Dream destinations for wine lovers

Wine-loving visitors to Barcelona will discover a variety of wines to explore. Slightly inland, there’s cava country, where you can tour the vast cellars and startling Art Nouveau ‘cathedral of cava’ at Codoníu (where this sparkling wine style was first made) or you can go south, to the steep slate hill that’s the birthplace of rich, red Priorat. The vine-covered slopes are spectacular to see, as is the glass-lined, architect-designed Ferrer Bobet winery or the historic winery of Scala Dei, where wine has been made since the 12th century. A drive along the coast will lead you to revered Girona restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, with its equally legendary wine list. For something much more informal, there are tapas and copas (glasses) aplenty in the bottle-lined Barcelona bar El Xampanyet; alternatively, let Moments’ expert sommelier suggest the perfect pairings with dinner at the hotel.

The Finger Lakes are New York State’s best-known wine region, but you don’t need to drive five hours from NYC to find great wine. Long Island’s North Fork has a mild climate, a hipster vibe that’s very different from the moneyed smartness of the Hamptons across the bay, and a thriving wine scene, with friendly winemakers more than happy to pour a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Cabernet Franc. Drop in to Bedell Cellars or check out the bar at Roanoke Vineyards, which also has a wine shop in Manhattan.

For sustenance, Claudio’s is an institution – it’s on the National Register of Historic Places and the seafood is as fresh today as it was back in 1870, when this place was founded by a Portuguese whaler. Claudio’s is more Bloody Mary territory but, for an impressive list of local wines to match dishes from local produce, North Fork Table & Inn is the place. Back at Mandarin Oriental, New York, sample the MO Lounge’s wine list, along with some upscale comfort food – a caviar-laced smoked-salmon croque monsieur, say, or buttermilk-fried chicken sandwich.

The world’s favourite celebratory beverage is made just east of Paris, and lots of the better-known Champagne houses – the grandes marques – offer tours, tastings or private visits. In Épernay, the Unesco-listed Avenue de Champagne is lined with imposing palaces built by iconic producers, from Moët & Chandon to Boizel.

In Reims, Champagne Taittinger offers guided tours of its amazing Roman-era cellars, which now house millions of quietly ageing bottles, but originally served as the quarry for the stone to build the town. Everywhere you go, Champagne is in evidence: in the vines that line the roads between the two towns; in the convivial Le Wine Bar on Reims’s Place du Forum, and even in the cathedral, which has a delightful stained-glass window sponsored by the Champagne growers.

And there’s no need for things to go flat when you get back to Paris: Mandarin Oriental, Paris's Bar 8 serves some excellent Champagnes, including Roederer Rosé by the glass.