All roads lead to wine. Isn’t that how the saying goes? No? Well, maybe it should.
With summer winding down and autumn approaching, now is a great time to plan a road trip through wine country.
If you’re like me, you don’t miss the opportunity to visit a winery. In the same way I seek out farmers markets while on the road, wineries present the chance to mingle with locals who know and till the land and who have made it their occupation to bring us its wares.
When planning a wine country road trip, pick a single region. That is, unless you have limitless time and finances. Research the region—you’ll be doing more than just touring wineries and tasting.
If you don’t have a region in mind to visit, consider planning a road trip around a favorite wine. Or plan a trip around a regional wine festival or event. This will open all sorts of doors.
Choose no more than two to four wineries to visit per day.
We begin our grape-centered quest with region-by-region recommendations along with suggested campgrounds. All RV parks included have been personally visited with a minimum of one night of paid camping.
California
California is home to a legendary lifestyle embracing sunshine, beaches, the ocean, mountains, valleys, and vineyards that stretch in every direction. For wine lovers, there’s a treasure trove of wine regions and wine tasting experiences to explore.
Unless you’ve been living in a fallout shelter since the 1950s, you know that Napa Valley and Sonoma is California’s viticulture star. With close to 400 wineries, the twin valleys are second only to Disneyland on a list of the state’s most visited landmarks.
The legendary Napa Valley welcomes an estimated five million visitors each year. They come for wonderful wines, top-notch cuisine, and picturesque scenery. Beautiful and remarkably diverse, the Sonoma has some of everything from coastal breezes to inland mountains, to pancake-flat valleys, to rolling hills.
Commonly known as California’s Gold Country, the Sierra Foothills offers a fascinating landscape with an amazing variety of soils and elevations. Tour the counties of El Dorado, Amador, and Calaveras and discover the region’s new gold in the tasting rooms you visit.
The Lodi Wine Region is home to more than 50 varieties including amazing Zinfandel and remarkable Portuguese, Spanish, French Rhône, and Italian varietals.
Recommended RV Parks: Jackson Rancheria RV Resort in Jackson (Amador County) and Flag City RV Resort in Lodi
Washington
As the second largest premium wine produces in the United States, Washington State has a booming wine culture. Currently, there are 13 distinct AVAs, from Lake Chelan in the northwest, to the mighty Columbia River in the southeast, home to Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills, Horse Heaven Hills, and Naches Heights. In the northeast, just outside of Seattle, Woodinville Wine Country has wines and tasting rooms representing the grapes of nearly every appellation.
In the southeast, make the Tri-Cities your home base as you explore Washington Wine Country. Prosser is a nearby wine town to check out.
Recommended RV Park: Columbia Sun RV Resort in Kennewick (Tri-Cities)
British Columbia
The Okanagan Valley is the heart of British Columbia’s grape growing region and boasts 131 licensed wineries. An ever-changing panorama, the valley stretches over 150 miles, across distinct sub-regions, each with different soil and climate conditions suited to a range of varietals.
From world-class operations to family-run boutique vineyards, Okanagan wineries are rich with character and consistently ranked among the world’s best at International competitions.
Some of the most notable wineries are Mission Hill, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Burrowing Owl, Hester Creek, and Nk’Mip Cellars, Quails Gate Estate. Our favorite is Tinhorn Creek, near Oliver, and their Miradoro Restaurant is worth the sit down. If you’re pressed for time the Penticton Wine Shop pours just about every wine made in the Okanagan.
Recommended RV Parks: Desert Gem RV Resort in Oliver and Nk’Mip RV Park in Osoyoos
Worth Pondering…
Products from the soil are still the greatest industry in the world.
—Dick Cooper, 1966