10 Great Places to Retire for Wine Lovers

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This article missed Paso Robles, California. Far cheaper than Napa with excellent wines, olives and produce.

Ron of CA 11:09AM June 10, 2009

How come you did not mention the Charlottesville Central Virginia area? Thee are several wineries in this area and housng is becoming more affordable for retirees.We live in Gordonsville Va. and there are more than ten to fifteen wineries within twenty minute driving time from our house.

vincent t. martin of VA 12:13PM June 03, 2009

The Williamsburg Winery is an award winning master of our neck of the woods. They feature quality pures and blends. They also are generous corporate citizens and are involved in many of our local charitable causes. Williamsburg is home base to historic Jamestown, Yorktown, and of course, Colonial Williamsburg. Jamestown recently celebrated the 400th anniversary of the founding of our Country. Williamsburg has become a retirement destination. Great golf (Ford's Colony, Kingsmill, Two Rivers, Golden Horseshoe, and ten others within 15 miles), education (William & Mary), shopping, and close proximity to the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean, and the cultural resources of Richmond, Norfolk, and Washington, DC. Ford's Colony at Williamsburg is listed amoung the Top 50 Best Retirement Communities in America.

Cheri Mulhare of VA 10:51AM June 01, 2009

Are we talking about real production or just fun?

Melanie of CO 11:46PM May 29, 2009

Thanks so much for including Ithaca and the Finger Lakes as a great place for wine lovers to retire. We are also a great place to visit and are just down the road for an affordable summer vacation.
Cheers to great wine!
P.S. If you need some more info on the region check out www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com

Morgen McLaughlin of NY 9:44AM May 27, 2009

Easy to reach, hard to leave! Long Island, New York offers diversity, glamor, the good life, excitement or solitude; all within 125 miles. Orientated to the water and shaped like a fish, the island lies next to Manhattan, with The North and South Forks making up the tail on the East End. JFK International Airport is close to the eye.
When people talk about retiring on Long Island, they are referring to the two forks. The South Fork is also known as The Hamptons, a glitzy summer playground for the rich and famous. By contrast, The North Fork is a small and enchanting spur of land populated with some 45+ wineries, vegetable farms and orchards, historic clapboard cottages and acres and acres of vines. If you ask anyone for details of local celebrities, they won't tell you and anyway, out here everyone is treated like family. Only 2 hours from Manhattan, yet a world apart, the east end of Long Island is one of the world’s very special places. Beach, boating, golf, antiquing, outlet shopping, fishing, hiking, bird watching, it's all here.
And yes, the North Fork is still affordable, as the many long lived retirees who move to this friendly community will attest.
Joanna, owner/REALTOR
www.PropertyAngels.com

Joanna Lane of NY 1:57AM May 27, 2009

Prosser is just beautiful with the Horse Heaven Hills. It's a great place to start a little winery of your own! we have 16 acres of wine grapes and having the time of our lives.

john of WA 10:00PM May 26, 2009

Seattle or Portland are lovely communities but I certainly wouldn't recommend them for retirement in wine country. They're both big cities with big city prices on real estate, etc. Better alternatives in WA State would be Walla Walla (more than 100 wineries in a community that was named one of the best small towns to retire, period, by a natl magazine), or Yakima, the Tri-Cities and Prosser, all of which have dozens of wineries nearby.
Spokane and Wenatchee also have vibrant, emerging wine communities, and much lower cost of living than Seattle.
In Oregon, I'd opt for Salem or Eugene in the Willamette Valley, or Ashland and Medford in the Rogue River Valley in southern Oregon.
It's surprising that the experts focused on the big cities rather than the places that make sense in terms of wine and retirement in the Pacific Northwest.

Bob Silver of WA 6:41PM May 26, 2009

I loved the article and the timing was perfect. Just last weekend I was relaxing with the family in Downtown Georgetown - Historic District. A live Jazz band was playing and a group of us were just hanging out in front of the courthouse while the kids were running around on the lawn. We stopped into a local winery to test some of the wine that was made on the premises and had a very enjoyable evening just soaking in the music, the great weather and the fermented grapes:)
Georgetown definitely has a great mix of everything people are looking for when retirement comes to mind: Low cost of living, healthcare facilities, volunteer and work opportunities, a variety of golf courses, and now we can add wine to the list:)
~Edward, owner/Realtor
www.Georgetowncustomhomes.com

Edward W. Lui - Georgetowncustomhomes.com of TX 3:12PM May 26, 2009