Throughout the United States, millions of people are readying for yet another winter weekend of shoveling snow, cranking up the thermostat, bundling up in their warmest coats, and reaching for the liquor cabinet. However, in some states, those problems just don’t exist because winter in its so-called traditional form isn’t a thing. In states like Louisiana, Florida, Arizona, and Texas, temperatures hit highs of 50, 60, or 70 degrees in December, ensuring that residents and visitors alike never have to do more than throw on a sweatshirt — if that — to conquer the outdoors, even in the depths of winter. This means that at local wineries, the bands never stop playing, the outdoor patio never closes, and the wine never stops pouring.
If you’re dreaming of a warm-weather winery to get you out of the cold and sipping on everything from a sweet rosé to a dry Cabernet, then check out these wineries across the U.S. located in states that hit pleasantly warm temperatures even in December. Explore used wine guides, wine blogs, and winery reviews to select the best and most popular wineries in traditionally warm states — all so you can enjoy a glass with a pleasant breeze and a ray of sunshine.
Landry Vineyards in West Monroe, Louisiana
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If you love tunes with your wine, then Landry Vineyards in West Monroe, Louisiana, should be your next destination. Here, not only can you try their 24 different types of wine ranging from semi-sweet wines to port wines, but you can also listen to live music, as they host outdoor concerts nearly every weekend. However, keep in mind that if you visit this rockin’ winery on a day a concert is held, which is often a Saturday, you won’t be able to take a $20 pre-booked hour-and-a-half tour of the vineyard, cellar, tank room, crush pad, and bottling facility. However, at least the weather is always on your side at Landry Vineyards, where the temperature can hit 63 degrees in December.
Here, you can do a wine tasting for $10 per person. Included is a Landry Vineyards glass for you to take home. Afterward, you can also snack on their personal pizzas, cheeses, crackers, and summer sausages, or you’re welcome to bring your own food. If you want to extend your stay at Landry Vineyards, the winery offers spots to park an RV for $40 per night as well as on-site cottages with a front row view of the vineyards. This also includes a free bottle of wine and two wine tastings. Or, if you want to send Landry Vineyards to a friend or enjoy some back home, the vineyard can ship wine directly to you.
Caduceus Cellars in Jerome, Arizona
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Maynard James Keenan may be better known as the lead singer of rock band Tool, but he’s also a proponent of local wine made in Arizona. This is clear with his winery, Caduceus Cellars, in Jerome, Arizona, where high December temperatures can hit 75 degrees, making for a pleasant spot to sip wine in the sunshine — or underground. At Caduceus Cellars, the winery operates underground in a 3,000 square-foot space, although its Spanish and Italian wines are made from grapes grown in elevations of up to 4,900 feet high. With its 110 acres spread across six vineyards, Caduceus Cellars and its sister brand, also owned by Keenan, make 14,000 wine cases annually for Arizona consumers and beyond to enjoy. The winery is also located on the Verde Valley Wine Trail, a Southwestern destination that makes a great spot for a winter wine vacation.
To get to know all of what Caduceus Cellars has to offer and see its vineyards and winemaking facility and do a tasting, visitors can book a 90-minute private tour that also includes Arizona tapas made with ingredients from the winery’s own garden for $269 per person. Or, if you want to experience Caduceus Cellars’ wines outside of Arizona, you can sign up to become a member of the Velvet Slipper Wine Club. Members can receive up to six bottles of wine chosen by Keenan quarterly as well as online discounts and other perks.
Lorimar Vineyards and Winery in Temecula, California
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Lorimar Vineyards might have a Tuscan-inspired tasting room lined with a stone façade and barrel-tile roofing, but, unlike in Tuscany, you’re likely never bound to see snow here. In Temecula, California, where the winery calls home, high temperatures in December can hit 68 degrees. However, just like in Tuscany, Lorimar Vineyards is surrounded by mountains, including Mount Palomar and the Santa Ana Mountains. On the tasting room patio, which features stunning views of the surrounding mountains and vineyards, visitors can do a wine tasting of six 1-ounce pours for $25 per person or wine flights of red, white, or a combo of red and white wine for $45 to $55 per person.
