Best places to retire for people who love wine country

Samanda Dorger

There are beautiful retirement spots across the country - not just in the Napa and Sonoma valleys of California - and in a range of budgets

You're dreaming of a retirement that includes sipping award-winning wines while taking in the scenic beauty of the surrounding vineyards that produced those very grapes.

You want a retirement where you can live and breathe the terroir of a top Cabernet or pair a Pinot with a pizza at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

We've rounded up a few of the best places to retire for people who love wine country, on a variety of budgets.

Napa and Sonoma valleys in California

More than half of the nation's 269 American Viticultural Areas, or AVAs, are in California, which produces over 80% of the U.S.'s wine. An AVA is a designated wine-grape-growing region that provides the official appellation of a wine, or its geographic pedigree.

California wine spots such as the famed Napa and Sonoma valleys produce their award-winning wines with some of the most expensive wine grapes in the country, according to the USDA, and it can be costly to live there, too.

A single person may need a minimum annual income of around $73,200, or $165,240 for a family, according to Sperlings, to live in Northern California's wine country.

Using the commonly cited 4% retirement rule, that means you would need about $1.83 million to retire there, and the Santa Barbara area farther south is still more expensive. Another alternative and up-and-coming wine region is Paso Robles, Calif., where the median home price is around $805,000, and the cost of living 46.1% higher than the U.S. average.

If you're looking for a top-notch, money-is-no-object wine-country location to retire, one of these places might be for you.

Napa, Calif.:

Median home-sale price: $840,000 (Redfin, February 2024)Rent, average: $1,760/month (Sperlings)Cost of living: 60.8% higher than U.S. average (Sperlings)Climate risks: The highest risk is storms, 60/100 (100 is worst), and yearly rainfall is expected to increase in the area

Sonoma County, Calif.:

Median home sale price: $800,000 (Redfin, February 2024)Rent, average: $1,940/month (Sperlings)Cost of living: 51.8% higher than the U.S. average, 1.3% higher than the California average (Sperlings)Climate risks: The highest risk is storms, 60/100 (100 is worst)

Following are some retirement alternatives for wine lovers in California and around the country, where you can enjoy good wines, good food, attractive scenery and a lower cost of living.

Sierra Foothills in California

If you're up for small-town living, the Sierra Foothills region of California runs along the western edge of the Sierra Nevada, above the hotter, flatter Central Valley, and offers less-expensive options.

Zinfandel is the most planted grape in the region, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay, according to Wine Enthusiast, which says vineyards here were planted in the middle of the 19th century, during the Gold Rush, though the AVA wasn't established until 1987.

The region includes the counties of Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Tuolumne and Yuba. To the west are larger cities with more amenities, including Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto.

The foothills and surrounding Sierras provide many opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts, from hiking and biking to skiing, rafting and camping. To the east are several popular ski spots, as well as the world-famous destinations Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe.

The historic downtown of Murphys in Calaveras County is a former gold-mining settlement, like many of the towns in the region. It's full of quaint shops, cafés and restaurants, and over two dozen wine-tasting rooms. Its surroundings are dotted by vineyards set against golden hills and oak woodlands. Other historic towns in the foothills include Angels Camp, Mokelumne Hill, and then there are larger towns such as Placerville, Grass Valley and Auburn.

This is a huge region, and some places can be remote, so the cost of living varies.

In Murphys, Calif., summers are dry, with an average July high of 89deg Fahrenheit, or nearly 32deg Celsius, and an average December low of 38deg - a mild winter with occasional light snow.

Calaveras County:

Median home-sale price: $472,450 (Redfin, February 2024)Rent, 2 BR average: $930/month (in Murphys, Calif.) 23.4% lower than U.S. average (Sperlings)Cost of living: (in Murphys) is about 20% above the U.S. average, but about 20% below the California average (Sperlings)Climate risks: The highest risk in Calaveras County is fire, rated 89/100 (100 is worst), followed by heat (61) and storms (58), according to ClimateCheck.com

Willamette Valley in Oregon

Oregon's 150-mile long Willamette Valley is home to more than 700 wineries and is one of the most influential wine-producing regions in all of Oregon and the entire Pacific Northwest, according to Wine Enthusiast.

