575 Best Sights in USA

Brothers Frederick and Jacob Beringer opened the winery that still bears their name in 1876. One of California's earliest bonded wineries, it's the oldest one in the Napa Valley never to have missed a vintage—no mean feat, given Prohibition. Beringer is known for Cabernet Sauvignons from several Napa Valley AVAs and Knights Valley in Sonoma County; many poured here are winery exclusives. Some tastings take place inside or on the veranda of Frederick's grand Rhine House Mansion, completed in 1886 and surrounded by mature landscaped gardens. A tour surveying Beringer's history passes through the wine caves before a tasting in the old facility where the brothers began making wine.

A trip to Southern California's oldest operating winery, founded in 1889 and run by the Rizzo family since 1927, feels like traveling back to early California days; some of the vines on the former Spanish land-grant property have been producing grapes for more than 100 years. Most of the grapes now come from other wine-growing regions. A collection of quaint shops surrounds the winery. Manzanita Roasting Company has coffee and fresh pastries, and The Kitchen serves pizza and pasta Wednesday through Sunday. Shops sell cold-pressed olive oil, jams, and other gourmet goodies, as well as apparel, home decor items, and arts and crafts. A farmers' market is held Friday from 9 am to 1 pm. No dogs or outside food or drink allowed.

At the tasting room of Bernardus—known for its Bordeaux-style red blend, called Marinus, and its Chardonnays—you can sample current releases and reserve wines.

Petite Sirah, under that name and its original French one, Durif, is the flagship grape of this operation whose parent company's nursery has supplied a who's-who of Napa and Sonoma wineries with disease-free rootstock since 1969. Tempranillo and Barbera are two other successful reds, with Albariño and Verdejo the best whites. The redbrick downtown tasting room is open daily. You can visit the nearby estate and its affiliated brewery four days a week.

Founded in 1977, Bethel Heights was one of the first vineyards planted in the Eola Hills region of the Willamette Valley. It produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. The tasting room has one of the most glorious panoramic views of any winery in the state; its terrace and picnic area overlook the surrounding vineyards, the valley below, and Mt. Jefferson in the distance.

Noah and Kelly Dorrance of Reeve Wines are behind this more casual winery producing Albariño, Chenin Blanc, Tocai Friulano, Pinot Noir, Grenache, and other decently priced wines from well-sourced grapes. The light-filled tasting space's urban/country-cool decor hints at the panache behind the enterprise, whose servers appear to have been chosen for their ebullience. Cheeses, olive tapenade, and prosciutto are available for pairing.

Take one part historic stables and one part French-and-Italian reds, and you’ve got an urban winery with nothing but unfiltered goodness. You won’t find sparkling, white, rosé, or anything sweet on the menu, just straight reds (and occasional sangria and hard cider on tap). Named for the servants’ entrance at the Governor’s Palace in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this boutique winery is captured in a painting of the blue door hung above the bar. During winter months, you can cozy up to the fireplace with a glass of mulled wine.

In 1972, Greg Boeger revived a gold rush–era farm that once supported fruit and nut orchards, a winery, and a distillery. These days Boeger produces estate wines from 30 varietals grown on two parcels totaling 100 acres, with Sauvignon Blanc and Barbera the best sellers and Zinfandel and Primitivo also worth seeking out. The creek-side picnic area fronting the tasting room hosts bands on Friday evenings in summer (reserve space well ahead).

This family-run winery's tasting room, reminiscent of a European chalet, sits among vineyards near a duck pond that's lovely for picnics. A valley stalwart since 1985, Bonair has garnered dozens of awards for its Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Riesling, and Chardonnay.

Tranquil Bouchaine lies just north of San Pablo Bay's tidal sloughs—to appreciate the off-the-beaten-path setting, step onto the terrace of the semicircular hilltop tasting room and scan the skies for hawks and golden eagles soaring above the vineyards. The alternately breezy and foggy weather in this part of the Carneros works well for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These account for most of the wines, but also look for Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and Riesling whites, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Meunier, and Syrah. Some outdoor tastings take place on the terrace, others in the garden below it.

