The air is filled with the heady aromas of wine, lively music can be heard in every corner of the city, and the good mood will keep you awake for a long time. Want to enjoy such an atmosphere? Go to a wine festival. Moreover, it is very easy to do this - almost all wine regions of the world, and sometimes even large wineries, hold their celebrations. For example, in the German Mosel Valley from April to November, the fun does not subside: the baton of the holiday is passed from one winery to another.
For wine lovers and connoisseurs, such festivals help to broaden their horizons and knowledge about the drink, meet producers and learn the secrets of preparation. For winemakers themselves, this is an excellent opportunity to attract customers and find business partners. For tourists, this is a unique opportunity to enjoy the amazing atmosphere and take a new look at perhaps already familiar places, but through the prism of a glass of good wine.
1. Wine Festival in Bandol (Provence)
Despite the onset of cold weather (November-December), hundreds of people are again on the Côte d'Azur: the city of Bandol invites you to a celebration of young French wine. Bandol is an ideal place for growing grapes: a sufficient number of sunny days and precipitation, combined with a mild climate, allow you to produce bright and memorable wine. Tasting the drink is absolutely free, you just need to arm yourself with a special souvenir glass and keep up with the flow of wine, which is poured straight from the barrels. After the tasting, you can take part in street entertainment.
2. "Bordeaux". France, Bordeaux
It is believed that the best wine is made in France, and the most famous French wine is Bordeaux. Which is produced in the Bordeaux commune in the southwest of the country. In huge quantities - 700 million bottles a year!
The wine festival in the city of Bordeaux, the administrative center of the commune, is held in even years in June; in 2018, the beginning is scheduled for June 14. The main part of the festival events takes place on the embankment of the Garonne River. Here, on a section about two kilometers long, runs the "Wine Route" - about two dozen large pavilions and tasting areas representing the main Bordeaux brands known throughout the world - Cabernet Sauvignon, Medoc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and others. Having bought a "tasting" ticket for 20 euros, connoisseurs and those who consider themselves such can get "to try" 14 glasses of the famous wine!
3. Sherry Festival, Spain
Spain in September is full of a variety of festivals dedicated to the grape harvest, but the largest and most colorful is the sherry festival. The celebration takes place in the city of Jerez de la Frontera, the birthplace of the best sherry and the flamenco dance style. For three weeks, wine flows like water, and one colorful performance follows another. Here you can enjoy tasting many brands of Spanish sherry and admire flamenco performed by various groups. The holiday ends with a magnificent procession, during which the queen of the festival will be chosen.
4. “Beaujolais Nouveau”, France, Beaujaux
Since 2018, the festival of young wine "Beaujolais Nouveau" has received national status and is celebrated throughout France. It began to be celebrated in the "wine-making" province of Burgundy in 1951, since then it has been celebrated annually on the third Thursday of November.
The traditional center of the festive events is the small town of Beaujeu in the south of the country. Late autumn was chosen for the Beaujolais Nouveau for a reason – this is the time when the young wine of the new harvest matures. The festival in Beaujeu is preceded by an evening torchlight procession, and exactly at midnight the winemakers ceremoniously open their barrels of wine, which are placed on the main square.
5. "Cellar Doors", Australia
Around 30 wineries in South Australia open their doors every January and generously treat everyone to their best wines. At the festival, you can not only taste wine, but also take part in the process of its production, crushing berries. The festival includes a competition to determine the best drinks of Australia. "Cellar Doors" - superb landscapes of the Adelaide hills, live music and the best wines of Australia.
6. "Chianti Festival", Italy, Montespertoli
Chianti is the most famous Italian wine. The birthplace of Chianti is considered to be the province of Tuscany, although today Chianti is also produced in other regions of the country.
The Chianti Festival takes place annually in April or May in Montespertoli, a small town near Florence. The symbol of the festival is a large, pot-bellied "signature" bottle of Chianti. An indispensable part of the festival is a festive procession of local residents dressed in traditional costumes of Tuscan peasants of the early 20th century. Interestingly, Chianti has another festival, "Chianti Classic". It is held in the fall in another Tuscan town, Greve in Chianti, and gathers connoisseurs of the classic version of the famous brand.
7. Madeira Wine Festival / Festa do Vinho da Madeira, Portugal
The Portuguese Wine Festival is considered one of the most colorful and colourful autumn celebrations. There are many legends about the origin of the symbol of Madeira - the elixir that we call "Madeira". The most famous is the story of a merchant who was transporting his wine to the continent. Some of the barrels did not fit in the hold and were left to "languish" under the scorching rays of the sun. "Unfortunately" the ship was also caught in a storm, but to the merchant's surprise, after these tests the goods not only did not spoil, but also acquired a unique taste. The end of summer is not a reason to be sad, in August the festival of wine and winemakers begins in Madeira. Every corner of the city is absorbed in the holiday: costume shows, processions of winemakers, fiery music, exhibitions, fairs and attractions, acquaintance with the history of winemaking in the region and the opportunity to participate in the process of making the drink of the gods. Wine cellars are ready to open their doors to visitors, and tasting tables are set up right on the streets.
