Carpe Wine: American reds and whites to sip this summer

Traveling can open your eyes to a lot of things, new cultures, experiences, food and especially wine. I’ve had several of those experiences but not one as profound as the one that shifted my thoughts on wine regions in the United States and ultimately the course of my career. The irony is it didn’t even include sipping wine.

It was on a family road trip from Colorado to Missouri when my take on the domestic wine scene changed. Everyone in the car was too busy on their devices to chuckle with me about the giant billboards we passed every five to 10 miles for “The Wonderful World of Oz Winery.” I mean really, wine in Missouri, I thought. How dumb! But the joke was on me … and maybe you if you think American wines are all big Napa cabs or buttery oak bomb chardonnays. 

When we finally arrived to our destination, Google and I got very into researching wines in Missouri. Did you know Missouri, had the second largest wine producing industry prior to National Prohibition, trailing only Ohio – not California?!? And, Missouri is home to the country’s first designated American Viticultural Area (AVA), official wine regions within the U.S. established by the TTB. The amount of American wine history I was consuming was blowing my mind.

At the time I was just a self-proclaimed wine lover, but one who was realizing she’d made some big (false) assumptions about wine in the U.S. I had wrongly assumed I could only travel to Napa Valley and Sonoma, Oregon or Washington if I wanted to visit “real” wine country. My journey to understand the wine regions in all 50 of the United States had begun (Hawaii and Alaska make wine too). Several certifications later, including my certification as an American Wine Expert, I’m a firm believer there is something for every type of wine drinker here in the red, white and blue.

What makes the US good for growing wine?

Location, location, location. The main part of the U.S. lies between the latitudes of 30°N and 49°N, which puts it in the prime zone for grape growing. Worldwide, the latitudes above 50°N are mostly too cold for grapes to ripen properly, below 30°N because it’s too warm. Something to note, Bordeaux – the famed French wine region – is right around the 44-degree line, as is Willamette Valley in Oregon. Again, location, location.

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Reds and whites to celebrate

I can’t list reds and whites to sip from all 50 states here so we’ll need to settle for a few. If you want to sip in more, I have free guides, itineraries and wine recommendations on CarpeTravel.com for 40+ U.S. wine regions.

California

California is home to the famed Napa Valley and Sonoma as well as 154 AVAs, so finding quality wine here is easy. While Cabernet Sauvignon is king in Napa Valley, try a lighter-bodied cabernet franc this summer, Ehlers Estates and Trefethen are two favorites. As for summer whites in California, try an Albariño from Paso Robles and chardonnay from Livermore Valley – Wente Vineyards is a pioneer in American winemaking and a top chardonnay producer. I’m also crushing on the lightly oaked sauvignon blanc from Cliff Lede in Napa Valley. It’s light and crisp but has more texture and layers than a traditional sauvignon blanc.

Colorado

The main wine region in Colorado is in and around Palisade, near Grand Junction. Of the 150+ wineries in the state, this area is home to the majority. While malbec and cabernet franc are two of my Colorado go-to’s, especially those from Bookcliff Vineyards and Colterris, try sipping a chilled gewurztraminer from Restoration Vineyards, which won the 2024 Colorado Governor’s Cup. The 2024 rosé from The Ordinary Fellow, also tops this summer’s sippers; it earned 91 points from Decanter Magazine.

New Mexico

Vivo Vino! The state of New Mexico certainly lives up to its nickname of The Land of Enchantment, with its three AVAs and 40+ wineries it’s nothing short of enchanting. While there are a variety of wines in New Mexico, the Méthode Champenoise sparkling winefrom gruet is a must.

New York

The Finger Lakes specializes in white wines, with Riesling being the star. Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery offers a variety of dry rieslings that are perfect for summer as well as a pinot noir said to be produced from the second oldest pinot noir vines in America. For a little bigger red, try the cabernet franc from Forge Cellars.

Missouri

The Norton grape is the official state grape in Missouri, which produces rich, full-bodied red wines with distinctive fragrant and fresh flavors. Another varietal I love from Missouri is chardonel – a hybrid grape that’s a cross of chardonnay and seyval blanc – it’s a dry white wine perfect for oysters and BBQ chicken. Try both Norton and Chardonel from Stone Hill Winery and Montelle Winery.

Oregon

Willamette Valley in Oregon is known for Pinot Noir but this summer also try its white wines – pinot blanc, white pinot noir and of course chardonnay. You can’t go wrong with wines from Van Duzer Vineyards, Left Coast Estate, Cristom Vineyards, Evening Land Vineyards, Brooks and Bergstrom Wines.