One of the best ways to enhance your appreciation for wine (and hone your palate) is to see firsthand how it's made, from the vine to the bottle. Many wineries offer tastings, but some take visitors behind the scenes into the vineyards and production facilities for an in-depth look at how their wines are produced. Which U.S. winery runs the best tour? We asked our readers to vote for their favorite from a pool of 20 nominees, and the results are in.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Winery Tour are as follows:
- Emeritus Vineyards - Sebastopol, Calif.
- Eberle Winery - Paso Robles, Calif.
- Chappellet - St. Helena, Calif.
- Schramsberg Vineyards - Calistoga, Calif.
- Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard - Peconic, N.Y.
- Wollersheim Winery - Prairie du Sac, Wis.
- Biltmore Winery - Asheville, N.C.
- Quintessa - Saint Helena, Calif.
- Hamel Family Wines - Sonoma, Calif.
- Hendry Ranch Wines - Napa, Calif.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Jill Barth (L’occasion), Jil Child (Wine Tours of the World) and Karen MacNeil were chosen based on their deep knowledge of the American wine landscape.
Congratulations to all our winning winery tours!
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The Experts
Jill Barth
Jill Barth is a contributor for Forbes digital and... Read More
Jill Barth is a contributor for Forbes digital and USA Today 10Best. She’s also a Provence Wine Master Level through the Wine Scholar Guild, a Symposium for Professional Wine Writers Fellow and the founder and author of the award-winning blog, L'Occasion.
Jill Barth
Jill Barth is a contributor for Forbes digital and USA Today 10Best. She’s also a Provence Wine Master Level through the Wine Scholar Guild, a Symposium for Professional Wine Writers Fellow and the founder and author of the award-winning blog, L'Occasion.
Jil Child
Jil earned a B.A. in Economics, with an emphasis... Read More
Jil earned a B.A. in Economics, with an emphasis in business wine, from Sonoma State University and is a certified Sommelier. She is a partner and co-owner of Wine Tours of the World, a full service global wine tour company specializing in custom wine vacations. She has worked with and consulted with wineries and is an expert in many different positions including sales, distribution, education, events and private wine tasting tours. She teaches Tasting Room Management at Sonoma State University and is a professional wine judge for various wine competitions throughout the U.S.
Jil Child
Jil earned a B.A. in Economics, with an emphasis in business wine, from Sonoma State University and is a certified Sommelier. She is a partner and co-owner of Wine Tours of the World, a full service global wine tour company specializing in custom wine vacations. She has worked with and consulted with wineries and is an expert in many different positions including sales, distribution, education, events and private wine tasting tours. She teaches Tasting Room Management at Sonoma State University and is a professional wine judge for various wine competitions throughout the U.S.
Karen MacNeil
Karen MacNeil is the only American to have won... Read More
Karen MacNeil is the only American to have won nearly every major wine award given in the English Language. These include the James Beard award for Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year and the International Wine and Spirits award as the Global Wine Communicator of the Year. In a full-page profile on her, TIME Magazine called Karen, “America’s Missionary of the Vine.” In 2018, Karen was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Wine.” Karen is the author of the award-winning book, THE WINE BIBLE, the single best selling wine book in the United States praised as “A masterpiece of wine writing.” THE WINE BIBLE has sold more than one million copies.
Karen MacNeil
Karen MacNeil is the only American to have won nearly every major wine award given in the English Language. These include the James Beard award for Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year and the International Wine and Spirits award as the Global Wine Communicator of the Year. In a full-page profile on her, TIME Magazine called Karen, “America’s Missionary of the Vine.” In 2018, Karen was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Wine.” Karen is the author of the award-winning book, THE WINE BIBLE, the single best selling wine book in the United States praised as “A masterpiece of wine writing.” THE WINE BIBLE has sold more than one million copies.
