Wine Regions To Watch In 2012

We are fortunate to be living in a "golden age" of wine. Never before have there been so many easily available choices of grape varietals and blends from such a vast number of countries. More accessible, too, are the countries and regions that these new wines come from. Given the startling increase in the number of wine lovers who travel to regions where their favorite vintages are made to meet iconic winemakers, and taste and tour at wineries, it is exciting to look at the wine regions that will be the proverbial talk of the town in 2012. So here are our five picks for swilling and spitting this year.

Ribera del Duero, Spain

From the first moment that you pair a platter of suckling lamb with the wines of Ribera del Duero, it strikes you how regionally specific the wines are here, and how they impart a sense of place. The wine region is a 90-minute drive from Madrid, and is as famous for brawny red wines as it is for suckling lamb (lechazo).

While the town of Peñafiel is the geographic center of the region, a more ideal base a few miles away is the elegant accommodation at Posada Fuente de la Acena, a lovingly restored 300-year-old flour mill set on a weir that is comprised of several rooms and a fine restaurant on the banks of the river Duero (which becomes the Douro as it flows west and enters Portugal).

Ribera is not as hyped as the more glamorous Rioja region, but it produces some of Spain's finest red wines. Vega Sicilia is located here, with wines that are as inaccessible as the winery itself can

(Photo courtesy of Flickr/Gronberg)

No less enjoyable were visits to Legaris, where vine management and drip irrigation is an art form, and Tinto Pesquera, which comes as close to providing a traditional winery visit experience as you will find in the Ribera. For the most part, vineyard owners or winemakers need only half an excuse to bring out the manchego and jamón to present with their wines. This humble and generous tradition in medieval settings left me with an impression of abundant generosity.

Mendoza, Argentina

Argentina is one of a handful of countries where the U.S. dollar still goes a long way, it's an easy overnight flight from New York City, and has a wine region whose landscape is changing very rapidly — Mendoza.

Mendoza's Luján de Cuyo Valley contains the country's winemaking standard bearers; it also has Cavas Wine Lodge, which may get the nod as the most romantic accommodation on a vineyard, globally. The approach to each adobe-style villa is literally through vineyards, but the coup de grace

(Photo courtesy of Darren Humphreys)

And, you'll constantly feel like an insider. "You have extra time?" is a question enthusiastically asked by many winery staff and what is intended as a one-hour visit rapidly morphs into two and a half leisurely hours. Their all-encompassing hospitality can easily see you horseback-riding through vineyards or enjoying asado among the vines.

South Africa

A classic bridge between Old World and New World winemaking regions, South Africa showcases some of the finest wines in the Southern Hemisphere, against the backdrop of magnificent scenery. At the tip of the African continent, the region enjoys the maritime influence of the meeting point of two oceans, yielding a remarkable diversity of wines. As a result, there are a variety of wineless activities to enjoy in the region as well — hot air ballooning, chocolate making, and cheese tasting among them.

When you consider the quality and variety of wines, the standard of accommodation, and the concentration of top class culinary spots, the South African wine region is an unbeatable destination for wine lovers. Too often the region is considered an addendum to a broader trip to Southern Africa, yet it should be so much more than that.

Steenberg in Constantia has an intriguingly designed tasting room and deli-bistro, an ideal spot to sip the flagship Magna Carta blend, currently the most expensive white blend in the country. In sharp contrast, the adjacent Klein Constantia is a proudly traditional wine farm, with a rich history visible all along the walls of the tasting room. Napoleon's favorite tipple, the muscat-dominated Vin de Constance, exceeds expectations.

In nearby Stellenbosch, Kevin Arnold, proprietor of Waterford Estate knows that regional wines can compete with the best global offers and is intent on crafting a flagship wine to prove his point (and to my mind, he will succeed with "The Jem"). To showcase the estate and the region, he has created the world's first Wine Safari, a trip through the vineyard in a Land Rover where one of the many highlights is tasting wines among the vines from which the fruit originates. Truly memorable. (Photo courtesy of Darren Humphreys)

Le Quartier Francais is a boutique hotel nestled in the magnificent Franschhoek Valley, which is head and shoulders above the competition when choosing a base from which to explore this rapidly changing region. You are certain to depart this region of the world with regret; the genuine and almost boyish enthusiasm for wine is contagious.

Douro Valley, Portugal

Portugal's Douro Valley is arguably the wine world's current best kept secret. Rustic and romantic, this is a region that offers many of the same food and wine experiences as Italy, without the high prices and crazy crowds. The coastal town of Porto is the gateway to the Douro Valley and an ideal location to taste and experience the history of the country's port houses (many of which are now making fine, earthy red wines).

The five famed "Douro Valley Boys" are making cutting edge wines in the Valley. One the greatest characters among them is Cristiano van Zeller, proprietor of Quinta Vale D. Maria. His wines have such backbone and structure that, when you take their complexity into account, they would stand

(Photo courtesy of Darren Humphreys)

Consider all of this against the region's rich visual tapestry — in almost impractical fashion, terraced vineyards encircle hillocks that shear upwards from the Douro River. To provide a sense of the scale, the terracing in the Douro Valley is bigger than the Great Wall of China in both volume and length.

Aquapura is a boutique hotel without equal in the region as a base from which to explore the valley. It is so inviting that you may almost be tempted to taste Douro wines from their extensive list rather than venture further into the wine region... well, almost.

Tuscany, Italy

Don't be jaded by this well-discovered and seemingly been-there-done-that region. Aside from the rule of thumb that anyone who has tired of Tuscany's wine region has tired of life, there is the emergence of a new generation of exciting, independent winemakers to look forward to. This was in evidence at the inaugural Divino Tuscany event in June 2011, which showcased the top Super Tuscan and brunello producers in the region.

The region is very easily accessible from Florence, but the best way to explore the region is to reserve accommodations at a working winery. Two of the best and most authentic choices in the region are Dievole and Rocca delle Macie, both of which produce a broad range of excellent wines. The former is a remote estate that evokes thoughts of ancient Italian monasteries. It has a

(Photo courtesy of Flickr/mzarro)

Finally: Petrolo. You may not have heard of it yet, but buy it before you can no longer. A visit to the winery is incomplete without meeting its owner, Luca Sanjust, the renowned and colorful Italian artist. His Galatrona, 100 percent merlot, is likened to Petrus by many knowledgeable Pomerol lovers.

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