As a lad, winemaker Alex Bowman made hobby wines with his father, an electrical contractor with deep West County roots, but by his late-20s he yearned to make wines "for real." His debut wine won a double-gold ribbon at the local county fair, prompting him to draw on the experience of wine-industry relatives to establish Bowman Cellars with his wife Katie, whose family has long owned a roadside produce market in Sebastopol. The two pour their wines in a casual tasting room fronted by a patio twice as large. Alex shows a light but knowing touch with the winery's two stars, a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir, both from the Russian River Valley.

This boutique winery eschews the Pinot Noir prevalent throughout the region in favor of hot-climate varietals—including Zinfandel, Cab, and even a ruby port—all produced in small batches. Bravuro’s wines are only available at the tasting room or online, and every bottle is individually numbered.

The mood’s downright bubbly (pardon that pun) at the oasislike garden patio of this sparkling-wine producer in an industrial park ½ mile northwest of Healdsburg Plaza. Established by three sisters, Breathless sources grapes from Sonoma County and a few places beyond. The small indoor tasting area was fashioned out of shipping containers, though in fine weather nearly everyone sips—by the glass, flight, or bottle—in the umbrella-shaded garden. Splurge on the Sabrage Experience to learn how to open a bottle with a saber, a tradition Napoléon's soldiers supposedly initiated.

Small-batch superpremium wines sold exclusively in the tasting room are the focus of this much-lauded, 40-acre, Westside estate winery. Specialties include Albariño, Cabernet Franc, and Rhone blends. Brecon also crafts Bordeaux varietals, including the reserve Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, with estate grapes from one of the oldest vines in Paso Robles. Taste wines within the urban-chic cedar barn, which combines Scandinavian and Australian design elements, or at tables on the shady patio.

This winery with a contemporary stone, glass, and metal facility across from the Four Seasons resort takes its name from its son (Brian Harlan) and father (Arden Harlan) vintners. Brian, who makes the wines, has early memories of a 19th-century Lake County Zinfandel vineyard his family still farms, but his passion for the grape grew out of wine-related work in the restaurant industry. Wines to look for include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec. Guests sip these wines and a few others in the tasting room or on an outdoor patio, both with Calistoga Palisades views, enjoying them with small bites or cheeses. The Chef Experience ($$$$)—per the website: "please come hungry!"—is the most popular tasting.

Lean yet flavorful Humboldt County Pinot Noirs are the specialty of this winery set amid the trees. In good weather, the low-key tastings take place in front of the weathered original winery building. Guests sip Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or other whites before sampling Pinots and perhaps Syrah or Zinfandel. Briceland hosts tastings on summer weekend afternoons and by appointment at other times.

At this large, modern tasting room in the center of downtown Bellevue, sample the exceptional wines of this acclaimed Walla Walla–based vintner, which routinely scores high marks for its Cabernet Sauvignons, Malbecs, and other typically French oak–aged Bordeaux-style vintages, including blends. In this clubby, warmly lighted space, you can also sample the Browne Family's bourbons and ryes.

Family-owned Brutocao produces Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon along with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Some of these wines, plus ones from Italian varietals like Sangiovese and Primitivo, are poured in Hopland's 1925 former high school building, whose outdoor areas have picnic tables and regulation boccie courts.

The architectural focal point of the winery considered the birthplace of modern California wine making is the rehabilitated stone former press house, built in 1864 to squeeze crushed grapes into wine. Now the main tasting space—no wines are made on-site—it doubles as a minimuseum whose exhibits tell the story of the Hungarian-born Count Agoston Haraszthy (his title was self-bestowed), who founded Buena Vista in 1857. Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Cabernet Sauvignons, and several Bordeaux-style red blends are the strong suits among the several dozen wines produced.

On a clear day, the views from this Howell Mountain winery's hospitality center and gravel patio—complete with infinity waterfall and Robinia shade trees—stretch south down the valley to Carneros. The exceptional tableau befits the collector-worthy Cabernets created by a team deservedly proud of its eco-friendly farming and production practices. Winemaker Danielle Cyrot's attention to detail begins in the vineyard and continues in the cellar, where she uses five dozen barrel types from two dozen coopers to bring out the best in the frisky (as in highly tannic) mountain fruit. Visits are by appointment, best made a day or two ahead.

