October 2004

For the traveler, it doesn't get much better than wine country. The pace is relaxed, the scenery beguiling, the wines sensational, and fitness is a way of life--from hiking through vineyards to biking around some of America's most delightful small towns. Plus, where there's good wine, there's often fresh, delicious food.

The wine country most people know is the area north of San Francisco, particularly Napa Valley and Sonoma County. But America boasts dozens of wine regions that are less known but worth visiting--beautiful places where being off course (and free to wander on your own schedule) is part of the fun.

Off-the-beaten-track Wine Regions

The Finger Lakes, New York
The Finger Lakes are so named because the region surrounds 11 slim, finger-shaped lakes. Outdoor adventure outfitters Pack, Paddle, Ski Corp. (585-346-5597, www.packpaddleski.com) offers guided hiking, biking, and kayaking around several of the smaller lakes. Wineries in the region are sometimes housed in converted dairy barns and farmhouses; the rieslings and gewurztraminers are the standouts. Don't miss New York's most eccentric winery, Bully Hill Vineyards on Keuka Lake in Hammondsport (8843 Greyton H. Taylor Memorial Dr.; 607-868-3610), which makes more than 40 wines--most with fun names like Bulldog Baco Noir. When your palate needs a break, check out a local treasure: the Corning Museum of Glass (One Museum Way, Corning; 800-732-6845, www.cmog.org; $12 admission). Rest your head at Geneva on the Lake (800-343-6382, www.genevaonthelake.com; from $335), a former Capuchin monastery with a serene dining room overlooking Seneca Lake. The menu highlights regional ingredients like Red Jacket apples. To find out more, contact the New York Wine and Grape Foundation at 315-536-7442 or www.newyorkwines.org .

Columbia Valley, Washington
Seattle has its coffee, but on the other side of Lake Washington, wine's the drink. Vineyards dot 10.7 million acres of the pristine Columbia River Valley. Here, just a few miles northeast of Seattle, you'll find the tasting rooms of two of the state's oldest and largest wineries--Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery--conveniently located across the street from one another on expansive wooded estates (14111 NE 145th; 800-267-6793; and 14030 NE 145th; 800-488-2347). Sample Columbia Winery's syrahs or Chateau Ste. Michelle's single vineyard cabernet sauvignons and chardonnays, which are served by appointment for $8 in the winery's vintage reserve room.

Next stop: Yakima, one of the capitals of Columbia Valley wine country and a quaint old town lined with Victorian homes. Stay overnight just outside town at the Birchfield Manor Country Inn (800-375-3420, www.birchfieldmanor.com; rates from $119). This former sheep ranch, which is now an 11-room inn and restaurant, serves fresh king salmon and has a wine list that boasts 175 choices, almost all local. If you're a hiker, trailheads surrounding Yakima take you into breathtaking mountain passes.

From Yakima, head east to the historic town of Walla Walla, where you can enjoy hiking in the Lewis and Clark Trail State Park before heading off to taste cabernet sauvignons at Waterbrook winery (31 E. Main St.; 509-522-1262) or L'Ecole No. 41, an old schoolhouse-turned-winery (41 Lowden School Rd.; 509-525-0940). In addition to its wines, Walla Walla is best known for another delicious commodity: sweet onions. The place to stay is the Inn at Abeja (509-522-1234, www.abeja.net; from $225), a century-old farmstead that's been transformed into a wine country estate with private cottages, gardens, creeks, and vineyards. The Sunday morning French toast is worth an early wakeup call. For more information, contact the Washington Wine Commission at 206-667-9463 or www.washington wine.org.

Santa Barbara County, California
Less than two hours north from traffic-snarled Los Angeles sits one of the most bucolic wine regions in California: Santa Barbara County. The area is divided into two large valleys covered with horse ranches and rolling vineyards--the Santa Inez Valley and Santa Maria Valley--known for maverick winemakers that grow some of California's best pinot noirs and syrahs. Stay at the cozy Ballard Inn, where the Sunstone Vineyard Package includes a special winery tour, tasting, and a bottle of chardonnay (800-638-2466, www.ballardinn.com; from $195).

The horseback riding is a must in this region, especially at Circle Bar B Ranch (1800 Refugio Rd. in Goleta; 805-968-3901, www.circlebarb.com), where guided rides provide breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding countryside. When you're ready to taste, Foxen Vineyards in Santa Maria (7200 Foxen Canyon Rd.; 805-937-4251) is historical, homey, and known for pinot noirs full of personality. Later, take a walk through the town, which is known for its mission-style architecture--and also walk along Santa Barbara's beautiful coastline, often called the American Riviera.

When you get hungry, be sure to check out the Hitching Post, a no-frills hangout in Buellton (406 E. Highway 246; 805-688-0676, www.hitchingpostwines.com). Chef and owner Frank Ostini grills his famous "Santa Maria bbq"--a style that dates to when Spanish rancheros grilled over an open fire of red oak--for celebrities, musicians, winemakers, and famous chefs like Wolfgang Puck.

Ostini also happens to be a winemaker with his partner Gary Hartley--their Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post pinot noirs are as earthy and supple as the region itself. Contact the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association at 800-218-0881 or www.sbcountywines.com to plan your trip.

Northern Virginia and Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Dozens of small, family-owned wineries are scattered throughout what's known as the "Sonoma Valley of the Eastern seaboard"--Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Both are an easy drive from Washington, D.C. Stop for breakfast at Lynette's Triangle Diner in Winchester (27 W. Gerrard St.; 540-667-7738), famous for former waitress Patsy Cline and home-cooked specials like chipped beef and gravy on biscuits. From there, wind through Middleburg, also known for its horse farms, before heading to Linden Vineyards (3708 Harrels Corner Rd.; 540-364-1997) for a Bordeaux-style red blend called Hardscrabble. Plan to stay at Killahevlin, a six-room Edwardian mansion that's now a bed-and-breakfast (800-847-6132, www.vairish.com; from $145). After a day of wine tasting, treat yourself to the seasonal tasting menu at the luxurious Inn at Little Washington (540-675-3800, www.relaischateaux.com), which numerous food critics consider one of the best restaurants in America. To plan a trip, contact the Virginia Wine Marketing Board at 800-828-4637 or www.virginiawines.org .

What to Know Before You Go
These areas are full of action this time of year, but other seasons are lovely, too. If you want the wineries and restaurants to yourself, consider going during winter.

Contact the wineries in advance. While it's easy enough to drop in, many only hold tastings by appointment. Calling ahead also helps clue you in to special tastings (such as those for reserve wines), seminars, vineyard walks, garden visits, or wine cave tours.

Give yourself time, and focus on just a few wineries. It's difficult to enjoy and learn about the wines if you're dashing between the numerous vineyards.

Make dinner a wine experience. At restaurants, try vintages from wineries you didn't visit as a way of expanding your taste ofthe region.

If you fall in love with a winery's offerings, have them ship a case home to you--it may be too difficult to find their wines in a store close to home, and it lessens the burden of lugging bottles home in a heavy suitcase or carry-on bag.

October 2004