Welcome To WineTrailsUSA.com
Welcome to WineTrailsUSA.com!
WineTrailsUSA.com is your information source for wine travel, wine trails, and all the interesting local wineries and wine growing regions across the United States.
We also bring you the latest U.S. wine industry news, how to find great wines via a wine auction, and wine trails news from around the country.
Here’s what you’ll find in our Wine Trails USA online issues:
- An insider wine lovers tour of unique U.S. wine trails.
- Travel highlights, what to see and do, and places to enjoy a great local meal.
- Local food specialties, places to eat, and where to relax.
- A brief overview tour of the wine trail.
Did you know that all 50 states have at least one winery?
Many are clustered in geographical wine producing regions, where the climate and topography is ideal for producing wine. These clusters of wineries are often linked in a wine trail. For the wine travel devotee, visiting a U.S. wine trail is an ideal relaxing weekend excursion.
Join us as we learn more about wine and wineries and explore the wine trails, from Rhode Island to Arizona, from North Carolina to Washington, and everywhere in between.
Get started by clicking on any of the states on your right. We haven’t visited all the wine trails in the United States yet, but we’re getting there!
Thanks again for visiting Wine Trails USA!
HOW IS A WINE TRAIL DESIGNATED?
Almost always, official wine trail designation is a joint effort between a state’s tourism bureau, department of transportation, and wineries.
Typically, wine trail laws designate certain highways as part of a wine trail. The practical effect is to allow wineries to buy wine trail signs with a directional arrow pointing to their wineries. The signs are placed by the transportation department and are usually green or purple with a grape cluster logo.
Wine trail signs allows visitors and tourists to easily locate wineries via standardized signage, instead of looking for each individual winery sign. The desired effect is to promote the state’s wine industry as a tourist attraction.
DO ALL STATES HAVE WINE TRAILS?
The short answer is “no”, but there are other factors involved.
Many states see the value in officially designating wine trails. It is commonly viewed as promoting agricultural tourism, a booming segment of the travel and tourism industry. Further, numerous states promote wine trails as an in state destination, seeking to reach weekend travelers in their own state and thereby capitalizing on a healthy tourism climate.
Even though all 50 states have at least one winery, official wine trail designation isn’t an automatic. There are numerous reasons, including tourism priorities and lobbying strength among local wineries. Some states have led the way in wine trail designation, specifically New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Iowa, Michigan, and several others.
Certain states devote considerable effort to support wine trails and their home state wineries. Pennsylvania and Michigan, for example, both have very comprehensive and updated web sites for their wine industries. In addition, each of their wine trails have their own promotional web sites and brochures, cross promoting not only wineries, but other local attractions.
Conversely, some states with dozens of wineries and a thriving local wine industry do not officially designate wine trails. While the specific rationale varies from state to state, it is important to remember one overriding factor. Wine trail designation is a relatively new trend, and many states seem to be on the verge of adopting the practice. In 2010 alone, several new wine trails were designated in the U.S., with more expected in the near future.
We view official wine trail designation as a growing trend. Wineries and the wine industry are an important part of each state’s economy. With agritourism on the rise, the economic impact of wine travel continues to grow. As a result, it’s expected more and more states will move toward official wine trail designations for their wine areas.
