The 100 Best Affordable Vacations (56 page)

 
Maple Hill Manor.
At this Springfield, Kentucky, establishment, guests stay in an award-winning antebellum bed-and-breakfast on a working alpaca and llama farm; rooms start at $119. Even if you’re not staying at the inn, you can take a free tour to learn about alpacas and buy sweaters, finger puppets, and jewelry made from alpaca fibers.
Maple Hill Manor, 859-336-3075,
www.maplehillmanor.com
.

 
Turquoise Barn.
Located in New York’s Catskill Mountains, Turquoise Barn offers guests the chance to help in the intimate organic vegetable garden, chat with the artists turned farmers who live there, eat a vegan or vegetarian meal, and join fellow guests by the bonfire. A bed in a hostel room costs $35.
Turquoise Barn, 607-538-1235,
www.turquoisebarn.com
.

WILL WORK FOR FOOD

Some farm visits allow you to learn about rural life and volunteer at the same time.

 
Farm Rescue.
Through this Jamestown, North Dakota–based organization, volunteers can help family farmers hit with illness, injury, or some other disaster by working in fields or helping with website design, accounting, and other needs for the farm or for the nonprofit organization. Volunteers pay their own transportation to the place they are volunteering; Farm Rescue provides lodging and some meals on the ground.
Farm Rescue, 701-252-2017,
www.farmrescue.org
.

 
Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute.
In St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute focuses on ecological organic farming and education, including work-study farming programs and Slow Food internships. Regular nonworking guests also are welcome; room and board starts at $35 per night.
Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute,
www.visfi.org
, e-mail: [email protected].

For more locations where you can trade work for food and accommodations, search online at
www.wwoof.org
,
www.growfood.org
, and
http://helpx.net/
.

sip your way through wine country

EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

You have only so many bottles in your life, never drink a bad one.

—
LEN EVANS, AUSTRALIAN WINE WRITER
(1930–2006)

70 |
Beer may try to pass itself off as America’s beverage, but wine can just as easily make that claim. It’s made everywhere these days from Maine to Florida, North Dakota to Alaska. And although some vintages feel a bit like novelties (Hawaiian passion fruit wine, anyone?), others are quietly building a reputation for quality.

A wine vacation doesn’t have to involve tasting fees, crowds, and hype. Hundreds of winemakers are eager to share their vintages and wisdom with visitors. And with the money you save, you can pick up a bottle or two to enjoy with friends at home, who will undoubtedly be impressed by your new wine knowledge.

California’s El Dorado County offers everything that its more famous Golden State brethren do—only in a more relaxed atmosphere. Its winemakers, clustered around Placerville, also make a point of offering free tastings, something you’ll rarely find in Napa or Sonoma.

“It’s a more casual environment,” says Jenna Palacio, who lives in nearby Lake Tahoe and has visited many of the county’s 60 vineyards. “I don’t feel like I need to dress up to go wine-tasting. If I spill something on myself it’s OK.”

The county’s oldest winery,
Boeger
(1709 Carson Rd., Placerville, 800-655-2634 or 530-622-8094,
www.boegerwinery.com
), is a great picnic spot and grows surprising grapes like Tempranillo, usually associated with Spain. “They do some really cool blends,” Palacio says. During summers it hosts free Friday night Summer Sippin’ concerts. Pick up a picnic at
Dedrick’s Cheese
(312 Main St., Placerville, 530-344-8282) and get a bottle on site. As a plus, Boeger is located in the Apple Hill area, with 50 different orchards. If you’re in the area in season (early Sept.–early Dec.), make sure to try an apple doughnut at
Rainbow Orchards
(2569 Larsen Dr., Camino, 530-644-1594,
www.rainboworchards.info
).

If you can come during the annual Bring Out the Barrel wine tasting event, held the last weekend in January, you’ll get a winemaker’s view on the craft, allowing you to sample wines at different stages of maturity, straight from the barrel. Unaged wine, you’ll learn, may taste like dirty socks, but over time it becomes something to savor. Nearly two dozen wineries participate, and although visitors pay about $20 for the special event, they can save a bundle on wine since many wineries are trying to clear their cellars in preparation for newer vintages.

WINE, WINE EVERYWHERE

Almost anywhere you visit, you’ll fine wineries. These two regions get rave reviews:

 
Missouri River Region, Missouri.
Some of the West’s oldest wineries are found along the Missouri River, not far from St. Louis. Several are concentrated between Augusta and Hermann, a quaint town with German heritage. Try
Stone Hill Winery
(Hermann, 800-909-9463,
www.stonehillwinery.com
), where wine made from the Norton grape (Missouri’s official state grape) has won numerous awards.
Wine & Grape Board, 1616 Missouri Blvd., P.O. Box 630, Jefferson City, MO 65102, 800-392-9463,
www.missouriwine.org
.

 
North Fork of Long Island, New York.
Long Island’s southeast end with its bounty of beaches has long attracted Manhattanites, but the island’s northeast end has been steadily gaining ground due to its growing wine and food scene. The region’s oldest winery, Castello di Borghese (Cutchogue, 631-734-5111,
www.castellodiborghese.com
), has won honors for its Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Meritage, and Chardonnay.
Long Island Wine Council, 5120 Sound Ave., P.O. Box 600, Riverhead, NY 11901, 631-369-5887,
www.longislandwinecouncil.com
.

But anytime is good for a visit.
Jodar Vineyards & Winery
(3405 Carson Ct., Placerville, 530-644-3474,
www.jodarwinery.com
) is known for a variety of red wines including Black Bear Port, which got its name because the winemaker struggles to get the grapes before the area’s black bears. Family-owned
Lava Cap Winery
(2221 Fruitridge Rd., Placerville, 800-475-0175 or 530-621-0175,
www.lavacap.com
) is one of the county’s biggest producers, bottling around 20,000 cases per year. In the county’s Pleasant Valley area, stop by
Miraflores Winery
(2120 Four Springs Trail, Placerville, 530-647-8505,
www.mirafloreswinery.com
), one of four area vineyards known for grape varieties associated with France’s Rhône Valley. The winery recently opened a stunning new tasting room built with recycled antiquities, including timbers from the Port of San Francisco and stone floors salvaged from Cyprus. And try to sneak in a visit to
Sierra Vista Vineyards & Winery
(4560 Cabernet Way, Placerville, 800-945-3916 or 530-622-7221,
www.sierravistawinery.com
), which has views of the Sierra Nevada and a friendly tasting room staff.