Introduction

It’s harvest time again. From Champagne to Cappadocia, it is the season, when after months of grubbing up vines, pruning, cleaning, weeding – and a bit of waiting and hoping – viticulturists and winemakers see a year of toil come to fruition. Thousands of workers will pour into Europe’s three-and-a-half billion hectares of vineyards to harvest, crush and vinify grapes for yet another vintage. Their labour will produce approximately 170,000 hectolitres of wine – that’s around 22-and-a-half million bottles. So, why not get into the spirit of the season and join them? Whether it’s picking grapes or cycling through vineyards, playing golf in a wine region or grape-crushing with your feet, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the 2011 vintage.

Stomp on grapes in the Douro Valley, Portugal

Extremely purple feet are a hazard of an afternoon stomping on grapes in the Douro Valley. But by the time you’ve felt the satisfaction of the juice squishing between your toes – and cooled down with a glass of local wine afterwards – you’ll be revelling in the experience. The spectacular setting also helps: 40,000 hectares of sharply terraced vineyards, clinging to precipitous schist slopes, easily makes the Alto Douro one of the most breathtaking wine regions in the world.

The grapes here, which include dozens of indigenous varietals, are often still crushed the old-fashioned way – underfoot. Tradition aside (they have been making wine this way here for 2,000 years), it is thought to be the best method for gently extracting flavour and colour without breaking the grape stalks or pips, which add bitterness to the wine. Join harvesters as they navigate the 30-degree slopes, loaded with baskets of plump grapes. Help pick, or tuck straight into a lunch of smoked ham and bacalhau (salted codfish) at the quinta (wine estate). Belly full, join the locals in the largares – large, ancient granite tanks used for crushing – and get stomping. It’s tiring – most people don’t last the full four hours of treading that it takes to turn the grapes into juice – but it’s hard to imagine a better workout for the thighs. As for the wine: it only benefits from the bacteria on your bare feet.

Rest tired toes at Aquapura, a 19th-century manor house-cum-luxury hotel overlooking the Douro River, the lifeline of this sun-baked region. A centuries-old highway, winemakers once used it to ship wines, destined to become port, down to damp Porto for ageing. Indulge in grape-based facials and drink the spoils of the world’s oldest demarcated wine region. If you have boundless energy and an inexhaustible palate, however, pay a visit to other quintas for tastings of raisin and coffee-scented reds, or round, nutty whites.

Harvest grapes in Champagne, France

The thrill of the bubbles, the depth of its toasty, biscuity flavour – champagne is lauded all over the world, and for good reason. Not only are the finest champagnes among the most complex white wines around, but ever since French kings began drinking it during their coronation festivities, it has been associated with power, prestige and wealth. So put your stamp on this famous fizz – have a hand in making it, by harvesting grapes in a Grand Cru vineyard.

Make your base Reims, a medieval city surrounded by a jumble of vines growing chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier (the holy trinity of champagne). Château les Crayères, the former home of the Pommery family, is a short skip from the centre, and an opulent setting in which to enjoy a bottle of bubbly. The hotel is situated above the cellars of Pommery (and perhaps Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart) so you’ll be sleeping over precious ground.

As the sun climbs overhead, venture out into the vineyards with a pair of secateurs – your only piece of equipment for harvesting, as grapes of this quality need to be picked by hand. It’s not an easy job – prepare to get down on your knees to claim every last chardonnay bunch – but when you return with your spoils you’ll be rewarded in the best way possible, with an epic lunch. Feast on local fare, such as hearty terrines and chunky fresh bread, and sample local still wines, rarely found outside the region. Afterwards, watch your grapes being pressed; you may even be able to tip a glass into the must (unfermented grape juice) for a taste of the fruits of your labour.
It would almost be a crime to leave Champagne without visiting some of the big names, so take a private tour through Moët and Chandon, or visit Veuve Clicquot’s 1,600 year-old cellars. You’ll learn how grapes are transformed into particular house styles – and for the thirsty, there are plenty of tasting opportunities too.

Hot air balloon over vineyards in Cappadocia, Turkey

The other-worldly terrain of Cappadocia, with its vaulted volcanic ‘fairy chimneys’, is not exactly somewhere you’d expect to find vineyards. But in fact, this almost lunar landscape is one of the world’s oldest wine producing regions, dating back 4,000 years. Once home to the wine-loving Hittites, and, according to mythology, Greek god of wine Dionysus, the modern wineries here are the legacy of an ancient tradition. And with such a striking backdrop, there’s no better way to see their fields of vineyards than from the air.

Rise before dawn and make your way to the lift point, where you’ll soar up in tandem with the sun as it breaks over the horizon, casting hues of pink, copper and scarlet over the rock formations. Besides the fairy chimneys (pillars of rock moulded by wind and rain), you’ll sail over plummeting valleys, caves leading to underground cities and, of course, the golden tones of the vineyards, which even in the early morning might be filled with harvesters beginning work. This scene has been much the same for millennia and, from above, feels rather timeless. But down below, the wines on offer are thoroughly modern in style – and hugely diverse, too.

With both feet back on the ground, start sipping your way through Cappadocia’s grape varieties, many of them grown here for centuries – juicy, red fruity kalecik karası; plump, plummy öküzgözü; tannic, rustic bogˇ azkere; or if the early autumn sun leaves you in need of a refresher, the pale, blossomy narince, or crisp, fresh emir. Several wineries accept visitors, including Kavaklıdere and Turasan – the latter has vineyards at 1,050 metres above sea level – among the highest in the world.
But whatever your tipple, don’t neglect the historical sites of the region either – much of it is connected to wine. Göreme National Park’s rock-carved churches, underground passages and troglodyte dwellings are joined by rock-carved wine presses and early Christian wall paintings and frescoes depicting wine drinking. Top off the experience by spending the night in a cave hotel in Göreme – you can watch the sun slink back below the horizon over a glass of öküzgözü and a platter of tandir-cooked (tandoori) meats.

