Travel

6 Best Under-the-Radar Wine Destinations

Raising a glass to America’s under-the-radar viticultural regions—and all of their rich variety.
6 Best Under-the-Radar Wine Destinations
Cooler temperatures, due to ocean breezes and foggy mornings, extend the growing season in Sta. Rita Hills, Calif.Carolin Sunshine/ Shutterstock
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A very good glass of wine is one of life’s great pleasures. What’s even better is the place where you taste it. Wineries are wonderful travel destinations, where natural loveliness and pleasure of the palate come together, beautifully. But they’re not all in Napa or Sonoma. Here are six of the best under-the-radar spots in the United States to experience wine. Each one forms its own American Viticultural Area (AVA). 

Finger Lakes, New York

Hermann J. Wiemer winery in Dundee, N.Y., is renowned for its Rieslings. (Samira Bouaou for American Essence)
Hermann J. Wiemer winery in Dundee, N.Y., is renowned for its Rieslings. Samira Bouaou for American Essence
Tim Johnson
Tim Johnson
Author
Toronto-based writer Tim Johnson is always traveling in search of the next great story. Having visited 140 countries across all seven continents, he’s tracked lions on foot in Botswana, dug for dinosaur bones in Mongolia, and walked among a half-million penguins on South Georgia Island. He contributes to some of North America’s largest publications, including CNN Travel, Bloomberg, and The Globe and Mail.