Jack and Dolores Cakebread were among the early-1970s vintners whose efforts raised the Napa Valley's profile and initiated what became known as the Wine Country lifestyle. Tasting experiences at their winery, now run by their sons, adapt that lifestyle to contemporary sensibilities. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon helped establish Cakebread, which makes so many other wines—Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and sundry red blends among them—that you can opt for an all-reds or all-whites tasting.   Book a wine-and-food pairing or a library tasting of older vintages for a deeper dive into this trailblazing winery’s output.

One of Temecula's oldest wineries is centered on a stunning steel-and-glass cube with vineyard views all around. Callaway made its reputation with Chardonnay, but these days is also known for Roussanne, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The winery's Meritage Restaurant specializes in tapas, salads, and sandwiches.

Oregon's first cooperative winery was specifically designed to house multiple small premium wine producers. This gravity-flow winery has up-to-date wine-making equipment as well as multiple cellars for storing the different makers' wines. You can taste and purchase bottles from the different member wineries. The emphasis is on Pinot Noir, but more than a dozen other types of wines are poured, from Cabernet Franc to Gewürztraminer to Mourvèdre on a rotating basis. The selection of wines available to taste changes every few days.

It's winemaker Carol Shelton's motto that great wines start in the vineyard, but you won't see any grapevines outside her winery—it's in an industrial park 4 miles north of downtown Santa Rosa. What you will find (and experience) are well-priced Zinfandels from grapes grown in vineyards from Mendocino to Southern California's Cucamonga Valley. With coastal, hillside, valley, inland, and desert's-edge fruit, the Zins collectively reveal the range and complexity of this varietal that so arouses Shelton's passion.

Perhaps the most stunning of Albuquerque's wineries, Casa Rondeña was designed to resemble a Tuscan villa, with its green-tile roof and verdant grounds laced with shade trees, fountains, and of course, vineyards. Though a true patina of age has yet to develop (the winery was founded in 1995 by vintner John Calvin), this is a most pleasant place for sipping. Respect for the centuries-old heritage of wine in the state is shown through their very drinkable "1629" red blend (made from Tempranillo, Syrah, and Cabernet grapes, it's a nod to the Spaniards who carried the first vines here in that year). A vintage oak fermentation sits in the great hall where tastings are conducted.

An astounding medieval-style structure complete with drawbridge and moat, chapel, stables, and secret passageways, the Castello commands Diamond Mountain's lower eastern slope. Some of the 107 rooms contain artist Fabio Sanzogni's replicas of 13th-century frescoes (cheekily signed with his website address), and the dungeon has an iron maiden from Nuremberg, Germany. You must pay for a tour to see most of Dario Sattui's extensive eight-level property, though you'll have access to part of the complex with general admission. Bottlings of note include Sangiovese and other Italian-style wines and Il Barone, a deliberately big Cab. All visits are by appointment.

This winery's Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon twice won Wine Spectator wine of the year. You can sample the latest vintage and a few other wines outdoors in landscaped areas or inside at tables amid or near aging barrels. Chuck Wagner started making wine on this property in 1972 and still oversees Caymus production. His children craft wines for other brands within the Wagner Family of Wine portfolio, including oaked and unoaked Mer Soleil Chardonnays, Conundrum white and red blends, Red Schooner Malbec, and Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. All visits require an appointment.

At more than 1,300 acres (one of Sonoma County's largest estates), this is the most prominent winery of the Russian River Valley AVA’s Chalk Hill sub-appellation. Most guests taste on the châteaulike production facility's terrace, basking in views of woodsy, vineyard-studded hills. Although even in summer you might detect Pacific breezes, the estate, which has 15 separate microclimates, isn't cool enough for Pinot Noir, so the winery grows it on land nearer the ocean. About half the Chalk Hill property's 300 vineyard acres are devoted to Chardonnay, with Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, a few other Bordeaux grapes (the Malbec makes a delicious powerful wine), and Syrah also planted.

The first sparkling-wine producer established in the Napa Valley by a French Champagne house is known for its bubblies but also makes still wines. Founded in 1973 and gleaming since a 50th-anniversary renovation of the indoor and outdoor tasting areas, Chandon presents a set sparkling flight showcasing the house style from Monday to Wednesday. More specialized offerings unfold the rest of the week. Walk-ins are welcome for flights, but make a reservation for lunches and other food experiences and look for seasonal pairings like blanc de blancs and oysters.