France: Le Grand Fromage
Ahh, France. The benchmark of wine countries, land of terroir and traditions, and the place where so many of your favourite winemakers cut their teeth.
France, at a glance:
🗺️ Wine regions: France is divided into 13 major wine regions, with over 300 AOCs (Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée), each with strict rules.
🍇 Native grapes: At least 200, although many are now planted globally (think Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah…)
🤓 Wine fact: France produces around 7-8 billion bottles of wine a year. That’s enough for every adult on the planet to get one – with leftovers.
🥂 Say cheers: Santé!
🍷 Must-try wine: Ask 10 wine fans and you’ll get 10 different answers. Personally? There’s something uniquely magical about a rich, honeyed Sauternes from Bordeaux.
Down in the sun-soaked south of France, old vines thrive in wild, organic vineyards… with the Pyrenees bringing the drama in the distance.
Explore – the hotspots:
The Languedoc: Sun-drenched and windswept, the Languedoc stretches from the Mediterranean coast to wild, rugged hills inland. Its warm, dry climate makes it perfect for organic viticulture and bold, sun-ripened reds. And it’s also home to many iconic Naked winemakers like Ben Darnault, Katie Jones, and Virgile Joly.
Loire Valley: Picture rolling green hills, storybook villages, and vineyards that trail along the Loire River. The cool, varied climate and kimmeridgian soils are ideal for zingy whites like Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon (shout out to Joost and Miguela de Villebois) made in elegant mineral-driven styles – perfect with goat’s cheese.
Bordeaux: The land of grand châteaux and (some say) the greatest wines on the planet. Sat on the Atlantic coast, Bordeaux’s maritime climate brings lots of rain, and vintage variation. Every year is unique. Expect age-worthy reds – from earthy Cab Sav to soft, plummy Merlot blends – and lush Sauternes for dessert.
Rhône Valley: Carved by the mighty Rhône River, this picturesque valley runs from steep northern slopes to sunbaked southern plains. It’s cooler up north – perfect for Syrah – and hotter down south, where Grenache and Mourvèdre shine. Big names like Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Hermitage grab the headlines, but Denis Crespo’s Cairanne reds are the kind of gem you’ll tell your friends about later.
Champagne: Rolling chalk hills, misty mornings, and rows of stately Champagne houses line the streets of Reims and Épernay. The cool climate is what gives Champagne its signature freshness and elegance. Fizz doesn’t get much more iconic than this.
Burgundy: A region that many a winemaker has fallen in love with – and for good reason. Here, every slope, soil type and sunbeam seems to matter. Burgundy is home to some of the most finessed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on earth. Sebastien Christophe, Benjamin Laroche, and the Pidault family are all making beautiful examples.
Elegant, apple-y bubbles from the birthplace of sparkling wine. Limoux might be France's best-kept secret.
The hidden gem: Limoux
Just south of Carcassonne, this under-the-radar gem is the OG home of sparkling wine – predating Champagne by decades. Naked winemakers Françoise & Baptiste Gazeau craft beautiful traditional-method fizz down there. And at a fraction of the price you’d pay in more well-known regions.
Portugal: The strong, silent powerhouse of European wine
Portuguese wine is a bit like your fave indie band – it’s been going for ages, with a cult following, but is still somehow underrated. It’s a blending playground for winemakers and incredibly rich in heritage.
Portugal, at a glance:
🗺️ Wine regions: 14 official Vinho Regions (VRs), with dozens of subzones and DOCs
🍇 Native grapes: Over 250, including Touriga Nacional, Baga, Arinto, Encruzado
🤓 Wine fact: Portuguese wines are often field blends – meaning multiple grape varieties grown, picked, and fermented together in the same vineyard. Delicious chaos.
🥂 Say cheers: Saúde! (sah-OO-duh)
🍷 Must-try wine: Port. Or if you want to be a bit renegade... what about a White Port & tonic? Trust us. It’s the ultimate summer cocktail.
Terraced vines rising more than 100 metres from river to ridge. This dramatic stretch of the Douro is João Pires’ home turf – marked by ancient Feitoria stones as the world’s first demarcated wine region.
Explore – the hotspots:
Douro Valley: Terraced vines cling to impossibly steep hillsides, carved by the winding Douro River. It’s hot and dry, with big day-night temperature swings (perfect for ripening grapes). The Douro is best known for Port, but don’t skip the dry reds – they’re rich, dark and deeply moreish. João Pires’ field-blend reds deliver big flavour with a touch of class.
Lisboa: Just a stone’s throw from the capital, with winds straight off the Atlantic, Lisboa specialises in soft, spicy reds and crisp whites made for grilled fish and long lunches. This is Portugal’s wine bargain zone – must not be missed.
