This is a paid collaboration.
You may, or may not know that I love travelling. I’m also partial to a nice glass of wine. So imagine the joy I got from reading a blog post on the Independent Wine website about a road trip the owners took. Let’s have a look at what they got up to, my obsession with the film Sideways and also where you could head to on your own winery travel trip.
Road Trip Team
The Independent Wine team took a road trip from Edinburgh to Alto Adige. that’s a good 1500 miles of driving. The aim was to meet the winemakers that create the wine that the team sell. The destination was Europe’s highest vineyards, on the slopes of the Dolomite Alps. Views for days, wine to die for, a spectacular end point for a road trip. The winemakers that they visited included the third generation Peter Zemmer who produces the stunning Pinot Noir Rolhüt, Kurtatsch which is one of the oldest (and smallest) winemakers’ cooperatives in Italy and Cantina K. Martini & Sohn who have won many awards.
My Sideways Obsession
I’ve loved the 2004 film Sideways since the moment I watched it. I enjoyed the Rex Pickett book it was based on too, but the film is definitely a firm favourite. The exploration of wine is the skeleton that holds the film together. Like wines, we see the characters mature and develop. The road trip into wine country for our two main characters is something I love and the development of the story is something relatable to many people. If you haven’t seen it, give it a watch. It’s perfect if you like comedy dramas, with well written characters, and lots of wine talk.
Winery Road Trips
If you fancy having your own winery road trip, here’s a few ideas for you. How about driving along the south coast of France? Experience two different types of French culture by taking in Languedoc and the French Riviera. Maybe hitting some Italian hot-spots is more you, with a trip from Piedmont to Tuscany? Wind your windows down, or push the roof back and be sure to stop off at Alba, Asti and Florence on the way. Another incredible option would be to put the pedal down and travel from Ribera and Rioja, where you can enjoy plenty of amazing wine. Not far enough/ Keep going and you’ll end up in Porto! Sometimes the best made plans are the ones we haven’t made, so don’t set too much of a travel itinerary. You might find yourself stopping off in one place for a little bit longer, especially if you get a taste of the wine!
As you can see, there are loads of amazing and inspiring reasons to enjoy a road trip to wine. Where will your bottle of adventure take you? Just be sure to drive sensibly and take your time. If you’d like to see more of my travel fun, I run Campingish, a blog dedicated to camping and other areas, as well as a travel website I made with a friend.
