575 Best Sights in USA

The 1,800-acre Gainey Ranch, straddling the banks of the Santa Ynez River, includes about 100 acres of organic vineyards: Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The winery also makes wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah grapes from the Santa Rita Hills. You can taste the latest releases—the estate Pinot Noir is especially good—in a Spanish-style hacienda overlooking the ranch. Gainey's Evans Ranch tasting room in Los Olivos showcases their six limited-production wines from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. 

A retractable window and three sidewalk stools under a wooden slab telegraph the informal inclinations of this tasting room for Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. The jovial co-owner and winemaker, Adam McClary, is often on hand dispensing pours and stories about his wines and the industry. Chenin Blanc's aromatics and depth of character enchant McClary, who lauds Cabernet Franc as elegant and "just plain pretty.”  This is a good stop for first-timers and fans of small, family-owned wineries.

Established in 1996 by the founders of what's now The Duckhorn Portfolio, Goldeneye makes Pinot Noirs from estate grapes, along with a Brut Rosé sparkling wine, Gewürztraminer, and a blush Vin Gris of Pinot Noir. Leisurely tastings, some by appointment only, take place in a restored farmhouse or on a patio with vineyard views.

The large retractable windows of this boutique winery's barnlike tasting space open up to views of Cabernet Sauvignon vines—in fine weather, guests on the outdoor deck can practically touch them. Goosecross makes two Chardonnays and a Pinot Noir from Carneros fruit, but the soul of this cordial operation is its 12-acre State Lane Vineyard, planted with red Bordeaux grapes. A Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot from State Lane are the stars, along with the Holly's Block 100% Cab and the Aeros blend of the vineyard's best blocks. The last two aren't always poured, but the intentionally big Branta red wine or a Tempranillo tempered by Viognier usually is. Appointments are advised for weekend visits.

Wineries without their own production equipment often make wine at communal "custom-crush" facilities. Many such places don't have tasting rooms open to the public, but at Grand Cru you can book a Vintners' Selection of several wineries' offerings or a private tasting of one label's wines. If you go the latter route, Maritana Vineyards, Bucher Wines, Bruliam Wines, and Saxon Brown Wines for Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays (also Cabernets for the first one and Zinfandels for the last three) are worth seeking out. Vintners and winemakers often host their winery’s tastings.

Located within Ten Acre Farm right at the base of the Little Bookcliff mountains and next door to the Wine Country Inn, Grande River is an easy stop right off the highway. Visitors can meander the demonstration vineyard on their own or book a free tour before or after a stop at the tasting room that's open daily. The vineyard is in the process of launching a brand, Ten Acre Winery, and the combined vineyards produce a staggering variety of varietals: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot for the reds, and Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Viognier for the whites, along with their well-known red and white Meritage blends. Tasting fees range from $7 for four one-ounce pours to $12 for three three-ouncers.

Gregory Graziano creates wines for four separate labels, one devoted to Burgundian grapes like Pinot Noir; two to Italian varietals; and the last to Zinfandel, Rhône, and a few other types. Gregory's grandfather planted the winery's oldest Mendocino County vineyard just before Prohibition. The lineup poured in the downtown Hopland tasting space might include Pinot Gris and Arneis whites and Dolcetto and Nebbiolo reds.

A restored stable on an eight-generations-old farm houses the tasting room of this small producer. All wines, including a crisp Vidal Blanc and a well-balanced Meritage red blend, are made from grapes grown and hand-harvested on the property. Tastings are offered most of the year, and outdoor tables overlooking neat rows of vines abound. On Saturday, May–early December, the winery hosts live jazz concerts.

While there are a couple of distilleries on the Marathon Village property, the casual yet sophisticated setting of Grinder's Switch Winery ought to please the wine lover in your group. Expect everyday favorites like Cabernet Sauvignon, but their specialty is blends like their white table wine as well as fruited wines like Razzbury (raspberry) and Cou Rouge (strawberry). While you're there, pick up a curated local gift or craft in the winery's attached shop. If you're wondering where the wine is made, it comes from their vineyard in middle Tennessee.

