For many people Spanish wine either means cava – their excellent local sparkling wine made by the same traditional method as the finest champagnes – or Rioja, the famous red full of ripe fruit flavours and delicious creamy vanilla.

The name itself refers to wines grown in the Rioja region of North Eastern Spain which is near the River (or Rio) Oja, hence the name. Few other wines get the same exposure as the Riojas so it is easy to forget the number of other great Spanish wines that there are available, which is not surprising really as Spain has the highest acreage under vine in the world and consequently a number of very different and very interesting wine regions.

One of the main selling points of Rioja wines are their consistent high quality. It is probably a testament to the Rioja Regulatory Council that the quality control is generally so good that people know if they spend $13 or $14 on a bottle that they are pretty much guaranteed a good one.

Rioja wines are made from the Tempranillo grape, which is sometimes supplemented with Garnacha, Graciano, or Mazuelo and the actual wine is divided into four main categories based on whole long the wine is aged for.

After the most basic version of the wine, simply called Rioja, the categories are as follows :

Crianza : Spends at least one year in oak and several months in the bottle. Reserva : These wines are aged for a minimum total of three years which includes at least one year in oak. Gran Reserva : Aged for at least five years with a minimum of two years in oak and three in the bottle. And despite these old classifications of the wine, Rioja is adapting to the impact and competition of New World wines from places such as Chile and Australia.

The vineyards are aware of the demands of the younger customer – newer wine drinkers who prefer more fruit driven wines with less oak anf higher levels of alcohol.

The other main competition to Rioja wines are from vineyards in other parts of Spain itself. Areas such as La Mancha, Toro and Jumilla are fast making reputations for themselves for wines in the Rioja style but without the price tag.

La Mancha however has a little bit of an image problem to address due to in the past churning out high volumes of lower quality wine which spoiled its reputation.

Nowadays however you can pick up some excellent Rioja quality wines from the region for under $13 and even blind taste tests cannot pick out the true Rioja from some of the newer Spanish vineyards.

One of the best qualities of Rioja wines is that they tend to taste just as good at home as they do when drunk in Spain in summertime with tapas on a terrace, so drinking often leads to pleasurable associations and memories.

Indeed Rioja goes brilliantly with all types of food, while also tasting just as good on its own as a treat in the early evening.

If you like your wine smooth and fruity with creamy vanilla oak flavours then Rioja could be the wine you are looking for. Give it a try instead of your usual wine this month – you will not be disappointed.

Provence is often overlooked by companies that offer traditional wine tasting tours, in spite of the excellence of its wines. If you’re a true wine lover and wine fan, this beautiful location in France offers the most fascinating scenery and, not to mention, some of the best vineyards around.

In Provence, as everywhere in the Mediterranean, you’ll find the people full of warmth, spontaneity and a “joie de vivre”. As you will soon discover, any of these master oenologists (winemakers) will be delighted to introduce you to the wines they have become famous for; and share a little of the region’s history with you. In Provence your days will be filled with sunshine and warmth, and lush nights, scented with jasmine, lavender and wild thyme – whether you stay in a bustling, crowded metropolis with all the modern conveniences, or a turn-of-the-century country guest house filled with 17th and 18th century antiques. However, little do outsiders know that winemaking in Provence is a serious business. Many of the winegrowers here have won the rights to include the prestigious “AOC” designation (Appellation d’Origine Controlee) on their bottles of wines. This label assures the buyer of a guaranteed vintage from the designated region. In order to win the right to become designated as an appellation wine, winegrowers much pass rigorous tests and inspections.

If you are thinking of traveling to the south of France in the near future, think about including a trip to one of the vineyards of the 60 winegrowers in the “Cotes de Provence” region. A small, yet beautiful area, it takes in the departments of the Var and part of the Bouches-du-Rhone.

Located in the heart of Provence’s winemaking region, the “Maison des Cotes de Provence” boasts an outstanding selection- of appellation wines. The Cotes de Provence winegrowers are experts in utilizing traditional methods when harvesting and bottling their wines. Their deep respect for the soil, the climate and the different varieties of grapes they use comes through in the quality and taste of each bottle.

During your visit to Provence, you can also arrange to take a wine tasting course at one of the vineyards where you will learn a complete understanding of wine: its robe (color), its bouquet (perfume), its body (strength) and everything you need to know about service, conservation and more. Not only will you be able to taste the finest wines, but you will also learn invaluable winemaking tips you can’t learn elsewhere.

