America's Best Wine Regions to Visit, Ranked by Sommeliers

Drinking wine hasskyrocketed in popularityover the last two decennary in the US ( you canthank the millennials ) , and what was once think of as the ooo - la - laFrenchman ’s beverage of choiceis now pretty much as coarse at party as domesticated beer and flat Diet Coke . Yeah , wine is big . As is , not surprisingly , wine touristry .

And while you may very well be thinking about doing some wine taste on your next holiday , you might not knowwhereto go to get the most wine-coloured for your time . Other than , say , wherever they shot that movieSideways . So to facilitate you out , we ask a board of seven esteemed wine experts and wine steward to give us their pick for the best vino regions in the United States to chit-chat . And then we ranked the top 11 found on the act of time they were name / how extremely they were tout .

But first, our panel:

Heath Porter , owner / operator of Uvaggio , one ofMiami ’s best wine barsDavid Boyle , head sommelier at Chandlers Steakhouse ( thebest chophouse in Idaho!)Wes Narron , chief wine ambassador ofCity Wine Toursin Boston and New York CityBrian Grandison , principal sommelier at Hakkasan at the Fontainebleau Miami BeachRyan Robinson , sommelier at Ruth ’s Chris Steak HousePatrick Olds , sommelier at the Four Seasons St. LouisDaniel Toral , wine conductor at 50 Eggs , Inc. eating place group

11. Augusta, MO

Must - strike wine maker : Chandler Hill VineyardsYou’re probably think , " wine-colored ? In Missouri ? Did these sommeliers get their certifications at FasTrain ? " But did you know Augusta was the first AVA ( American Viticultural Area or appellation of origin ) on record ? Or that it was where vintners got phylloxera - immune rootstock from in the late nineteenth and former twentieth century , basically save the globe from a massive vino deficit ? Yeah , it ’s a region of historical import , to say the least . " Missouri draw a bad rap , " say Olds . " Try the Norton grape in many of the winery , and you ’ll come away recall that it could be misguided for high - final stage California wine . "

10. Snake River Valley, ID

Must - hit wine maker : Bitner , HAT Ranch , Ste . Chapelle"The Snake River Valley is young and exciting , " says Boyle , " and the unequaled compounding of long , warm , sunny day and nerveless nights create balanced and food - friendly wine-coloured that are start to make a name for themselves . " Of Idaho ’s three AVAs , this one is the oldest and many of its winery boast panoramic sentiment of the Snake River and the nearby Owyhee Mountains . Plus , the realm is also one of America ’s right for outdoorsy traveler , so your non - tasting time can be drop boost , whitewater rafting , or mountain biking .

9. Paso Robles, CA

Must - hit wine maker : JUSTIN VineyardsThis area on the Central Coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco is quickly becoming a highly touted wine-colored destination thanks to it being only a " three - hr parkway " from either city . " It ’s wondrous because you may takethe Pacific Coast Highwayfrom either LA or SF to get there , and you glide by through either San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara , " say Narron . But the big draw here is n’t just the lulu of the Santa Lucia foothill ; the wine keep their own against some of the big boys , and at much tawdry cost . consort to Olds , " You are more potential to get a peachy $ 20 bottle of Paso Robles cabernet than a slap-up $ 20 bottle of Napa Valley cabernet . "

8. Texas Hill Country

Must - run into winery : Becker . It ’s been served in the White House to multiple presidents and at James Beard dinner . We apologise to America for give Texas yet another reason to brag , but our panel says the Lone Star State produces some of the res publica ’s most amazingly swell wine-colored . And it ’s also a prissy neighborhood to visit : there are 46 wineries between Austin andNew Braunfelsand the warm - dry weather make lease a self - guided wine tour potential year - orotund . Sure , the eating house are n’t yet up to their California counterparts , but hey , this is Texas – it ’s only a matter of sentence .

7. Walla Walla, WA

Must - make winery : Sleight of HandOnce well known for its prison , this city is now democratic as the dwelling house of the country ’s good Bordeaux wine varietals . And some pretty salient scenery . " People do n’t understand that on the east side of the Cascade muckle ( where a large majority of the grape are planted ) is a different Washington , " says Porter . " The west side and Seattle is all coffee and rain , but the east side is all beauty and ironic . " And that ’s key . In between sampling the wine , hop a two - Sir Mortimer Wheeler and cycle through the valley . Just be sure to keep your heart peeled for razz migrations – Walla Walla ’s a BIG birding destination . Boyle also commend see out the glass house at Cadaretta , with 360 - level sentiment of the vale from its hilltop estate .

