United States

Wine is made in all fifty states, but the scale is lopsided: California alone produces about 80 percent of the country's wine, and the United States is divided into roughly 280 federally recognized appellations, or AVAs. For a traveler, the real choice narrows to a handful of regions.

In California, Napa Valley is Cabernet Sauvignon country — the benchmark reds and the most polished tasting-room scene. Neighboring Sonoma trades that gloss for range, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the cool Russian River Valley and old-vine Zinfandel up in Dry Creek. Paso Robles, on the Central Coast, leans on Rhône varieties and Zinfandel; Santa Barbara County, farther south, grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in fog-cooled valleys. North in Oregon, the Willamette Valley is single-minded about Pinot Noir. Washington's Columbia Valley and its Walla Walla sub-region turn out Bordeaux-style reds and Syrah from a warm, dry interior.

On the other coast, New York's Finger Lakes makes the country's best Riesling on steep slopes above the lakes, and the rising Eastern and Southern scenes — Virginia, with Viognier and Cabernet Franc, and Texas Hill Country, with Tempranillo and Viognier — are worth watching. Harvest runs the Northern Hemisphere window, roughly August into October depending on latitude and grape, though the tasting rooms pour year-round. The simplest way to read the map is by coast: the West Coast drives volume and reputation, while the East Coast works cooler, in aromatic whites and lighter reds.

Explore U.S. Wine Regions

Wine is made in all 50 states, but a handful of regions anchor a trip. Dive into our detailed guides:

• Napa Valley — California’s benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon and its most polished tasting-room scene.
• Sonoma County — cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay plus old-vine Zinfandel, across 19 AVAs.
• Willamette Valley — Oregon’s single-minded home of world-class Pinot Noir.
• Columbia Valley and Walla Walla — Washington’s Bordeaux-style reds and Syrah.
• Finger Lakes — New York’s cool glacial lakes and the country’s best Riesling.
• Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County — the Central Coast’s Rhône blends, Zinfandel and fog-cooled Pinot Noir.

Wineries to Visit in the USA

Landmark wineries that shaped American wine, all open to visitors:

• Robert Mondavi Winery (Oakville, Napa) — the mission-style estate on the To Kalon vineyard, founded 1966, the first major Napa winery built after Prohibition.
• The Eyrie Vineyards (McMinnville, Oregon) — the Willamette pioneer that planted the valley’s first Pinot Noir in 1965.
• Chateau Ste. Michelle (Woodinville, Washington) — the state’s oldest winery, on a 105-acre estate 20 miles from Seattle, with daily tastings and summer concerts.
• Dr. Konstantin Frank (Keuka Lake, Finger Lakes) — the estate that proved European vinifera Riesling could thrive in the East, founded 1962.

USA Wine Tours

Guided tours run from the gateway cities — San Francisco for Napa and Sonoma, Portland for the Willamette, and around the Finger Lakes:

• Napa and Sonoma Full-Day Wine Tour from San Francisco
• Willamette Valley Small-Group Wine Tour from Portland
• Cayuga Lake Wine-Tasting Cruise (Finger Lakes)