But Lorimar Vineyards has more than just wine. It also offers live music nearly every day of the week as well as food from its upscale food truck, Pairings, which has an Italian flair. There, visitors can order anything from a charcuterie board to Italian sausage and pepper pasta and eat it out on the winery patio. The menu changes frequently to better pair with newly-released wines. It all began in 2009, when founders and brothers-in-law Mark Manfield and Lawrie Lipton combined their names to form Lorimar Vineyards. Three years later, their dream was realized when the winery opened its doors and their 22 acres of vineyards got to work yielding grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Muscat, Viognier, and Sangiovese.
Duchman Family Winery in Driftwood, Texas
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Don’t get it twisted — Duchman Family Winery may be an Italian-inspired winery, but it’s proud to be Texan. All of its grapes are grown in Texas, which is possible because Italy has weather patterns that mimic those of Texas. But, fortunately, not all of its weather patterns are the same. In December, Driftwood, Texas, where Duchman Family Winery is located, can hit 64 degrees. In this climate, visitors can sip on wines like Montepulciano and Aglianico.
And the atmosphere couldn’t be better, according to HGTV, which named it one of the most beautiful wineries in America. The winery is also a popular spot for weddings, since receptions can be hosted either inside the Tuscan villa-inspired tasting room or outside under the property’s age-old oak trees and packages include many of the necessary amenities. Plus, the winery is just a half-hour drive to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and lodging options. Even if you’re not saying your vows anytime soon, you can also get a free wine tasting at Duchman Family Winery by making a reservation for one of their five tasting stations.
Duchman Family Winery got its start in 2004, when Drs. Lisa and Stan Duchman decided to bring their favorite Italian wines to Texas and show that the state could produce top-quality wines. Since then, they and their winemaker, Dave Reilly, have continued to experiment and implement cutting-edge winemaking methods to further the Texas wine scene while remaining true to the winery’s identity.
Rosenthal – The Malibu Estate Vineyard in Malibu, California
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If you sip wine at Rosenthal — the Malibu Estate Vineyard, not only are you tasting wine in a climate where the high temperature hits 67 degrees in December, but you’re also sipping wine in a location like none other. That’s because Rosenthal, located on the Malibu-Newton Canyon, has its own microclimate not home to any other wineries. This is to Rosenthal’s advantage in more ways than one. Since it’s situated nearly 1,500 feet above sea level, it’s an ideal locale for growing grapes like Rosenthal’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Viognier, and Chardonnay. Plus, proceeds from its collection of Surfrider-labeled wines go to local nonprofits dedicated to preserving the California environment.
Rosenthal has made its wine the same way since 1987: After grapes are grown on the canyon on its 28-acre property, they’re harvested by hand before being aged in French oak barrels. Visitors get to taste it in a pleasant climate with a view, no matter the season — which Nightclub & Bar Media Group once recognized by naming Rosenthal as one of the best daytime hot spots. Its tasting room, which includes a patio that can fit 300 people, is just steps from the Pacific Ocean. Here, visitors can buy fare from weekend food trucks to pair with their glasses or bring their own snacks. To work it off afterward, take on this nearby California hike that’s the perfect outdoor activity for wine lovers.
Sand-Reckoner Vineyards in Tucson, Arizona
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If anyone knows how to grow grapes in the hot desert heat of Tucson, Arizona — where December temperatures average highs of 64 degrees – it’s Sand-Reckoner Vineyards, which sources grapes from its own 12-acre vineyard as well as four other nearby vineyards including Rhumb Line Vineyard, Red Tree Ranch Vineyard, Bloomoon Vineyard, and Chiricahua Ranch Vineyard. That’s because owners Rob Hammelman and Sarah Fox are storied in the art of growing wine at high altitudes. Hammelman, the winemaker, originally became interested in winemaking after a summer gig working at another Arizona winery and later became adept at making wine at some of the highest spots in the country. Meanwhile, Fox, the operations manager, gathered her wine experience at wineries in Colorado, her home state, and in Arizona.
