10 best wine vacations in the U.S. for unforgettable tasting experiences

Some say this valley has been producing some of the best pinot noir on Earth over the last half-decade. It boasts 700 different wineries across 150 miles, and alongside its notable pinot varietals it offers heritage and natural wines. Willamette Valley is its own American Viticulture Area with 11 sub-AVAs. There are many ways to enjoy tasting here, including guided and personal tours, wine dinners, and the chance to drift over the vine rows in a helicopter or hot air balloon. Alaska Airlines lets you fly a case of wine home for free from certain cities. Our favorite thing here? The world’s first Queer Wine Fest, now an annual event.

It’s not always easy living in the shadow of a big sister like Napa, but Sonoma County arguably offers a better pace, less crowded tasting rooms and a beautiful historic downtown in the city of Sonoma itself. Visit more than 425 wineries across 60,000 acres of vines (plus dine at Michelin-starred and Zagat-rated restaurants). This county includes 19 American Viticulture Areas ranging from the Russian River Valley to the Petaluma Gap (just designated in 2018), and from Moon Mountain to the Pacific shores at Fort Ross-Seaview. Download the app to start planning your itinerary.

It’s got name recognition for a reason: this incredible valley is world-famous for its vineyards with incredible views, delicious cabernet sauvignons and wine trail with more than 400 wineries and 90 urban tasting rooms. There are several climates within the region that present terroir appropriate for a variety of grapes. Most of the county falls under the Napa Valley American Viticultural Area. Winemaking began here in the mid-1800s, suffered from the twin tragedies of a phylloxera outbreak and then Prohibition—things didn’t get back into full swing until the 1960s. But what a bounce back! In 1976, Napa wines beat out famous French wines and tourism has swelled since then, with a wine train, wine trail, wine castles and more.

Just a few hours from Seattle, this valley offers more than 90 wineries over 70 miles, incorporating six American Viticulture Areas. Known for reds like merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah, Yakima Valley also has a craft beer trail in case the sig-oth isn’t into it (perish the thought, but it happens). Check out the Spring Barrel Tasting every April with tastes straight from the barrel or Catch the Crush in the fall with the chance to stomp grapes yourself just like Lucy.

This is one of the oldest grape growing regions in the U.S., located near Yosemite National Park, and its American Viticulture Area is one of the oldest in California. It dates to the late 1800s when immigrants from Italy, Armenia and France began farming with expertise brought from abroad. Few of those wineries survived Prohibition but many sprang up afterwards. Known for dessert wines and ports, the Madera region has nine wineries on its wine trail. Notable is Papagni Wines, which began in 1920 when Demetrio Papagni emigrated to Fresno from Bari, Italy, with his son Angelo creating the state of the art winery in Madera in 1973.

This diverse wine-growing region benefits from the east-west orientation of Santa Barbara’s mountain ranges; the resulting microclimates support more than 80 varietals. Seven American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) lie within the county. The best introduction is the Urban Wine Trail, with more than 20 wineries that are mostly within walking distance of each other. New ones are being added all the time, and Wine Enthusiast called this county the wine region of the year in 2021. Watch for the inaugural Natural Coast Wine Fest later this month, a natural wine fair featuring Central Coast wine producers. We also love the playful Bingo for Bottles fundraiser events.

Just outside of Washington, D.C., this Virginia county offers nearly 50 wineries with a wine trail map. Loudoun’s known for Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Norton grape varietals. Enjoy barrel tastings, stomping on grapes, vinotherapy spa treatments (where wine pulp and pips are rubbed into your skin), and Vinyasa in the Vines yoga classes. Spanning the counties of Loudoun and Fauquier, the Middleburg AVA was established in 2012 with almost 24 winemakers across 200 square miles.

The only thing better than a fantasy island has to be a wine island. This collective of wineries on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands off Canada’s southwest coast has emerged with a great name after plantings in the 1970s and ‘80s have matured: cabernet sauvignon and black muscat, along with around 100 other varieties. These grapes benefit from sea winds and volcanic soil, and now there are more than 30 wineries on the islands. Hot tip: take a five-day wine expedition cruise on a catamaran through the Salish Sea in the fall, with sea lions and surfacing whales as you toast with your onboard sommelier. This Maple Leaf Wines and Islands trip lets you hike, kayak and walk the vineyards with local winemakers. 

Here in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains is an enclave of eight wineries and 12 tasting rooms showcasing the spoils of 100 acres of European, French hybrid and American vines. Watch for the Dahlonega Wine Trail Weekend each August, but visit anytime for tours and tastings. Wander Dahlonega’s charming streets with their National Register status as a historic downtown district, where seven tasting rooms are in walking distance of Dahlonega Historic Square.

This 3,000 square mile area incorporates five counties and three wine trails. More than 100 wineries, breweries and distilleries cluster around the beautiful, narrow finger-shaped glacial lakes in New York. This area specializes in aromatic whites like riesling and gewurztraminer, although cool-climate reds like cabernet franc and pinot noir are also doing well. The lakes’ maintenance of a steady temperature gives these grapes a longer growing season and combats the early frost danger. Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake are separate American Viticultural Areas within the larger Finger Lakes AVA.