Visiting vineyards isn’t just a spring and summer pursuit. From snow-dusted vines to crackling fires and festive markets, these wineries are big on seasonal charm. Luxuriate in a heated tent, sip a bold cabernet by a glowing fire or stroll through twinkling holiday lights as you celebrate the season and warm up from the inside out.
Glamping & Grog at Potomac Point Vineyard & Winery
Stafford, Virginia’s Potomac Point Vineyard & Winery has a unique way to keep you cozy when the temperatures drop!
But first, the wine. This Tuscan-inspired estate has received dozens of awards over the years for its estate-grown wines over 23 beautiful acres. You can sample their full-bodied bottles with the Grand Cru tasting or opt for easier sippers with the Premier Cru tasting. Enjoy lunch before or after your tasting at Le Grand Cru Bistro with heaping charcuterie and sausage boards, signature crab cakes, and toasty flatbreads.
The coziest seats in the house in the chilly months aren’t inside at all. Rather, they’re in the heated wine tents! These canvas-sided tents are decked out with rugs and sofas for a luxurious glamping afternoon. You and your friends can linger over their signature grog (mulled wine) while looking over the wintry vines.
Cap off your experience with a specialty wine cake, like French vanilla sponge soaked in their Coyote Cave red blend.
Sips in the Snow at Elmaro Vineyards
At Elmaro Vineyards in Trempealeau, Wisconsin, the warm tasting room glows like a beacon in the center of a wintry white landscape. Shake the snow off your shoulders and sample wines made from cold-hearty Midwest varietals like fruity St. Pepin and medium-bodied Marquette. You can sip at your own pace with a wine flight or book a guided tasting at the wine bar to talk through each glass with the experts (weekdays only). Add a pairing to your experience, like cheese, nuts, or chef-prepped small bites.
The holiday season comes with cheerful events like Ugly Christmas Sweater Bingo or a Family Christmas Wreath Class. Visit their annual outdoor Kris Kringle Market to shop with local makers for festive decor, toys, jewelry, clothing, and more. Sip mulled wine or hot cocoa, and make s’mores over the fire table for a warm treat.
A (Tasting) Room with A View at Fort Ross Vineyard
Wineries tend to pop up in groups, with entire communities of vineyards sharing the soil in their particular viticultural area. Not so on the Sonoma Coast, where Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery is the only estate tasting room to brave the Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area.
Wind your way through misty coastal ridges until the red timber winery comes into view, perched on a high clearing overlooking the Pacific Ocean below. Once you arrive, warm up by the modern fire inside this sleek, Cali-cool tasting room while the team prepares your tasting. The high elevation and varied terroir grows distinguished, complex grapes for their citrusy chardonnays and Burgundy-style pinot noirs.
Winter temps can be cool on the coast, so you may want to stick to the snug tasting room during your visit. But on sunny days when the fog burns off, bring your wine and seasonal chef’s tasting pairings out onto the terrace for stunning views over the endless ocean.
Shop Holiday Markets at Gervasi Vineyard
At 55 acres, Gervasi Vineyard in Canton, Ohio, is more than an award-winning winery. It’s an entire compound dedicated to wine, spirits, and celebrations.
Sample estate-grown vintages, regional wines, and Italian imports during your visit. Their Moscato, Piove, and Fioretto all took gold at the 2023 Ohio Wine Competition! You can order a flight at one of three onsite restaurants or do a tour and tasting in the underground wine barrel cave.
Beyond the wine, Gervasi has a full calendar of holiday and winter events for warm fun and merry-making. Browse artisan holiday markets like Stuff Your Stocking Night or Men’s Shopping Night (with gift wrapping included). Bring the whole family to a festive lunch with Santa or the Grinch. Or spend a chilly night in the Winter White Lounge, decorated in shimmering blue and white with snowflakes and glowing lights.
Not ready to leave? Stay overnight at their onsite Tuscan-inspired Villas or the boutique inn, where you can cozy up by your own in-room fireplace.
Explore Twinkling Lights at Veritas Vineyard
Tucked in the shadow of the misty Blue Ridge Mountains, Veritas Vineyard in Afton, Virginia, offers a dreamy winter escape filled with award-winning wines and festive holiday events.
Enjoy a self-guided tasting or a custom wine flight next to the large stone fireplace in the rustic modern tasting room, where enormous windows let in the winter sun. Or reserve the Greenhouse for indoor/outdoor seating, a personal fire pit, and tableside service. Wherever you sit, you can sample Virginia Governor’s Cup Gold Medal winners like their Sauvignon Blanc and Petit Verdot.
During the holidays, bring the family to Veritas Illuminated, the winery’s walking light trail. Grown ups can mosey with a warming glass of cabernet franc while kids frolic under twinkling lights strung through the groves. Sing along with the Waynesboro Choral Society at their annual Christmas carol concert in the tasting room. And on New Year’s Eve, a masked ball with five-course dinner and wine pairings, dancing, celebration, and a midnight toast is the perfect way to ring in the new year.
Step Inside a Snow Globe at Quarry Hill Winery
Perched on a rolling hill with views of Lake Erie in the distance, Quarry Hill Winery in Berlin Heights, Ohio, proves you don’t have to go to Napa for a dazzling vineyard experience.
Take in the scenery within the coziness of the open, high-ceilinged tasting room. Three walls of floor-to-ceiling windows make you feel like you’re inside a snow globe while a handsome stone fireplace crackles.
Quarry Hill produces both classic and fruit wines. Their popular Buckeye Red is a sweet concord blend and a fan favorite. And the Bourbon Barrel Aged Apple Wine is dry and warm on a chilly day.
The vineyard keeps spirits bright during the holidays with events like a Winter Wonderland Market and Merry Merry Market Barn, both welcoming local vendors selling home goods, tasty treats, ceramics, and more. They also host live music most weekends, so you can create your own heat with a little dancing.
Sip Like Royalty at Chateau St. Jean
It may not get icy and snowy at Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma, but you can still have a snug experience.
Built in 1920, this stunning 250-acre Mediterranean-style chateau boasts timeless beauty and mature gardens dotted with fountains and statues. Their wine program focuses on single-origin and single-varietal wines from premier Sonoma County vineyards—although you’ll find some blends as well! Their flagship wine, the Cinq Cépages, highlights the best Bordeaux the valley has to offer.
On sunny California days, don a sweater for a Chateau Tasting of their exclusive Reserve wines on the dreamy continental-inspired patio or the Belle Terre tasting with rose garden views. When the temperatures drop, bring your wine inside to sip under a vaulted ceiling and old-world beams.
In December, keep an eye out for their annual Holiday at the Estates event. This seated tasting offers a curated wine flight and a themed snack inspired by the Mediterranean coast.