Gruet's Albuquerque location is a brick chalet-inspired building just off Interstate 25, which isn't the most picturesque setting. However, once inside the tasting room (or nestled into the garden seating area during warm months), you'll settle in to taste some of the nation's most acclaimed producers of sparkling wines. There's even a selection of caviar pairings. Famous in France since the 1950s, the Gruet (pronounced grew-ay) family began production here in 1984 (some of its vineyards—all in-state—are as close as Santa Ana Pueblo, and may be viewed along the highways, just north of Bernalillo). And while it's changed hands since, it still earns kudos for its méthode champenoise (which employs traditional Champagne-making methods), as well as for its Pinot Noirs, rosés, and Chardonnays. If visiting Santa Fe, enjoy some bubbly in the cozy tasting room inside downtown Hotel St. Francis.

The Bundschu family has owned much of this 320-acre property since 1858. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and red blends from estate grapes are the specialty—the Bordeaux-style Mountain Cuvée contains each vintage's best fruit. Guests seeking a quick introduction can stand at the bar inside an 1870 stone winery still used for production, sampling wines that might also include a Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, or rosé. More leisurely seated tastings take place in a courtyard with views of vineyards and a pond.   Book a seasonal cave tour or Pinzgauer vehicle vineyard excursion for a more comprehensive experience.

One of the oldest wineries in the state, Habersham Vineyards & Winery started producing in 1983. Stop by the winery's tasting room and gift shop to try one of its signature wines, including Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and popular blends Scarlett, Signet, and Cherokee Rose.

Hard to miss along Highway 29, Lawrence Argent's 35-foot-tall Bunny Foo Foo, a stainless-steel sculpture of a rabbit leaping out of the vineyard, is one of many museum-quality artworks on display at Hall. Looking westward from the glass-walled hospitality center's second floor, rows of neatly spaced Cabernet vines capture the eye, and beyond them the tree-studded Mayacamas Mountains. The Art of Cabernet tasting provides a solid introduction to this prominent producer's flagship varietal. Sister operation Hall Rutherford hosts wine-and-food pairings atop a Rutherford hillside.

A good place to learn about contemporary Paso Robles wine making, this ultramodern operation produces high-quality wines from estate-grown Bordeaux and Rhône grapes grown in sustainably farmed vineyards. The gravity-flow winery, which you can view on tours, is a marvel of efficiency. Ancestor, the flagship wine, a potent Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, is named for the ranch's huge centuries-old coast oak tree.

Originally from Paso Robles, California, this is the first Texas outpost for the winery, featuring 100 percent organically grown grapes; an open, airy tasting room; and a restaurant that also offers outdoor seating in a beautiful park-like area out back on 32 acres, with a scattering of wandering sheep. Enjoy a leisurely lunch with your wine tasting—fish tacos, steak frites, and the Cubano sandwich are stellar. Browse the boutique offerings and make sure to try the delicious 2023 Texas rosé.

International folk art collected by founding winemaker the late Milla Handley adorns the tasting room at this Anderson Valley pioneer, whose lightly oaked Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs earn high praise from wine critics. The winery, which has an arbored outdoor patio picnic area, also makes Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Zinfandel, sparklers, and several others.

Handcrafted, 100% Cabernet Sauvignons from hillside and mountain vineyards 2 acres or smaller are this boutique winery's emphasis, with the wines from Mt. Veeder, Rutherford, and Calistoga often among the best. The lineup also includes Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, along with a Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County's Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Guests at appointment-only seated tastings sip in a light-filled upscale-rustic space clad in reclaimed redwood wine-barrel staves or in the open-air courtyard the structure surrounds.

Lodi grape growers since the 1900s dawned, the Harney family only started a winery in 2006. Three Zinfandels star in a lineup that includes Albariño, Chardonnay, two rosés, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Primitivo, Tempranillo, and an old-vine Zinfandel port-style dessert wine. Extend your tasting with a glass in the "forest" garden, where three-century-old cedars supply the shade. Learn about the family and Lodi on the Home Ranch Tasting & Tour.

Old whaling equipment and Hearst Ranch and Hearst Castle memorabilia decorate this winery's casual Old San Simeon outpost. The tasting room occupies a historic warehouse building with a gift shop, deli, and an outdoor deck and umbrella-shaded tables overlooking San Simeon Cove. The flagship wines include the Bunkhouse Cabernet Sauvignon, named after the historic Hearst Ranch building designed by Julia Morgan, and Rhône-style white and red blends. Malbec and Tempranillo are two other strong suits.

