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Napa Valley may be synonymous with Wine Country Trips. The well-established area with 400 wineries consistently produces award-winning labels. But there are plenty of wine trekking destinations that ignore pretending, make good booze, and also provide outdoor entertainment to break your wine tasting.
From the gorgeous Pinot noirs in the Willamette Valley in Oregon to the wine region of Western Colorado that is also a hotspot Mountain bikers To the ancient but largely undiscovered wine region of Mexico on the Baja Peninsula, these authentic sites are ripe for exploration.
Here are five alternatives to Napa for your next escape from wine country.
5 Best Wine Country Tours from Napa
1. Healdsburg, California
At the confluence of three distinct wine regions in Sonoma County (Dry Creek Valley, Russian River, and Alexander Valley), the fertile Healdsburg soils produce a variety of wines including Chardonnay Crisp, Old Grape Zinfandels, and Floppy Pine Noire. This humble town with agricultural roots has an idyllic city-center square and award-winning restaurants like One topic, Which is a three-star Michelin ranch restaurant with an outdoor jungle style dining room. As a whole, the area avoids the rough indoor tastings and takes in an al fresco wine experience. at Jordan bard and winery, You can walk four miles through sustainably cultivated vineyards and get a panoramic view of the area’s wine regions from the top of the hill. The winery has added a new sanctuary for pollinators to create a habitat for the endangered Western monarch butterfly. After that, you can enjoy a charcuterie and French wine stroll on the terrace. Add Davero Farms and Winery To the itinerary, too. Owner Andrew Hook says his biodynamic goal is to “tear down buzzy wine walls and make them accessible.” Here, pigs plow the vineyard soil, willow cuttings shade the tasting table, and the farm donates 10,000 pounds of vegetables to food banks each year.
2. Palisade, Colorado
Colorado is known more for its grass and craft beer than for its wine. But Palisade, a swath of high desert on the western slope of Colorado, has some excellent wines – plus you can have a fun vacation with lots of adventure. (Opens in summer 2021, the long-awaited $ 3.2 million Drown by lisade It is set to be among the tallest Singletrack Downhill mountain bike paths). During Prohibition, Colorado’s vineyards were uprooted and replaced with orchards. Since then, the classic grape varieties have been reintroduced, resulting in merlot, cabernet sauvignon and sauv blanc in this region where the days are sunny and the nights are cool. Reserve your stay at Spoke and karma, Which is a modern boutique motel that spills you a glass of local wine upon check-in and lends you a bike so you can explore more than two dozen wineries in the area. While in town, sip a Bordeaux style wine grown in the estates at Coulteres Enjoy the Jamie, the Malbecs Dirt in The Cliff Vineyards Book Run by engineers turned winemakers.
3. Willamette Valley, Oregon
The kingpin type in Willamette Valley is pinot noir, which is very demanding and requires a suitable climate just like the one available in the wine country of Oregon. But the long and patient growing season in the Willamette Valley also produces some pinot grace, noir gamay, sparkling wines, and more. White coffee is also a trend to try here, with labels like Wine of the dayAnd the Soft And the Walter Scott Create some of these great blends of white wine (think Chardonnay with a touch of aligoté, or a mix of marsanne and roussanne.) Willamette Valley wine travelers have more than 500 wineries to choose from in the area. One of the best ways to explore wineries (and breweries) is on two wheels along 134 miles Scenic Willamette Valley Road.
4. Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
Known as the Napa Valley in Mexico, Valle de Guadalupe is the oldest grape-growing region in North America, with grapes grown in the Baja Peninsula for the past 500 years. After the Aztecs invaded in 1521, Hermann Cortes ordered vineyards from Spain to grow them in Mexico. With a hot and dry climate, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Tempranillo grow in addition to Mission grapes, a red wine brought from Spain known as Listan Prieto Although there is an ancient history of wine, Mexico is just starting to market its juice. In other words? You can get there for a wine tasting tour before discovering it on a global scale. To get a good introduction to the area, learn Berma Winery It is run by winemaker Lourdes “Lolo” Martinez Ojeda, a native of Ensenada who studied in Bordeaux. In addition to the winery, Bruma has a restaurant and eight suites at a desert bed and breakfast, as well as a swimming pool.
5. Paso Robles, California
Along the Central Coast, California exudes gorgeous San Luis Obispo County with 80 miles of surfing coastline and beaches. One town in Slocal, Paso Robles, is gaining steadfast recognition for its noisy but relaxed wine scene. More than 40 varieties of wine grapes are grown in Paso, ranging from Cabernet Sauvignon, Seera, Grenache, Zinvandel for red, Grenache Blanc, Rosan, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay for white wines. In total, Paso Robles has 200 wineries and vineyards. You can sip your wine in a cool place underground Caves at Eberl WineryTry wine at an old western style salon in Tobin James, And discover the rich history of the Rhône wine in Paso Creek tables. Winemakers also ferment apples, which lends itself to solid cider movement as well. A sample of some in Tin City Cider.
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