USA TODAY 10Best
Cheers to the best: Top 10 wine tasting rooms you need to visit
Best Wine Tasting Room (2024)
A comfortable, elegant tasting room with a knowledgeable staff can elevate the entire wine tasting experience. To find the best spots for sipping, we asked a panel of wine industry experts to nominate their top tasting rooms in the United States. Then, our readers voted for their favorites.
Here are the 10 best wine tasting rooms across the country.
- Long Shadows Vintners - Walla Walla and Woodinville, Washington
- Caymus-Suisun Winery - Fairfield, California
- Corner 103 - Sonoma, California
- Vienza at Europa Village - Temecula, California
- DAOU Vineyards - Paso Robles, California
- Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery - Hammondsport, New York
- Durant Vineyards - Dayton, Oregon
- Stoller Family Estate - Dayton, Oregon
- Los Milics Vineyards - Elgin and Scottsdale, Arizona
- Willamette Valley Vineyards - Turner, Oregon
Photo courtesy of Long Shadows Vintners
No. 10:
Long Shadows Vintners is the place to experience distinct, ultra-premium Washington state wines inspired by some of the world's most iconic winemakers. A fan favorite, Long Shadows draws faithful visitors to two locations: the exquisite tasting room at the winery in Walla Walla or at the heart of the action in charming Woodinville.
Photo courtesy of Carlo Prearo / iStock Via Getty Images Plus
No. 9:
The founders of beloved Caymus Vineyards created a new label with Caymus-Suisun in Napa’s neighboring region of Suisun Valley. The modern winery is surrounded by vineyards as well as orchards and a flourishing vegetable garden, all of which guests are encouraged to explore before or after a tasting.
No. 8:
Lloyd Davis, founder of Corner 103, created this Sonoma tasting room for people who might feel a little intimidated by the wine world. The staff provides an educational and comfortable tasting experience that includes wines from Corner 103 and the rest of the Sonoma County American Viticulture Areas.
Photo courtesy of Europa Village
No. 7:
Europa Village brings a taste of "la dolce vita" to Temecula with its Vienza location. Guests will feel like they've been transported to an old-world Italian estate as they sip a variety of wines in the meticulously crafted tasting room and are guided through the experience by knowledgeable staff.
Photo courtesy of DAOU Vineyards
No. 6:
Founded by brothers Georges and Daniel Daou, the DAOU Vineyards mountain property has a reputation for being one of the best spots to absorb the Central Coast of California's wine country beauty. A standout tasting experience is their Patrimony Immersion, which offers custom food pairings and DAOU's own caviar. You also sample wines straight from the barrel, making for one unrivaled oenophile experience. When complete, pull up an Adirondack chair and admire the sweeping vistas of the estate.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
No. 5:
In the heart of the Fingers Lake wine region, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery offers a top-notch tasting experience. Their modern tasting rooms provide knowledgeable staff, exceptional views, and personalized experiences for their guests. Opt for a signature seated tasting, go for the in-depth 1886 Wine Experience that includes a viticultural or cellar offering, or relax at the seasonal Eugenia's Garden with wines by the glass, flight, or bottle and light bites.
Photo courtesy of Airen Vandevoort
No. 4:
Sip wine while overlooking the Willamette Valley’s natural beauty and beyond, including Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, and miles of diverse agricultural land. Reservations are recommended for tasting at Durant Vineyards, and once you arrive, you’ll see it’s worth the wait. Guests can enjoy estate-grown and crafted wine by the glass, bottle, or flight alongside seasonal bites from the Durant Culinary Directors. Charcuterie and other small bites feature samples of their very own estate-milled extra-virgin olive oil, making Durant at Red Ridge Farms a destination for the senses.
Photo courtesy of Stoller Family Estate/ Mindy O'Connor Gimarelli
No. 3:
The eco-friendly tasting room at Stoller Family Estate has something for everyone — excellent Oregon wines, an expansive lawn for picnicking, Adirondack chairs, Frisbee golf, and even a tire swing. The views from the tasting room rank among the best in the Pacific Northwest, if not the country.
