# The 16 Best Wine Regions in the United States

> Big-name Cabernet country shares the board with cider orchards in Oregon, Riesling slopes in New York and a Texas region most people never knew existed.

*By YPB Team · Published October 30, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-16-best-wine-regions-in-the-united-states*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Napa Valley**
   California's best-known wine valley, home to Cabernet Sauvignon estates from Calistoga down to Carneros.
2. **Sonoma Valley**
   The 'Valley of the Moon' between the Mayacamas and Sonoma Mountains, planted with Zinfandel since the 1800s.
3. **Willamette Valley**
   Oregon's Pinot Noir heartland, a long valley south of Portland with cool, rainy growing seasons.
4. **Rogue Valley**
   Southern Oregon's warmest wine region around Medford and Jacksonville, where Oregon's first winery opened in the 1850s.
5. **Paso Robles**
   A large Central Coast region midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, known for Rhone blends and Zinfandel.
6. **Finger Lakes**
   Upstate New York's glacial lakes, where Riesling grows on slopes warmed by deep water.
7. **Walla Walla Valley**
   A region straddling Washington and Oregon, known for Syrah and Cabernet from basalt and cobblestone soils.
8. **Columbia Valley**
   Washington's vast inland wine region east of the Cascades, dry and sunny, with most of the state's vineyards.
9. **Santa Ynez Valley**
   A Santa Barbara County valley where ocean fog shapes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.
10. **Russian River Valley**
   A foggy Sonoma County region famous for cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
11. **Texas Hill Country**
   A huge Central Texas region around Fredericksburg, one of the largest wine regions in the country.
12. **Anderson Valley**
   A cool Mendocino County valley known for Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and sparkling wine.
13. **Santa Cruz Mountains**
   Steep coastal ridges above Silicon Valley, home to Ridge's celebrated Monte Bello Cabernet.
14. **Red Mountain**
   Washington's smallest notable region, a warm slope above the Yakima River prized for powerful reds.
15. **North Fork of Long Island**
   The eastern tip of Long Island, where Merlot and Chardonnay grow between the Sound and Peconic Bay.
16. **Temecula Valley**
   Southern California's wine country in Riverside County, a weekend trip from San Diego and Los Angeles.

Tags: usa, travel, wines, wine regions