How to Travel Virtually with Wine

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Longing to go island-hopping in Greece? Then look for on-trend assyrtiko from the volcanic island of Santorini, with its lovely lemony freshness and steely spine of minerality. It whisks you away from winter in a sip. Albariño has a similar vibe if you’d rather be in Spain, or try a great-value grillo from sunny Sicily.

Or are you hankering after a city break? Open a chianti, burgundy or rioja, then lose yourself in the museum websites of Florence, Paris or Madrid. Alternatively, pour yourself a glass of port and discover the many charms of Porto. Perhaps you’re missing a skiing holiday? Choose a riesling from Alsace, or anything from Austria, then sit back to watch Ski Sunday with something warming to eat.

A good rule of thumb when pairing wine with food is that dishes from a particular region go well with the wine made there, so let that guide your menu planning. The only limit is your imagination. Horse-riding in the Andes? Argentina is spectacularly beautiful, especially high in the mountains where the best wines are made. Pour a malbec, griddle a steak, and bring out your inner gaucho – without the saddle sores.

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The Wine Show, streaming on Amazon Prime, takes a light-hearted yet informative approach and makes for wonderful armchair travelling, while the newly launched Vivant is an immersive, interactive platform that takes wine geekery to a new level.

While Covid has put the kibosh on so many of life’s joys, let’s give thanks for escapism through cyberspace, and the pleasures of good drinking.