Fresh off the vine: The best vineyards offering wine tasting events
Wine tasting events are kind of like trying new clothes on in a dressing room. You can take your time with a variety of different wines and figure out which ones you like & dislike. There are so many flavor notes & tastes to choose from, making it hard to narrow down the kinds of wines you prefer.
By attending a wine tasting, you’ll get the opportunity to enjoy a breadth of wines. Often, wine tastings happen at the vineyards the wine is made. This gives the experience a more exciting feel than simply buying a single bottle of wine at a store.
Wine tasting events are a great way to get accustomed to different wines and just a way to enjoy a few hours. Some places, like the best wineries in Mornington Peninsula offer lots of great options in one area. Here are some of the best wine tasting events at vineyards across the U.S.
North Alabama Wine Trail
The North Alabama Wine Trail offers wine tasting at six different vineyards in the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains. The northern Alabama vineyards part of this wine tasting group include White Oak Vineyards, High Country Cellars, Fruithurst Winery Co., Maraella Winery, Wills Creek Winery, and Jules J. Berta Winery.
What makes this trail special is the variety of wines to try. There are cabernets, muscadines, fruit wines, and more.
Attending all the vineyards in one day is possible but the official website recommends making it two. A number of events are also held by the wineries throughout the year. These include wine & chocolate, wine & cheese, and a holiday open house. On these events you can learn very interested facts about wine and how to become a sommelier.
Duckhorn Vineyards
There are over 400 wineries in Napa Valley, CA. One of the popular vineyards in the area is Duckhorn Vineyards. It’s located in St. Helena along the Silverado Trail. In 2017, the vineyard’s Merlot Napa Valley Three Palms Vineyard 2014 wine was labeled as the top wine by Wine Spectator.
Duckhorn Vineyards typically offers wine tasting events, but the in-person events have been canceled due to COVID-19 health restrictions. However, the vineyard does offer virtual wine tasting experiences.
King Family Vineyards
King Family Vineyards is located in Charlottesville, VA. The winery is family-owned and operated. According to its website, the location “has been touted as one of the best wineries in Virginia.”
Several options for wine tasting events are available at King Family Vineyards. The most affordable option is the classic tasting, which costs $10. For just a few dollars, this option will let you experience a tasting flight of five different wines.
The most expensive wine tasting event at the vineyard costs just $25 per person. The other tasting options besides the classic include a small batch tasting, a reserved tasting, and a library tasting. The wine tasting events are open despite COVID-19.
Heritage Vineyards
Heritage Vineyards is in Coshocton, Ohio, in a small part of the east-central part of the state. The vineyard features a number of different kinds of wine. These include fruit wines, sweet & semi-sweet wines, sem-dry & dry wines, and sangrias.
Staying at the guesthouse is another attraction at the vineyard. The Heritage Vineyard Guest House is described as a “place where time slows and a casual day can be enjoyed to its fullest with family, an old friend, or special companion.”
Wine tasting hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m..
Cass Vineyard & Winery
Cass Vineyard & Winery is located in Paso Robles, CA. The wine tasting room here is open every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Prices for tastings are relatively cheap with the most affordable option at $15 and the most expensive at $25.
What makes Cass vineyard unique from many other vineyards is that the vines are ENTAV certified. ENTAV is part of the French government and certifies winegrape clones for France’s wine industry.
