ALTON girl Amanda Barnes is about to set off on a global wine adventure that Phileas Fogg would have been proud of.

Around the World in 80 Harvests is an editorial project, inspired by Jules Vernes’ epic tale, to visit 80 of the world’s wine regions in just two years.

Amanda, 30, a wine journalist who was born in Medstead but has been based in South America since 2009, will document the wine harvests from regions as diverse as Bordeaux, Champagne, South Africa and New Zealand, through to lesser known wine regions off the beaten path found in Bolivia, Namibia, Thailand, and the vineyards in southern England.

“The plan is to bring each region alive for everyone following at home through videos, useful wine and travel guides and photography,” said Amanda.

“I want everyone to be able to drink along from the comfort of their home and discover a world of wine and what makes each region and their wines unique, as well as learning about the local cuisine and culture.”

A self-professed wine writer and drinker, seven years ago the one-time editor of the Alton Post Gazette quit her job and headed out on a wine adventure to South America, living between the vineyards of Chile and Argentina, specialising in their wine regions and writing for different books and magazines.

Now Amanda is planning to go global, researching a wine book like no other.

She said: “The World in 80 Harvests aims to bridge the gaps between the producer and wine drinker opening up 80 wine regions around the world from the highly-guarded secrets of the wine elite to the new and innovative wine routes less explored.

“Not only will the content itself be unique but also the approach. I want you to be part of the process and accompany me visiting each region while it is in full swing with the wine harvest. Discover each place through live video streams, handy guides and photography, and meet the producers in live interviews and web conferences. The end result is a book, but this story is about the journey.”

And she added: “We all love drinking it, but sometimes trying to understand wine can feel like a bad hangover. The key to a wine is its place and people, and the aim of 80 harvests is to bring each region to life so you can experience and understand it too.”

Amanda will set off from her family home in Medstead at the end of February to start the first leg of the journey when she will link up with photographers, to meet up with top winemakers, viticulturists and wine experts from the regions, as well as the best chefs and other interesting personalities to help express what is interesting about each region and how it has influenced modern-day wines.

Each region will be brought to life with video and photography from invited photographers in each region, as well as live conferences and live video streams.

While the first leg of her journey, around South America, is already self-funded, Amanda has turned to the Kickstarter – an online crowd-funding website that invites public support to helps artists, musicians, filmkakers, designers and other creators – find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality.

Amanda has got until the end of March to try to raise £20,000 via Kickstarter and has already attracted 32 backers who have pledged £2,117 so far toward her goal.

To support Amanda’s wine journey, visit kickstarter.com or 80harvests.com.