8. "Mosel Wine Festival", Germany, Bernkastel-Kuus
Wine has been produced in the Mosel Valley for over 2,000 years. Every year at the end of August, the town of Bernkastel-Kuus hosts the Mosel Wine Festival, which lasts five days.
The celebrations are held in the city center, next to the Wine Tavern. For tourists tired of copious wine tastings and an extensive concert program, the organizers offer a boat ride along the Moselle River and admire its picturesque banks with what are considered the steepest slopes in Europe.
9. Wine Festival in Argentina
Mendoza is Argentina's world-famous wine region, and it is here that the country's most grandiose wine festival is held. For over 70 years, for one week in March, the Argentine vineyards have been transformed into a festival ground. Once the festival queen is chosen, countless tastings, parades, competitions and theatrical performances begin.
10. Wine Festival "Rtveli". Georgia
Wine in Georgia is more than just a drink, it is an object of worship and veneration. The wine festival "Rtveli" has been celebrated in Georgia since pre-Christian times. It does not have a specific date, usually the festival begins after the end of the grape harvest, the timing of which can vary greatly in different regions of the country.
Traditionally, Rtveli is a family holiday, but in recent years, travel agencies have been offering autumn wine tours to Georgia, timed specifically to coincide with Rtveli.
11. Limassol Wine Festival, Cyprus
Since 1961, when the summer heat gradually recedes, the 10-day Wine Festival starts in Limassol, Cyprus. In Cyprus, wine is still treated as a sacred drink, and the recipe for making local wines is still kept in the strictest confidence. The entire festival is imbued with national color: the accompaniment of bouzouki, songs with popular claps, and dancing. From morning until evening, anyone can taste dozens of the best Cypriot wines and take part in a grape crush.
12. National Wine Day. Moldova
National Wine Day in Moldova is an official holiday, it was established by a special government decree in 2002 and is celebrated on the second Sunday of October. The importance of this holiday for Moldovans is so great that for two weeks (a week before the holiday and a week after) a preferential visa regime for entry into the country is established for foreigners!
Festival guests can not only taste famous Moldovan wines, but also take a tour of one of the wineries as part of the Wine Route program. The two-day Moldovan Wine Festival ends with a mass performance of the "horo" dance and a grand fireworks display.
13. Jerusalem Festival, Israel
Every year at the end of July - beginning of August, Jerusalem hosts a wine festival, where the best drinks of Israel are collected. Although the country's winemaking craft is now only at the dawn of its development (after many years of oblivion, in the 19th century ancient wine traditions began to be restored again), at the festival you can enjoy several dozen different wine brands. Kosher wines, which can be enjoyed by religious Jews, are especially popular here. Kosher winemakers are required to strictly adhere to many rules, for example, every 7th year the berries are not picked.
14. Haro Wine Festival, Spain
The Haro Festival takes place every year on June 29 in the province of Rioja, Spain, and is more like a contest of wet T-shirts soaked in wine. All the participants of the festival go out early in the morning on this day, dressed in white clothes and red scarves and head, taking with them bottles of wine, to the Bionio hills. There, everyone pours wine on each other, and then goes to watch a bullfight.
15. Marlborough Wine Festival
This is New Zealand's largest festival, which takes place in the outstanding wine region of the north-east of the South Island. Every year, the second weekend in February, the doors of the Montana Brancott Estate winery open to everyone. About 50 representatives of various wineries gather under the roof of this winery, who are ready to offer visitors to the festival more than 200 variations of the drink. Tastings are accompanied by national dishes, live music, dancing and bright performances.
16. Sicilian Blues & Wine Soul Festival
A trip to Sicily is always a memorable event: the unique flavor that permeates every corner, the incredibly beautiful landscapes and the gentle Mediterranean Sea. At the end of July, the wine and blues festival is added to the list of the region's undeniable advantages. The celebration takes place at several venues in Sicily. The cultural program includes concerts, an introduction to the best wines of Sicily and Italy, and excursions to wineries and cellars. In different years, the event can last from several weeks to a whole month.
17. International Pinot Noir Festival in Oregon, USA
Most tourists and wine experts focus their attention on visiting wine festivals of the Old World countries, completely in vain discounting other representatives. Of course, the main wine-growing region of the USA is California, but Oregon, thanks to its Pinot Noir, is confidently gaining popularity. The international wine festival takes place in the middle of summer in the valley of famous vineyards Willamette. Although the celebration lasts only three days, the organizers managed to fit into the program tastings at local vineyards, culinary delights, seminars, excursions. Every year more and more guests from all corners of the planet come here.
