HX Expeditions has been guiding curious travellers on mindful adventures since 1896 and renowned for its pole-to-pole expeditions.

HX Expeditions has just launched one of the most adventurous collaborations in wine and travel. A handcrafted barrel of Austrian fortified wine is set sail from Hamburg last week, beginning a voyage from pole to pole.

The barrel of Fortified Zweigelt created by Austria’s historic Regele Vineyard, was ceremoniously brought on board MS Spitsbergen in Hamburg. From Hamburg, it will travel aboard the HX fleet, passed from ship to ship as it sails to the farthest corners of the globe. From Antarctica’s vast white wilderness to the icy beauty of the Arctic, the wine will absorb not only the rhythm of the sea but also the pioneering spirit of exploration that has defined HX for over a century.

What makes the wine even more special is that fortified wines are almost unheard of in Austria. Seventh-generation winemaking family The Regeles have taken Austria’s signature red grape, Zweigelt, and applied the traditional method of halting fermentation with Styrian wine distillate, inspired by Port and Madeira. This bold experiment blends heritage, innovation, adventure... and the wine’s epic ocean voyage may even add new layers of flavour and complexity.

On May 5, 2027 the barrel’s journey will conclude, back where it began, in Hamburg and it will be unloaded from MS Fridtjof Nansen after circumnavigating the world and crossing both poles.

Once bottled, this remarkable anniversary vintage will embody the taste of exploration itself - a celebratory fusion of history, heritage, and adventure.