Today, Sand-Reckoner Vineyards is an expert in making wine in one of the most notoriously warm destinations in the U.S. and serving it in Tucson’s Warehouse Arts District, an epicenter of small business owners. In the tasting room, visitors can also purchase small snacks to eat with their wines, which include Malvasia Bianca, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Sagrantino, and Syrah. Those who live far from Tucson’s ideal weather can also enjoy Sand-Reckoner Vineyards’ wines thanks to its Wine Club, which distributes wines twice per year at a discount of 15 to 20%. Plus, all members enjoy six free tastings at the winery per year, so there’s always a reason for a sip in the desert warmth.
Pedernales Cellars in Stonewall, Texas
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For six generations, the Kuhlkens have raised their family in Stonewall, Texas, where high December temperatures reach 71 degrees. But, beginning in the 1990s, the Kuhlken family decided to grow something else in Texas — grapes. Larry and Jeanine Kuhlken began planting and harvesting grapes, and over time using various methods, they were able to produce fine wines. Eventually, Pedernales Cellars was born, named for the nearby Pedernales River as well as for a much more fateful reason. “Pedernales” means “flint” in Spanish, and a flint Native American arrowhead as well as a flint Native American stone axe were both found on the winery’s 145 acres.
Now on those acres which overlook the Pedernales River Valley, visitors can taste iconic Texas wines in Pedernales Cellars’ tasting room every day of the year except for Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving. Some of these wines include Tempranillo, Viognier, Grenache, and Malbec, which are made from grapes that thrive in the unique Texas climate and soil. This ensures that every glass of Pedernales Cellars’ wine honors pleasant December temperatures that some of us in cold weather are craving. To learn how the wine makes it into that glass, visitors can book a $60 tour, which includes a wine tasting of limited, exclusive wines as well as a sample of wine from the tank in the winery’s production facility, making for a unique sip that few wineries offer.
Volcano Winery in Volcano, Hawaii
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Wines don’t get more tropical than at Volcano Winery in Volcano, Hawaii, where grapes are grown on land where lava once flowed 4,000 feet above sea level. Since 1986, the winery’s team has created unique wines infused with tropical fruit like starfruit, papaya, and passion fruit that couldn’t be more fitting for the Big Island. In Volcano, where December temperatures can reach 72 degrees, visitors can taste wines like the Hawaiian Guava-Grape, made with yellow guava and white grapes; the Volcano Blush, which has a crisp freshness perfect for hot days; and the Volcano Red, made in honor of Pele, the goddess of fire. Even better, Hawaii is the best place to visit in America in December, according to travelers.
To taste all of what Volcano Winery has to offer, visitors can do an $18 tasting of all six of their wines, which also pair well with the winery’s cheese platters, tea, coffee, and other refreshments. Or, for a true insider experience, visitors can reserve a $38 tour and tasting that includes a tour of the vineyards and facilities as well as a six-wine tasting and a tasting of the winery’s two housemade teas. Decades after founder Lynn “Doc” McKinney began the winery after retiring from work as a veterinarian, Volcano Winery still holds true of bringing the flavors of Hawaii to the glass partly also in thanks to Del Bothof, who became the winery’s second owner.
Enoree River Vineyards and Winery in Newberry, South Carolina
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It might always feel like spring at Enoree River Vineyards and Winery in Newberry, South Carolina — where December temperatures can reach 70 degrees — but there’s still always a taste of the real season here. That’s because this winery offers several limited-edition wines perfect for the season, including the current Cranberry Wine, Ruby Cabernet, and Dry Carlos, which are all ideal for enjoying in the wintertime. But regardless of when you visit this eight-acre winery, you’ll always have about 10-12 handcrafted wines to choose from. To try them all, visitors can do a $22 wine tasting, which comes with a wine glass to take home as well as discounts on purchased wine. Plus, depending on when you visit, you might also be able to snag a wine slushee, which are offered on Thursdays through Sundays during select times of the year.
