The only thing better than drinking world-class wines is living on those sumptuous wine estates that produce such wines. Estates that are situated in the most ideal locations that boast the most ideal weather: sunny by day and cool by night.
Estates with the most aromatic of scents: the briny ocean and smoky mountains intermingling with nearby sun-warmed lavender; the crispiness of apples colliding with the muskiness of garden-fresh melons. All these fragrances culminate into the blossoming of the most luscious, delectable grapes.
Can you not smell those subtle aromas of a blooming grape cluster? Smell the sweetest of ephemeral aromas, not cloying or overly saturated in any way? Such scents exude as you drink your bottle of Chianti or Malbec on a massive stone patio, watching the gentle sway of grape-bearing vines in the most magnificent of grooves sprawled out as far as your eye can see. This is, indeed, the good life as toasted by oenophiles around the world.
And for those who are fortunate enough to own a piece of wine country, their dream lies in the sipping of vino, eyeing the vineyard vistas and feeling the verve on a daily basis while situated in one of the three world’s most revered wine regions.
Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux, France is the world's largest wine region that is bien adapté for unparalleled wine to flourish. It is the perfect location to experience idyllic French persuasions for those seeking wine-producing châteaux, vineyards, wineries and overarching plane-trees along rural roadways.
Bordeaux is the perfect location for a house to sit in an elevated position overlooking the surrounding vineyard.
A chateau that has a vast living room with an original period stone fireplace, a chevron oak parquet floor, high ceilings and French windows adds to the charm of any ideal French property that produces the finest of world-renowned wines.
To live here is to experience Bordeaux at its best, boldest and most beautiful. Year round.
Tuscany, Italy
Tuscany ranks quite high on that list of Best Places To Live, wine connoisseur or not. Each home has its own character accompanied by lands that yield the most spectacular wines. Every element of this tranquil Italian countryside serves to culminate into creating that perfect sip.
In Tuscan wine regions, it's not uncommon to see the most impressive of cypresses gracefully leading up to an estate's grand entrance, surrounded by those quintessential grounds with magnificent marble fountains and sculptures. Such grounds are bounded with fragrant formal gardens, as well as olive groves, vineyards and, at times, a private forest.
Tuscany is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and the reasons are so clearly evident. Raise your wine glass and toast Tuscany's artistic legacy and its continuing influence on high culture for many more years to come. “Salute! Cento di questi giorni.”
It doesn't get more Italian than a charming, luxury home with numerous amenities that include three swimming pools surrounded by sweeping terraces, superbly situated to overlook the majestic views of the encompassing gardens, forestry and Chianti hills.
Tuscany is an exclusive province that has remained largely unchanged for centuries: from notable wine estates, vineyards, farmhouses and stone houses that remain full of character and original features and reflect the legendary landscapes and antiquity of this district. It is no wonder that Tuscany is referred to as "a nation within a nation." The magic behind that stupendous bottle of wine, that sumptuous grape.
Napa Valley, California
It's so easy to get into that Napa-state-of-mind: warm weather, stunning views and sophisticated viticulture and refined culinary arts. The luscious green hills and valleys lure many to live their life of luxury here, one of the most spectacular wine regions in the world.
A perennially popular warm season makes for the most incredible recreational paradise year round.
It's effortless to live in a home with a series of private pavilions, terraces and courtyards that are embraced by unparalleled 360-degree views of rolling grasslands and undulating vineyards. Not to mention the most stunning of interiors imaginable.
Add in some green hills and canopied trees with the most incredulous mountain vistas and you're in California wine country. And here to stay.
It simply does not get any better. Unless, of course, you also have a glass of fine wine in your hand.