When you think of wine counties, wine tours and even award-winning wines, do you think of regions of Oregon, Washington State, Texas, or Arizona?
LawnStarter's analysis ranking 2020’s Best Wine Counties Outside California* found wine counties dot the U.S. map. That means some of the best wineries to visit (safely, of course) are often much closer to home.
To help Americans planning a winery getaway or looking for an award-winning wine to try at home, LawnStarter compared the 49 states — across 18 relevant metrics, including:
- Visitor accommodations (hotels, motels, and inns in the area)
- Number of winery tours
- Number of wine producers
- Tasting options
- Number of vineyards
- Number of award-winning wines
- Great reviews
You can find a list of our 2020 Best Wine Counties Outside California below, along with key takeaways.
Sip back and enjoy some of the best wines, wineries and wine tours in these counties:
Best Wine Counties Outside California
1. Benton County, WA
2. King County, WA
3. Clackamas County, OR
4. Yavapai County, AZ
5. Travis County, TX
6. Jackson County, OR
7. Loudoun County, VA
8. Yamhill County, OR
9. Washington County, OR
10. Suffolk County, NY
Key Takeaways:
- Go Northwest, Young People: Washington and Oregon dominate our top 10 Best Wine Counties list with two Washington counties and four Oregon counties in the top 10.
- Southwest is Best: Arizona is no wine desert with two counties making our top 20 best wineries cellar.
- Everything is Bigger in Texas: There’s more to Texas than beer drinking cowboys and barbecue. Three counties in the Lone Star State score in the top 20.
- Wine and Roses: Some counties rank high because the attractions are as inviting as the wine.
LawnStarter’s study of the Best Wine Counties Outside California, including our rankings and analysis, is available here.
* California was excluded from our rankings because the Golden State is almost synonymous with wine-making. We wanted in this study to spotlight the best wine counties outside California.
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