The most widely recognized of Red Mountain's many acclaimed wineries occupies a spectacular hillside château that looks like it could have been plucked straight out of the Bordeaux countryside. Indeed, the estate specializes in the classic French grapes that excel in this terroir, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah leading the charge. On cool days, sip your wine by the fire in the grand tasting room; in summer, have a seat on the patio overlooking the neatly groomed gardens.

Northern California is known for wine, but it's a different buzz at this meadery situated just outside the center of Point Reyes Station. All of the meads are sparkling, made in the Champagne production style. The honey comes from local hives owned by the meadery and from hives around the country and the world. Flavors can vary from Tanzanian miombo wildflower to Oregon white clover blossom. The tasting room is open daily.

Splashier than many of its neighbors and a draw as much for its restaurant and seasonal live music as its wines, family-operated Helwig occupies a hilltop steel, wood, and glass tasting space with knockout views. The winery specializes in fruit-forward reds, most notably Barbera, Graciano, and Tempranillo; the sparkling rosé of Sangiovese shines among the lighter wines.

One of southern Oregon's earliest wine-making stars, this picturesque estate sits alongside the Umpqua River about 15 miles northwest of Roseburg and turns out exceptional Pinot Noir and Alsace-style Pinot Gris, along with some European wines less often seen in the United States, such as Müller-Thurgau and Veraison. The winery hosts a number of events, including a Cajun blues festival each June.

Stop by this contemporary downtown winery to sample the light and fruity wines and hard ciders, made with local blueberries, apples, cranberries, and honeys as well as imported grapes. Tours, which include a barrel tasting, are available, and you can order cheese, charcuterie, and other treats from the deli to enjoy while sipping outside on the deck. Many evenings, there's live piano in the Loft Listening Room.

A limestone structure, rustic from the outside but modern within, contains tasting salons and a gallery exhibiting museum-quality works by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy, Anselm Kiefer, and Robert Rauschenberg. Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon is the portfolio's star, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir additional strong suits. Some experiences include a tour of the art Swiss founder Donald Hess collected; others might involve an ATV vineyard excursion, food pairings, or comparing Cabernets.

Cookware for sale catches the eye at this contemporary concrete-and-glass tasting room before wine bottles do—the founder manufactures pots and pans for upscale outlets like Williams-Sonoma and in the 2020s introduced a line by chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry. Sit down for a tasting, though, and attention quickly shifts to the polished, almost voluptuous wines that two acclaimed winemakers craft for four separate labels. The Meyer and Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignons and the Stephanie Petit Verdot, all from grapes grown amid the southern Vaca Range, are particularly successful, as is the Vincent Christopher Pinot Noir.

Doug Hill farms grapes for prominent Napa wineries, but at the urging of his son, Ryan, the family began bottling its own Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other wines. Crafted by Alison Doran, a protégé of the late Napa winemaker André Tchelistcheff, these are refined reds you can sample, along with whites that include Albariño and Chardonnay, on a 7½-acre estate. Alfresco tastings take advantage of classic valley views—vineyards and the board-and-batten winery building up close, the Mayacamas Mountains farther west. Appointment-only visits are limited to a few guests per day, but the family also operates a tasting salon less than a mile away in downtown Yountville. Ask about seasonal tours (with tasting) of a "secret garden" that grows produce for The French Laundry and other top restaurants.

Sustainable farming is the big story at this family-run winery. When offered, the absorbing Eco-Tour and Tasting focuses on the Honig family's environmentally friendly farming and production methods, which include using biodiesel to fuel the tractors, monitoring water use in the vineyard and winery, and generating power with solar panels. Bluebirds, hawks, and owls patrol for insects, rodents, and other pests. Known for Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the Honigs also make rosé of Cabernet and late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc. All tastings are by appointment; call ahead for last-minute availability.

This winery produces more than 13 different wines, from sparkling to dessert. Tastings are available, and a wine bar in the hayloft with views of the lake serves a fine cheese-and-pâté board.

This 35-acre vineyard overlooking Lake Waramaug produces more than 14 varieties of wine—from sparkling to dessert. A weathered red barn houses a gift shop and a tasting room, where knowledgeable staff explain the various wines and wine-making techniques. A wine bar in the hayloft, with views of the lake, serves a fine cheese and pâté board. There's also a picnic area.