Travel the world of wine, one glass at a time.
Featured Wines of the Month
Each month we highlight a new wine region and curate four white and four red wines that best represent the region. These wines are featured in our Wine Station dispensers for tastings and are available for purchase by the bottle.
july 2025 - USA Road Trip
This month, we will be exploring wine regions across the United States from coast to coast. Although wine is produced in all 50 states, our focus will be on eight prominent wine-growing areas. While it is challenging to encapsulate each region with a single wine, it's a fun tasting experience!
Columbia Valley, Washington
Encompassing more than a quarter of the state, the Columbia Valley AVA is by far Washington’s largest growing region at 11+ million acres. It is home to over 99% of all of Washington’s vinifera acreage. The Columbia Valley lies in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountain range. The low desert region has an arid and semi-arid, continental climate with limited rainfall. Irrigation is therefore required to grow vinifera grapes.
Willamette Valley, Oregon
Established in 1983. A large AVA of 3,438,000 acres (5372 square miles), running from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south, General attributes that make the Willamette Valley suitable for cool climate grape growing include the protection afforded by the Cascade Mountains to the east, Coast Range mountains to the west and a series of lower hill chains to the extreme north of the valley. Almost all grape growing is done on lower hillsides, avoiding deeply fertile alluvial soils and cooler hilltop mesoclimates.
Sonoma County, California
There are 19 distinct Sonoma County wine appellations, wine growing regions known as American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Each has a unique climate and geography and directly correlates to the wine in your glass. From warm, sunny days to cooler, fog covered valley floors, the variations in the geography and climate influence each individual region in many ways.
Willcox, Arizona
In southern Arizona, Willcox is the largest wine region in the state, producing roughly two-thirds of Arizona's grapes. The region's warm, dry days and cool nights are ideal for ripening red grapes like Grenache, Tempranillo, and Mourvèdre.
Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan
Located in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. The Old Mission Peninsula extends northward from Traverse City into the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan, ending at Old Mission Point. The peninsula is 19 miles (31 km) long by 3 miles (5 km) wide at its widest point. The climate on the peninsula is moderated by the surrounding waters, helping to prevent frost during the growing season. Grape varietals suitable to cool climates, such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot do best in the Old Mission Peninsula AVA.
Finger Lakes, New York
The "Finger Lakes Region" encompasses eleven lakes expanding about 8,400 square miles (5,400,000 acres) while the area around Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga Lakes is resident to the majority of vineyards. Cayuga and Seneca Lakes were established as sub-appellations, in 1988 and 2003, respectively, based on their unique terroir due to "lake effect." As of 2014, 130 wineries, 9,393 acres) of vineyards harvesting 54,600 tons of grapes annually making Finger Lakes by far the largest and most productive wine region in New York.
Piedmont Region, Virginia
Virginia is a prominent wine region in the United States, known for its diverse terroirs and growing list of award-winning wines. The state boasts 10 wine regions and 8 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). These regions include Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, and the Blue Ridge Mountains, each offering unique characteristics that influence the grapes grown and wines produced.
Maryland
Old Westminster Winery is located in the Maryland wine region, specifically in Carroll County, Maryland. The winery's vineyards are situated on the Piedmont plateau, which is known for having growing conditions similar to the Loire Valley in France. Old Westminster Winery is known for its focus on Maryland terroir and producing wines that reflect the region's unique characteristics. The winery's vineyards are located on a 17-acre farm and also utilize fruit from neighboring vineyards to showcase the diversity of the region's geology and climate.
