Wine drinkers are like no other kind of enthusiasts, as they embrace every aspect of the process which makes their beloved vino.
They are familiar with the grape, where it is grown, the quality of the vineyards and the best vintages. Wine tourism is massive right now, and true aficionados have taken it one step further than the standard vineyard tours.
They'll probably have already drunk the wine where the grape is grown, so the next step is hunting down the most unusual places to indulge in their favourite tipple. Here are just a few of the stranger places to enjoy a bottle or two...
Somewhere beneath the sea:
Six metres beneath the Red Sea off the coast of Eilat in Israel is the sublime Red Sea Star. The world's first underwater restaurant, wine bar and observatory, the watery theme runs through the décor and furniture. Sitting here sipping an Israeli Chardonnay or Merlot with a squid's eye view of the marine life is a very special experience; our advice? Don't swallow too much booze or you won't remember your Dead Sea drinks.
Fine wine in a wartime hideout:
True wine connoisseurs may well have already heard of Switzerland's Gstaad Palace, but may not know its history. This building was used in WWII as a storage vault for vital documents and gold, and if an invasion took place it was the planned hideout for the Swiss National Bank's executive board. It boasts over 940 varieties of wine currently housed in a wine cellar containing 25,000 bottles. Just try and work your way through that.
Cabernet Sauvignon in the Caribbean:
Top end resorts in the Caribbean are nothing unusual, but a sitting in a tree house with a glass of fine wine instead of rum is quite unique. This is on offer to guests of the luxury BodyHoliday Resort in St Lucia. The secluded and oh-so-romantic hideaway is 25ft above the ground, offering both stellar views of the night skies and the Caribbean Sea. This resort has a collection of 5,000 wines which are kept in their stone wine store, which works pretty much like a cellar.
The bar behind the bookcase:
The speakeasies of 1930s Chicago meet the 21st century in a unique wine bar in Hawaii. Located in The Modern Honolulu hotel on the edge of the famous Waikiki Beach, The Study is a secret bar located behind a bookshelf that is partially opened every night at 6pm to reveal what is inside. Relax on sumptuous leather sofas or ottomans and peruse the 20-strong wine list; sample a few by the glass or treat yourself to a bottle of your favourite. Boasting mainly New World wines, oenophiles can indulge in a reverse happy hour between 10pm and 2am and enjoy a selection of $7 specials.
A shocking experience in Berlin:
The Das Klo Bar in Berlin takes some beating. If you are looking for a truly bizarre drinking experience, then this is the place to come as the only thing that is actually what it seems is the wine. From the moment you are showered with water when you walk through the door to sitting on a stool that spins you around and getting electric shocks from the tables, this bar is outrageous. The bathrooms are booby-trapped too, and despite the alcohol on offer here, you'll need more after you leave to get over your visit.
A glass of red and some cacti, please:
Sipping your favourite wine at sunset is old hat now, except in Arizona. This routine experience is taken to a whole new level, as you kick off the evening with a sunset horseback ride, then you are served by a ranch wrangler who delivers you a custom-made wine picnic. This is how things are done at the chic but rugged Tanque Verde Ranch. You will soon discover that the prize at the end of every activity is a bottle of wine. These come from Texas, California and New Mexico, and are a great way to sample the very fine wines from these areas that don't make it onto the supermarket shelves in the UK.
Spooktacular wines await at the Skeleton Bar
Horror or sci-fi fans who have always wanted to sip their favourite wines in a setting straight from Transylvania will love the spooky originality of the Skeleton Bar in Gruyere, Switzerland. What won't come as any great surprise is that the interior was designed by the same man who worked his visual magic on the Alien films, HR Giger.
It's not only the wine that is chilled in the Chillout lounge
The Chillout is the first ice lounge in the Middle East. Practically everything in this bar is created from ice, from the tables and chairs to the glasses and the bar itself (happily, the staff are all 100% human). There is a $17 cover charge when you enter which buys you a drink and also covers the hire of woolly gloves, insulated shoes and a parka. This takes a chilled bottle of wine to a whole new level, and it's worth trying the chilled reds if you are purist who normally only drinks them at room temperature. Brrrilliant.