Golf by a vineyard in Bordeaux, France

You’d better have a good swing if you plan on playing at Golf de Bordeaux-Cameyrac in Entre-Deux-Mers – with vineyards neighbouring the greens at several turns, a poorly aimed ball could knock some of the sauvignon blanc grapes clean off their vines. During harvest time, however, they might even thank you for the help – after all, Bordeaux is one of France’s largest wine producing regions, and the white wine producing AOC of Entre-Deux-Mers is one of the biggest in Bordeaux. That means a lot of grapes to harvest.
With two courses (a 9- and an 18-hole) built over the sandy, silty soil that sits between Bordeaux’s two rivers – the Dordogne and the Garonne – and surrounded by forest and vineyards, this is a very special location for teeing off. The 18-hole course is a par 72, and is kept challenging for experienced golfers with a deceiving slope of 132 degrees. The 9-hole course with par 28 suits beginners or golfers looking to hone their short game. As for those who might know their wine better than their golf, club pro Bertrand Pinard is available for lessons on either course. After a round, cross the Gironde to Saint Emilion, a picture-perfect, wine-producing medieval town. If there’s a place to be during harvest, this is it – after all, its vineyards, perched on steep limestone slopes, are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Drop off your luggage at Château Grand Barrail – it overlooks the vineyards and has a spa and suitably long list of Bordeaux wines.

In the heart of the medieval town, watch the red-robed Jurade de Saint-Emilion, a vinous brotherhood founded in 1199, declare the Ban des Vendanges (the opening of the harvest) on the third Sunday of September from atop the austere Tour du Roy. Potter along the cobblestoned paths, which are lined with cafés, restaurants and wine shops. Pop into Ferlion (macaronssaintemilion.com) for chewy almond macarons, the recipe for which dates from 1620.

If you can keep yourself away from the course a little longer, head to Bordeaux city which, with its grand boulevards and sweeping plazas, has a very different feel. Taste the region’s liquid offerings at Max Bordeaux (maxbordeaux.com) and don’t miss the city’s own pastry – canelé, a custard cake with a caramelised crust.

Stay on a wine estate in Tuscany, Italy

You can stay in hotels on vineyards the winemaking world over. But Castiglion del Bosco isn’t any old hotel; and its vineyards, which produce Brunello del Montalcino, aren’t exactly run-of-the-mill either.

Brainchild of Massimo Ferragamo, son of designer Salvatore, the USP here is Tuscan paradise. Consisting of a restored 800-year-old estate sprawled over 4,200 acres on one of the undulating hills of the UNESCO-protected of Val d’Orcia – church, priest’s quarters, farmers’ homes and stables included – the setting is glorious. But it’s not just the scenery that draws a crowd. Between patches of ochre and emerald forest (and the lime green of the magnificent golf course) are dotted the estate’s 70 hectares of sangiovese, which are crafted into modern Brunello, rich with cherry and chocolate notes, or Rosso, ripe with juicy red fruit, by enthusiastic young winemaker Cecilia Leoneschi.

From many points on the property – especially from near the 12th-century castle ruins – you can see the prized Cappana vineyard. Watch workers toil up and down the rows of russet-coloured leaves, removing each bundle of grapes by hand. Or get involved yourself – Cecilia will take you into the vineyards, teach you about the land, the grapes and winemaking, and you can help harvest or sort bunches. But if you prefer to drink the wine rather than make it, you couldn’t ask for a better setting – sip a glass between a dip in the infinity pool, after a visit to the spa or a tour around the extensive kitchen garden. Take a cookery course, or dine in one of the two restaurants, both of which serve dishes crafted from the estate’s spectacular produce, including cured meats, truffles, honey and unctuous olive oil. The suites and villas epitomise luxurious Italian style, featuring hardwood floors, sumptuous fabrics – and bottles of the estate’s wine, of course.

Cycle through vineyards in Wachau, Austria

Almost as ancient as the land that surrounds it, the Danube has, for millions of years, carved its path through the mineral-rich soils of the Wachau. Rolling slopes left in its wake were deemed ideal for grape growing by medieval Bavarian monks, who terraced the land. Their hard work paid off – this is now one of Austria’s most prestigious wine regions. Coasting through the vineyards on a bicycle is hard to beat; you’ll feel the wind in your hair (seriously, Wachau is known for it), and by tracing the curves of the land you’ll get a sense of what goes into making the region’s wine unique.

Pedal out from Vienna for a day on two wheels, stopping at small family-owned wineries in towns such as Spitz, Weissenkirchen and Dürnstein, where life revolves around winemaking. Wheel past steep slopes of gneiss, and vines heavy with peachy riesling grapes; spot stretches of sandy loess, and row upon row of grüner veltliner vines, Austria’s spicy, honeyed white variety. At a heurige, a traditional wine tavern, wash down cold meats, cheeses and pâtés with a cherried zweigelt, northern Europe’s answer to pinot noir. But make sure you save room for some juicy apricot jam and sweet apricot schnapps – after grapes, apricots are Wachau’s most common fruit.

Back in Vienna, rest your legs in a city heurige. Drink in the view, as well as a crisp glass of Viennese gemischter satz – translating as ‘field blend’, this is made of different grape varieties from a single vineyard, harvested, pressed and vinified together. Relax at Hotel Rathaus Wien, where each of the 39 rooms is dedicated to a different Austrian winemaker; the restaurant offers 450 Austrian wines and the rooftop penthouse has wonderful views over city vineyards, which blaze with colour during harvest season.