Top 10 US Destinations for National Wine Day

Friday is National Wine Day and while most will celebrate with a generously-poured glass of their favorite vino, many passionate wine connoisseurs are already planning their next winery or vineyard visit. Fortunately, RewardExpert recently analyzed more than two million wine reviews to determine the 10 best locations in the United States for both wine quantity and quality.

There are nine wineries and vineyards in the area surrounding Coshocton, Ohio, including the most highly rated winery in the country-Heritage Vineyard Winery-based on RewardExpert's data set. Overall, the region's wines scored an average rating of 98 out of 100.

Located on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Easton is home to nearly two dozen wineries and vineyards, seemingly all of which are producing a superior product. Based on RewardExpert's research, wines from this region received an average rating of 94.

Kingston and New York's surrounding Hudson Valley region ranks in the 89th percentile for wineries per capita nationally with 0.73 per 10,000 residents. This area isn't short on quality either as the average wine rating of 96 puts in second place behind only Coshocton.

This region in eastern Long Island boasts a remarkable 3.47 wineries per 10,000 residents and quality isn't lacking either as its 86 wineries and vineyards earned an average rating of 93.02. The Empire State certainly knows its wine.

Just east of Napa Valley, the region surrounding Sacramento is home to a whopping 31 wineries and vineyards that are routinely winning over visitors to the California capital. Wines from this region earned an average review rating of 94.20.

With a notable 1.68 wineries per 10,000 residents, the Oregon side of the Columbia River Valley should be added to your next wine tour of the Pacific Northwest. Cougar Crest Estate Winery, located just north of the Oregon-Washington border, sets the bar for a region with an overall average wine rating of 93.20.

It's unlikely that Albuquerque, New Mexico comes to mind when thinking about the top wine destinations in the U.S. However, the surrounding Middle Rio Grande Valley boasts 14 wineries scoring an average rating of 94.25, good enough for sixth-best.

Eastern Washington's Spokane Valley is yet another region succeeding in quality over quantity as it possesses just eight wineries to 151,000 residents. Still, the average rating of 96 ties for second-best.

Perhaps the biggest surprise among the top 10, the Anchorage region has just 0.21 wineries per 10,000 residents. Nonetheless, the area surrounding Alaska's largest city produces delicious wines, with Bear Creek Winery leading the way.

If you're looking for a world-class wine destination far from the beaten path but still in the mainland U.S., consider West Texas. The state's Trans-Pecos region's wine received the second-highest average review rating, tying with the Kingston-Hudson Valley, Spokane Valley and Anchorage.