10 Reasons A Trip To Napa Valley Should Shoot To The Top Of Your Summer Bucket List
Napa Valley is a perfect summer vacation spot offering over 400 wineries, historic sites, and unique experiences like hot air balloon rides and wine trains.
Do any two things go together better than great wine and summer vacations? We're struggling to think of a better team. If you're looking for a stunning spot to travel that also offers some of the finest wine in the country, consider this your excuse to book a vacation to Napa Valley.
1. First of all, you’ll feel like you’ve accidentally landed in Tuscany.
7. Theater-lovers can’t miss enjoying a performance at the historic Napa Valley Opera House, where plays and music shows are offered throughout the summer.
9. Travel in style with the Napa Valley Wine Train. This train offers restarted antique cars where you can soak up the scenery over a glass of (you guessed it) local wine.
Raise a toast from coast to coast as you explore the origin stories of some of America's best beverages. Whether you prefer wine, beer, or spirits – or all of the above – these destinations are all hits and no misses. Extraordinary experiences and spectacular sipping are on tap at these award-winning wineries, breweries, and distilleries across the US.
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Award-Winning Wineries
When it comes to globally renowned wine, most folks think of the West Coast. We've covered some of that region here. You may be surprised at a couple of our other picks that have taken top recognition. Get your pen and palate ready to taste notes!
Slip back to the Middle Ages for sumptuous food and wine pairings at Castello di Amorosa. The Tuscan-style castle was created authentic to 14th century architectural elements. The Napa Valley destination is open by reservation only for experiences that include tastings and tours. In 2020, USA Today named it the best tasting room in America, and the next year brought many awards, including 15 gold medals and three best-of-class honors between the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition & The American Fine Wine Competition.
Oregon's Willamette Valley is well-known for its outstanding Pinot Noirs. You can try one of its best at Archery Summit Winery. The winery's 2021 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir was the only US wine to win Best of Show honors at the prestigious 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards. Take in magnificent views of the sweeping valley as you sample the world-class wines it produces. Archery Summit is open daily by appointment only.
Abeja Winery and Inn produces award-winning wines in the Pacific Northwest countryside. Head to the heart of Walla Walla Valley wine region to this beautifully restored century-old farmstead that is the 2023 Washington Winery of the Year. Abeja Winery has won numerous awards for its wines, including a double platinum designation for its 2019 Merlot from Great Northwest Wine. Many publications featured the inn also for its luxurious accommodations and stunning views. Visits must be scheduled in advance.
Botham Winery, a picturesque winery located in rural Wisconsin west of Madison, is best known for its estate-grown red wines. Its tasting room opens seasonally on weekends in March. Summer months bring extended hours during the week. When you visit, you can sample "grape-to-glass" Wisconsin wine as you marvel at Botham's many medals (more than 150) and accolades. One of its most significant recognitions is having earned a double gold medal on two occasions in international competitions.
Becker Vineyards, the 2023 Top Texas Winery, grows 11 different varietals across its 66 acres of vineyards. The Texas Hill Country production facility covers 10,000 square feet and is a replica of a late 19th-century German stone barn. At the 2023 American Fine Wine Competition, Becker Vineyards earned the Best of Show Red and Best of Class/Other Red Single Varietal for its 2019 Barbera which scored a 96. The tasting room has regular public hours throughout the week. Call ahead to confirm availability and make reservations for group tastings or tours.
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Award-Winning Breweries
After over a decade of rapid growth, craft beer has leveled out quite a bit and yet hardly fallen flat. Many brewers have risen to the top, maintaining big fan bases by remaining dedicated to new tasting room experiences and turning out innovative new brews. We've gathered five award-winning breweries that have recently garnered well-deserved recognition for bottling up the best of the craft beer scene.
Love a wheat beer? Well, you've arrived at the pinnacle at Allagash Brewing Co., where you can hoist the holy grail of the most-awarded wheat beer in the world. The brewery arrived at this by counting its awards at the three most prestigious global beer awards: World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Festival and Euro Beer Star awards. It then compared their results against other award winners over decades. Besides its tasting room, the brewery offers several different tour experiences and hosts special events. Don't miss the luscious lobster rolls and other goodies at the award-winning Bite Into Maine food truck.
In 2023, Saint Arnold Brewing Company took home its second Brewery of the Year title, having won six years before. Saint Arnold also is the longest continuously-operating craft brewery in Texas, having brewed its first beer, Amber Ale, in 1994. That classic took home a World Beer Cup (WBC) bronze award. Earning golds were Saint Arnold's Lawnmower Kolsch and Elissa English-Style IPA, first brewed in 2001 and 2004, respectively. The brewery took home a bronze for its Irish Hello Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout at the 2024 WBC. Try all four when you visit the Saint Arnold Brewing Beer Garden & Restaurant, which overlooks downtown Houston and serves a full food menu seven days a week.
8. Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon – Pittsburgh, PA & North Olmsted, Middleburg Heights and Canton, OH
In 1992, this award-winning brew pub brand grew out of a South Side Pittsburgh restaurant that specialized in chonky sammies and smoked meats – all guzzled down with craft brews. Fat Head's flagship brewpub opened in 2008 in North Olmsted west of Cleveland. Its production headquarters opened a decade later 10 miles southeast in Middleburg Heights, and the Canton location is a satellite pub. You can visit any one of the four destinations today to sample its 2024 World Beer Cup gold-medal-winning Goggle Fogger South German-Style Hefeweizen and Bone Head Strong Red Ale.
