The great global wine adventure ‘Around the World in 80 Harvests' has launched, and British wine journalist Amanda Barnes is now high up in the Andes in South America. Her action-packed schedule is taking her to vineyards and wineries to interview producers in Peru and Bolivia before moving down to Argentina, then Chile, Uruguay and Brazil from March until May.
South America is the first leg, but the two-year 80 Harvests journey will document 80 wine regions in 42 countries around the world during their harvest period. The trip will take in the great classics like Champagne, Burgundy and the Mosel, through to less-travelled wine routes, such as Thailand, Namibia and India.
“The key to understanding any wine is to understand where it comes from - the people, the place, the conditions and the traditions,” says creator and wine journalist Amanda Barnes. “There is no better time to get to grips with the ‘terroir’ than when the grapes are being harvested. This is the ethos behind 80 Harvests.”
Harnessing the power of today’s technology, 80 Harvests aims to bring wine enthusiasts along on this journey to meet winemakers and viticulturists, learn about wine history and culture through live-streamed videos, online wine tastings, a monthly digital magazine, webinars, photography and wine travel guides to each region. Top producers and renowned experts will be on hand to give the insider’s view and intel on each region.
Content is already being recorded and 80 Harvests will soon launch its interactive website and digital content. A temporary website with the first harvests is being launched on March 10.
80 Harvests invites wine lovers and professionals to participate in the adventure through the online community and to support the recently launched Kickstarter campaign between now and March 27, which will provide the initial seed funding for the project. 80 Harvests is also seeking corporate sponsors and partners in wine, travel, events, technology, tourism and other related industries.
To find out more and get access to all the information on each of the 80 wine regions throughout the journey, please visit and support the Kickstarter campaign: kickstarter.80harvests.com or www.80harvests.com. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact amanda@80harvests.com.
wine.co.za is delighted to be partnering with Amanda and you can keep abreast of the goings-on in our Spotlight page.