For the true wine lover, Provence is definitely a place to visit – both for the fantastic wines and unforgettable scenery!

Don’t listen to what all the self appointed wine buffs and wine snobs say it’s what you like that counts.

It’s not what Mr X, Mrs Y or Sommelier Z says but what you personally enjoy that matters when it comes to wine. Taste is individual to you and must always be treated as such.

If you like really “unsophisticated” sweet German wines such as those 70s standards Liebfraumilsch or Hock (which incidentally almost put a whole generation off drinking wine) then that’s great.

Feel free to carry on drinking them but make sure that you take the time to carry on experimenting with other wines of a similar nature or perhaps a different style of your preferred grape.

If you like a white Burgundy, such as the steely Chablis, then you may also like other wines matured in metal casks such as a Sancerre.

If you enjoy a nice Sauvignon Blanc then take a look at a South African Chenin Blanc. But don’t put yourself off by scaring your palate through trying completely new and perhaps a bit ‘left field’ choices immediately.

Work up to these experiments. Try the more obvious ones first. If you go from a nice oaky Australian Chardonnay to a Gewurtztraminer right away you might never appreciate the subtle pleasures of the German speciality, which is a bit of an acquired taste for most people though it can be dynamite paired with the right foods.

And when it comes to teaming wine with food then the same rules apply. If you like your oysters with a full-bodied claret rather than a dry white or a champagne, then that is great too.

White wine with fish dishes is the accepted combination worldwide but now many people are realising the delights of eating a ‘meaty fish’ such as tuna with a light red wine.

However do bear one thing in mind : the ‘rules’ have evolved over time and reflect the preferences of millions of palates over many generations of fine dining. Like the classics of fiction, the classic combinations of food and drink are exactly that for a reason they have proven to be superior over time.

So by all means experiment but don’t ignore the tried, tested and recommended combinations as they have stood the test of time very well indeed.

As with everything in life, the only way to learn is to test. So you’ll have to move out of your comfort zone and risk the odd bad choice in order to move up to the next level of wine enjoyment.

Yes you may love Californian Pinot Noir but it’s important that you stop buying it every week simply because you know that you like it and that it’s a safe choice. You need to branch out, as this is the only way you will find something even better than your current favourite.

And believe me, I’m sure it exists among the many thousands of wines available worldwide. The best way of branching out is to start buying mixed cases of wine, typically a dozen bottles of red and white wines and simply try each one out.

And it’s particularly useful to make some tasting notes as you open each one so that you can keep a note of exactly what it was, where it was from and which variety of grape it was and so on.

And don’t forget to note precisely why you liked or disliked it. Was it the citrus fruit flavours on the tongue, or was it the creamy vanilla oakiness that really made it for you?

Did the light fresh aroma contribute to the enjoyment? Get it down on paper before you open the next bottle, as tomorrow your recollection might be a little hazy!

So you must experiment a bit, but don’t go for a complete extreme to what you normally drink right away.

Go for similar varieties at first and you are less likely to put yourself off progressing and expanding your taste in wine.

And remember, the only one who can tell you what wines you like best is you yourself so, whatever the combination, be sure to enjoy it.

1. Try something new and you might be surprised. Let the staff make suggestions. Compare the wines aged in steel to those aged in oak.

2. Take Notes especially if you are gone all day. Most wineries offer a list that will assist you on keeping track. When you get home to your local wine shop, you will appreciate having a cheat sheet.

3. Visit during off season. November through May is an excellent time. You might be only one of the few guests all day, so the staff can give you some extra time.

4. Ask Questions. Winery staff love to be engaged and help educate. They are trained to know a lot about the wines you taste.

5. Eat the crackers. They help you clean your palate and absorb the alcohol.

6. Don’t just stick with the big-name wineries. Check out some of the smaller ones in the area.

7. The nose, knows. Try not to use too much perfume or aftershave. The aroma of the wine is half the fun of tasting.

8. Call ahead for large parties. If you call ahead some wineries will even arrange cheese and fruit trays.

9. Be patient. If you prefer to visit during the peak seasons, you will have a great time tasting, but it may take a minute or two for the staff to serve you.

10. To test for a really good wine, swirl it around the glass. Legs or tears are what is left trickling down the glass after swirling. The stickier and longer the legs the better the quality.

