With the summer holiday season fast approaching and suitcases being pulled out of lofts across the country, thoughts are firmly turning towards the classic European getaway. Welcome to our dedicated Travellers Edition: your easy guide to navigating old-world wine labels with absolute confidence, discovering the hidden regional gems to hunt out in Europe's most popular holiday haunts, and mapping the elite, luxury estates featured on the global World's Best Vineyards index. We wrap it all up with our definitive, tactical guide to international transit - explaining exactly why packing for a wine lover means bringing your oldest wardrobe items, binning them at the hotel on your final morning, and sacrificing the space for liquid gold.

Why Does Europe Hide Its Grapes?

If you stick to the New World wine aisles, shopping is straightforward. The label tells you the name of the grape variety, whether it is a Sauvignon Blanc or a Malbec. But head over to the European aisles, and suddenly the rules completely change. The grape variety often vanishes entirely, replaced by grand place names or cryptic acronyms.

They aren't trying to intentionally confuse you; it's just a completely different philosophy built on terroir - the belief that the specific soil, microclimate, and vineyard tradition of a region shape a wine's character far more than the grape alone. Once you know the simple geographical shortcuts, European bottles become remarkably easy to predict.

Over on our newly updated master Knowledge Base page, we have pulled back the curtain on these old-world labels. We break down the hidden grapes of France (and why Chablis drinkers are actually loving Chardonnay), the acronym soup of Italy, and how the Spanish timeline system tells you exactly what style is inside the bottle before you uncork it.

Decode European Wine Labels

Holiday Hotspots: What to Drink on Your Jollies

If you are lucky enough to be packing your bags for France, Italy, or Spain this summer, you are about to walk into a paradise of local drinking. But when you wander into a local village shop or beachfront restaurant, you won’t see the familiar export labels we get in the UK. To help you drink like a local, here is your definitive cheat sheet for Europe's most popular holiday haunts:

• Heading to the Dordogne or the South of France? Skip the heavy reds in the mid-day heat. Look for crisp, bone-dry whites labeled as Côtes de Gascogne or hunt down a chilled bottle of Picpoul de Pinet near the coast—it is packed with zesty citrus and saline minerality, built perfectly for a plate of seafood on the port.
• Driving through Tuscany or relaxing in Lake Garda? If you are in the north near Verona, look past the basic labels for Lugana—a stunning, mineral-rich white made from the local Turbiana grape. If you are further south in Tuscany, bypass the tourist-heavy Chianti bottles and ask for a chilled Rosato made from the Sangiovese grape; it's savory, packed with wild strawberry notes, and pairs beautifully with alfresco lunch spreads.
• Jetting off to Mallorca or Spain's Costa Brava? If you are on the islands, keep an eye out for whites made from the indigenous Prensal Blanc or pale rosés crafted from Manto Negro. On the mainland, swap the heavy oaked reds for a crisp, sea-breezy Albaríño from Rías Baixas or a vibrant, un-oaked Verdejo from Rueda to keep things light under the Spanish sun.

Consider this a sneak preview of our upcoming August 'Holiday Hotspots' Tasting, where we will be taking an immersive liquid tour of these definitive summer destinations right here in our courtyard.

Read Our Full Guide to Holiday Drinking

Drinking from the World's Best Vineyards

For the dedicated gourmet traveller, the ultimate trip is a masterclass in architecture, landscape, culture, and terroir. That is why the official World's 50 Best Vineyards list has become the definitive global benchmark for luxury wine tourism, voted for by hundreds of international travel and wine experts. It doesn't just judge the liquid in the bottle - it celebrates properties that deliver outstanding estate design and uncompromising quality.

However, you don't need a first-class ticket to experience the absolute pinnacle of this global index. We have spent years sourcing wines from these world-class estates, meaning you can pull a benchmark bottle straight from our shelves:

• The Architectural Icons: Experience the world's absolute number one destination with the breathtaking, futuristic, and design-led VIK from Chile's Millahue Valley, or explore the spectacular curves of modern Rioja architecture with Bodegas Ysios (Ranked 3rd). For a masterclass in classic French estate prestige, look no further than Bordeaux royalty Château Smith Haut Lafitte (Ranked 5th).
• The Old-World Pioneers: Take a look at European history with Germany's historic palace Schloss Johannisberg (Ranked 2nd), the cradle of exceptional Riesling vines, or secure the ultra-luxurious, legendary sweet nectar of Sauternes from Château d’Yquem (Ranked 9th). If you want to look a little closer to home, England's own world-class sparkling pioneer Nyetimber proudly commands a spot on the list (Ranked 32nd).
• The South American Heavyweights: Our collection is particularly packed with the elite champions of South American terroir. This includes Uruguay's muscular benchmark Bodega Garzón (Ranked 4th) alongside Mendoza’s most revered, high-altitude pioneers: Durigutti (Ranked 11th), Bodegas Salentein (Ranked 12th), the cult icon El Enemigo (Ranked 17th), Riccitelli (Ranked 29th), and the extreme-altitude ancient vines of Bodega Colomé (Ranked 30th).

You don’t need a first-class boarding pass to experience these award-winning properties. We have just launched a dedicated guide breaking down these elite global estates, allowing you to bring the absolute pinnacle of vineyard design and world-class terroir straight to your table tonight.

Explore the World's Best Vineyards

Ditch the Wardrobe, BRING HOME the Wine: The Ultimate Suitcase Survival Kit

We have all been there. You are wandering through a stunning, sun-drenched European village, you uncover a spectacular local producer whose wine isn't exported to the UK, and you buy a few bottles on the spot. Then comes the packing panic. How do you get your precious liquid souvenirs back home in one piece without opening your suitcase at the Airport to find your wardrobe dyed entirely in red wine?

Our absolute favorite insider strategy for international wine transit is beautifully cut-throat: the disposable wardrobe technique. When packing for your trip, fill your case with your oldest, most faded t-shirts, worn-out shorts, and beach gear that has seen better days. Wear them while you're away, bin them at the hotel on your final morning, and you've instantly manufactured a massive, weight-approved void in your luggage specifically designed to hold a case of liquid gold. Here are our three golden rules for executing the perfect swap:

• The Center-Load Strategy: For the clothes that did make the cut for the return journey, use them wisely. Never place your bottles near the outer edges, corners, or wheels of your case where they will take direct impacts from baggage handlers. Wrap each bottle tightly in your remaining thick towels or knitwear and pack them dead-center, completely surrounded by a protective clothing buffer.
• The Liquid Insurance Policy: Even the best padding can fail if your luggage takes a serious tumble on the tarmac. Always slide a few heavy-duty, sealable zip-lock bags or dedicated bubble-wrap wine sleeves into your suitcase before you fly out. Sealing each bottle inside its own waterproof barrier guarantees that even in a worst-case scenario, any leak stays completely contained.
• Mind the Customs Thresholds: Remember that while you can bring back some incredible gems, there are still legal limits to navigate when entering the UK. You can clear customs with up to 18 litres of still wine (that is a whopping 24 standard bottles) and 4 litres of spirits or fortified wine per person completely duty-free—giving you plenty of room to build a serious holiday library at home.

If you want to bypass the airport stress entirely and keep your luggage light, you can shop our global holiday imports right off our shelves. Stop by this weekend to stock up on our favorite summer travel styles, or check out our master calendar to lock in your tickets for our upcoming tasting sessions.

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