The bedrock of any festival is of course, alcohol. Whether you are at a famous music festival such as Glastonbury or Coachella, or one of the many wine festivals across the globe; the event is made all the more enjoyable through the process of enjoying fine wine or other alcoholic beverages.
We have been to many wine festivals over the years here at Octavian Vaults and there are superb events all across the globe. This has led us to create this latest feature here at our blog; just part of our commitment to bringing wine lovers all the information they need about every aspect of their favourite drink.
We have highlighted six of the very best wine festivals from around the globe for your perusal and we highly recommend you check at least some of them out on your next holiday or trip.
La Batalla del Vino – Rioja, Spain
If like us, you’re a big fan of Rioja wine, then this wine festival is definitely for you. Set in the heart of Rioja, where the aptly named wine emanated from, this festival is quite literally a battle of the wines. This food and wine festival is over three centuries old and is set in the Riojan town of Haro, where one can consume wine in every way possible; even through water pistols! Trucks full of wine line the streets as everyone celebrates one of the world’s favourite red wines.
Vin Expo – Bordeaux, France
As far as we’re concerned, Bordeaux is the home of fine wine and the city’s wine festival (or vin expo) is therefore one of the pinnacles of the global wine diary. This event allows newbies to learn all about the principles of wine production but is also a huge commercial event for established vintners and sommeliers. More than 40,000 trade visitors from all across the world have been known to attend this wine festival and the setting just couldn’t be more appropriate.
Festa del’Uvva – Tuscany, Italy
This festival, which has a great reputation for being a food festival as well as a celebration of wine, is ideal for anyone whose favourite red wine is Chianti. Set in the Tuscan hills, this wine event has been running since the 1920’s when each vineyard would showcase their Chianti using an Ox and cart. Today, there is far more modern feel and floats can be seen celebrating all the finest wines the area produces, surely one of the finest grapes you will find anywhere in the world.
Vineyard to Vintner – California, USA
You don’t need us to tell you that California is now one of the premier wine production regions in the world. As such, their food and wine festival is a must for anyone looking to explore all the area has to offer in terms of fine wine. All of the very best vineyards in the famous Napa Valley get together to put this one together and the result is three spectacular days of wine celebration.
Marathon du Medoc – Bordeux, France
It’s no massive surprise that two of our favourite food and wine festivals take place in Bordeax, really. Given the area’s reputation for both things, this it to be expected and the Marathon du Medoc winds through 26 miles of beautiful countryside with fine wines being enjoyed all along the way. The participants may not be running, granted, but it’s still as close a marathon one can experience whilst drinking copious amounts of splendid wine. Orchestras and some of the best chefs in the region make it a truly unique food and wine festival and one we just can’t get enough of here at Octavian Vaults.
La Nuit En Rose – Various Locations, USA
If you read with interest our recent article about rose wine, then this wine festival should definitely be on your bucket list. A celebration of the pinker wines from around the world, this event moves around the USA and has already been a resounding success is areas such as the Hamptons, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. Although staunch fine wine experts will be a little dubious about this one, it is growing every year and all wines should of course be treated equal, right?
We will leave that for you guys to decide but if you love rose wine, then you are unlikely to find a food and wine festival more satisfying than La Nuit En Rose.
These are six of our favourite wine festivals from across the world, but there are of course hundreds taking place across the world every year. If you think we have missed one, then we would love to hear from you. You can contact us about this or perhaps your wine cellarage needs by clicking here or calling us directly on 01255 818 714.