The old man saltbush margarita is a candidate for Australia's national drink.
REGION: WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON, US
The Willamette Valley produces some of the best pinot noir on Earth, but most wine lovers – even in the US – haven't heard of it (though it's just a 45-minute drive from Portland). This place is the Napa Valley 30 years ago; most wineries are family-owned and run by the descendants of hippie refugees who came to Oregon when San Francisco's Summer of Love imploded in the '60s. While there are some fancy tasting rooms and winery restaurants with stunning vineyard views, there are still more people growing Christmas trees here than wine. See willamettewines.com
ISLAND: PASSITO DI PANTELLERIA, SICILY, ITALY
Vineyards in the Dundee Hills in Oregon.Credit: Shutterstock
You wouldn't pick the island of Pantelleria, just 60 kilometres off the Tunisian coast, as a prime spot for grape growing. The tiny island has no ground water, little rainfall, sandy volcanic soils, and is so blasted by constant winds that to protect the vines, the growers plant them in holes. Even so, the hot, dusty siroccos of summer often cause the grapes to wither on the vine. Kudos to Sicily's canny winemakers for realising that these naturally dried grapes can be used to make a superb dessert wine, the copper-coloured passito di Pantelleria. See visitsicily.info/home
BEER: RAUCHBIER, BAMBERG, GERMANY
The small town of Bamberg is one of Germany's most charming, with its World Heritage-listed Old Town, its striking town hall in the middle of the river, and its surrounding hills crowned with churches. Within Germany, however, Bamberg is best known for its thriving beer scene: nine breweries within the city limits, another 70 just outside, and no fewer than 50 kinds of beer. The most famous is the dark beer known as Rauchbier – smoked beer – made with smoked malted barley. Order up a glass at the 600-year-old Schlenkerla tavern. See schlenkerla.de
Credit: Vasse Felix
RESTAURANT: VASSE FELIX, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
You could easily visit Vasse Felix, in WA's Margaret River, for the wine alone. This was the first and some would say still the best winery in the region, and the tasting and vineyard tour on offer here, including a trip to the extensive cellar, is top-notch. However, Vasse Felix also has an award-winning restaurant, where local ingredients are selected by chef Brendan Pratt to pair perfectly with the wine, and the location of the eatery, on a wide wooden balcony among the vines, is one of the best around. See vassefelix.com.au
REGION: SAO LOURENCO DO BARROCAL, PORTUGAL
Set in the countryside of the Alentejo region a few hours east of Lisbon, in the shadow of the medieval mountaintop village of Monsaraz, Sao Lourenço do Barrocal is a winery, restaurant and guesthouse that oozes rustic charm. The food it serves is seasonal, mostly grown on site, and delicious. The estate produces its own olive oil, sensational stuff available for a few euros. The wine is amazingly good, and affordable. It's no wonder so many people choose to stay here.See barrocal.pt
TREND: URBAN WINERIES, PORTLAND, OREGON, US
Don't have time to visit Oregon's famed Willamette Valley wine region? Don't worry, Portland now has 16 wineries offering tastings in the heart of the city. Check out Urban Crush, where zinfandel specialist Angel Vine shares its production facility with two other family-owned wineries. Also worth a look is Teutonic Wine Company, which focuses on cool-climate German and Alsatian-style wines. If you only have time to visit one, make it the Southeast Wine Collective, which offers tastings from 10 winemakers as well as a tasty menu of handcrafted snacks. See urbancrushwine.net, teutonicwines.com, sewinecollective.com, pdxurbanwine.com
COCKTAIL: LONGITUDE 131, ULURU, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA
The Peruvians have one. The Brazilians have one. So isn't it time Australia got a national drink? No, ice-cold beer doesn't count; we are talking about a signature cocktail with a unique taste that – like Peruvian Pisco sours or Brazilian caipirinhas – instantly conjures up the country in question. We even have a candidate in mind: the old man saltbush margarita, made with indigenous ingredients including old man saltbush, lemon myrtle and Murray River pink salt. Try one at Longitude 131, the five-star desert camp overlooking Uluru, where you can also take a class to learn how to make them. See longitude131.com
BEER: MICRO-BREWERIES, ICELAND
Here is an extraordinary fact: beer was banned in Iceland until 1989. Over the last decades, however, the locals have developed quite a taste for the amber brew, with half a dozen micro-breweries now operating on the island. Not bad for a place with a population of 300,000. You can try the local drops at Reykjavik's Micro Bar, or drop in to visit one of the family-run operations. Steoji brewery, near the Golden Circle, brews a range of seasonal beers, including the notorious whale beer (yes, made with whale meat). More palatable options include a milk stout and a strawberry summer beer. See stedji.com/english; inspiredbyiceland.com
GIN: HURDLE CREEK STILL, MILAWA, VICTORIA
Not since London's 18th-century Gin Craze have so many small-batch "mother's ruin" stills been springing up, including in the gourmet region of Milawa in Victoria's north-east, home to Hurdle Creek Still. Its Evolution Aniseed Gin, in particular, has craft cocktail makers whispering in reverent tones. Pundits have described it as epic. Producing their own base spirit and growing botanicals on site, this drop infused with aniseed, liquorice root, fennel and star anise is worth visiting the corrugated iron and rough timber still down a long dirt road. But there are several other varieties to taste, too. And you'll meet owners Simon Brooke-Taylor and Wendy Williams in this picturesque country location. See hurdlecreekstill.com.au
CELLAR DOOR: ARTISANS OF BAROSSA, SA
How many wines would you expect to be able to taste at a cellar door? Five? Six? Maybe seven or eight? At Artisans of Barossa, a combined cellar door featuring six boutique local labels, you have a choice of about 20 wines to try, many produced by some of the Barossa's best known winemakers. This is one seriously generous tasting experience, and it's complemented perfectly by Harvest Kitchen, an on-site restaurant serving up extremely good, and affordable, local fare. Don't miss the crispy fried chicken with kohlrabi – pair it with a glass of Spinifex Lola white blend, and you're away. See artisansofbarossa.com
MOCKTAILS: TROPICAL JUICES, ECUADOR
Teetotallers, rejoice. Some of the most delectable drinks in Ecuador (and neighbouring Peru, for that matter) are the tropical juices. One popular combination in Ecuador is the bicoloured guanabana y mora (soursop and blackberry). Roka Plaza Hotel, in Ambato 155 kilometres south of Quito, presents its version as though it's an expensive cocktail – garnished with an exuberant ribbon of lime peel winding its way around the entire glass, skewered in place with a strawberry and agapanthus flower. See hotelrokaplaza.com
WINERIES: FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS
Who knew Texas made wine? Turns out its winemakers are the fourth biggest producers by state in the whole country. What's more, the first wine ever made in America was made there. You'll find most Texan tasting rooms near the town of Fredericksburg, 90 minutes drive west of Austin, where there are more than 30 wineries. Don't miss Becker Vineyards, whose chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon are the best in Texas, and it's next door to the cowboy bars of former trading post town, Luckenbach, the region's most iconic country music venue, which hosts Willie Nelson. See visitfredericksburgtx.com
CONTRIBUTORS: Andrew Bain, Elspeth Callender, Ben Groundwater, Julietta Jameson, Brian Johnston, Ute Junker, Nina Karnikowski, Katrina Lobley, Rob McFarland, Craig Tansley, Larissa Dubecki, Belinda Jackson, Keith Austin.
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