Riesling to the challenge
Germans drink more bubbly than any other nationality, with riesling sekt (from the regions of Baden, Pfalz and Mosel) absolutely the top quaff. The best way to seek out sekt is along the 85km-long German Wine Route (the country’s oldest) – an idyllic rural stretch studded with castles and encompassing hiking and cycling routes that wiggle through villages, vineyards and forests all the way from Bockenheim down to Schweigen. Along the way, make the most of the opportunity to enjoy tasting sessions at sustainable wineries. Map out a route to include affordable accommodation and great restaurants through german-wineroute.com.
Champagne capital
The self-proclaimed capital of the champagne region is Épernay – and for a speedy intro to the best of the region’s bubbles, consider a whistle-stop tour here, sipping 24 champagnes in 24 hours. This Épernay-based trip includes stops at family-run producers, tasting sessions, accommodation at the four-star Jean Moët hotel as well as trips to the church where Dom Pérignon is buried and to the “cradle of champagne”, Hautvilliers. It also includes dinner in a hilltop restaurant with champagne pairing.
From £487pp full-board but excluding overseas travel, grapeescapes.net
Branching out in Dorset
You don’t need to cross the Channel for top-notch méthode-champenoise wines. Recently rated among the 10 most beautiful vineyards in Europe, family-run English Oak Vineyard in Lytchett Matravers, Dorset, offers tours and delightful picnics under a spreading oak tree, with a bottle of their award-winning Chinkapin rosé. Or why not join a team of enthusiastic volunteers and help with their autumn harvest? As in champagne, all the grapes are picked by hand on the same day. Stay at the ivy-clad Georgian Hotel du Vin in Poole – a 10-minute drive away.
englishoakvineyard.co.uk; doubles (room only) at Hotel du Vin from £174
At home with Widow Clicquot
Drink in the drama of an inspirational winemaker when the biopic of Widow Clicquot screens later this month. Then explore the home of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, the “veuve” (widow in French) of the famous champagne Veuve Clicquot. Hear about her rise to fame, snoop around the cellars, enjoy a rosé-themed picnic at the Manoir de Verzy, or lunch on the sunny terrace of the new Café Clicquot. Stay at the traditional Grand Hôtel des Templiers in Reims – a 30-minute walk from the Veuve Clicquot estate.
veuveclicquot.com; doubles B&B at the Grand Hotel des Templiers from £169
Crémant de la crop
This corner of France is home to the affordable and elegant alternative to champagne, crémant de Loire. Corkers include Maison Ackerman, the oldest sparkling wine house in the Loire. Specialising in saumur and crémant de Loire appellations, a visit (with tastings) to its vast troglodyte cellars uncovers dramatic art and light installations from the maison’s resident artists. Stay at the Fontevraud l’Ermitage hotel with Michelin restaurant within the priory of Fontevraud Abbey.
Room-only doubles from £127; L’Hôtel de Fontevraud l’Ermitage
The first French fizz
In 1531 the Benedictine monks of Sainte-Hilaire in Limoux in the Occitanie region produced the delectable Blanquette de Limoux, making it older than champagne. Rumour has it that Dom Pérignon adapted the process. Base yourself near Limoux at the characterful Domaine Saint Andrieu, enjoy the Friday covered market in Place de la Republique and explore the historic quarter before heading to fine producers like Domaine Bouché and Paul Mas. Saint-Hilaire abbey is also a must-see for its medieval carvings.
Domaine Saint Andrieu, doubles B&B from £81
Catalonia for Cava
If Cava is more your thing, head to Catalonia. Originally known as “Spanish champagne” until EU laws banned the term 95% of Cava comes from the Penedès region, southwest of Barcelona. Base yourselves at Barcelona’s centrally located boutique wine hotel, Praktik Vinoteca, and enjoy an educational tasting session here of Catalan sparkling wines. Alternatively, get out into the countryside on an expert-led small group wine tour taking in three Penedès wineries and including a tapas lunch.
Small group tour from €175, winetourismspain.com; doubles B&B at Praktik Vinoteca from €144
Romanian Rhein wine
Thanks to its mountain climate (ideal for the second fermentation of white and rosé sparkling wines), Romania’s fame as the sixth largest wine producer in the EU has begun to spread. At Rhein winery, Romania’s biggest producer of champagne, you can try Rhein Extra, Romania’s oldest brut. Bottles are turned twice a day by hand for two months and stored at a constant cool temperature. The result? A deliciously biscuity and highly affordable sparkling wine. Combine the key sights of the Carpathian mountains (Peles Castle and Seven Ladders Canyon) with a day-long tasting trip to Rhein winery through Viator (from £115pp). Stay at the characterful wood-beamed Casa Chitic in Brasov old town.
viator.com; doubles B&B at Casa Chitic from £20
Ups and South Downs
One of the earliest proponents of English sparkling wine is Ridgeview, a wine estate in Ditchling, East Sussex, that was established in 1995 and won the sparkling wine of the year prize for its Bloomsbury Magnum NV at the Sommelier Wine Awards 2024. Enjoy chardonnay vineyards set in the South Downs National Park, guided tours and wine and cheese pairings, followed by an alfresco lunch at Ridgeview’s Rows & Vine restaurant. Afterwards, snuggle down at The Bull, a cosy 16th-century inn in Ditchling itself.
ridgeview.co.uk; doubles B&B at The Bull from £179
Italy’s finest
Visit Lombardy’s Franciacorta wine region, an hour’s drive from Milan, for high-quality sparkling wines made using the most traditional of methods, be it maturing in oak barrels or resting in bottles for up to seven years. Make merry at the annual Franciacorta festival in September or tour a clutch of vineyards on foot or by e-bike. Stay at the Ambra hotel on the waterfront on Lake Iseo. contadicastaldi.it/en/; Hotel Ambra, doubles B&B from £105