6. Santa Barbara County, CA

Must - hit wineries : Melville and Jim Clendenen ’s Au Bon Climat in Santa Rita Hills"The first matter you discover about Santa Barbara , other than the wines and beautiful scene , is that the temperature is always perfect , " says Porter . But there ’s more to Santa Barbara , Santa Ynez , Santa Maria , and Santa Rita Hills than amazing weather , including stunning Mediterranean computer architecture and plenty of passionate wine maker . Despite the tumid phone number of visitors who overtake through annually , " it does n’t feel like a tourist terminus , " says Olds , also noting that the area " farm strong example of pinot noir and chardonnay . "

5. Charlottesville/Central Virginia

Must - hit wineries : Veritas , BarboursvilleThis historic town ’s allure extends beyond having one ofAmerica ’s most beautiful college campuses . While Thomas Jefferson once possess the land where UVA now sits , it ’s his other former prop that make this such an enticing vino region . Jefferson implant the first grape during his presidency , at the same time he was purchasing a pathetic amount of French wine-colored , Porter told us . Tiny and midsize wine maker proceed to open up up in the area ( grow grape like viognier , cabfFranc , and petit verdot ) , and the state now boasts over 300 wineries . It ’s an affordable wine vacation for sept in the Southeast and Mid - Atlantic regions .

4. Napa Valley, CA

Must - hit wineries : Honig Winery , Opus One"Napa is like the Vegas of wine-colored , " says Grandison . " Everyone eff about it , you ’ll drop a ton of cash , you ’ll have to cope with the crowds , but you also flee home mean to yourself : ' Yeah , that was a nifty time . ' " The freehanded name in American wine are all in Napa – Joseph Phelps , Duckhorn , Mondavi , Opus One – and that ’s probably why it produces about 4 % of all the juice nationally . But the big names in food are here too – from the French Laundry to La Toque – and if you ’re unforced to spend the cash , it ’s tough to beat . Plus , it ’s abode to the limousine vino tour , so you ’ll be sharing your taste elbow room with at minimum two bachelorette parties !

3. Sonoma County, CA

Must - hit wineries : Wind Gap , Red Car Wine Co. , MartinelliThough some world - renowned experts in weekend fun named Santa Rosa – the county ass of Sonoma County – the17th - well US city to expend the weekend , it ’s also a top - tier wine - tasting destination . " The quality level of the wines coming out of the western part ( of Sonoma ) is really , really high decently now , " says Toral . " And there are great eatery in Healdsburg , which itself is strikingly beautiful . " pedal through the valley has been a Bay Area weekend escape for decades , but the breweries , antique shops , and historical buildings make for a stark visit .

2. Willamette Valley, OR

Must - attain wineries : Soter Vineyards & Argyle Winery , St. Innocent in Eola - AmityThis part of Western Oregon pose on about the same latitude as the Bordeaux region of France and has become synonymous with smashing pinot noirs . But of all the regions on this leaning , it ’s also the closest to a major city , Portland . So the vineyard are an easy daytime - tripper if you ’re staying in townspeople . " Take the scenic route , " says Robinson , of the parkway from Portland . " The rolling hills , grass fields , and hazelnut Tree are a nice appetizer to the refined elegance of pinot noir . " But Grandison also make out a warning for all who confab : " Willamette Valley has that laid - back feel and overly authentically passionate people … but check that to reconfirm your [ vinery ] appointment the sidereal day before , as there is in spades a certain ‘ Willamette time ’ thing operate on . "

1. Finger Lakes, NY

Must - pip wineries : Get a history deterrent example at Dr. Frank ’s before hitting Ravines or Hermann J. WiemerPerhaps we spoke too shortly when we named the Finger Lakesthe most underrated piazza in New York . This southerly region of the Empire State is an like an SEC football squad to wine steward ( that is , a power plant ) , except it actuallydeservesto be in everyone ’s top five . " There are a deal of up - and - coming wineries there , " says Toral , " and better restaurants keep opening night , as well . " In fact , since the region set off blow up a few years ago , there are now over 100 wineries in the sphere . And the just part ? It has n’t been overtaken by tourists and developer yet – so there wo n’t be horrendous crowds to push when you visit the famous gorges at Watkins Glen State Park in the morning , and then manoeuvre to the venerable place of origin of East Coast wine making – Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars – later in the day . Sign up herefor our daily Thrillist email , and get your kettle of fish of the good in food / deglutition / fun .

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