If you're a bon vivant, a budding oenologist or a food enthusiast, this article is for you. If you see a trip as a unique opportunity to discover new flavours and enjoy unique culinary experiences, then you've come to the right place. Here are some destination ideas for a trip full of flavour.
Europe of flavours
You don't always have to travel far to discover a thousand and one flavours. Europe is bursting with countries and cultures rich in flavour.
The French South-West
It's no secret, but a reminder may prove useful. The South-West of France is famous for its wine, but also for its gastronomy. We have one of the oldest and most famous vineyards in the world: the Bordeaux wine region. In all, there are 6 wine-growing regions to visit, beautiful landscapes to discover and good wine to taste:
- the Médoc region
- the Blayais-Bourgeais region
- the Graves and Pessac-Léognan regions
- the Cérons, Barsac and Sauternes region
- the Entre-Deux-Mers region
- the Libournais region (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Fronsac, Castillon-la-Bataille and Côtes-de-Francs)
The South-West of France is not only famous for its wine, you can also enjoy delicious dishes such as :
- the Espeltte chilli pepper, emblem of the Basque Country
- Gigas Meduli oysters, specialities from the Eau Médoc aquaculture farm in the Médoc marshes
- the Basque cream or cherry cake, a culinary landmark of the Basque Country
- tourtière: depending on your tastes, it can be eaten plain, with apples or prunes. It's easy to find in the Landes
- cabécou, a Périgord speciality, is a mild, creamy cheese
- Pertlita caviar, produced in Le Teich in the Arcachon basin. It was awarded the jury's "Coup de Coeur" in the Gault et Millau tasting of Aquitaine products.
Italy
Don't think that the only European destination for good food and wine is south-west France. After all, it was the Romans who introduced wine to our shores in ancient times, and we're all familiar with the art of Italian pizza and pasta. What could be better than eating a good meal, accompanied by a good wine and a magnificent view? For some years now, Italy has been producing more wine than France, and there are 4 main geographical wine-producing areas:
- Northern Italy
- Central Italy
- Southern Italy
- the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia
Within these 4 territories, you'll find 20 wine-producing regions, each with its own unique characteristics.
Don't forget to eat too - it would be a shame to spend a day in Italy without enjoying some of its typical dishes and products. Here's just a small sample of what you can enjoy here, apart from delicious pasta and pizza:
- mozzarella di bufala, made from buffalo milk
- carpaccio, raw beef, a Venetian creation
- arancini, typical Sicilian specialities
- the flavours of the lake in Umbria
Spain
We're still not going far away. This time it's Spain! You can also eat like a king and drink excellent wines. Spain has the largest vineyard in the world. Here are a few not-to-be-missed wines:
- red wines: Tempranillo, Graciano, Céariñena and also Garnacha tinta
- white wines: Albariño, Viura and Verdejo
- Sparkling wines: Macabeo, Xarel-Lo and Parellada are used for white wines and Garnacha and Monastrell for rosé wines.
- Muted wines (wine paired with brandy): Fino and Manzanilla, Pedro Ximènez sherry.
You can enjoy these wines with a number of well-known Spanish specialities such as :
- tapas: little mouthfuls of flavour. The verb "tapear" has even been coined to mean "to eat".
- gazpacho: a fresh soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers
- paella: every family has its own recipe
- tortilla de patatas: a potato-based omelette, a convivial dish that's well worth sharing
- tarta de Santiago: for those with a sweet tooth, prepared in honour of Spain's patron saint
Portugal
This time, we're going a little further afield in Europe, but not too far either, don't worry. Portugal, well known for its eclectic range of flavours, from cold meats and soups to fish and meat dishes and the world-famous fortified wines of Porto, is a destination of choice. To be a little more precise, your taste buds will be able to sample the following Portuguese wines:
- the Dão, Douro and Alentejo regions: for red wines (vinho tionto)
- the Bairrada and Bucelas regions: for dry white wines, particularly vinho verde
- You can also discover: port, Madeira, setubal moscatel and sparkling wines (vinho espumante).
Don't hesitate to try some Portuguese specialities to accompany your drink:
- la francesinha: translated as "the little French girl", this speciality is inspired by our croque-monsieur.
- pasteis de bacalhau: Portugal is synonymous with cod dishes. You can try excellent cod fritters all over the country.
- Queijo da Serra: a PDO cheese with a thick crust. It is eaten with bread, dipped in with a teaspoon.
- sandes de Leitão: translates as suckling pig sandwich. Simple, quick and excellent, with tender meat in a crusty loaf.
- pasteis de nata: the unmissable Portuguese speciality, little flans that are both crisp and melt-in-the-mouth
International flavours
If you're thinking that if you're going to travel, you might as well go further afield, we've got a few destinations to suggest to you, all with the idea of enjoying good wine and tasty food.
