For those who want to learn a little bit more about what’s in their glass, however, you needn’t look far, nor should you rack up a huge bill in doing so.

Skip the fancy tours and do what the French tourist do, heading directly to the source of the wine, whether it’s red, white, or bubbly.

More France tips for Cheapos:
• The best SIM Cards to use in France
• 10-day France itinerary from Paris to Marseille
• 22 phrases every visitor to France should learn

Visiting French vineyards on a budget

From the vineyards of Bordeaux to the Champagne cellars around Epernay, it’s easy to experience the local wares in a unique way on your next trip to France.

Champagne

Sparkling white wine made anywhere else cannot dare call itself Champagne, and on a visit to a cellar somewhere in the region, east of Paris, you’ll learn why. The big houses like Pommery and Veuve-Clicquot offer standard visits and tastings, accessible directly from the train station in Reims.

For something even more special, there are smaller houses out there that you might want to explore.

Consider supporting family-run, independent Champagne makers like AR Lenoble who offer generous tastings and pairings in their center just outside Epernay, though you’ll need a car to get there! Tastings start around €35 — a good deal considering how pricey Champagne can be, and how good AR Lenoble’s is!

Bordeaux

It’s perhaps the most well-known wine outside of France, but beyond the name, what do you actually know about it? Is a Bordeaux Supérieur better than a Médoc or a St-Emilion? So many questions!

Travel to this southwestern France city and you’ll realize that there are no vineyards to be seen within walking distance, and the idea of renting a car and driving out to visit them is doable, but not the cheapest option.

Fortunately, the tourism office offers trips to the vineyards and chateaus to learn all about it, with the most affordable starting at €42 for a bus ride and a half-day excursion to two properties, all in French and English.

It may seem like a touristy thing to do, but it’s one of the best ways to get out there and learn a bit en route. You could always attend the annual Marathon du Médoc if you really want to experience Bordeaux’s best wines while on the run, but that’s another level of dedication that you might not be ready for yet.

Related: Our favorite chap hotels in Bordeaux | Visiting Bordeaux on a budget

Loire Valley

More known for its castles than its wine, the Loire Valley, just southwest of Paris, produces some of France’s most beloved wines like Chinon and Touraine. Many small producers in the area throw their doors wide open to tourists who want to visit and learn more about their vintages.

The office of tourism has a great resource for visitors — some translation needed on the site, sorry! You can reserve tastings, including pairings with cheeses, for mere euros. Try a wine you may have never tasted, like Vouvray, which also comes in a sparkling version that rivals Champagne!

A picturesque vineyard in Burgundy. Photo: Aapo

Burgundy

Burgundy wines are known to be refined reds, but there are whites to discover as well! The Bourgogne region, southeast of Paris, boasts some of France’s most sought-after wines, and a visit to local vineyards between the towns of Dijon and Beaune are worth a stopover for any wine-lover.

Adventurous cheapos might want to hop the bus 113 that, for just €1.50, travels between towns with winemakers including Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Ladoix-Serrigny, and Aloxe-Corton. A little planning will go a long way to taste the best of Burgundy in these towns.

Otherwise, stop into Beaune and follow the office of tourism’s menu of local wine tastings where some are just a few euros.

Côtes-du-Rhône

The name might not be instantly familiar, but this region around Lyon is popular for its Beaujolais, the first wine of the season that has become something of a marketing tool. Heard of that one, right? Still, the region produces many fantastic reds, and the office of tourism provides all the options on their website.

Some visits and tastings are even free — but it’ll be hard not to leave with a bottle or two. These winemakers know what they’re doing! Don’t feel obligated, but at the same time, going home with a bottle of anything, straight from its production site, gives you a better story to tell than just picking up some anonymous bottle in a supermarket!

Your wine tasting tips

Have you visited any wineries in France? Let us know where you go to sip your favorite wines.

The post France: How go wine tasting on a budget at world-class vineyards appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Croteaux Vineyards

But before you vow to visit every wine bar on the island in a weekend, consider a trip to the wine country of North Fork, Long Island. You’ll taste wine that’s just as good, and it’s only a day (trip) away!

Vines, Trains, and Bicycles

On the train ride from Penn Station to Mattituck ($33.50 round-trip), you’ll watch the buildings of the city fade into wide open spaces and long, luxurious stretches of green. And that’s when the fun really begins.

You see, there are no sidewalks along North Fork’s main road, making walking to wineries somewhat unwise, and while there is always the tour route, these standardize the experience, and are decidedly un-Cheapo. Our preferred means of transportation — friendly to the wallet and to the spirit — is the bike rental. What’s better than stepping off the train in the adorable town of Mattituck and heading to Adventure Cycles and Sports, where you can hop on a bicycle ($25) and pedal off to drink, eat and be merry?

