Wine has been a part of life almost since the beginning of Mankind. Every major settlement or exploration around the world brought grapes with their colonists if the climate was even close to conducive to growing grapes. Wine is as much a part of a nation's or region's history as its architecture or its art.

As such, there are many wine lovers who long to visit the great grape producing places around the world. Wine tours are offered just about everywhere grapes are grown, squashed, and put in kegs to ferment. These tours range from simple to complex and can be booked through travel agents or enjoyed by motorists who just follow road signs.

Near and Far

The most alluring of the destinations for wine tours would have to be the great vineyards of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea. Eastern France and southwestern Germany boast perhaps the most famous wine regions in the world, but there are others throughout central and eastern Europe. Domestically, in the United States, wine producing regions as diverse as California or Connecticut have rich wine regions and tour packages.

There are also individual wineries around the country and the scenery and sights that can be included on a vacation that otherwise would be just a conventional sightseeing trip. As with any vacation, the theme of the trip is not as important as going someplace fun and interesting that tourists have longed to visit, with wine being the spice that makes the trip extra special.

Types of Wine

Any wine tourist needs to know what types of wines exist. Essentially there are three. The most common are called table wines and they account for most of the wine produced in the world. France, California, and Germany all are locations for truly tasty table wines. These varieties have an alcohol content ranging from 7 percent to 15 percent.

Fortified wines have an extra kick of alcohol, such as sherry or Madeira, from Spain and Portugal, respectively. The alcohol content of these wines ranges from 14 percent to 23 percent. The king of the hill are the sparkling wines, such as champagne or Asti Spumante. France is the home of the best of these.

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