Chicago
If you’re near the Windy City there are some great places for you to check out!Valentino Vineyards
Valentino Vineyards is located on a 20 acre estate in Long Grove, IL. This vineyard is located around 40 miles away from the heart of downtown Chicago and features rolling hills with 20 different varietals. These 20 grape varieties produce over 20 different styles of wine. All of their wines are oak-aged in both French and American oak barrels. They offer wine tours, wine tasting, and other wine education seminars. Visit their website to learn more about their wines and how you can start planning your visit.Baraboo Bluff Winery
If you want to travel outside of IL, try escaping to beautiful Baraboo, WI! The Baraboo Bluff Winery is a family owned winery within the hills of the rolling Baraboo Bluffs. About 3 hours away, this winery features white, red, and blush styles of wine. We suggest you do a wine tasting, then purchase your favorite bottle and sip while you stroll through the vineyards and take in the beautiful view. Right now they’re offering wine tastings Wednesday through Monday each week. Visit their website for more information. Also, don’t leave your furry friends behind, this winery is dog friendly! In fact, you may even get to meet their pups Vino and Cork while strolling through the vineyards.Apple Barn Orchard Winery
This fall getaway features something for the adults and the kids! The Apple Barn Orchard Winery features apple picking and wine tastings. The winery features wines that are made with fresh non-grape fruits, like apples! This fun for everyone winery is located in Elkhorn, WI, around an hour and 45 minutes from the Chicagoland area.
Seattle
Need to get out of the Emerald City for the day? Here are some winery and orchard day trips near Seattle!
Seven Hills Winery
Seven Hills Winery is located in Walla Walla Valley, about 4 hours outside of Seattle. One of the coolest things about this winery is that it’s one of the founding wineries in the Walla Walla Valley area and was established in 1988. The winery produces a wine range of reds, whites, and rosés. Along with curbside pick up due to COVID-19, they also offer wine tasting Thursday through Sunday each week.Columbia Winery
The Columbia Winery is located 30 minutes away from downtown Seattle and features a wide variety of wines produced in different Washington AVAs, such as Columbia Valley, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills, Ancient Lakes, Yakima Valley and Wahluke Slope. This vineyard offers tastings and wine classes for visitors. Currently, they are asking for you to make a reservation before visitings and are open Wednesday through Sunday. They also have strict clean and sanitation guidelines in place so everyone can stay safe during their visit!Johnson Orchards
Looking for an apple picking getaway? Take the two hour and 15 minute trip to Johnson Orchards in Yakima, WA. This apple and fruit orchard was established in 1904 by a Swedish immigrant named Alfred Johnson. Once Alfred gained his citizenship he moved to Washington and founded the orchard in beautiful Yakima. They also allow certain beverage carry-ins, which is great if you just stopped by a vineyard! Just check their website or give them a call to see if it is okay. Today the Orchard is still owned by the Johnson family and those family-like values are seen throughout the farm. Unfortunately, this season they are not offering a UPick option. But there is still much to be discovered at Johnson Orchards!
New York
While the Big Apple is stunning during the Fall months, getting out of the city for a day trip is great for those wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle.
Shinn Estate Vineyards
Located about 2 hours away from NYC in Mattituck, NY, the Shinn Estate Vineyard is breathtaking. This winery is a sustainable winery that produces around 72,000 bottles of wine each year. It was established back in 2000 and it completely runs on alternative power sources! They plant 13 different varietals in their 28 acres of vineyards. The best way to enjoy this winery is sitting on their outside patio with a glass of wine overlooking their vineyards. If you want to make this a weekend trip – stay in their Farmhouse Inn on the property. They highly suggest you make a reservation if you want to do a wine tasting during the weekend and they only allow 6 people per reservation at this time. They also feature a small menu, so while you’re sipping you can enjoy a small bite to eat.Benmarl Winery
Located about an hour and 45 minutes outside NYC, nestled in between the rolling hills of Marlboro, you’ll find the Benmarl Winery. This winery is located in the Hudson River Valley, an up-and-coming New York State wine region. The winery spans around 37-acres and is family and dog friendly! They request that you make a reservation before visiting.Rose Hill Farm
Rose Hill Farm is located about 2 hours and 20 minutes away from NYC in Hudson Valley. This historic and family owned pick your own fruit farm has been operating since 1798. They grow a variety of different fruits on their 144 acres, including cherries, blueberries, plums, apricots, nectarines, peaches and apples. Not only can you visit Rose Hill Farm and get some delicious homegrown fruits, but you can also visit their bottle shop, where you can sip on apple cider and wine! They offer a large variety of different ciders and wines including sparkling options for both! Another great thing about Rose Hill Farm is that they don’t like to take away from the land they are using! It is their mission to ensure they are producing the most delicious fruit in the best and most ethical way possible. Their holistic orchard management practices are great for you and the environment!Los Angeles
Get away from that LA traffic and escape to these day trip wine destinations near Los Angeles!Seal Beach Winery
This easy winery day trip to Seal Beach Winery is located 30 minutes south of downtown LA and features a wide variety of different wines, including rosé, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and many more. The tasting room is located in Los Alamitos, CA and is currently only open for curbside pick up at this time. They feature wines made from 4 California AVAs including Los Olivos District AVA, Sta. Rita Hills, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA, and Ballard Canyon AVA.The Ojai Vineyard
The Ojai Vineyard tasting room is about an hour and a half drive north to Ojai, California. This tasting room features around 300 different types of wine. They partner with a variety of different vineyards in Santa Barbara County and surrounding areas. They are currently not doing tastings since they cannot have their indoor operations open yet, but they are doing open bottle service out on their patio! So take a seat and sip on some fresh California wines!Willowbrook Apple Farm
The Willowbrook Apple Farm is about an hour and a half drive east to Oak Glen, CA. But this is more than just an apple farm! Here you can pick apples, berries, make your own apple cider, and enjoy a glass of their wine! Their first apple orchard was planted in 1910, making their Stayman-Winesap apples over 100 years old! This apple farm is fun for everyone, from young to old! Let the kids play at the petting zoo while you sit back and sip a glass of their clean crafted wines. Willowbrook Apple Farm is all about safe and ethical growing practices. So whether you're crunching on an apple or drinking a glass of wine, it’s not hurting the land under your feet!
