The most magical wineries are not necessarily the most famous or the most expensive: they are the ones where landscape, history, and craft converge . Today we continue the journey started in part 1, travelling to the vineyards of Burgundy, Champagne, Georgia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (Bourgogne)
Located in the village of Vosne-Romanée in Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti has origins dating to 1232, when its vineyards belonged to the Benedictine monks at the Abbey of Saint-Vivant. Today it is widely regarded as the most revered wine estate on earth, and its philosophy reflects that with striking restraint. The domaine’s ethos is built on discretion, humility, and quality.
DRC produces exclusively Grand Cru wines across seven appellations, with yields averaging just 25hl/ha. Each cluster is handpicked in small baskets and sorted by hand; it takes the fruit of three vines to produce a single bottle. Horses have been reintroduced to farm the soils to avoid compaction.
Access requires an established négociant relationship, but the village and surrounding grands crus can be walked and explored freely. Guided tours depart from the Vosne Tasting Club, walking past the domaine and up into the vineyards before finishing with a tasting of five wines from Vosne-Romanée and neighbouring appellations.
Insider tip: Stay in Beaune, 30 minutes south. Visit during Les Trois Glorieuses in November for the world’s most theatrical wine auction. Book six months ahead minimum.
Maison Ruinart (Champagne)
Founded in 1729, Maison Ruinart is the oldest Champagne house in the world, renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship, heritage, and production of high-quality Champagne, particularly its Blanc de Blancs, made entirely from Chardonnay.
Its most extraordinary asset sits 40 metres underground: Ruinart’s crayères. former chalk quarries first mined in the fifth century, form a labyrinth of 8km of immaculately white tunnels across two levels. The humidity, temperature, and absence of light are ideal for ageing Champagne, and the crayères are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ruinart offers several visitor experiences, from a guided tour of the chalk cellars with a tasting of two cuvées, to a full gastronomic half-day that includes a five-course lunch paired with the Maison’s wines, followed by a tour of the gardens and the Craft & Raw Materials exhibition. It is also the only Champagne house with evening opening until 8 or 10pm.
Insider tip: The cellar tour and tasting lasts two hours. Book well ahead: tours are limited to 12 people and popular slots fill weeks in advance.
Pheasant’s Tears (Kakheti)
Founded in 2007 by American artist John Wurdeman and winemaker Gela Patalishvili, Pheasant’s Tears takes its name from a Georgian saying that only the very best wines are good enough to make a pheasant cry with joy.
The estate farms 28 hectares and maintains a remarkable vineyard library of over 300 grape varieties. All wines are organic and biodynamic, made exclusively in qvevri — traditional Georgian clay vessels buried in the ground — with no oak and no steel. The resulting wines are unlike anything in the classical European tradition: amber, tannic, deeply aromatic, fermented on skins with techniques ranging from three weeks to six months of contact depending on the variety.
The estate sits in the walled hilltop town of Signagi, overlooking the broad Alazani Valley with the Greater Caucasus beyond. Tastings take place at the winery, and the restaurant serves a daily-changing menu built entirely around what is fresh in the local market.
Insider tip: Visit in October for the rtveli harvest. Tbilisi is 90 minutes west. Book the restaurant in advance as it fills quickly.
Penfolds Magill Estate (Adelaide)
Founded in 1844 by Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold in the Adelaide foothills, Magill Estate is one of the world’s few urban single vineyards , just 8km from the Adelaide CBD, with views over the original vineyard and city skyline.
At its heart stands Grange Cottage, the Penfolds’ original home, alongside the heritage-listed bluestone cellars, underground drives, and Still House that have anchored the estate for nearly two centuries. The estate houses three distinct dining experiences: the Magill Estate Cellar Door, the fine dining Magill Estate Restaurant led by acclaimed chef Scott Huggins, and the more relaxed Magill Estate Kitchen — all overlooking the vineyard.
Visitor experiences include a guided walk and tasting of the most coveted wines including Grange, and a seven-course Twilight Degustation Dinner. The centrepiece is Grange, the wine born from a single vineyard first planted here in 1844, which would go on to become Australia’s most celebrated and internationally recognised bottle.
Insider tip: Book the Ultimate Penfolds Experience for Grange access. The Twilight Tour and Degustation Dinner is the standout for special occasions. Pre-booking essential.
Felton Road (Central Otago)
In the world’s most southerly wine region, snow-capped mountains surround Felton Road’s four fully organic and biodynamic vineyards. African Boer goats roam the estate to manage the wild Briar roses, while down in the Voodoo Lounge, natural biodynamic preparations are made for the soils in place of chemical sprays.
The estate is composed of four north-facing vineyards on warm schist slopes in Bannockburn — Elms, MacMuir, Calvert, and Cornish — each producing distinct expressions of Pinot Noir, alongside Chardonnay and Riesling. Biodynamic since the early 2000s, Felton Road is considered one of New Zealand’s top producers and among the finest cool-climate Pinot Noir addresses in the world.
Tours are intimate and guided, taking visitors through the gravity-fed, largely solar-powered winery built into the hillside, followed by a tasting of the range. Visitors consistently describe the experience as among the finest at any winery in the world: unhurried, deeply personal, and free of charge.
Insider tip: Weekday appointments only so book well ahead. Stay in Queenstown, 35 minutes east. April for harvest. Combine with Burn Cottage and Mt Difficulty for the full Bannockburn picture.
A 13th-century Burgundy vineyard tended by horses; a chalk labyrinth beneath Reims carved before the French Revolution; a Georgian hilltop winery keeping 8,000-year-old methods alive.
What connects these magical wineries? A commitment to place, craft, and a sense of local authenticity that makes each glass worth truly unique – and worth travelling for.
Ready to plan your wine journey? We are on hand to design a bespoke itinerary connecting you with some of world’s most magical wineries. Each journey is customized to your preferences, timeline, and level of wine knowledge—from first-time enthusiasts to seasoned collectors.
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