Photo courtesy of Dan Ryan
No. 2:
For an immersive experience in Arizona wine country, look no further than Los Milics Vineyards. Their Elgin tasting room is flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the vines, and when it’s not too hot, their patio is a great place to sit and stay awhile with the whole family welcome, even dogs. They offer a second tasting room location in Scottsdale.
Photo courtesy of Andrea Johnson
No. 1:
Whether you’re seeking a classic tasting experience, looking to create your own journey with a tableside tasting, or hoping to find some new pairings for your favorite dishes, the Estate Tasting Room at Willamette Valley Vineyards has it all. Enjoy the views from the patio before or after embarking on an amazing tasting experience.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Amanda O'Brien
Amanda O'Brien is a London based luxury travel... Read More
Amanda O'Brien is a London based luxury travel blogger. Her website, The Boutique Adventurer, has over 350,000 followers across its platforms. The site focusses on travel adventures that end the day with a high thread count on the sheets and a good glass of local wine. Amanda is WSET Level 3 qualified. Find her on Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube.
Amanda O'Brien
Amanda O'Brien is a London based luxury travel blogger. Her website, The Boutique Adventurer, has over 350,000 followers across its platforms. The site focusses on travel adventures that end the day with a high thread count on the sheets and a good glass of local wine. Amanda is WSET Level 3 qualified. Find her on Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube.
Dena Roché
Dena Roché is a wine and travel journalist and... Read More
Dena Roché is a wine and travel journalist and sommelier. She is a member of the prestigious Circle of Wine Writers and was a 2024 fellow to the Wine Writers' Symposium. She is the owner of Vin Roché, a company focused on wine education and wine tours in Phoenix.
Dena Roché
Dena Roché is a wine and travel journalist and sommelier. She is a member of the prestigious Circle of Wine Writers and was a 2024 fellow to the Wine Writers' Symposium. She is the owner of Vin Roché, a company focused on wine education and wine tours in Phoenix.
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los... Read More
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Jillian Dara
Jillian is a lifestyle journalist with a focus on... Read More
Jillian is a lifestyle journalist with a focus on travel, wine, spirits and culture. Growing up in Bermuda, Jillian quickly became comfortable on planes and intrigued by the concept of the unfamiliar. Traveling, eating, and imbibing may be part of the "job" but Jillian truly believes in the whimsical power of a local experience or meeting over a traditional spirit to bond strangers in the most chance of circumstances. Outside of 10Best, Jillian's work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Decanter, Wine Enthusiast, Forbes, Elite Traveler and Hemispheres.
Jillian Dara
Jillian is a lifestyle journalist with a focus on travel, wine, spirits and culture. Growing up in Bermuda, Jillian quickly became comfortable on planes and intrigued by the concept of the unfamiliar. Traveling, eating, and imbibing may be part of the "job" but Jillian truly believes in the whimsical power of a local experience or meeting over a traditional spirit to bond strangers in the most chance of circumstances. Outside of 10Best, Jillian's work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Decanter, Wine Enthusiast, Forbes, Elite Traveler and Hemispheres.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Travel memories may fade over time, but... Read More
Travel memories may fade over time, but photographs recall those magical moments.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Travel memories may fade over time, but photographs recall those magical moments.
Katy Spratte Joyce
Katy Spratte Joyce is a Midwest-based food, wine,... Read More
Katy Spratte Joyce is a Midwest-based food, wine, travel, and design writer. She has contributed to Travel+Leisure, Eating Well, ELLE DECOR, Chilled Magazine, The New York Times, and more. She enjoys a jammy Pinot, aggressive brunching, and traveling the globe in search of her next great story.
Katy Spratte Joyce
Katy Spratte Joyce is a Midwest-based food, wine, travel, and design writer. She has contributed to Travel+Leisure, Eating Well, ELLE DECOR, Chilled Magazine, The New York Times, and more. She enjoys a jammy Pinot, aggressive brunching, and traveling the globe in search of her next great story.