Days of Wine and Rosés

Sherwood House

We found the family-run Croteaux Vineyards (1450 South Harbor Road, 631-765-6099), with its idyllic courtyard and its deliciously pink wines, to be nothing short of magical. But if you’re visiting at the end of the season, call before you go: Once the small operation runs out of wines, it is done for the year.

Slightly larger, but no less enchanting, is the Sherwood House (2600 Oregon Road, 631-298-1396), where you can taste a wider array of non-pink wines in a vibrant, eclectic outdoor setting. Before leaving, ask for corks to take next door to Shinn Estate Vineyards (2000 Oregon Road, 631-804-0367)—the cork-sharing program grants you discounts or additional free tastings when you bring corks from one winery to taste at the next. Most wineries are supposed to participate, so try it at the various other spots along Main Road, including a few, such as Osprey’s Dominion Vineyard (44075 Main Road, 631-765-6188), that have live music on many a weekend.

Good Eats

Love Lane Sweet Shoppe

Lest you think we advocate drinking and biking, it’s essential that we point out some spots to soak up some of that wine and give you the energy to keep on pedaling. Since wine wouldn’t be wine without a little cheese, we recommend a stop at The Village Cheese Shop (5 Love Lane, 631-298-8556). Stock up on your own assortment or stop by the café for cheese, small plates or even fondue.

If, for some strange reason, cheese isn’t your thing, head to the Love Lane Kitchen (240 Love Lane, 631-298-8989) just across the road. The place is as adorable as it sounds, and it serves up tasty sandwiches and salads made from locally sourced ingredients. Wherever you eat, be sure to stop into the Love Lane Sweet Shoppe (125 Love Lane, 631-298-2276) for a salted caramel to enjoy on the train ride back to New York City.

The post New York Day Trip: The wine country of North Fork, Long Island appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Fear not: Whether you are a wine buff or a wine buffoon,  we are here to help with a short guide to Lazio wines and to the maze of Italian classifications.

Lazio wines

Lazio, the region in which Rome is situated, is not as well known for its wines as other Italian regions such as Tuscany and Abruzzo, but it still has a fair few to sample.

In the 1930s, the Lazio region suffered from boggy, malaria-infested land. However, Mussolini initiated a “bonification” program to make the land usable, which  meant workers from the north brought down local grapes such as Merlot or Cabernet. This has led to a diverse wine industry in the region.

Around 80% of the wines produced in Lazio are white, with the best known being Frascati from the Castelli Wine Region just close to Rome and Est Est Est, from Lake Bolsena, further north towards Umbria. Lovers of red should try a sip of Cesanese del Piglio or look out for the Red Cremere (produced by local vineyard Terre del Veio). There is even a Rosato Risona Rosé wine (which is nothing like the sweet, cloying wine drunk by teenagers at the height of 1970’s sophistication).

Wine Classification System

How do you know if you are buying a wine bargain or something that would be better sprinkled on your chips? Luckily, Italy has its own system for classifying wine quality. Bring along this (not very) serious guide and you will never have to worry again…

DOCG – Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita

This classification denotes the highest quality recognition for Italian wines, and only a few achieve this status. To be sipped seriously without the use of a straw and served on very special occasions such as marriage proposals and honeymoons, or sampled freely and without discretion at wine tastings.

DOC wine – Denominazione di Origine Controllata

Good stuff. Wine that has passed a strict set of tests to ensure its provenance and to ensure that the region’s produce remains distinct. Probably one to buy for a first date or a business lunch, ensuring that the label can be seen at all times.

IGT – Indicazione di Geografica Tipica

General wines that are suitable for the table. These wines are often grown in specific geographical growing regions but without the strict controls of DOC wines. Tend to be of a lesser quality, but excellent DOC wines fall under this to avoid the paperwork for DOC status.  (It’s worth tasting them all to check.) Works well if drunk as a second bottle and/or third.

VdT – Vino Da Tavola

This signifies wines that have met no other criteria than that they were produced somewhere in Italy. Fine in an emergency, but most suitable for buying as a present to take home to relatives or colleagues that you don’t like very much.

And if all that sounds like too much hard work, ask for the house wine, or “vino sfuso,” which costs hardly anything (you should pay around €4 for half a liter) and goes down like a treat. The best advice is just to try as many as you can!

Cheers!

The post Rome: A quick guide to local wines (and Italian wine classification) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.