First Place, Rogue Style

America’s No. 1 wine region celebrates Labor Day by combining Wine With Everything

By Paula Bandy

The timing is perfect.

Weeks before welcoming visitors to its inaugural Wine with Everything celebration over Labor Day weekend, the Rogue Valley earned first place in USA TODAY’s 2026 10Best Wine Regions competition. After finishing second last year, the wine region has risen to the top of one of the country’s most recognized travel rankings– an honor determined by a nationwide popular vote.

For those of us who live and work here, the continued recognition feels less like a surprise than a confirmation of what we’ve long known.

The Rogue Valley doesn’t attempt to mimic Napa or the Willamette Valley. Ours has always been a place where we can write our own story.

With over 70 grape varieties thriving across three distinct river valleys, it’s one of the most diverse wine regions in North America. That diversity has inspired the region’s signature philosophy: Wine with Everything. More than a tagline, it’s a way of experiencing this place.

Here, visitors don’t simply taste wine– they step into the experience: hiking vineyard trails, listening to live music, paddling rivers, meeting the people behind the bottles and lingering over shared meals. Wine is woven into the rhythm of everyday life in the Rogue Valley.

This Labor Day weekend, that philosophy comes to life.

Among the weekend’s events are hikes at Table Rock Vineyards, guided walks around the vineyard and orchard at Long Walk Vineyard, with Valley View Orchard organic fruit, cider and wine alongside neighboring Terrene Winery and Cidery, and live music paired with Wilder Cooking at Weisinger Family Winery.

Looking for something unexpected? Spend an evening at Dos Mariposas Vineyards, where wine is paired with Bad Bunny songs and Puerto Rican cuisine. Raise a glass during the Country Music Block Party at Red Lily Vineyards, embrace Mediterranean flavors at Agathodaemon’s Santorini Ifestia Festival with Greek food and an evening light show or find wines that pair well with pickleball at Hummingbird Estate.

For those who enjoy a touch of whimsy, watch “Star Wars” beneath the night sky at The Punch House. At Peter William Vineyard, rarely open to the public, guests can explore paired wine flights in an intimate vineyard setting. And at Valley View Winery, visitors can see colorful paragliders soar over the vineyard before landing at the winery during the annual Starthistle Fly In. Whether in the glass or overhead, flight becomes part of the experience– adventure and wine often share the same landscape here.

Look for additional events as the weekend approaches. Whether your interests lean toward food, music, outdoor recreation, or culture, there’s something worth discovering

Perhaps that’s what voters across the country recognized.

Visitors aren’t drawn to the Rogue Valley simply to taste wine. They come to slow down, meet the winegrowers, walk the vineyards, linger over conversations, listen to live music, discover small towns and experience a region where hospitality is every bit as memorable as the wines themselves.

Awards simply point people in the right direction.

The real story begins once you arrive.

This Labor Day weekend, join Wine with Everything and discover why voters across the country ranked the Rogue Valley No. 1. Start planning your holiday weekend by visiting roguevalleywine.com.

Wine with Everything

Sept. 4 – 7 Labor Day Weekend Celebration

Various Rogue Valley wineries

roguevalleywine.com

Paula Bandy and her dachshund, Copperiño, are often seen at Rogue Valley’s finest wineries, working to solve the world’s problems. She has covered wine, lifestyle, food and home in numerous publications and academic work in national and international journals. For a decade, she was an essayist/on-air commentator and writer for Jefferson Public Radio, Southern Oregon University’s NPR affiliate. Most recently, she penned The Wine Stream, a bi-weekly wine column for the Rogue Valley Times. Paula believes wine, like beauty, can save the world. She’s also a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist and currently sits on the Board for Rogue Valley Vintners. @_paulabandy