Lynn and Cele Seldon
Lynn and Cele Seldon make up the team that is... Read More
Lynn and Cele Seldon make up the team that is Seldon Ink and have spent more than 25 years covering all aspects of culinary and travel writing. With a keen focus on the Southeast and a particular love of the Carolinas, they have written dozens of magazine and newspaper articles about the area and have become self-professed experts along the way. Their work has appeared in Southern Living, Taste of the South, The Local Palate, Cruise Travel, South Carolina Living, South Carolina Magazine, TrailBlazer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Charlotte Observer, various in-flight publications and many AAA magazines. They are also the authors of 100 Things To Do In Charleston Before You Die from Reedy Press. Follow along on their adventures at www.seldonink.com or @seldonink.
Lynn and Cele Seldon
Lynn and Cele Seldon make up the team that is Seldon Ink and have spent more than 25 years covering all aspects of culinary and travel writing. With a keen focus on the Southeast and a particular love of the Carolinas, they have written dozens of magazine and newspaper articles about the area and have become self-professed experts along the way. Their work has appeared in Southern Living, Taste of the South, The Local Palate, Cruise Travel, South Carolina Living, South Carolina Magazine, TrailBlazer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Charlotte Observer, various in-flight publications and many AAA magazines. They are also the authors of 100 Things To Do In Charleston Before You Die from Reedy Press. Follow along on their adventures at www.seldonink.com or @seldonink.
Molly Allen
Molly Allen is a former bakery owner turned... Read More
Molly Allen is a former bakery owner turned freelance writer and recipe developer with a focus on food, travel, baking and outdoor cooking. Based in Hood River, Oregon, she is particularly passionate about Pacific Northwest travel. Her work has been featured in Travel & Leisure, Wine Enthusiast, and Food & Wine, among others. Follow more of her adventures and recipes on Instagram at @mollyallenmedia.
Molly Allen
Molly Allen is a former bakery owner turned freelance writer and recipe developer with a focus on food, travel, baking and outdoor cooking. Based in Hood River, Oregon, she is particularly passionate about Pacific Northwest travel. Her work has been featured in Travel & Leisure, Wine Enthusiast, and Food & Wine, among others. Follow more of her adventures and recipes on Instagram at @mollyallenmedia.
Samantha Facciolo
Samantha Facciolo is a freelance writer and... Read More
Samantha Facciolo is a freelance writer and educator whose reported stories and essays on education, immigration, the intersection of community and social justice, food and drink, relationships, travel, and more have appeared in The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, Newsweek, Marie Claire, The Wine Enthusiast, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University and has served as a writer-in-residence in New York City and Boston public schools. Her literary writing has won Novel Slices' Novel Excerpts Contest and American University’s Louise M. Young Award for Fiction. Follow her on Instagram at @samanthafacciolowrites.
Samantha Facciolo
Samantha Facciolo is a freelance writer and educator whose reported stories and essays on education, immigration, the intersection of community and social justice, food and drink, relationships, travel, and more have appeared in The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, Newsweek, Marie Claire, The Wine Enthusiast, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University and has served as a writer-in-residence in New York City and Boston public schools. Her literary writing has won Novel Slices' Novel Excerpts Contest and American University’s Louise M. Young Award for Fiction. Follow her on Instagram at @samanthafacciolowrites.
Tamara Gane
Tamara Gane is an expert panel member for 10Best... Read More
Tamara Gane is an expert panel member for 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. She's based in Reno/Lake Tahoe and in addition to USA Today 10Best, her work has been published in Travel & Leisure, Fodor's Travel, The Washington Post, SF Gate, Houston Chronicle, Lonely Planet, and more.
Tamara Gane
Tamara Gane is an expert panel member for 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. She's based in Reno/Lake Tahoe and in addition to USA Today 10Best, her work has been published in Travel & Leisure, Fodor's Travel, The Washington Post, SF Gate, Houston Chronicle, Lonely Planet, and more.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
