Earlier this month, the Web site TripAdvisor released its list of the “top 10 wine destinations in North America.”
Here’s a look at that list:
1. Napa Valley, California
2. Sonoma, California
3. Willamette Valley, Oregon
4. Yakima Valley, Washington
5. Roseburg, Oregon
6. Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
7. Finger Lakes, New York
8. Traverse City, Michigan
9. North Fork, Long Island, New York
10. Oak Grove, Virginia
It’s a pretty solid list, but it’s also quite general. Take the No. 1 selection, as an example. The Napa Valley may be relatively small in terms of square miles, but it involves more than dozen specific areas that are unique — from Carneros in the south to Calistoga at the top of the valley. Plus, as we pointed out in yesterday’s harvest report, there’s a big difference in the climate between the valley floor and the surrounding mountains.
In short, if you’re planning a wine-focused trip to the Napa Valley, you’d be wise to concentrate on a specific sub-appellation rather than trying to “experience” the entire valley… unless you have a few months to kill and unlimited funds.
With that in mind, we’ve been planning our own list of North America’s great wine destinations, and we’ll be unveiling it a few weeks down the road. We’re compiling it with an eye toward “weekend getaways,” which means it will be much more focused and specific than the TripAdvisor list.
Keep an eye out for it!
