8 Places Where Wine Meets Culture

Oct. 16, 2012— -- intro: Wine tourism experts say you should visit no more than three tasting rooms a day on an enotourism vacation. Anything more overtaxes the palate. What to do when not sipping? If you're in one of the wine regions that doubles as an under-the-radar cultural hub, you could check out a play, an art walk or an open-air music festival. Many will even let you attend glass-in-hand.

quicklist: 1category: title: Languedoc-Roussillon: France's 'New World'text: People in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine industry refer to it as "the New World of France" because the rules of winemaking are much more progressive than in Bordeaux or Burgundy, and the winemakers more adventurous. Plus, the average price point is more affordable, making these wines perfect to sip at the area's many concerts, parties and festivals.media: 17483708

quicklist: 2category: title: Earth, Wind & Fire at Jazz Festival L'Hospitalettext: The quasi-official spokesman for the region is one Gerard Bertrand, former rugby captain, legendary host and promoter of "Art de Vivre." Annual events such as Jazz Festival at L'Hospitalet bring thousands of attendees, including international bon vivants from Australia and America, Parisian intellectuals and the entire population of neighboring villages. media: 17483673

quicklist: 3category: title: Napa Valley: More Arts Every Yeartext:Because Crush season only comes once a year -- and also because the locals need something besides Cabernet to occupy their minds -- Napa has an ever-more-robust arts and culture calendar. The dancers pictured performed in the Napa Valley Festival del Sole, an annual 10-day classical music and dance extravaganza.media: 17483819

quicklist: 4category: title: Napa Valley Film Festival Screening at NV Opera Housetext: Although its inauguration was only last year, the Napa Valley Film Festival is receiving press from national entertainment magazines going into its "Second Annual" run, causing triumphant shouts to ring out around the Valley. The dates are Nov. 7-11, 2012, but don't wait to snag tickets.media: 17483779

quicklist: 5category: title: Beacon on the Hudsontext: Home to Woodstock Byrdcliffe Arts Colony (the oldest continuing artists' colony in the United States), the Hudson Valley encompasses 10 burgeoning arts communities in all. They come together under the umbrella organization Art Along the Hudson, hosting events and open studio weekends through the end of October.media: 17483654

quicklist: 6category: title: Balloon Launch at Highland HudsonFesttext: On the wine side, there are more than 25 wineries in the region, including 11 on the Shawangunk Wine Trail that runs through Woodstock Byrdcliffe. More than 60 events are on the calendar for the 2012 harvest season, which wraps in mid-November. Highland HudsonFest, pictured, takes place on Columbus Day Weekend, the same as O+ Festival in Kingston and Celebration of the Arts in New Paltz.media: 17483640

quicklist: 7category: title: Porto, Cultural Hub of the Douro Valleytext: In Portugal's famous port-producing Douro Valley, the bustling hub city of Porto isn't just a great "base camp" for wine tourists, but also an up-and-coming cultural destination. Annual Porto cultural events include Fantasporto, the Porto International Film Festival, in February-March; and Serralves em Festa, a huge three-day contemporary art festival held June. media: 17483836

quicklist: 8category: title: Film, Food & Wine in the Alto Dourotext: Further afield, the Alto Douro region now has its own Douro Film Harvest that occurs at the peak of the grape harvest. Most of the films screened are food and wine-related, to underscore the importance of viniculture in this region's history and identity.

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