Texas Hill Country Named Fastest-Growing Wine Destination

 
The Texas Hill Country was ranked the top “hidden-gem” among U.S. wine regions, according to travel planning site Away.com.

 
The website, which provides information on more than 35,000 global destinations, picked the Central Texas Wine Trail as among the fastest-growing grape regions. The trail includes more than two dozen wineries as far west as Kerrville and Fredricksberg, down to New Braunfels, surrounding Austin and up to Lampasas.

 
State tourism and agriculture officials have been working heavily in recent years to promote the Hill Country to wine aficionados. Texas is the fifth-largest wine producing state in the country, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture.

 
The Hill Country ranked first on the Top 10 list. Bloomington, Ind.;; Cape Cod, Mass.;; Botetourt County, Va.;; Long Island, N.Y.;; Arkansas River Valley, Ark.;; Cleveland;; Yakima Valley, Wash.;; Traverse City, Mich.;; and Brandywine Valley, Pa., rounded out the list.

 
The top 10 “hidden gem” wine regions were selected by Away.com’s staff of editors and travel writers and are based on the research and opinions of the staff.

 
“Most people tend to associate vineyards with California, forgetting some equally lush, yet budget-friendly wineries right in their own backyard,” Away.com Senior Editor Kate Chandler said. “Away.com’s list of undiscovered spots in America’s wine country highlights its geographic diversity, and their proximity to metropolitan areas makes them an ideal detour.”

 
Away.com is owned by online travel agency Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW) in Chicago.

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Texas Hill Country Named Fastest-Growing Wine Destination – Austin Business Journal, 9/28/10