Although you may be physically ready to travel again after getting vaccinated, you may not feel entirely ready \u2013\u00a0or comfortable \u2013 enough yet to visit touristy destinations along with peak-season crowds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re an experienced wine enthusiast or just an aspiring collector hoping to grow your at-home wine collection but aren’t ready for crowds yet, the answer may be visiting a lesser-known\u00a0wine region.\u00a0Just keep in mind your wine-tasting and winery visits may be different that you\u2019re used to. But that can be a good thing.<\/p>\n
“The wine tasting experience has become more consumer focused and intimate, with smaller groups of people at each tasting and reservations now being required,\u201d says Kim Pasquali, the head of guest experiences at\u00a0Medlock Ames, a wine producer and tasting room located about an hour northwest of Sonoma, California. \u201cWith these smaller group tastings, wineries have the opportunity to offer more one-on-one\u00a0time with each guest, making the wine-tasting experience more in-depth and tailored to their interests and knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite loosening COVID restrictions across the country, Pasquali believes that the trends\u00a0of wineries offering seated tastings and requiring reservations will continue. Why? Purveyors have come to appreciate the way those practices have organized the flow of consumers to their tasting rooms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWineries are beginning to offer tasting events again, which will give guests the option to attend some larger gatherings that were so crucial to the atmosphere of Wine Country,\u201d Pasquali says. \u201cAt Medlock Ames, we are loosening restrictions as we reopen by welcoming dogs back to the property and creating family-friendly experiences, so we can welcome more guests and their loved ones.”<\/p>\n
While Sonoma is renowned as the heart of California wine country, it’s by no means the only U.S. wine region worth visiting.\u00a0Here are some under-the-radar spots where you can sip and savor and revel in enriching and fun wine experiences.<\/p>\n
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