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Wine Guides & Travel · Insider's Wine Travel Guides

Insider’s Wine Travel Guides

Where to go, taste and stay in the world’s great wine regions — written from the road, not the desk.

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Looking for something specific? Try a region (“Willamette”), a vintage (“2022 Bordeaux”), or a question (“how long should I decant?”).

Insider's Wine Travel Guides

Baja California
Graphic reading "The Ultimate Guide to Baja California Wine Region" over a woman holding a wine glass
  • by Greg Martellotto

The Ultimate Guide to Baja California Wine Region

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Italy
Graphic reading "Introducing Talosa" over a barrel cellar, with Big Hammer Wines logo
  • by Greg Martellotto

Talosa Winery Montepulciano Etruscan Underground Cellar Tour

Talosa’s story started over 50 years ago when Angelo Jacorossi acquired this beautiful historical estate,...

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Italy
Sparkling wine being poured into a champagne flute beside other filled flutes on a red table
  • by Greg Martellotto

Raise a Glass to National Prosecco Day: Celebrating the Bubbly Elegance

On this joyous occasion, as the calendar marks another National Prosecco Day, it's time to...

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Italy
Aerial view over Verona, red-tiled rooftops and bridges along a curving river
  • by Greg Martellotto

72 Perfect Hours in Verona: Where to Eat, Drink, Tour, & Stay

There’s nothing like Verona, home to Romeo and Juliet and so much more. It is...

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Italy
Bunch of dark purple grapes hanging from a vine with green leaves
  • by Greg Martellotto

Guide to Sangiovese: Learn All About Italy’s Most Famous Grape (And the Wines to Know)

Say hello to Sangiovese - Italy’s most popular wine grape. We aren’t kidding - it...

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Italy
Aerial view of a lakeside villa on a wooded promontory with a jetty at sunset, Lake Garda
  • by Greg Martellotto

A Guide to Garda: Where to Go, Eat, and Stay by the Lake

One of Italy’s best destinations is undoubtedly Lake Garda. Italy’s largest lake is a haven...

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Italy
Woman in sunglasses eating pasta with a glass of white wine at an outdoor cafe table
  • by Greg Martellotto

72 Perfect Hours in Rome: Where to Eat, Drink, Tour, & Stay

The Eternal City is one of the best places to visit, not just for the...

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Italy
Hand holding an orange spritz cocktail in front of the Milan Duomo on a rainy day
  • by Greg Martellotto

Visiting Milano? Here are the Wines to Drink

Milan is well known as a fashion capital. But, as Italy’s most affluent, bustling city,...

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Italy
Three large wooden wine barrels resting on a rack against a stone cellar wall
  • by Greg Martellotto

A Guide to Age-Worthy Italian Wines

Age is nothing, but a number, unless we are talking about the wine world. Wines...

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Slovenia
A couple walking through sunrise vineyards in Goriška Brda, Slovenia, holding a wine glass.
  • by Greg Martellotto

Slovenia: The Wine Region You Never Knew You Needed to Explore

Between the Alps and the Adriatic sits Europe's quietest fine-wine secret. Brda's Collio-twin hills, a...

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Sustainable Wine
Three bunches of grapes, green, dark purple, and red, on a white surface
  • by Greg Martellotto

PIWI Wines: The Future of Wine?

PIWI is an international group of researchers, enologists, and winemakers who are collaborating to design...

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Italy
Illuminated cathedral and hilltop town on a clifftop at dusk
  • by Greg Martellotto

Discover Montefalco: The Secrets of Sagrantino

Let’s travel to Umbria - a region home to all good things: truffles, salami, beautiful...

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Italy
Red wine being poured from a bottle into a stemmed glass
  • by Greg Martellotto

Why Nero D’Avola is More Delicious Than You Think

When it comes to Sicilian red wines, you must mention Nero D’Avola. It is one...

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Italy
Close-up bunch of green grapes on a stone surface with wedges of cheese behind
  • by Greg Martellotto

Verdicchio: The Italian White Wine You Should Be Drinking

When it comes to Italian wines, people love to talk mostly about reds. But, what...

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Campania
Cliffside Amalfi Coast town above a crowded beach and blue sea, framed by lemon graphics
  • by Greg Martellotto

Are You On A Amalfi Coast Vacation? Here Are The Wines You Should Be Ordering!

It’s hard not to love the Amalfi Coast. With its dazzling Mediterranean blue waters and...

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Italy
Rows of vines in a valley framed by golden vine leaves in autumn
  • by Greg Martellotto

Soave: Northern Italy’s Sexy White Wine Region You Must Discover

Just west of Venice lies Soave - one impeccable and important Italian wine region. This...

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Italy
The word "Etna" carved into coarse black volcanic sand
  • by Greg Martellotto

Everything You Need to Know About Etna DOC Wines

Sicily is nothing but a dream - from the food to the spectacular coastline to...

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Terroir Tales
Hilltop town of Montepulciano with stone towers and buildings above wooded Tuscan hills
  • by Greg Martellotto

Why You Should Be Drinking More Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Lurking in Brunello di Montalcino’s shadow is a Tuscan wine with just as much grace...

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Italy
Red Wine
  • by Greg Martellotto

The 5 Red Wines You Absolutely Must Drink on Your Next Trip to Rome

Visiting the eternal city is always better with wine. When exploring wines in Rome, you...

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Italy
Bottle of Monteraggi wine lying on a bed of dark grapes, label with etched floral design
  • by Greg Martellotto

Do You Know Every Chianti? Here's Your Guide To Tuscany's Premiere Red Wine

Chianti is most definitely a household name when it comes to Italian wine. On wine...

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Hungary
Bottle of golden-amber wine on a stone table in a dimly lit cellar
  • by Greg Martellotto

Hungarian Wine: More Than Sweet Wine

Tokaji made kings argue over dessert - but Hungary's story is bigger than sweet. Dry...

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Italy
Southern Italian Red Wines
  • by Greg Martellotto

The Southern Italian Red Wines You Should Be Drinking Now

You may know two of Italy’s most famous reds - Nebbiolo and Sangiovese - but...

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Italy
Two glasses of red wine on a ledge overlooking terracotta tile rooftops
  • by Greg Martellotto

The Sardinian Wines You Must Know

Off the Western Coast of Italy is the mythical island of Sardinia (aka Sardegna in...

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Bulgaria
Person holding a glass of red wine overlooking a Bulgarian vineyard estate in the Thracian Valley at dusk, curated by Big Hammer Wines.
  • by Greg Martellotto

Wine in Bulgaria, Flying Under the Radar

Three thousand years of winemaking, flying entirely under the radar: native Mavrud and Melnik, Thracian...

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