Vinho Verde: Up in Portugal’s lush, rainy northwest, Vinho Verde is all about freshness. The name means “green wine” – but not the colour, it’s all about the youthful, fresh style. Expect whites that are light, citrusy, often with a subtle spritz, and built for summer drinking. Look out for Oscar Quevedo’s Radiante – if it’s hot outside and you’re craving something ultra-refreshing, this is the bottle you want to reach for.
The islands: Madeira & the Azores: Cast way out in the Atlantic, these two volcanic archipelagos serve up some of Portugal’s most jaw-dropping landscapes – and some of its most distinctive wines. In Madeira, vines cling to steep terraced slopes, and the wines are nothing short of time-travelling treasures. Madeira wine is fortified, gently cooked, and aged until it tastes like burnt toffee, orange peel and spice – some bottles are over 100 years old and still going strong. Sweet or dry, they’re built to last (and then some).
The Azores, meanwhile, are all sea spray and lava rock. Here, vines are tucked into stone-walled plots to survive the Atlantic winds, and the wines are light and salty. They may be remote, but they’re making waves.
Explore the best of Portuguese wine
Luis Vieira’s single-vineyard Alentejo red. Juicy cherry flavours with a floral touch, and a silky texture.
The hidden gem: Alentejo
Far from the river terraces, coastal breezes and tourist hotspots, Alentejo is a land of cork forests and sleepy hilltop towns. It doesn’t get as much hype as the Douro – but it should. The wines here are full of sun-ripened charm. Luis Vieira’s new single-vineyard red is a perfect example: rich, smooth, and already winning fans. This is a region to explore before the secret’s fully out.
Austria: The Alpine underdog
If you’re the kind of wine lover who gets excited about uncovering hidden gems and trying something totally new – Austria’s your next obsession. Crisp whites, delicate reds, and grape varieties you’ve probably never heard of (but will instantly fall for). Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, St. Laurent... these aren’t just fun to say, they’re a ticket to a completely distinct corner of the wine world.
Austria, at a glance:
🗺️ Wine regions: 4 main wine-growing areas, with 17 DACs (Districtus Austriae Controllatus)
🍇 Native grapes: Over 30 – including Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, St. Laurent
🤓 Wine fact: Over 30% of Austrian vineyards are certified organic or sustainably farmed – they’re some of the cleanest, greenest wines around
🥂 Say cheers: Prost!
🍷 Must-try wine: Zweigelt – Austria’s most-planted red grape. Light, juicy, and silky-smooth, it’s like Pinot Noir’s slightly fruitier cousin.
Spotted: Stefan Landauer mid-harvest, loading up his beloved classic car. Don't miss his seriously juicy reds from Lower Austria.
Explore – the hotspots:
Lower Austria (Niederösterreich): Austria’s largest wine-growing region stretching along the Danube. With its cool climate, this is ideal Grüner Veltliner and Riesling territory – the whites are fresh, mineral, and built to cut through creamy sauces and schnitzel. The landscape is a mix of rolling hills and terraced slopes that catch every bit of sun. It’s picture-perfect – and the wines are just as polished.
Weinviertel: Tucked in the north east corner of Lower Austria, Weinviertel is Grüner HQ. The name literally means ‘Wine Quarter’, and it was the first designated wine region Austria ever established. The Grüners here are classic: dry, peppery, and fresh as a mountain meadow.
Burgenland: Down near the Hungarian border, Burgenland is warmer, flatter, and bursting with native red grapes. Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt thrive here, delivering spicy, structured, food-loving reds. The vineyards surround Lake Neusiedl, which helps moderate the heat and adds a touch of elegance to the wines.
Find your new favourite – in Austria
Vines with a view – Gerhard Lobner tends his Grüner Veltliner above the rooftops of Vienna. Where else can you hop a tram to a working vineyard?
The hidden gem: Vienna
How many capital cities can say they have working vineyards within city limits? Vienna is one of a kind. Just a tram ride from the centre, you’ll find rows of vines overlooking the rooftops – and Gerhard Lobner making gloriously crisp whites from them. It’s where café culture meets cellar doors, and where Grüner Veltliner is as common as a slice of strudel. Come for the culture, stay for the wine.
Au revoir, Europe...
That’s your first stamp in the wine passport. And while we’ve only covered a handful of regions, we hope it’s stirred up a little wanderlust – in your travel plans and your wine rack.
Truthfully, we’ve barely scratched the surface. With more local quirks than a French wine label, there’s simply no way to cover Europe all in one go. So if we didn’t mention your favourite wine region… don’t @ us. Yet.
Next stop: Oceania
Pack your flip flops. Next week, we’ll be heading down under – where the sunshine’s intense, the accents are charming, and the wines pack a punch.
Until then – santé, saúde, and prost!
PS. If this has whet your appetite for a real-life wine adventure, don’t forget you can visit many of our winemakers in person. Head to our Cellar Door page to find out who’s pouring near your next holiday spot – they’d love to show you around (and probably pour you a glass or two).
