The dating reviews website MyDatingAdviser.com has ranked the best wineries to visit in all 50 states.
There are more than 11,000 wineries across the US, which has doubled in the last decade. That is over 2,000 more options than even craft beer alone.
There are many opportunities to visit local wineries and enjoy remarkable wines from some of the nation’s most reliable producers.
Not surprisingly, California wineries came out on top.
It’s no surprise that California wineries made the top of the list, with 16 wineries in the top 100 rankings, as California accounts for 90 percent of American wine production.
There are more than 1,200 wineries in the state, ranging from small boutique wineries to large corporations with distribution around the globe.
The best winery in California is Judd’s Hill Winery and MicroCrush in Napa.
Located only minutes from downtown Napa, near the foot of the Silverado Trail, Judd’s Hill was given a score of 82.85 in the study.
From fermenting grapes in their garage to opening a well-respected vineyard, they have come a long way to become a premium producer of fine wines. Here you can enjoy tastings, wine club, wine and food flavors tasting experiences as well as classes on blending.
Interestingly, the study found Tennessee to be a popular state for wine tasting.
The top three wineries are in Tennessee: Tennessee Homemade Wines, Sugarland Cellars, and Tennessee Cider Company – all in Gatlinburg.
Most of the wineries in the state are located in Middle and East Tennessee. Since Tennessee is in a transition zone they can grow a wide array of grape varieties and make many different types of wines. There is also a fair demand for fruit wines in this state
The number one winery to visit is Tennessee Homemade Wines in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
This study found that Tennessee Homemade Wines in Gatlinburg, TN is the best winery in the USA, ranking first out of 746 wineries and with an overall score of 90.31 out of a possible 100.
This winery is known as Gatlinburg’s best local winery and producer of the best sweet wines in Tennessee. They specialize in local flavors like muscadine, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and peach.
New York’s best winery is Three Brothers Wineries and Estates in Geneva.
Three Brothers Wineries and States had a total score of 74.21. Here you can find three unique wineries, a microbrewery, and a café all on one estate in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York.
Washington’s best winery is Chateau Ste. Michelle Vineyards
Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s oldest winery, located in Woodinville, Washington, near Seattle – given a total score of 82.47. It produces Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, and Riesling, and has winemaking partnerships with two vintners: Col Solare is an alliance with Tuscany’s Piero Antinori.
Methodology
To determine the best wineries across America, MyDatingAdviser.com compared over 700 of the best wineries on TripAdvisor. They then ranked the top wineries across the USA.
This study took the winery quality, popularity, and things to do into account. The analysis was across six key metrics of winery perfection: 1) TripAdvisor rating, 2) Google reviews rating, 3) Number of TripAdvisor reviews, 4) Number of Google reviews, 5) Number of restaurants within 3 miles, and 6) Number of attractions within 6 miles.
Each winery has a ‘Winery Index Score.’ This value represents the quality of the winery experience that you can have there.
Best winery to visit in all 50 states:
- Alabama, Jules J. Berta Vineyards & Pizza (Albertville)
- Alaska, Bear Creek Winery (Homer)
- Arizona, Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Tasting Room (Cottonwood)
- Arkansas, The Winery Of Hot Springs (Hot Springs)
- California, Judd’s Hill Winery And MicroCrush (Napa)
- Colorado, Balistreri Vineyards (Denver)
- Connecticut, Jones Family Farm (Shelton)
- Delaware, Salted Vines Vineyard & Winery (Frankford)
- Florida, Panama City Beach Winery (Panama City Beach)
- Georgia, Crane Creek Vineyards (Young Harris)
- Hawaii, MauiWine (Kula)
- Idaho, Telaya Wine Co. (Garden City)
- Illinois, Lynfred Winery (Roselle)
- Indiana, Urban Vines Winery & Brewery Co. (Westfield)
- Iowa, Stone Cliff Winery (Dubuque)
- Kansas, Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery (Basehor)
- Kentucky, Purple Toad Winery (Paducah)
- Louisiana, NOLA Tropical Winery (New Orleans)
- Maine, Cellardoor Winery (Lincolnville)
- Maryland, Linganore Winecellars (Mt Airy)
- Massachusetts, Plymouth Bay Winery (Plymouth)
