This is Regional Wine Week! Visiting wine tasting rooms involve delightful experiences. Stop by your local winery. Taste wines and enjoy the experience. Take time to browse the gift selections that many tasting rooms offer.

1. One of the benefits of visiting your local tasting rooms is the opportunity to taste wines that you may not find on the shelves in your grocery store and wine shop. Distributors to stores choose among the thousands of wines available to decide which wines to accept for distribution. This leaves out many local wines that are just as good and may be better depending on wine lovers tastes.

2. Wine tastings are offered at wineries. This enables visitors to try a wine before making a purchase. How many other foods can you do that with? Each tasting room has its own rules as to how many tastings. Fees vary from nothing to a moderate price. Only a very few wineries charge an exorbitant amount and these are usually high profile wineries.

3. Due to the high markup of prices by distributors, numerous wineries do not use distributors. These wineries sell only from their tasting room and possibly online.

4. Many wineries offer tours of the winery and vineyards. Each tour is different and offers a new experience. Take a camera and preserve memories for a lifetime. Check out tours at Messina Hof Winery & Resort in Bryan, Texas

5. By drinking local wines, visitors are supporting the local economy. This helps to keep the money you spend in your region. Restaurants, gas stations and stores benefit from tasting rooms.

6. Some wineries offer dog owners the opportunity to bring their pets on leashes. One example of this is Barrel Oak Winery. This winery located in Delaplane, Virginia has a variety of charities that it supports and some of these are directed toward dog rescues.

7. Some tasting rooms welcome children with a small variety of toys to play with, away from the tasting counter but safely within view of parents. Examples of this are Pearmund Cellars in Broad Run, Virginia and White Fences Vineyard and Winery in Irvington, Virginia. Call wineries in advance if you have any questions.

Remember to visit the wineries in your own backyard. Experience the wines produced locally.

Cheers! Kathy