From California to New York, a list of my favorite vineyards to visit
By Matthew DeBord
HQ 112 | WINTER 2021
With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to rage, the once-commonplace practice of touring wineries and vineyards has become difficult. Tasting rooms and onsite restaurants are especially challenging, although many winemakers have put in place safety measures to make the best of a bad situation and serve public health.
Vineyards are actually less problematic: they’re obviously outdoors, and at least during three of the four seasons they’re in gorgeous, natural locations and can be experienced while social distancing.
I have a confession to make: When I was a writer at Wine Spectator, visiting wineries was something I did at least a few times every month, and vintners often wanted to show me their vines. After a while, I got sort of jaded, however. Seen one impeccably trellised row of vines, seen ’em all. Well, never again! If the pandemic has taught me something, it’s to savor every moment; and few moments are as worth savoring as time spent in a beautiful vineyard.
Traveling to well-known U.S. wine regions remains tricky, but as I found out when I wrote my book Wine Country USA, most people have vineyards within easy driving distance of where they already live. Today, wine in America isn’t just about California, Washington and Oregon, the three major wine-producing states. That said, when I was charged with the assignment to name my top 10 vineyards to visit in the land of the free and home of the brave, I had to start with the Golden State.
1. Flora Springs St. Helena, California
My personal favorite Napa winery is family owned and maintains several vineyards around its St. Helena tasting center. The winery’s most famous bottling is called “Trilogy,” a blend of Bordeaux-style grapes — Cabernet Sauvignon, mainly, but also Petit Verdot and Malbec — grown in the lush, near-ideal conditions that are present in carefully tended vineyards.
2. Robert Mondavi Oakville, California
The wellspring of the California wine revolution, this legendary winery was started in 1966 by pioneer Robert Mondavi and has always stressed the vines-to-vineyards concept, the idea being that if you produce great grapes, you’ll make great wine. Located on the Napa Valley floor, the winery is a regular stop for tourists; but you don’t have to spend all your time in the tasting room. The surrounding vineyards beckon. In particular, To Kalon is regarded as one of the finest collection of vines in the world.
3. Opus One Oakville, California
A collaboration between Robert Mondavi and France’s Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Opus One is noted for the architectural significance of the winery, which was designed to produce wines with minimal technical manipulation. The objective was to showcase the magnificence of the vineyards, perhaps the most beautifully maintained in all of Napa. The winery is an appointment-only experience, so plan ahead.
4. Alexander Valley Vineyards Healdsburg, California
Many major-league wineries and vineyards are clustered in the Napa Valley; and during normal times, this can make for crowded visits. If you want to take in some vineyards under less pressure, getting slightly off the beaten path is worthwhile; and Alexander Valley Vineyards offers an excellent respite. “AVV” owns a very large estate, some 700 acres, and is famous for Zinfandel.
5. Frank Family Vineyards Calistoga, California
Located off the main drag in Napa, this family-owned venue is modest and relaxed; but the wines and the viticulture are serious. Much of Napa has a corporate vibe these days, but Frank Family recalls a time when the California wine business was still run by farmers, laboring in obscurity but dreaming of competition on the world stage. These days, Frank Family produces highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon
6. Wölffer Estate Sagaponack, New York
They make a lot of different wines at this place, located on the South Fork of Long Island in New York and surrounded by the tiny towns of the Hamptons. But they’re legendary for Rose, and what they produce every year is rapidly snapped up by summertime enthusiasts of the salmon-colored wine. The winery and vineyards are absolutely stunning.
7. Bedell Cellars Cutchogue, New York
The North Fork of Long Island in New York is more low-key and rural than the South Fork, and in the past 30 years it’s truly put the state on the wine world’s map. Bedell is the brainchild of Kip Bedell, who turned a potato farm into Long Island’s first serious winery. For anyone interested in the up-and-coming region, Bedell and its Merlot vineyards should be a first stop.
8. Barboursville Vineyards Barboursville, Virginia
The most impressive winery in the Commonwealth also produces some of the state’s best wines, from carefully tended vineyards that are planted on a gently rolling landscape. The historic estate, which dates back two centuries, is owned by the Italian Zonin wine dynasty; and winemaker Luca Paschina has been extremely successful at melding Old and New World viticulture.
9. Messina Hof Hill Country Vineyard Fredericksburg, Texas
The Texas Hill Country is the heart of the Lone Star State’s wine industry, and Messina Hof is a terrific point of entry. The wines aren’t necessarily the finest, but this Fredericksburg stalwart is a good basecamp for forays around the region, with a hotel and restaurant, as well as vineyards that represent Texas’ potential to be the next California.
10. MAWBY’s Vineyards and Winery Suttons Bay, Michigan
Sparkling wine in the Wolverine State? Believe it or not, this upper midwestern winery produces some of America’s best bubbly and offers a chance to explore the Leelanau region, where Lake Michigan dominates the landscape and acts as a sort of inland ocean, influencing the “micro-climate” of MAWBY’s vineyards.
