#viticulture

#viticulture

With thousands of acres of vineyards, Washington and Oregon are among the top wine producing states in the nation, with winemakers taking advantage of distinct climates and terroir to craft a wide range of fantastic wines. Therefore, it should not be a surprise that their neighbor to the east is one of the lesser known U.S. wine regions, quietly producing outstanding wines.

What could be more relaxing than sipping a glass of wine while kicking back on the couch to your favorite movie? Enjoying a glass of wine at a winery, of course. Whether partaking in a tasting session in a wine cellar or gazing over vineyards as you share a charcuterie board with friends, visiting a winery offers you a chance to sample award-winning wines while learning how they were produced.

The morning sun shines on lush vines as harvesters pick grapes. The hillside vineyard looks like it could be in Italy but lies near Berlin, where climate change has transformed winemaking. The 75-year-old owner, Manfred Lindicke, said that rising global temperatures over the decades had helped his grapes sweeten and ripen earlier. "When I started here in 1996, we used to harvest around October 1," he said. "Now we start on September 1."

Some of my favorite regions are Breede River Valley, Napa Valley, Tuscany, and McLaren Vale. In my opinion, these regions define the peak of the wine-making and consumption experience.