Australia’s wine industry has boomed in the past ten years. Employers have had to triple their staff numbers to cope with the demand for Aussie wine. Considering the lower average national population of Australia, compared to say the United States or even South Africa, 30,000 (2001) workers is pretty high.-One of the main reasons for the demand on this skillful industry is that it has won an international reputation for quality and value. Australian wines have won many highly sought after international awards and labels and many innovative Australian winemakers are sought internationally for their wine making expertise.

Wine regions throughout Australia have continually had high ratings especially over the past four years. Most of these regions and especially the East and South coasts (New South Wales and Victoria) are averaging 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Second to the brilliant winemakers, and a close second, is the great climates / weather that certain regions have for cultivating vines.-Wine is very much a part of the Australian way of life, closely associated with both business and leisure.

Wine consumption is often linked to the country’s outdoor-oriented lifestyle as well as to the cosmopolitan urban way of life of the bulk of the Australian population.-Australia exports more wine than that that is sold domestically. Out of a total of approximately 919 million litres bottled, 516.5 million litres is exported.

The largest export market has been the United Kingdom and second has been the United States.-Researchers from the University College London have come up with a few very interesting facts. They found that drinking alcohol (including wine), even in small amounts, might be associated with higher cognitive ability, especially for women. You would be silly not to have a drop every night! I think Aussie are reasonably bright, it must be all the great wine they produce.

The Carneros AVA has become one of the premier regions of the Napa Valley for wine tasting. Carneros is the closest wine region to San Francisco, making it the first stop for many wine tours through the Napa Valley.

Because of its proximity to the San Pablo bay, the day time temperature is moderated by wind and fog from this body of water. This makes for excellent conditions for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Subsequently, some of the best American sparkling wine producers are located in the AVA.

You do not have to be a wine expert to enjoy tasting in Carneros. But since Carneros was awarded AVA status in 1980, the number of resident wineries in has greatly increased. So with limited time and budget, which ones do you visit?

No matter how prestigious the area is, no wine is guaranteed to be good. There are so many factors that go into viticulture and winemaking, choosing a wine based solely on the region is basically a shot in the dark. The same can be said for deciding which wineries to visit on a wine tour.

When planning a wine tasting tour, consider wineries that produce the varietals you enjoy or would like to experience. For example, if you want to taste Champagne style Sparkling Wines, Domaine Carneros should be at the top of your list. This winery is owned Taittinger Champagne House. Their stunning Chateau has become a Carneros Landmark, and is among the most beautiful wineries in Napa County. Domaine also offers a thirty minute tour of their facilities, which culminates in their tasting room with spectacular views of their vineyards.

For Pinot Noir aficionados, you cannot go wrong with Acacia Winery. If you choose to visit Acacia, I would advise tasting the 2002 Beckstoffer Pinot Noir; you will not be disappointed.

If you would like to taste a wider range of varietals, visit Artesa Winery. They have produced several wines made with several different grapes that have received 90 + points from major wine ratings. This, along with their winery’s recent 10 million dollar renovation has made Artesa a premier destination in Carneros.

Cline Cellars is also a pleasure to visit. Their tasting room is a restored 1850′s farmhouse, and they have a picnic site on the premises that overlooks their 350 acre vineyard. This makes Cline Cellars a great place to taste wine and enjoy your lunch.

Aside from the wine itself, other pleasing aspects of tasting experience lie in the beauty of the tasting room, winery and surrounding landscape. Although it does not take a beautiful setting to enjoy a great wine, it definitely adds to the experience.

The taster’s overall experience is by far the most important part of wine tasting. Most wineries in Carneros realize this, and offer whatever they can to make your trip more enjoyable. Many tastings will be hosted by a member of the winemaking team, so they can answer questions and explain the subtleties of the wines. Whichever wineries you visit, make sure to bring your tasting room etiquette.

First of all, it is not advisable to bring children into the tasting room. As far as the actual tasting is concerned, white wines are generally poured first, followed by reds, and finally desert wines. Within each of these, the lighter bodied wines precede fuller bodied ones. Between each wine, it is common practice to eat a cracker to cleanse your palate.

It is not necessary to finish each wine you taste; it is actually discouraged, especially if you are planning to taste many different wines. Wineries will provide jars to dispose of any excess wine. Additionally, do not feel obligated to try every wine that is offered.

If you ask for a second tasting, it is in good taste to buy a bottle of wine. It is by no means necessary to buy wine when tasting, but if you make an appointment with a smaller winery, it is customary to make a purchase.

If you are thinking about visiting the Napa Valley, Carneros is an excellent place to start your journey into what many people describe as “heaven on earth.”