Two NC wine spots win USA TODAY 10Best awards for tours and festivals
USA TODAY readers voted two North Carolina wine spots among the best in the United States in the categories for “Best Wine Festival” and “Best Wine Tours.”
The annual 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards are determined by readers’ votes. Initial selections came from travel experts choosing the top 20 nominees in a number of categories, including best art museum, best farmers market, best outdoor water park and more.
As of Aug. 16, many 10Best categories are still pending, and results will be announced over the next few weeks.
All categories, winners and pending winners can be found at 10best.com/awards/travel.
Asheville NC wins for Best Wine Tour
• Asheville: Asheville Wine Tours won a top-10 readers’ choice award for the best wine tours in the United States.
“With over a dozen vineyards around Asheville, this company can customize your Sprinter excursion for you and your guests and leave you thirsty for the next wine tour,” USA TODAY 10Best said. “They’ll also add a sommelier or WSET-certified wine expert/driver to your trip if you’d like to elevate your experience. 10Best Wine Expert Ava Roxanne Stritt adds, ‘This tour service hits all the best spots in the region.’”
Asheville Wine Tours came in seventh place on the list. The top spot went to Snake River Wine Tours in Marsing, Idaho.
Asheville is a little under four hours by car from Raleigh.
For more on Asheville Wine Tours, visit ashevillewinetours.com.
Elkin NC wins for Best Wine Festival
• Elkin: The Yadkin Valley Wine Festival in Elkin won a top-five readers’ choice award for the best wine festival in the United States.
“With over forty wineries and vineyards in the mountains of northwestern North Carolina, this festival on the third Saturday in May has a lot to offer,” USA TODAY 10Best said. “The 25-acre municipal park in Elkins, population 4,000, provides small-town Southern hospitality with plenty of room for wine sampling, food trucks, and music. Don’t miss the afternoon grape stomp!”
The Yadkin Valley Wine Festival came in fifth place on the list. The top spot went to the Key West Food & Wine Festival in Key West, Florida.
Elkin is about a two and a half hour drive from Raleigh.
For more on the Yadkin Valley Wine Festival, visit yvwf.com.
This story was originally published August 17, 2022 at 10:22 AM with the headline "Two NC wine spots win USA TODAY 10Best awards for tours and festivals."
