Travel Deals: Autumn Wine Destinations Across The Country
NEW YORK (WLNY) -- Most folks associate Napa and Sonoma with the wine industry, but what many don't know is that there are other regions in the country with thriving wineries well worth the visit.
Orbitz.com senior editor Jeanenne Tonatore joined us to fill us in on some suggestions for a wine getaway this fall.
1. West - Santa Barbara Wine Country
Santa Barbara Wine Country is home to some of California's most sought-after wines. The Academy Award-winning film Sideways was shot on location and caused the region to skyrocket to fame, and its wines along with it. The tourist trade has mushroomed from a cottage industry into a full-fledged affair.
2. Midwest - Lake Michigan Shore Wine Country
They call Lake Michigan Shore Wine Country the Napa Valley of the Midwest. Like the hills of California, this land is ideal for handcrafting fine wines. And the charming lakefront resort towns and incredible shoreline make for a beautiful Fall escape.
3. South - Texas Hill Country
Texas Hill Country is east of Austin, north of San Antonio and a short drive from both cities. More than 30 wineries dot the fertile valleys and sun-kissed slopes of this growing wine region. Just like Texas, the wines are spicy, dry and earthy. Tastings and music are the focus of the Austin Wine & Music Festival, with many events throughout the year.
4. East - Virginia Wine Country
Virginia is one of the country's oldest wine destinations with more than 200 wineries and dozens of wine trails surrounded by breathtaking views, quaint small towns and monumental historic sites. Virginia is one of the only wine destinations in the country where visitors can kayak to a winery, enjoy bluegrass music while sipping local wines, sample regional wines at a National Park, or enjoy wine at a National Historic Landmark.
5. East - Finger Lakes, New York
Finger Lakes Wine Country is home to almost 100 wineries, breweries and distilleries centered around three main lakes: Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga. The Finger Lakes is special because of the microclimate created by the lakes; extreme cold weather in the winter is avoided and warm; sales and limestone glace soils; and breezy days during the summer help ripen thegrapes.