- Michigan, Fenn Valley Vineyards (Fennville)
- Minnesota, Carlos Creek Winery (Alexandria)
- Mississippi, Old South Winery (Natchez)
- Missouri, Pirtle Winery (Weston)
- Montana, Yellowstone Cellars & Winery (Billings)
- Nebraska, Cellar 426 Winery (Ashland)
- Nevada, Pahrump Valley Winery (Pahrump)
- New Hampshire, Seven Birches Winery (Lincoln)
- New Jersey, Cape May Winery & Vineyard (Cape May)
- New Mexico, Casa Rondena Winery (Albuquerque)
- New York, Three Brothers Wineries And Estates (Geneva)
- North Carolina, Biltmore Winery At Antler Hill Village (Asheville)
- North Dakota, Prairie Rose Meadery (Fargo)
- Ohio, Gervasi Vineyard (Canton)
- Oklahoma, Girls Gone Wine (Broken Bow)
- Oregon, Willamette Valley Vineyards Tasting Room In McMinnville (McMinnville)
- Pennsylvania, Mount Hope Estate & Winery (Manheim)
- Rhode Island, Newport Vineyards (Middletown)
- South Carolina, Duplin Winery (North Myrtle Beach)
- South Dakota, Prairie Berry Winery (Hill City)
- Tennessee, Tennessee Homemade Wines (Gatlinburg)
- Texas, Messina Hof Winery (Bryan)
- Utah, IG Winery (Cedar City)
- Vermont, Snow Farm Vineyard And Winery (South Hero)
- Virginia, Williamsburg Winery (Williamsburg)
- Washington, Chateau Ste. Michelle Vineyards (Woodinville)
- West Virginia, Lambert’s Vintage Wines (Weston)
- Wisconsin, Cedar Creek Winery (Cedarburg)
- Wyoming, Big Lost Meadery And Brewery (Gillette)
Here are a few tips for your next wine tasting:1. Sight. Look down into the glass and hold the glass to the light. Tilt your wine, and roll towards the edges. The depth of color indicates the density and saturation of the wine. For example, a deep-saturated purple-black color might be Syrah or Zinfandel, while a lighter, pale brick shade would suggest Pinot Noir.
Swirl your glass to look for “legs” or “tears” running down the side of the glass. Wines with good legs are wines with more alcohol and glycerin content, indicating they are more extensive, riper, mouth-filling, and dense.
2. Smell. If there are no obvious off-aromas, look for fruit aromas. Wine is from grapes, and it should smell fresh. You can learn to look for specific fruits and grapes, and many grapes will show a spectrum of fruit scents.
3. Taste. Take a sip, not a large swallow of wine in your mouth, and try sucking on it as if pulling it through a straw. You should encounter a wide range of fruit, flower, herb, mineral, barrels, and other flavors. Use your taste buds to help determine if the wine is balanced, harmonious, and complex.
Information about the most famous wine varieties:
- Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Burgundy are the most famous wine varieties across the nation.
- Chardonnay is the most planted variety, with 106,000 acres (43,000 hectares). However, it’s not a very popular grape and has declined in the past ten years.
- Another favorite, Cabernet Sauvignon, is in second place, with 101,300 acres (41,000 hectares). Plantings of Cabernet are stable and growing.
- The Burgundy grape Pinot Noir has seen a surge in growth and is now in third place with 61,800 acres (25,000 hectares). It’s the emblematic grape in Oregon, and the state is more or less synonymous with Pinot Noir. It also accounts for 60% of Oregon vineyards.
Amy Pritchett, Managing Editor at MyDatingAdviser:
“If you’re planning a wine tasting getaway and looking for the best towns to visit in the USA, these wineries are a great place to start.
Our analysis of over 700 wineries across the USA reveals you can be whatever wine drinker you want. If you prefer a homegrown Bordeaux blend, you can find it. Or maybe you want a sparkling wine that can rival Champagne.
The comprehensive list of the best wineries highlights a world-class wine scene that has taken generations of boundary-pushing to reach its excellence. The rank of wineries is according to the quality, popularity, and things to do in the area.
Whether you’re looking to plan your next great wine country getaway or simply want to sample something unique next time you’re buying bottles online, these are the wineries to look for.”
To view the best wineries in the USA: https://mydatingadviser.com/best-wineries/
For more information, please contact Amy Pritchett (amy@mydatingadviser.com).
MyDatingAdviser.com is a US dating website committed to offering singles advice and reviews. Amy Pritchett started her website in March 2019 and has a passion for providing people love and relationship advice.
Sources:
- California, Washington, and New York Wine production (America Wines Paper).
- Tips for wine tasting (WineMag.com)
- Most popular wine grapes in America (Forbes)