Awarded the 2023-2024 “Best Brew Pub in America” by USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards, Stronghouse Brew Pub welcomes guests to step back into history and up to its beautiful 1880s mahogany bar for a pint, flight or beer boot. You'll find a selection of a dozen or so craft brews made on site, plus other options that include cocktails, wine, cider, and draft kombucha. For bites, choose from a full food menu of apps, salads, brats, soups and several entrees. The Stronghouse dates to 1892 and is the last surviving intact building in the city's historic Four Corners corridor.
Hop on the De-Stress Express American Stout at Georgia Beer Company, which took a gold medal at the 2023 U.S. Open Beer Championship. If an Amber is more your speed, go for the Azalea City Amber, which took a bronze medal in the 2023 Great American Beer Festival. Georgia Beer Co. became Valdosta's first brewery in 2014 and eventually moved into its current facility adjacent to the downtown shopping and dining district. While this is a production facility that does not serve food, the brewery frequently hosts food trucks and other food vendors. With board and card games and a dog-friendly outdoor beer garden, full families are welcome.
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Award-Winning Distilleries
Kentucky bourbon rightfully runs the show in the distillery category. And yet there are other locales home to award-winners in the art of distillation across the nation. We'll start in the Bluegrass State and the world's most acclaimed distillery, then clink our ice curiously as we explore the offerings of other passionate craftspeople winning awards for transforming grains and botanicals into liquid gold.
Taste over two centuries of dedication to the craft of creating bourbon whiskey at Buffalo Trace Distillery, the most awarded distillery in the world. With over 40 distillery titles from trusted industry publications and more than 500 awards for the whiskey itself, it stands to reason Buffalo Trace has also been named the 2024 Visitor Attraction of the Year by Whisky Magazine. Choose among five different curated tour experiences that range from the introductory Trace Tour to the behind-the-scene, production-focused Hard Hat Tour. Another guides you through the property's arboretum and botanical gardens. Again, they're all free! Registration is recommended.
Since it opened in 2008, the Breckenridge Distillery has piled on awards as heavy as the snowpack that makes its Tenmile Range location a world-class ski and snowboard destination. The distillery is best known for its blended bourbon whiskey, Breckenridge Bourbon, which is a four-time winner of the World Whiskies Awards Best American Blended honor and 2011 Bourbon of the Year at the International Wine & Spirits Competition. In addition to an astonishing selection of whiskies, Breckenridge crafts rum, five vodkas, a bitter, aquavit, and spiked sparkling water beverages. The distillery offers several different tastings and tour experiences.
A visit to Weldon MIlls Distillery artfully blends rich history, award-winning spirits, and warm Southern hospitality into an unforgettable experience. After opening in 2018, Weldon Mills won the honors of "Best Whiskey Micro Distillery" and "Best Cask Strength Bourbon" just a few years later at the 2021 International Whiskey Competition. The distillery is open daily from noon to 7 p.m. with tours starting at the top of every hour until one hour before closing. Don't miss the opportunity to explore picturesque surroundings and nearby Roanoke River, a key ingredient in the locally sourced, small-batch bourbon. Weldon Mills also produces three gins, two vodkas, and a rum.
Recently awarded the coveted 2024 Dave Pickerell Memorial Craft Member of the Year award by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Swilled Dog Distillery is known for supporting fellow distillers to advance the industry as a whole. Beyond the benevolent spirit, Swilled Dog's excellence shows in its portfolio of several award-winners, including its Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon and Double Oaked Series Bourbon, which have garnered gold and silver medals in prestigious competitions like the World Whiskies Awards and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. And what's not to love about a place with a Chief Fetching Officer, Lucy Pickles, the brand mascot and pup behind its purpose to give back to animal-related charities.
A refurbished 1800s corset factory is now the home of the world's best whiskey, according to the American Spirits Council of Tasters, who've conferred the honor in 2022 and 2023 upon Journeyman Distillery. Appropriate to the distillery's historical location, the name of the spirit is Corsets, Whips & Whiskey. When you visit, you can tour the distillery operations, enjoy tastings and explore the factory space. Outside, practice your putting skills on the Welter's Folly green. Journeyman opened a second location in Valparaiso, Indiana in October 2023.
From California's sun-kissed vineyards to Kentucky's historic distilleries, these award-winning wineries, breweries, and distilleries exemplify the best of our continuously evolving craft beverage industries. To help you savor every flavor as you explore these first-rate places, sign up for a Master Class to learn more about the nuances of different wines, or basics of mixology to make perfect cocktails when you return home!
When you think of spots to sample great American wine, you probably imagine Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley. If you’re in the know, you might even conjure up mental images of the Hermiston-Columbia Valley in Oregon or the Middle Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico. But you probably wouldn’t ever think to look for great vintages in…Walla Walla, Washington. Here’s why you’d be wrong.
Walla Walla is a city of about 30,000 people in Walla Walla County, Washington. It’s about four hours from both Seattle and Portland, and until about a decade ago, no one paid it much attention. Now, Walla Walla is one of the best up-and-coming wine spots in America.
The area has always been an agriculture one, with wheat and apples being the traditional crops. The Walla Walla Valley was declared an America Viticulture Area in the 1980s, but fully-fledged vineyards and wine-tasting rooms have only really begun to spring up in Walla Walla and in the past decade or so. Now, the area is positively bursting with places to enjoy a smooth glass of Merlot or a crisp Pinot Grigio.
If you’re looking for the best spots to enjoy a bottle in Walla Walla, we can definitely recommend a few. Head to the tasting rooms of Spring Valley Vineyard, Seven Hills Winery, Woodward Canyon Winery, or Doubleback for locally-grown vintages that won’t disappoint. You can also be sure of finding some great sips in downtown restaurants such as Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen or the Walla Walla Steak Co.
Walla Walla is an amazing destination for wine lovers. To learn more about visiting the town, click here. For more of the best food and wine in America, check out some of our favorite budget-friendly foodie cities here.
