Luxembourg
Sparkling wine from Luxembourg’s Moselle region.
Australia
Bold red wine from regions like Barossa and McLaren Vale.
France
Bordeaux wine is worth adding because it feels like something you actually noticed while travelling through France, rather than a generic souvenir. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. The ideal version is modestly priced, not too bulky, and good enough that you would buy it again even without the holiday memory.
Uruguay
Bold red wine made from Uruguay’s signature grape.
Chile
This is exactly the sort of thing I like bringing back from Chile: small enough to fit in a bag, but specific enough to remind you where you bought it. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. It is also the kind of thing you can talk about when someone asks what you brought back, because there is usually a little story attached to where you found it.
Cyprus
Sweet Cypriot dessert wine with a long history, made from sun-dried grapes.
Georgia
When I think of an easy, crowd-pleasing thing to bring back from Georgia, Georgian qvevri wine is a good pick because it does not need much explanation when you hand it over. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. I would rate it higher when it is locally made, clearly labelled and easy to use at home, and lower when it is just tourist packaging.
Canada
This is exactly the sort of thing I like bringing back from Canada: small enough to fit in a bag, but specific enough to remind you where you bought it. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. It is also the kind of thing you can talk about when someone asks what you brought back, because there is usually a little story attached to where you found it.
Argentina
When I think of an easy, crowd-pleasing thing to bring back from Argentina, Malbec wine is a good pick because it does not need much explanation when you hand it over. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. I would rate it higher when it is locally made, clearly labelled and easy to use at home, and lower when it is just tourist packaging.
Portugal
When I think of an easy, crowd-pleasing thing to bring back from Portugal, port wine is a good pick because it does not need much explanation when you hand it over. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. I would rate it higher when it is locally made, clearly labelled and easy to use at home, and lower when it is just tourist packaging.
Spain
Rioja wine is worth adding because it feels like something you actually noticed while travelling through Spain, rather than a generic souvenir. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. The ideal version is modestly priced, not too bulky, and good enough that you would buy it again even without the holiday memory.
Hungary
Famous Hungarian sweet wine made with botrytised grapes.
Germany
When I think of an easy, crowd-pleasing thing to bring back from Germany, Riesling wine is a good pick because it does not need much explanation when you hand it over. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. I would rate it higher when it is locally made, clearly labelled and easy to use at home, and lower when it is just tourist packaging.
Austria
Grüner Veltliner wine is worth adding because it feels like something you actually noticed while travelling through Austria, rather than a generic souvenir. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. The ideal version is modestly priced, not too bulky, and good enough that you would buy it again even without the holiday memory.
Moldova
Good-value red or white wine from Moldova’s historic wine regions.
South Africa
When I think of an easy, crowd-pleasing thing to bring back from South Africa, pinotage wine is a good pick because it does not need much explanation when you hand it over. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. I would rate it higher when it is locally made, clearly labelled and easy to use at home, and lower when it is just tourist packaging.
Armenia
This is exactly the sort of thing I like bringing back from Armenia: small enough to fit in a bag, but specific enough to remind you where you bought it. Wine is a great memory of a meal, but I would wrap it carefully and only carry it when the luggage situation makes sense. It is also the kind of thing you can talk about when someone asks what you brought back, because there is usually a little story attached to where you found it.
New Zealand
Crisp, aromatic white wine with citrus and tropical notes.
Montenegro
Balkan red wine made from the Vranac grape.
Wine from one of North Macedonia’s best-known wine regions.