Wine used to be known mostly for its French and Italian roots but it has expanded to every part of the globe, and travelers can now find wine experiences almost anywhere they go.
"The Italians say that 'a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine,"' writes John Malathronas for CNN.com.
Malathronas notes that "appreciation of wine on its own is on the increase and has led to the establishment of wine routes ever since Germany inaugurated its own Weinstrasse in October 1935."
Now there are wine routes around the world - and they are far from the Mediterranean. Some are well-known and established and others are just coming onto the forefront of the wine-making industry.
Take Santorini, Greece, for example.
"Wine may be the last thing on anyone's mind when they encounter the spellbinding vistas of the Santorini caldera, with its precipitous cliffs rising vertically from the sea," he says. "However, the island is also home to nine indigenous grape varieties that include the famous Assyrtiko."
The Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is another under-the-radar destination.
"British Columbia's unusual climate has turned Canada into a wine producer and the Okanagan Valley is home to the majority of its wineries," writes Malathronas. "Despite the extremes of the weather, the hardy vines of the Okanagan Valley have thrived."
Want to find out more about the wine routes of the world? Get the info here.
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