France and Germany are renowned for the outstanding wines made there. That beverage is ingrained in French culture. The majority of the German varieties come from small family-owned vineyards.
The succulent spirit has been produced in the United States since the 1500s, and the quality has earned it a number of international awards. California leads in viniculture, accounting for some 80 percent of the total that is made and bottled. Next, but far behind in volume, are New York and Washington State.
Many people are surprised to learn that wine is made in all 50 states. Some of them seem unlikely locations for growing grapes.
As you travel close to where you live, or further away, opportunities exist to drop by vineyards and tasting rooms to sample vintages that may be new to your palate.
Of course, many oenophiles rank California first on their list of must-see, must-sip states. A number of them head for St. Helena, where the Hall Rutherford Estate is tucked into the mountainsides of the Vaca Range, four miles east of downtown Napa.
The caves at Hall Wines in St. Helena are an integral component of its winemaking process, providing a stable temperature and moisture level which are perfect for aging and storing wine in barrels. The major attraction in the Chandelier Room where a massive suspended light which is dressed with hundreds of glittering Swarovski crystals.
The Jarvis Estate winemaking facility is entirely contained within 45,000 square feet of a cave tunneled into the scenic Vaca Mountains. Due to the invariant temperature and high humidity of caves, wineries typically have used them for barrel aging wines. Jarvis Estate was the first in the country to tunnel a cave so large that it contains the entire winemaking operation. Water from a spring that flows through the cavern controls the temperature and moisture levels.
A very different vibe greets guests at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Along with wine offerings, it has a restaurant swimming pool and room devoted to the many Academy Award-winning films that Coppola directed. A favorite among visitors is the Godfather Room.
During dry spells, the 50-plus wineries located in Fredericksburg , Texas hill country would welcome some of the water from Coppola’s pool. By some counts, this ranks among the most popular wine destinations in the country. Added attractions are bountiful barbeque and melodious country music.
Another surprise sipping state is Missouri. Its wine region takes in the resort town of Branson and the sprawling Lake of the Ozarks reservoir. The main attraction is the Ozark Mountains AVA (American Viticultural Area), which is a grape-growing region with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding territory.
Two of the earliest AVA areas in the Unites States are located in Missouri. German settlers began planting vineyards there nearly 200 years ago, and the Augusta AVA was the first one to be established in the United States. It was recognized and registered several months before any area of California’s Napa Valley achieved that honor.
Willcox, Arizona, about an hour drive from Tucson, is home to wineries that produce good products for a state usually associated with sand and searing heat. Vineyards are perched on mountainsides where hot days, cool nights and rich soil provide a welcome environment for grape vines.
If wine is your passion, there are numerous opportunities to combine travel with tastings. Some are available in well-known viniculture destinations, others offer a welcome surprise. Whether you’re a would-be sommelier or a tenderfoot taster, there are wines and wineries to meet any and every preference.
For an extensive list of wineries throughout the Unites States, log onto winerelease.com.
