Cheers! The Best Winery in Every State
America leads the world in consumption of wine; we drank more than 3.2 million liters of it last year according to the Wine Institute. And while imports are a large part of our consumption, there are almost 8,000 producing wineries in the U.S. They accounted for 350 million gallons of wine production last year, making us the fourth largest wine producing country in the world.
We not only love to drink wine, we love visiting its source. U.S. wineries attracted more than 30 million visitors last year according to the National Association of American Wineries. And why not, with so many things to do besides sipping wine at some of the country’s most scenic locales. California may produce the most wine, but Yahoo Travel found wineries to visit in every state. We looked beyond the wine to find places worthy of a trip. We found a wide range of wineries with accommodations, wedding facilities, full-service restaurants, and astonishing views. Here are the best in every state:
Alabama
Jules Berta Vineyards has a quaint feeling gift shop. Pick up a couple of bottles, some wine art, or fun gifts for your wine-loving friends.
Alaska
It’s a little chilly here to grow grapes, but Bear Creek Winery produces berry wines that are fun and fruity. Tastings are possible during the warm season, but quaint rooms overlooking Kachemak Bay are available year-round.
Related: Drink Up! The Best Brewery in Every State
Arizona
Photo: Page Springs Cellars/Facebook
Page Springs Cellars southwest of Sedona, offers award-winning wines, yoga, and massage. Plus, there’s live music on weekends.
Arkansas
Learn the history of winemaking, sip some wine, listen to live music, and order your friends a gift basket from Tontitown Winery near Springdale.
California
Obviously there are thousands of winery experiences in the state that produces the most wine in the country. For an authentic-feeling, 13th-century Tuscany experience, stop in at Castello di Amorosa for a tour, tasting, or a food and wine pairing.
Colorado
The Winery at Holy Cross Inn was the idea of the Benedictine Fathers at Holy Cross Abbey near Canon City. The tasting room here is just one of the amazing experiences awaiting you in this scenic area of southern Colorado.
Connecticut
Gouveia Vineyards features a stone winery perched atop a hillside with a 360-degree view of the vineyards, forests, and farmland below. Sample the wine or plan a tour of the facilities for a taste of the simple life.
Delaware
Photo: Harvest Ridge Winery/Facebook
Harvest Ridge Winery has a varied selection of wines, scenic grounds close to major attractions, and room to host your next event.
Florida
Schnebly Redlands consists of a brewery, winery, restaurant, and palm-graced grounds perfect for a brief escape from Miami heat. Go prepared for some of the most unusual wines ever to cross your pallet — including avocado, passionfruit, and mango.
Georgia
Georgia Winery offers the full farm winery experience, plus events that include sip and paint nights, grape stomps, and of course, tastings.
Hawaii
A visit to Maui Wine is as much about culture and history as it is about the wine. Private tours and experiences are available, but the tasting room is open seven day a week.
Related: A Slice Above: The Best Pie in Every State
Idaho
Photo: Ste. Chapelle Winery
Ste. Chapelle Winery has a comfy tasting room in a Gothic-inspired building suitable for events and weddings.
Illinois
Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery brings European-style farm stays to northwestern Illinois with your choice of a one-bedroom suite or a two-bedroom house. Enjoy tours, tastings, and special events, or book your own.
Indiana
Sparkling wines, dry reds, and hard ciders are among the offerings at Oliver Winery & Vineyards. Stop in for a tasting or schedule a group event at its vineyard or cozy tasting room.
Iowa
Summerset Winery has music and wine events every Sunday, and plenty of room for your private event.
Kansas
The fun begins with the name at Oz Winery in Wamego. And it doesn’t end until you have sampled a flight with cheese or chocolate.
Kentucky
Photo: Wildside Winery
In a state better known for bourbon, Wildside Winery makes a good go of it with its selection of sweet wines. The list also includes a few dry reds, making it worth the stop for even serious wine lovers.
Louisiana
Landry Vineyards offers outdoor concerts during spring and summer months. The extraordinary venue is available for private rentals year-round. Stop by for a tasting Monday through Saturday.
Maine
Cellardoor has multiple locations, but at the 200 year-old farmhouse in Lincolnville, you have the opportunity to relax, sip wine with local cheeses, and enjoy views of the vineyard.
Maryland
Slack Farms features wines at its Jubilee venue in Leonardtown and at Maryland’s oldest estate — Woodlawn, where you can rent a room or cottage for the full wine estate experience.
Massachusetts
Running Brook Vineyards & Winery brings together both wine and brandy with its winery and distillery combo. The tasting room is open seven days a week and facilities are available for private rentals.
Related: The Most American Experience You Can Have in Every State
Michigan
Photo: Gravity Winery/Facebook
This may not be a state that comes to mind when you think about wine, but far southwestern Michigan, between Baroda and Glendora, has become a wine enclave in the state. Gravity has a nice selection of sweet to dry reds and whites. The tasting room, with views of the vineyards, make this a stop worth taking.
Minnesota
Carlos Creek Winery offers tastings, grape stomps, murder-mystery dinners, and a deli stocked with picnic supplies. Weekends often feature live music.
Mississippi
Old South Winery is the place to get your fix on sweet Muscadine wine in a casual and welcoming atmosphere in Natchez.
