March: Salta, Argentina

Even if this region tucked into the northwestern corner of Argentina didn’t produce wine, it would still be a draw for its surreal Sonoran Desert-Mars mashup landscape, 16th-century colonial city, and feeling of time forgotten. Roads still wash out after spontaneous storms, and canyons of jagged red rock dwarf the highway that cuts through the vast cactus-dotted desert. But the region does grow grapes and produces excellent high-altitude wines from Malbec, Tannat, and Torrontes out of sophisticated wineries around Cafayate. A breathtaking road trip for the Wild West, wine-loving adventurer.

April: Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras, Spain

The concept of “handmade” has been abused to the point of being a worthless adjective—except when applied to the wines of Ribeira Sacra and neighboring Valdeorras in Galicia. Along the vertiginous valleys that dwarf the Sil and Miño rivers remain two-thousand-year-old terraced vineyards Romans (more likely their slaves) hand-carved into the slopes. No machinery can work the steep hillsides planted primarily to red grape Mencia or white grape Godello. Due to the backbreaking labor (and other economic factors), many sites were abandoned, but a new era is underway as vintners painstakingly turn out from a patchwork of tiny vineyards some of the prettiest, soulful wines in Spain .

May: Kakheti, Georgia

Within wine circles and, increasingly, mainstream travel media, the word on Georgia as a vinous destination has spread. Yet few have actually made the trek to this country bordering Armenia and Turkey. Translation: villages remain authentically charming, the countryside still a peaceful refuge and the unique winemaking traditions endure intact. Kakheti, nestled at the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, is the main region, known for fermenting wine underground in terra-cotta jars called qvevri. A delicious food culture sweetens the incentive to visit.

June: Graubünden, Switzerland

As the cost of Burgundy rises—the result of global demand coupled with poor harvests--lovers of Old World Pinot Noir have a surprising place they can turn: Switzerland. While pockets of great Pinot exist throughout, there’s a reason the premier wine region of Bündner Herrschaft earned the moniker “Little Burgundy:” a series of charming villages replete with cellar doors, predominantly sell elegant, lively expressions that compete on a world-class level. Oh, and the mountain scenery is gorgeous.

July: Ontario, Canada

With “cool-climate wine” hot on the lips of the industry, Canada has garnered a lot of attention. But cool no longer equates to the Niagara Peninsula’s famous Icewine, an exquisite dessert tipple produced under specific conditions (overripe grapes + below freezing temperatures.) Rather, varieties like Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Cab Franc have earned critics’ attention. For a first time visit tracing the “Wine Route,” base yourself in Niagara-on-the-Lake near New York (road trip!). The pleasures of Ontario include bucolic lakeside scenery, small producers rarely found in American markets, and a burgeoning culinary scene, plus easy bike trails that still justify an afternoon at the spa.

August: Rogue and Applegate Valleys, Southern Oregon

Oregon is often confused as being a misty gray place full of lush forest, Pinot vineyards, and affected hipsters. Yes, those conditions exist, but mostly in the northern rain shadow between the coast and the Cascade Range. Much of the state has a dry and sunny clime, including down south where the diverse vineyards of the Rogue and Applegate Valleys lie. And wine diversity defines the Valleys—the range of micro-climates allows for everything from Riesling to Cabernet to ripen. Add outdoor sports like hiking, rafting, fishing, and biking to museums, theater, live music venues, and restaurants, plus a stroll through a preserved, gold-rush era town and the activities prove as varied as the wine.

September: Corsica, France

Perhaps the ultimate beach, food, and wine destination in Europe, this island in the Mediterranean satisfies multiple hedonistic holiday requirements. Porto-Vecchio is the main summertime draw for movie stars and rich owners of gratuitous yachts, but the rest of the ruggedly beautiful isle remains far from the madding crowd. Wineries scattered throughout produce vivid fruit expressions from hard to pronounce red grapes like Sciaccarellu and Nielluccio and salty whites from Vermentino. Best to visit in shoulder season (mere days after August) for beach weather with softer hotel prices. (While in Corsica, you may as well ferry over to Sardinia. Here’s why.)

October: Alto Piemonte, Italy

Ninety-percent of the attention lavished by critics and consumers on Piedmont is directed towards Barolo in the Langhe. But with the stunning Alps as its backdrop, the Alto Piemonte north of Milan offers aromatic, crystalline, terroir-driven Nebbiolo at accessible prices, while October heralds the start of white truffle season. The area is undergoing a renaissance with younger generations returning to farm and improve quality, in some cases after decades of abandonment due to post-war economics. Gattinara, Ghemme, Lessona, Boca and Bramaterra all have slightly different soils and climates, but all produce characterful wines that are still a secret to most consumers.

November: Anderson Valley, California

The Valley’s grapes aren’t exactly underrated—big brands have started gobbling up cooler climate, Pinot-friendly vineyard land the last few years—but visiting the area still is. Located almost three hours north of Sonoma and Napa, getting there requires determination, time and the traversing of a mountain pass. But the reward is a low-key country experience void of luxury hotels and faux-Euro Disneyworld wineries. Boutique tasting rooms sympathetic to the forest landscape line the valley floor, while a spectacular shadowy tunnel of towering redwoods gives way to the misty coast of Mendocino at the end of 128. November marks the appearance of delicious and rare maple syrup-flavored candy cap mushrooms.

December: Swartland, South Africa

South African summer is in full-swing in December when the vineyards grow green and lush. But Swartland, north of Cape Town, delivers a vastly differently landscape from classic regions like Stellenbosch. Its edge begins around 35 miles beyond the city, evidenced by a gradual shift in scenery and terrain. It's a hot, dry place with low rainfall and poor soils like schist and granite. Driving through its wide dusty expanse dotted distantly with golden wheat-bearing hills and rocky outcroppings, Swartland evokes a frontier region left to the devices of pioneers and ranchers, or the last untrammeled enclaves of rural California. Base yourself in the one-street village of Riebeeck Kasteel to visit the country’s most intrepid winemakers, all claiming to abide by the ethos of sustainably produced, transparent, terroir-driven wines.

When she's not in a vineyard or the ocean, Lauren Mowery covers drinks, food & adventure/luxury travel. Follow her around the world on Instagram and Twitter.

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