Europe

Which way will you head? South to Spain and Portugal, east to Germany? South-east to Italy? Here's what you can expect on your way!

Germany
With its thirteen designated quality wine regions, Germany produces an impressive variety of wines, whose popularity has been overtaken in recent years by the emergence of wines from Eastern Europe, Australasia and the New World. However, ignore German wines at your peril! Germany's finest grape is the Reisling, which is grown throughout Germany to produce many different kinds of wine. Look out for the new dry Rieslings which are now in store.

Italy
For a country stretching from Germany in the north, nearly to Africa in the south, variety is what you get in Italy, with wine produced in all 95 of the country's provinces. In the north-east, Valpolicella and Friuli are exceptional reds of outstanding quality - but look out for sparkling northern wines such as Asti, though you must travel to the central Po valley for Lambrusco. To the west, the red Sangivese grape produces Chianti, think of Rome and you think of Frascati, whilst to the South, Primitivo, Puglia and Negromaro deserve mention - and watch out for up-coming Sicilian wines!

Spain and Portugal
Traditionally, Iberian wine always travelled well - thus the fortified wines of Sherry, Port and Madeira have found their way to all corners of the globe. Today, however, Spanish wines are on the move once more, since they are now seen as newly emerging wines of quality, especially the reds. There is so much more to Spain than just Rioja! Try some of the delicious full bodies reds from Navarra, Penedes or Valdepenas. Cava, the sparkling wine from Cataluna, is a delight. Portuguese white wines can be relied on as musky and pungent - though its outrageously fruity reds are quite unique, and justly celebrated by wine-lovers everywhere.