Mexico
Our first destination is Mexico. We're all familiar with Mexican flavours, but what about wine? You'd have thought tequila, wouldn't you? Well, Mexico isn't well known for its wine, but it deserves to be:
- Casa Madero: in the Parras region in the north of the state of Coahuila, a vineyard founded in 1597 producing red, white and rosé wines.
- Bodega Dos Búos: in San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, this winery offers a large collection of organic wines
- Freixenet: in the centre of the country, in the state of Querétaro. This vineyard specialises in sparkling wines.
- LA Cetto: founded by an Italian family in the Guadalupe Valley during Prohibition. This vineyard produces a warm red wine with a smoky flavour.
- Casa Magoni: a vineyard created by a former LA Cetto employee, founded in 2013.
To accompany these wines, we recommend you try the following dishes:
- frijoles refritos: a purée of refried red, black or white beans, served with tortillas that are also fried. This little appetiser will help you wait for your meal.
- pollo pibil: marinated chicken wrapped in banana leaves and baked in the oven. There is also a fish variant (pescado pibli) or a pork variant (conchinita pibli).
- papadzules: corn tortillas dipped in pumpkin chip sauce and stuffed with egg. The whole thing is covered in a tomato sauce with onion and habanero pepper.
- the marquesita: a bit of sweetness with a crispy pancake topping. In the Yucatan, you can enjoy it with nutella and sprinkled with grated Edam.
Peru
In Peru, you can go to Lima on the Peruvian coast. This city is the country's gastronomic capital. Peru has 49 traditional dishes, so you should be able to find what you're looking for. Thanks to the bodegas, Peruvian wines are enjoying a renaissance, so it's high time you had a taste. Discover the main Peruvian bodegas:
- Santiago Queirolo: a pioneer of quality wine in Peru with over 130 years' experience. This bodega is often considered to have the best wine in Peru.
- Quebrada de lhuanco: a light, fruity wine
- Tacama: founded in 1540, the company chose to modernise in 1962. The prestic Don Manuel vintage is now renowned.
- Saint Lizier: the country's most famous bodega specialising in slightly sweet wines
- Ocucaje: this bodega is known for keeping all its wines from the Colección Rubini range in barrels for one year.
With 49 traditional dishes, there's plenty to choose from. Here's a sneak preview of what you'll be able to try:
- Ceviche: a dish based on raw fish marinated in citrus fruit juice. It is actually the acidity of the fruit that cooks the food. This dish is usually flavoured with red onion and aji chilli.
- Cuy: it may come as a surprise to us Westerners, but one of Peru's staple meats is guinea pig. This meat is baked in the oven or grilled on a spit.
- la Causa: potato and avocado, stacked one on top of the other layer by layer. Cut into wedges, this dish is best eaten cold.
- Lomo saltado: stir-fried beef with tomatoes, peppers and onions in soy sauce, served with fried potatoes. Avoid if you're on a diet
- Lucuma: a mango-like fruit with a taste similar to maple syrup. It is often used to flavour desserts. Lucuma ice cream is very popular.
Japan
We're all familiar with Japan, its sushi, maki and sashimi, but also its ramen, and when it comes to alcohol, Japan also means sake, but Japan is much more than that. For example, did you know that Japan is produced all over the island, but 3 main regions stand out:
- Yamanashi region: the region is made up of around 280 wineries, and 30% of the country's wineries are located in Yamanashi prefecture. Most of the wine here is white, with half as much red.
- The Nagano region: divided in two, Kikyogahara produces Merlot that has won several medals at various competitions. There is also the Chikumagawa valley. Chardonnay from this valley is now renowned for its quality.
- the Hokkaido region: the first vines in this region were planted in 1875.
Apart from the famous maki, sushi and ramen, what else can you eat that is typically Japanese?
- okonomiyaki: a Japanese omelette made with egg, finely grated vegetables and slices of meat cooked on a hot plate.
- tonkastu: a very popular dish, this is a piece of fried breaded pork.
- donburi: simple but effective, this is a bowl of rice with a filling. You can top your rice with tonkastu (breaded and fried pork), gyudon (sliced beef) or oyakudon (chicken with beaten egg).
- Yakitoris: meat brochettes. The pieces are small enough to be eaten in one bite.
- natto: the taste, smell and texture of this dish are very special. It's a gooey paste made from fermented soy beans. You'd better have a strong stomach!
If one of our gastronomic and wine destinations catches your eye, don't hesitate to book your plane ticket quickly and, above all, don't forget your car park near the airport. With AdopteUnParking.com, you can park just about anywhere in France. If you're flying internationally, don't hesitate to From Orly for example!
