Summer is finally here. While travelling from home via a great bottle of wine can sustain us for most of the year, the need for escape – be it mountains, beach, or foreign cities – affects us all. It’s impractical (not to mention risky) to pack nice wines in our luggage, but “holiday wines” can often disappoint. For those of you craving a mid-vacation wine fix, we’ve got you covered. Below we suggest a handful of domains we recommend for holiday visits.
Franco-American banker turned winery manager, Nicole Sierra-Rolet and her husband, Xavier, began restoring and renovating Chêne Bleu in 1993. After 20 years, the 340-acre estate is a haven for biodiversity (comprising olive groves, forests, and lavendar fields as well as vineyards), and a great place to learn more about biodynamic wine production.
Antinori’s winemaking sanctuary in Chianti is an architectural masterpiece. Built into the hillside a 30-minute drive from Florence, it makes for a great family day out. While you won’t taste Antinori’s top wines here (Solaia, Tignanello, and Guado Al Tasso have separate facilities, no open to the public), you will better understand the family’s historical power, and influence in making Tuscany the winemaking region it is today.
Ànima Negra celebrates its 20th birthday this year. From humble beginnings, owners Miquel Àngel Cerdá and Pere Obrador worked from day one to earn Mallorca its place on the global wine map. Using indigenous grape varieties (Callet and Mantonegro), combined with modern winemaking techniques, this is a great place to see genuine local production.
For those sailing in the Cyclades, Domaine Sigalas on Santorini is worth a visit. Winemaker and owner of the domaine, Paris Sigalas, has worked for over 30 years on the quality of the wines. A great place for a visit (and meal) with a view, and for anyone curious about growing vines in volcanic soil.
An hour from Izmir, Can Ortabas and his dedicated 
winemaking and viticultural team have revived an ancient vineyard site. Over 15 years, Urla has worked to bring the latest winemaking technologies to a vine area originally cultivated by the Ionians, in 1000 BC, marrying local grapes with an array of international varieties. A great destination for understanding the impressive quality advances being made in Turkish wines.