Sniff sniff. Sip – gurgle gurgle, spit. That’s how it goes at wine-tasting rooms across America, and it can be a lovely experience whether you’re a vino amateur or seasoned oenophile who can smell oak in chardonnay a mile away.
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To have a transcendent tasting experience, you might retrace the steps of Paul Giamatti’s Miles in the 2004 anti-merlot picture, “Sideways.” Or, you can pull from a recent ranking from the USA Today 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, “Cheers to the 10 best wine-tasting rooms across the U.S.”
The paper’s readers and a panel of wine-industry experts sorted through buckets of vineyards to determine which provide above-and-beyond tastings. They considered factors like quality and variety of wine, scenery and ambience as well as attractions like gourmet food, Frisbee golf and a “haunted fireplace.”
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California just missed the top spot – that goes to Oregon’s Willamette Valley – but scored elsewhere with wineries in Napa County and the Central Coast.
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The best tasting rooms in the U.S. from USA Today
1 Willamette Valley Vineyards, Turner, Oregon
2 Davis Estates, Calistoga, California
3 Duchman Family Winery, Driftwood, Texas
4 Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, Hammondsport, New York
5 Aquila’s Nest Vineyards, Sandy Hook, Connecticut
6 Brooks Wine, Amity, Oregon
7 Stoller Family Estate, Dayton, Oregon
8 Los Milics Vineyards, Elgin and Scottsdale, Arizona
9 Epoch Estate Wines, Paso Robles, California
10 Final Girl Wines, Solvang, California
Source: https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/best-wine-tasting-room
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