Drink Outside of the Box
Thanks to “Sideways”, even your hillbilly Uncle Jeb is going on about earthy tones and oaky finishes. Wine consumption is on the rise in the US and now almost every state in the US can turn out a decent wine. What better time to start channeling your inner Sommelier than harvest season? So, bag the California pretensions, warm up with a few sets of pinky extensions, and take a tour in these off-the-beaten-path wine countries.
- Virginians have a long history of partaking in the grape; Thomas Jefferson stuck the White House with a $10,000 bar tab when he left office. Virginia’s major wine region around Charlottesville is named after old TJ’s Monticello estate, but vineyards dot the state. The Virginia Wine Festival, September 30-October 1 in Leesburg, is your opportunity to swirl, sip, swallow and spit your way through the Virginia wine country while satisfying your palette for live music, local arts, and great food.
- Flights to Charlottesville
- Hotels in Charlottesville or Leesburg
- Talk to other Kayakers about Charlottesville
- Doing its best to change wine’s wussy reputation, Texas wineries have reclaimed wine for the beer-swilling cowboy set. And nothing goes better with Texas longhorn than a nice bottle of Pinot Noir. The Texas Hill Country Wineries, centered in Fredericksburg, have channeled know-how of the area’s German and Italian immigrants to make the state the 5th largest wine producer.
- Flights to San Antonio
- Hotels in Fredericksburg
- Talk to other Kayakers about San Antonio or Fredricksburg
- New York’s got your award-winning white wines right here. Its slightly sweet Riesling has been fighting for national recognition for years. Finger Lakes wineries around Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga have organized “wine trails”. The Hamptons’s vineyards are an easy drive from New York (and a stretch Hummer rental ensures that you arrive in style). Kayak’s oenophile chief architect Bill O’Donnell says you must visit Grapes of Roth, Jamesport, and Paumanok on the North Fork (where you should stick to the Merlot) and pick up a bottle of the 2004 Heron Hill Riesling Late Harvest if you make it to the Finger Lakes. Designate a driver to avoid adding a mugshot to your vacation photos.
- Flights to Corning, NY or New York
- Hotels in Finger Lakes or The Hamptons
- Talk to other Kayakers about Finger Lakes or The Hamptons
- Wine is not the first thing you think of when you think of Utah (Skiing, Sundance, polygamy). But after a long day of skiing (or polygamy), there is nothing like uncorking a bottle and soaking in the hot tub. You can enjoy “lily rose” white wine and great mountain-biking in Moab, please just not at the same time. Right outside Moab, Castle Creek Winery overlooks the Colorado River and Utah’s red rocks. Head to the nearby Spanish Valley Vineyards to make it a full-day vinopallooza.
Get the Fare Buzz to these US wine regions from your home airport.
Slightly buzzed, but still giving you the Buzz,
Steve and Paul, Kayak.com co-founders
Did you know that Kayak fare alerts let you track prices to your favorite destinations? And setting a max price on the alerts makes sure you have budget to bring home a case of your favorite grape.