Top Five Unusual Wine Trips

Forget Napa and Bordeaux, a new crop of wine-trip destinations are growing in popularity, according to TripConnect users.   

TripConnect’s Top Five Unusual Wine Trips:

1. Charlottesville, Virginia: Charlottesville is not only the location of Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, and the University of Virginia, but is also the center of dozens of world class wineries. Charlottesville is in fact, Virginia’s wine capital. An ideal trip for wine lovers who also want to delve into American history.

2. Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys, Chile: While fall is beginning in the U.S., it's springtime in Chile, with the early signs of next year's wine grape harvest just appearing on the vine.  These coastal wine regions feature some spectacular up-and-coming wineries, including Matetic, Casa Marin, and Kingston Family Vineyards. TripConnect user ckingston recommends these wineries for their exceptional, limited production Pinot Noirs, Syrahs, and Sauvignon Blancs.

3. Calistoga, California:  Often eclipsed by Sonoma and Napa, Calistoga California is home to many smaller, quality producers from the valley that do not have the luxury of a prime tasting room location.  For this reason, where to drink is almost as important as who’s growing: high on TripConnect user spenvin’s list is Barvino, a restaurant in the Mount View Hotel and Spa serving a well curated selection of wines from local producers such as Spencer Roloson Wineries.

4. Wachau Valley, Austria:  France and Italy are generally the first to come to mind when it comes to wine in Europe, but the wineries of Austria are some of the most highly acclaimed in the world. Enhancing the popularity of this region are the many cycling and tasting tours along the bucolic setting of the Danube River.

5. Mendoza, Argentina: For the adventurous vino fans who also love horseback riding, hiking and rock climbing: Mendoza, Argentina strikes just the right balance of healthy outdoor activities along with a chilled-out nightlife. This wine trip spot was listed for its very reasonable but delicious wines and overall party atmosphere.

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Next week’s Top Five: Top Five Unusual Hotels for Business Travelers. Want to share your travel tips? We want to hear from you.  E-mail us at top5@tripconnect.com.