The best wine trips and tips for dad

If the dad in your life loves wine, these wineries, vineyards, and special vintages are sure to please.

Dads deserve good wine, and a trip to wine country is the ultimate splurge for dads who want to immerse themselves in wine culture this Father's Day or any other day. Here are my picks for destinations across the United States (including your own home) that will spoil dads with unique wine tasting experiences.

Bryan, TX

Adjacent to College Station, home of Texas A&M, is one of the state's flagship winemakers, Hof of Messina. Although they have a tasting room in Texas Hill Country (increasingly known as Texas Wine Country) and two others in Grapevine and Harvest Green, their location in Bryan is a nice, quiet town getaway, where Dad can really feel like he… I'm on vacation. Stay at Villa Bed and Breakfast directly on the Messina Hof estate – each room is decorated differently and feels like you're staying in your Italian grandparents' house. Take a few steps to the tasting room and you'll discover wines that reflect over 40 years of experience, each better than the last. Next door is the Vintage House Restaurant, where your server will suggest wine pairings to accompany farm-fresh meals. And for a special treat, plan a cellar tour so Dad can taste wines straight from the barrel.

TIP: Order wines from the Paolo range and be sure to try the Sagrantino, as Messina Hof is the largest producer of this grape variety in the country.

Napa Valley, California

If Dad likes to accompany his wine with music, look no further than Cliff Lede Vineyards for a beautiful getaway in the heart of Napa Valley. Enter through the garden full of flowers and eye-catching sculptures and head to the Backstage Tasting Lounge with its clubby vibe. Here, Dad can settle into a plush armchair or wander around the room browsing the rotating artwork and the coolest aspect of all: a collection of limited-edition rock music accessories. Signed electric guitars and framed, handwritten John Lennon lyrics line the walls. A walk outside will delight you: each block is named after the owner's favorite rock songs and albums. You will therefore pass by vines labeled “My generation” or “Dark Side of the Moon”. The collection makes up the Cliff Lede Rock Blocks, and each year two or more blocks are combined in a “mash up” featured in the tasting room. My favorites here? Let Dad try Cabernet Franc and Sémillon. He can thank me later.

Book a room at Napa Valley Hostel, a large estate with epic views of Cliff Lede and its surrounding vineyard. The inn's vineyard is the sole source of the estate's flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, aptly named Poésie. Treat yourself to a three-course breakfast served on the porch and relax in a luxurious poet-themed room.

While in Napa, treat Dad to a bottle to take home. THE Cabernet Sauvignon Patriarch of the Frank Family from Frank Family Vineyards has a special history behind it. It is dedicated to Rich Frank's late father and World War II veteran, Hy Frank, who was deployed to Normandy and landed at Omaha Beach four days after D-Day. Frank credits his successful career as president of the studios Disney (among other titles) to his father's dedication, values ​​and hard work, and he demonstrated this by presenting the first version of Patriarch to his father on his 98th birthday. Produced in very limited quantities, Patriarch is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the finest rows of vines from Frank's personal hillside estate vineyard in Rutherford.

The Dalles, Oregon

If Dad is a loyal Shark Tank viewer, he knows the name James Martin. Martin was the first to turn down a Shark Tank deal (from Mr. Wonderful, no less) and the first to return to the Tank, where he rejected a second offer. Instead, he took his idea of ​​“wine by the glass” back to Oregon, where he created single-serve bottles of wine called Copa di Vino. He now sells 40-50,000 cases of Copa a year, but also produces small batch wine through his Quenett winery, something Dad absolutely must try when he visits. While The Dalles in Oregon's Hood River region is known for its outdoor activities, the Sunshine Mill Artisan Plaza and Winery where Martin and his wife Molli present their wines to visitors, is a very cool break after the activity. It is housed in a 130-year-old flour mill, formerly occupied by the Sunshine Biscuit Company, famous for producing Cheez-Its. Today, this winery in the Columbia River Gorge has transformed a parking lot into a drive-in movie theater and offers wine tastings in the Grand Tasting Hall, where Dad can check out the factory's old machinery and where the whole family can shop at the artisan. walk.

Lodi, California

Lodi Wine Country is smaller than its neighbors Napa and Sonoma, and tastings tend to be more affordable and relaxed in this neighborhood. It's the perfect place for the laid-back dad who just wants to enjoy his wine without pretension. Although he can spend days touring vineyards and wineries, he should start by Oak Ridge Winery, housed in a 50,000-gallon redwood barrel affectionately described as industrial chic. The first time I drank their Old Soul brand wines, I was hooked, and Dad will be too. Old Soul Cabernet recently earned 90 points and a Best Buy ranking from Wine Enthusiast. This year, Oak Ridge is celebrating Father's Day with a Cabs for Dad sale: buy a bottle at a great price, sit outside, listen to live music on Saturday, and order from the on-site food truck.

The yard, living room or any other dad's favorite place

If budget or time doesn't allow you to travel far from home, you can always give dad a gift that will make him feel like he's on vacation. It may even inspire a future trip to a newly discovered wine region. Especially great for families who can't be together for Father's Day, Summons The wine tasting experience allows everyone to come together without getting on a plane. Sommsation hosts a virtual tasting, then everyone logs in at a specific time to meet their personal sommelier and sip an evening. You choose the wines that interest you most from the library of over 300 wines – we tried Hand Cellar Sleight of Hand from Walla Walla, Washington. Sommsation ships the bottles to each participant's home before the tasting and even offers snacks and charcuterie boards for a complete wine tasting experience. Don't know which wines dad likes the most? Use the gift card option so they can personalize their tasting.