What goes better with great dining than a fine wine? There are a few off-the-beaten-path places we’ve gotten to visit recently that satisfy both our taste for first-rate wine, and our wanderlust.

by Eric Rosen

ARGENTINA: MENDOZA

Why Go Here:

It seems like everyone you know has been to Argentina in the past two years, but how many of them have ventured beyond Buenos Aires to the breathtakingly beautiful wine region of Mendoza? Just an hour from the capital by air, Mendoza is a real bargain destination for wine lovers.

Where to Stay:

The two best options we came across were lovely little boutique hotels right in the middle. Our first choice is the central Hotel Villaggio (villaggio.ar.com), which is only a couple years old and has all the comforts of home, though the funky Bohemia Hotel Boutique (bohemiahotelboutique.ar.com) runs a close second.

What To Do:

Argentina is known for popularizing Malbec, so spend an evening familiarizing yourself with the region’s wines at one of the best tasting rooms around, The Vines (vinesofmendoza.com), which is just off Mendoza’s main Plaza Independencia. The Vines’ website is also extremely informative and will give you background on the region, the city, where to eat, wine-tasting itineraries and also particular wineries like some of our favorites: De Cero (decero.com), Ruca Malen (bodegarucamalen.com), Norton (norton.com.ar) and Viña Cobos (vinacobos.com). Afterwards, grab dinner at seasonal native restaurants like La Sal (lasalrestaurante.com) and Mi Tierra.

The other great thing about Mendoza is that when you’re ready to take a break from wine-tasting, you can go on adventure sports outings like white-water rafting, zip-lining and horseback riding in the Andes foothills, courtesy of companies like Rios Andinos (riosandinos.com).

AUSTRIA: WACHAU

Why Go Here:

You know all those unpronounceable wines that are showing up on menus around town, with names like Grüner Veltliner and Blaufränkisch? Well, they’re coming from Austria, and they’re really good. Now you can taste many of the country’s best whites in the picturesque Danube Valley—just an hour west of Vienna.

Where To Stay:

The gorgeous town of Dürnstein has the nicest and most convenient lodging options around, including the Hotel Richard Löwenherz (richardloewenherz.at) and the high-end Hotel Schloss Dürnstein (schloss.at). They both have gourmet restaurants with terraces right over the river. If you want more of an urban vibe, stay in nearby Langenlois at the ultra-modern Loisium Wine Resort and Spa (loisiumhotel.com), whose tasting room and restaurant are also fantastic and near wineries in the Kamptal Valley, like Hirsch (weingut-hirsch.at) and Loimer (loimer.at).

What To Do:

Spend an evening sampling the region’s wines at the atmospheric Alter Klosterkeller (alter-klosterkeller.at) right near the entrance to Dürnstein, then wander the alleys until you find other heurigen, or taverns. You can find them by the traditional green boughs hanging above the doors. Across the river, in the town of Mautern, stop in at the historical Nikolaihof winery (nikolaihof.at) for a review of their biodynamic wines and a meal in their famous organic restaurant or head into the hills near Gottweig Abbey for a tasting at Geyerhof (geyerhof.at).

On the non-wine side, the region is rich in history, with castles perched on nearly every peak. Dürnstein Castle sits on the crag above the town, and is where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned while returning from the Crusades. Farther east are the dramatic ruins of Aggstein Castle, while the most famous sight in the area is the sprawling, baroque Melk Abbey (stiftmelk.at), the setting of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose. Or just laze the day away on a river cruise (brandner.at).

FRANCE: LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

Why Go Here:

Though Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy are more famous, Languedoc is actually France’s largest wine region (over 10,000 sq. miles). It is also one of the most historically rich and unspoiled areas to visit in France thanks to its location in the far south of the country, near the Spanish border. That means great wines, low prices and plenty to see and taste.

Where to Stay:

Chateau L’Hospitalet (gerard-bertrand.com), owned by impresario (and former rugby star) Gerard Bertrand, is a boutique property featuring all-new rooms and amenities amidst the grape vines, just a mile from the Mediterranean, near the ancient city of Narbonne. The tiny Hotel D’Alibert, on the other side of the enormous region in the hodgepodge village of Caunes-Minervois is your average B&B, with huge rooms and rock-bottom prices. What sets it apart is its proximity both to Carcassonne, several Cathar sites like the dramatically quarried city of Minervois and some of Languedoc’s best wineries. Fred Guiraud (Frederic.Dalibert@wanadoo.fr), the owner, will be happy to help you with an itinerary.

What To Do:

We’d suggest concentrating your trip around an appellation whose wines you like, or picking some historical sights (or beaches) you want to visit and checking out the wineries around there. For instance, take advantage of the region’s natural splendor by hiking up to a few of the abandoned Cathar fortresses (payscathare.org) that dot the hilltops, like Queribus and Peyreperteuse, and then taste the wines of the nearby town of Maury, like Domaine Pouderoux (domainepouderoux.fr). Head to the beach in Perpignan, then visit Domaine Cazes (cazes-rivesaltes.com) in Rivesaltes. Carcassonne is worth another half-day trip. Explore the fairy-tale city’s past while braving the tourist throngs that crowd its souvenir shops. Then taste the famous wines of nearby Minervois. Or head down to Limoux for their famous sparkling white wine.

UNITED STATES: SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

Why Go Here:

Napa might have put California wines on the map, but dynamic Santa Barbara County is producing some of the most interesting wines to come out of our state. Plus, at just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Los Angeles, it is a lot easier (and cheaper!) to plan a trip here than heading anywhere else.

Where to Stay:

Solvang is situated right in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country, just a couple miles east of the 101. Though many of the lodgings fit with the town’s Danish “It’s a Small World” vibe, try a visit to the recently refurbished Hadsten House Inn and Spa (hadstenhouse.com). The rooms are decorated in a modern style with all new furniture and flat-screen TVs, not to mention spacious bathrooms. The high-end restaurant there is good for dinner, too.

What to Do:

Your first stop should be the Taste of the Valleys (tasteofthevalleys.com) tasting room in Solvang, where you can try wines from all over the county. Then wander around Los Olivos, a few miles north of Solvang, which is full of galleries and tasting rooms like that of Saarloos and Sons (saarloosandsons.com), where you can sample the area’s wines and get directions to more wineries out in the hills.

Don’t forget to stop by Lompoc on the coast to try wines like Ampelos (ampeloscellars.com), Brewer-Clifton (brewerclifton.com), Fiddlehead (fiddleheadcellars.com) and Stolpman (stolpmanvineyards.com) in the colorfully named Wine Ghetto and Pinot Prison.

For a nice dinner, the restaurant at the Ballard Inn (ballardinn.com) between Solvang and Los Olivos cannot be beat, while there is more casual gastropub fare at Mattei’s Tavern (matteistavern.com) in a former stagecoach hotel outside Los Olivos.