to small and unknown little shops selling local wine products, semi-legally supplied from private vineyards. There you can find the real nectar of the gods. But what is dangerous is buying cognac from private hands, supposedly "from the factory". It may indeed be from there, but expired or defective. They are especially clever at this trade in Sudak.
France
"French wine" is a set phrase, so a true wine connoisseur cannot bypass this country. Just the names caress the ear - Champagne, Burgundy, Cognac, Bordeaux, and you can't immediately say whether they are taken from a geographical atlas or from a wine list... And listing their merits is even more pointless.
What to see in France? If you have money and time - literally the whole country: the so-called "wine roads" are laid out everywhere. Typically, thematic tours try to include Paris or the Loire Valley - so to speak, for the tourist package. But this is hardly necessary. The provinces, shrouded in wine fumes, can, without a single bottle, intrigue, draw in, and bewitch - the lands there are magical. The wine route usually runs among castles and ancient cities.
French wine tasting is unthinkable without cheeses, so there is a chance to treat yourself to real delicacies. In the southwest of France, known for unconventional wine traditions, patients are prescribed baths with red wine, wraps with honey and wine, and even intoxicating massage.
In French supermarkets, there are quite a lot of imported wines - for example, Italian, Greek, Cypriot, which, however, are supplied with French labels - for the convenience of reading by local residents who do not speak foreign languages. You too should read them, so as not to accidentally bring from Bordeaux a Greek "katehza".