Wine tastings can be conducted at Enoree River Vineyards and Winery’s Upper Room, which has a stunning view of the surrounding vineyards. Or, for a bit of the South Carolina warm air with your wine tasting, head to the winery’s covered wraparound porch. The views at this winery are so beautiful that it’s become a popular place for weddings, with many couples opting to tie the knot in a pergola set in front of the vineyards.
Sanders Family Winery in Pahrump, Nevada
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If you really want to be transported to a warm-weather paradise, Sanders Family Winery in Pahrump, Nevada, is the place to be. In this city that’s less than an hour from the Las Vegas Strip, temperatures hit 59 degrees, and views of both the Spring Mountains and the Nopah Range are everywhere. Nestled between those mountains, winery-goers will find a statue of Teresa Lilianna who the founders have dubbed “The Wine Pourer” as well as cypress trees, creating a distinctly Italian vibe that’s accentuated by a villa-style tasting room. Inside the tasting room, where visitors are welcome to bring their own food, wine tastings are free. Here, patrons can try Nevada-grown wines such as the Serenity white semi-sweet blend and the Harmony blush wine as well as more traditional wines like Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Sanders Family Winery, founded by Jack Sanders, was the first winery in Pahrump. Today, the property, which features two stunning vineyards, includes a visitor’s center as well as an amphitheater for concerts and events. In addition, weddings for up to 100 people — a great example of a minimalist wedding which can save you money and stress — are often held on this beautiful property.
Schnebly Redland’s Winery in Homestead, Florida
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Take one look at Schnebly Redland’s Winery in Homestead, Florida, and you might just think you’re on a tropical resort rather than at a winery thanks to its abundance of palm trees, koi fish, waterfalls, rock formations, and tiki huts. And you wouldn’t be far off from the truth. That’s because Schnebly Redland’s Winery, where the December high temperature reaches 87 degrees, is the southernmost winery in the country, with the perfect wines to go with it. Some of the wines offered at Schnebly Redland’s Winery include Carambola Wine made from starfruit; the Grand Reserve with coconut flavors; the Lychee Dolce made with lychee, coconut, and vanilla; and the Beach Rose made with guava and avocado.
To try five wines of your choosing here, book a $25 tasting that also includes a glass to take home. Or, to see the winery in all of its glory before or after having a few sips of tropical wine, make a reservation for a $16 tour that also shares how the wine here is created.
Dos Cabezas WineWorks in Sonoita, Arizona
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Unique experiences abound at Dos Cabezas WineWorks in Sonoita, Arizona, where December high temperatures reach 61 degrees. At this winery that dates back to 1995, visitors can try traditional Arizona-made wines as well as the winery’s staple and ever-popular Rose Blend Carbonated Pink, which is served in a can for easy travels. It’s the perfect crisp wine-in-a-can for hot days — no matter the month. To optimize your warm-weather experiences during the winter in Sonoita, Dos Cabezas WineWorks also offers two on-site lodgings with traditional Arizona décor, which are ideal if you know you want to savor more than a few glasses of wine and then sleep it off.
All of the wine here is made on two vineyards, both on elevations of over 4,200 feet and which date back nearly a decade. Some of the wines visitors can find in the tasting room that hail from these vineyards include the Meskeoli, the Quintosol, and the Estrellano.
Methodology
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To create this list, Explore first determined which American states and regions are known for having warm weather no matter the season, such as Florida, Hawaii, Arizona, and Southern California. These are the very places travelers flock to when looking to escape the snow and dropping temperatures of their own home states. Then, Explore used winery guides, winery reviews, and wine blogs to select which wineries in those states were the best for visitors due to their high-quality wines, unique offerings, available on-site activities, and beautiful outdoor scenery ideal for enjoying a glass.
