Venissa, on the tiny, peaceful island of Mazzorbo in Venice’s lagoon, is the ultimate urban vineyard resort and surely the only wine destination where you can learn how to row a gondola. And it’s only 20 minutes from Venice proper by water taxi.
A decade ago, Gianluca Bisol, whose family makes top proseccos, discovered almost extinct dorona grapes in a private garden on a lagoon island. For centuries, until a flood in 1966, these islands fostered a thriving winemaking culture. Bisol delved into grape research, using the vines he’d discovered to revive this ancient white variety in a tiny walled vineyard on Mazzorbo, then renovated the large country house within it as a six-room boutique hotel and restaurant. (The recently released white and red, made from grapes on a neighboring private island, cost $200 a bottle.)
The spacious suites (from $275) are the best bet, with exposed wooden rafters and simple, elegant furnishings. Staying here is like being in the midst of a wine fairy tale, complete with once-lost grapes now found and side trips across a wooden footbridge to Burano, a colorful island of lacemakers. In Venissa’s one-star Michelin restaurant you can taste the winery’s violet-scented red and intense, slightly salty white, which both pair nicely with local lagoon delicacies such as sea-snail soup.
For Surfers and Beach Lovers: Margaret River, Australia
This 60-mile-long narrow peninsula in Western Australia’s southwest corner, three hours south of Perth, is an irresistible wine paradise. The Margaret River region is known for world-class surfing, secluded coves of wild, sandy beaches, and air scrubbed whistle clean after its thousands-of-miles journey across the ocean. On top of this, its 100 wineries make some of the country’s most sophisticated and collectible cabernets and chardonnays.
You can spend the morning tasting, the afternoon lolling in the surf, hitting the reef breaks, or hiking part of the long coastal Cape-to-Cape track with views of the Indian Ocean. In the evening, dine at a winery on local marron, a succulent freshwater crayfish, and, yes, kangaroo steaks.
The essential estates to visit are Cullen, Vasse Felix, Voyager Estate, Moss Wood, Cloudburst, and Leeuwin Estate, whose sleek, lemony chardonnay is one of the world’s best, and which offers the top daylong wine experience. Though most wineries have restaurants, none offers luxe accommodation. My pick for a romantic hotel is Injidup Spa Retreat in Yallingup, a secluded group of villas right on the beach, with private plunge pools and access to a private chef (rooms from $800 for two nights).
For Traditionalists: Douro Valley, Portugal
No wine region surprises you more with its beauty than the sleepy, remote Douro Valley. The Unesco World Heritage site is a 90-minute drive from the city of Porto, in the northern part of Portugal. Flanking the winding Douro River are stone-terraced vineyards on steep, vertigo-inducing hillsides dotted with whitewashed 18th and 19th century quintas (wine farms). For centuries the quintas were difficult to reach. Driving the twisting road can still be a white-knuckled proposition—one scenic 17-mile stretch, from Peso de Regua to Pinhao, has 93 hairpin curves.
This is home turf for sweet vintage ports, but more recently dozens of port houses have begun making luscious dry reds from such grapes as touriga nacional. Quinta do Vallado (delicious dry reds) offers privacy in the vineyards at its new six-suite Casa do Rio guest house (from $210) in Vila Nova de Foz Coa, while port house Quinta do Bomfin in Pinhão opened for superb tastings, tours, and lunches last summer.