You just never know where a blog topic may come from.
Case in point: The countdown of “North America’s Top 10 Wine Destinations,” which will begin tomorrow right here on VinesseTODAY.com.
I’ve always said that my best ideas are stolen, and this countdown is no exception. I decided to cobble the list after reading a similar list on the Trip Advisor travel Web site.
Trip Advisor’s list was based on more than 1,000 respondents, nearly half (48 percent) of whom said they plan to visit a U.S. vineyard this year.
Although far from scientific, the data compiled by Trip Advisor somehow managed to identify virtually all of the “usual suspects” when it comes to wine touring in North America. There were only two real surprises, along with one pick with which I could not disagree more. (Sorry, I have no intention of revealing my bias in that regard.)
The list as a whole left me… wanting more. Here it is:
1. Napa Valley, Calif.
2. Sonoma, Calif.
3. Willamette Valley, Ore.
4. Yakima Valley, Wash.
5. Roseburg, Ore.
6. Okanagan Valley, B.C., Canada
7. Finger Lakes, N.Y.
8. Traverse City, Mich.
9. North Fork, Long Island, N.Y.
10. Oak Grove, Va.
Ho.
Hum.
After waking up, I began thinking about what a “Top 10” list should include. For instance, rather than listing Napa Valley – the most obvious, unsurprising locale of all – why not zero in on a specific area (or two) of the valley?
Or instead of listing Sonoma, another no-brainer, how about focusing on Sonoma’s Valley of the Moon or Russian River Valley or Dry Creek Valley?
You get the idea.
Beyond that, why limit the list to specific winegrowing regions? If there’s a great wine experience to be had in, say, Nome, Alaska… why shouldn’t it be considered?
So, that’s the approach I took. The only limitation: The wine destination had to be somewhere in North America. We’ll save the St.-Emilion area of Bordeaux and Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand for another day and another list.
Tomorrow, the countdown begins. We’ll share one destination per day… we’ll take the weekends off (when we’ll bring you some tasty, food-friendly recipes)… we’ll fold in a couple recaps along the way… and we’ll end up at No. 1 on Thanksgiving Eve.
Casey Kasem may have retired, but his spirit lives on here on VinesseTODAY.com.