Missouri
Imagine a casual café featuring salads, sandwiches, and pizza with outdoor decks nestled in the lush Missouri River Valley. Then imagine sipping handcrafted wines and brandies, and you have envisioned Montelle Winery.
Montana
Photo: Ten Spoon
A visit to the tasting room of Ten Spoon Vineyard & Winery not only features award-winning wines, but tasty antipasto plates and views of the mountains.
Nebraska
Makovicka Winery is the epitome of a small, family-owned winery. The offerings include sweet fruit wines and dry reds in a charming country setting north of Brainard.
Nevada
Pahrump Valley Winery has national award-winning wines paired with an upscale restaurant just an hour from the Las Vegas Strip — the perfect way to escape the city and enjoy some desert ambiance.
New Hampshire
Walpole Mountain View Winery was borne of one family’s dream to produce cold-weather grapes suitable for wine. The setting is befitting a European winery and the wines are earning wide acclaim. Stop in for a tasting or plan an event on the lovely grounds.
New Jersey
Photo: Cape May Winery
Lush grounds, tastings, and events like grill nights and blending parties await you at Cape May Winery & Vineyard.
New Mexico
Casa Rodenua Winery in Albuquerque lets you step back in time enjoying New Mexico’s heritage while sipping award-winning wine. The estate includes indoor and outdoor venues for weddings and events.
New York
Three Brothers Wineries & Estates is wine tourism at its grandest. The estate encompasses three wineries and a brewery through which you can sip your way.
North Carolina
RayLen Vineyards & Winery not only has award-winning wines and a beautiful setting, but fun events like festivals, release parties, and live music.
North Dakota
Photo: 4e Winery/Facebook
4e Winery is your go-to picnic on the prairie spot west of Fargo. Enjoy a range of fruit wines as this tiny winery establishes that is establishing its roots in the industry.
Ohio
Firelands Winery in Sandusky has a large gift shop filled with wine paraphernalia and giftware in addition to the award-winning wine. Stop by for a tasting and tour of the processing facility.
Oklahoma
Yukon, Oklahoma is about as far from what you would call “wine country” as you can get. And yet, Farfalla Wines is there, blazing the trail. The boutique winery has an unusual list of wines that includes a dry red and a strawberry Riesling. The tasting room is open on weekends year-round.
Oregon
Youngberg Hill is winery, farm, and country inn rolled into one. Experience the scenic beauty of Oregon wine country, with over 150 wineries within driving distance from the inn.
Pennsylvania
South Shore Wine Company is the real deal, with an historic cellar built in the 1860’s, plus a tasting room and café. It’s also a lovely event venue.
Rhode Island
Photo: Newort Vineyards
Newport Vineyards pours tastings daily, with free tours of the processing area and vineyards. The treat here is Brix Restaurant, featuring food and wine pairings and live music during the second seating.
South Carolina
Break away from the touristy crowds in Savannah or Hilton Head for a moment of peaceful reflection sipping the wines of September Oaks Vineyards. The tasting room of this boutique winery is open most Saturdays barring private events.
South Dakota
Naked Winery tasting rooms in Custer and Hill City, are more than just photo op stops in the Badlands (although they are most certainly that). The innuendo is all part of the marketing. They pour wines made from premium Oregon and Washington grapes.
Tennessee
Mountain Valley Winery stays true to its southern roots with primarily sweet wines, but the tasting list does include a selection of dry wines as well. Cellar tours and tastings are possible every afternoon.
Texas
Red Caboose Winery & Vineyards is a bit off the Texas winery path, but folks there like it that way. The production facilities and tasting rooms in Clifton and Meridian have been quietly pouring award-winning wine for more than a decade using grapes that everyone said would not grow there. Enjoy the tastings, cork-and-fork dinners at the vineyards, or book your own event.
Utah
Photo: Castle Creek Winery/Facebook
Castle Creek Winery combines a working ranch and desert winery set against the dramatic red cliffs near Moab. Rent a rustic cabin and drink it all in — this is a winery experience like no other.
Vermont
Honora Winery uses a combination of cold-hardy local grapes and premium grapes from California growers to produce its award winning wines. Events include grape stomps, a chocolate festival, and a winter wonderland. At the tasting room, wines are paired with Vermont artisan cheeses for a truly local experience.
Virgina
Do not visit Linden Vineyards expecting the usual big winery experience. Go instead to feel the joy of farm to glass in a very small fashion. No groups larger than six are allowed for tours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. There is no event center, no gift shop — just a vintner and his product.
Washington
Photo: Westport Winery
Westport Winery Garden Resort features a bakery, gift shop, local artisans, gardens, nursery, and of course, wine tastings. Plan to spend time exploring, shopping, and sipping. There is even a dog park.
West Virginia
Kirkwood Winery produces not only wine but grappa and hand-crafted bourbon, as well. Enjoy learning about the making of all three and shopping in the country store.
Wisconsin
Simon Creek Vineyard and Winery is one more don’t-miss attraction in Door County. Enjoy the nationally acclaimed wines, production tours, and live music.
Wyoming
From raising buffalo to making fine wine, the proprietors behind the family-run Buffalo Jump Winery have been ranching this land in the Rocky Mountains for more than a century. In the tasting rooms in Cody and Billings, the family proudly pours wines made from premium California and Washington grapes.
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