For wine enthusiasts, one of the best things about traveling is the opportunity to try out local speciality wines in every destination on the road. The hunt for the perfect wine is an on-going adventure for many travellers, and something that people take pretty seriously. Luxury cruise provider Cunard recently updated their extensive wine list for all their ships, so we thought it’d be fun to do a round-up of some of the most iconic and must-try wines from some of the places you can visit on a round the world cruise with Cunard.

Cunard’s world cruises visit the USA and Canada, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Central America and the Panama Canal, Africa, the Middle East, the Far East and Australasia and the Pacific Islands. We’ve selected just a few wines to look out for if you take a trip round the world – although there will doubtless be plenty more to try out, and local experts should always be able to point you towards any particularly special wines.

Read more about round the world cruises from Cunard here, and see our guide below to discover some of the best wines that await you if you’re travelling across the globe any time soon.

The USA and Canada

The vineyards of California in the USA are amongst the most legendary on the planet, so there is plenty of great wine to choose from in this part of the world.

The Marston Family Vineyard has been operating above the Napa Valley for many decades, and under the direction of its current owners, Alexandra and Michael Marston, since the 1970s. They are particularly well known for producing limited runs of high quality sauvignon blanc, in the mid-range price bracket. It’s a beautiful vineyard to visit and an excellent bottle for your collection.

To pick up more moderately priced wines that carry real character and flavour, check out Cellar No. 8; made in California’s Asti Winery. Said to go particularly well with a barbeque, grilled chicken and other classic American dishes, Cellar No. 8’s cabernet sauvignon is definitely one to try out while you’re in the US. Find out more and watch a video about the winery here.

Canada is best known for ice wine – a dessert wine that is made from grapes which are frozen on the vine by the cold weather and pressed while still frozen to make a sweeter, more concentrated wine. But despite its reputation as one of the main producers of ice wine, Canada has other wine making muscles that it’s keen to flex.

British Columbia and Ontario are the main wine producing areas of the country, and they play host to a growing Canadian wine industry. Among the rising stars of Canadian wine are the critically acclaimed Rieslings by the Tantalus Vineyards in BC; and the 2008 Portfolio, a blended Bordeaux from Laughing Stock Vineyards who are based in BC’s Okanagan Valley.

Hawaii

Hawaii is of course part of the US, but it deserves its own mention on this list because it’s a whole different ball game to the vineyards of California. Plus it’s a dream destination that is really all its own. Most of Hawaii’s wine is of the fruity, sparkling variety and is produced in Maui, at wineries such as the Volcano Winery and Maui’s Winery at Ulupalakua Ranch.

On a visit to the Volcano Winery be sure to try their Honey Wine. Made from macadamia nut honey, it’s a unique Hawaiian treat and well worth taking a bottle or two home as gifts for friends or family. Maui’s Winery at Ulupalakua Ranch is especially known for its pineapple wines, made from handpicked Maui Gold pineapples. All their pineapple wines are very modestly priced and offer a true taste of Hawaii.

Africa

Of all the countries on this beautiful continent, South Africa is probably best known for its wine output. Some of the most successful wineries in South Africa are the Ken Forrester Vineyards, Hamilton Russell and Tokara.

If you find yourself in the prolific winelands of the Cape, be sure to pay a visit to one of South Africa’s oldest and most celebrated wineries, the Vergelegen Estate. This winery has been established for over 300 years and has really flourished since André van Rensburg was brought in to oversee the Vergelegen cellars in the early 2000s. You can visit the estate and book onto tours of the winery almost every day of the year. So don’t miss the chance to try out some of the Cape’s best wines.

The Simonsig Estate, also located in the Cape, is one of the most beautiful vineyard locations you might hope to visit. It is widely known as one of the great producers of high quality wine which enthusiasts of all experience levels can truly appreciate. Simonsig is associated in particular with pioneering Méthode Cap Classique – a sparkling wine made using the same methods used to produce champagne. You can take a tour or enjoy some wine tasting at the estate, while taking in the incredible views of mountains and South African countryside.

The Middle East

The Middle East is emerging as a worthy player in the international wine market, with wineries popping up in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and beyond that are impressing connoisseurs despite their bottles being exported in much lower volumes than other more established wine regions. If you find yourself in the Middle East you should definitely take the opportunity to try out some of the local wines being produced.

In Jordan the Zumot Wines estate has been making waves with their unique methods for cultivating vines. They take an organic approach to grape growing, for example by fertilising the ground with naturally occurring nitrates produced by fish in the local river. Zumot Wines were the first to ever grow wine grapes in Jordan, and the experiment has paid off with the media taking more and more notice over the last few years. Check out their website to find out more.

Meanwhile in Syria, the country’s first modern winery is thriving despite a crushing civil war making business ever more challenging. Château Bargylus was founded by two brothers and has been very positively received since its first output in 2006. They specialise in combination wines that merge cabernet sauvignon, Shiraz and merlot grapes to create complex, floral wines.

Wherever in the world you find yourself, be sure to try out some of these fantastic wines and maybe even bring a few bottles home to mark a memorable trip.

This post was brought to you in partnership with Cunard.