Rich, volcanic soils and cool marine breezes help create a mild climate with just the right conditions to grow grapes for world-famous wines, especially Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Established in 1983, the larger AVA is divided into several smaller ones.

Portland, Ore., sits at the northern tip of the valley, and other Oregon cities in the region include Salem and Eugene. McMinnville, Ore., is a small town closer to Portland, with several local wineries and vineyards, and plenty of outdoor activities including fishing and hiking.

Within the valley, Corvallis, Ore., is a college town with a younger population. It's easy to get around, and it has a lovely river promenade in the heart of its eclectic downtown district. There's plenty of outdoor recreation in the region. Beer lovers won't be left out, as the Willamette Valley also has taprooms, distilleries and cider houses.

Corvallis has been ranked a best place to live by Livability and Bankrate, and a best place to retire by Forbes.

Temperatures year-round are mild, with warm dry summers and wet winters. (Oregon is rainy.) Those looking for work in their retirement years will do well in Corvallis, particularly with Oregon State University, according to Topretirements.com.

Corvallis, Ore.:

Population: about 61,000Median home-sale price: $532,000 (Redfin, February 2024)Rent, average, 2 BR: $1,073 /month, 7% lower than U.S. average (Sperlings)Cost of living: 8.7% higher than the U.S. average, 4.9% lower than the Oregon average (Sperlings)Climate risks: The highest risk is of storms 52/100 (100 is worst)

Walla Walla Valley in Washington

The Walla Walla Valley wine region straddles the Oregon-Washington border on the eastern side of the Pacific Northwest states, and is known for world-class wines. Wine Spectator once described it as "Sonoma meets the Midwest," and Wine Enthusiast says the area has enviable growing conditions for Rhône and Bordeaux varietals. Walla Walla was once ranked the best place to retire in the country by Money magazine.

Walla Walla is a small town and not close to any big cities - it's over three hours to Portland and almost as far from Spokane - but it's a college town in a scenic setting surrounded by hills and mountains, with outdoor recreation including hiking, biking and paddling, plus skiing and snowshoeing in higher elevations. It's close to the Columbia River and has a livable downtown with a small-town feel, according to TopRetirements.

The region has more than 130 wineries, which draw plenty of visitors. The area boasts great restaurants, three colleges, six golf courses, an annual four-day guitar festival in March, a summer chamber-music festival and a balloon stampede with over 30 hot-air balloons. Plus there are those great Walla Walla onions.

Walla Walla, Wash.:

Population: about 34,000Median home-sale price: $462,500 (Redfin, February 2024)Rent, 2 BR, average: $960/month (Sperlings), 19.6% lower than U.S. averageCost of living: 6.8% lower than the U.S. average (Sperlings)Climate risks: The highest risk is heat, 49/100 (100 is worst). FEMA's risk-index rating for Walla Walla is relatively low compared with the rest of the U.S.

Texas Hill Country

The Texas Hill Country AVA includes over 20 counties, with Austin to the east and San Antonio on the southern edge, and is one of the largest appellations in the U.S., encompassing more than 9 million acres.

Wine Spectator has called the area "[a]n emerging wine region on the cusp of something great," noting that the wines here range from Bordeaux blends to Italian varietals, as well as cool-climate grapes.

Hill Country wines have won numerous awards both at home and internationally, according to the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association.

Fredericksburg: In the heart of the AVA is Fredericksburg, Texas, a town of just 11,000 where the cost of living is about 4% above the national average. The town has landed in the past on a Kiplinger's list of best places to retire. The February 2024 median home-sale price is above the U.S. average, but rents are about 8% lower than the U.S. average, according to Sperlings.

Crime is low, and, as a popular tourist town, Fredericksburg is home to good restaurants and a number of cultural resources. According to TopRetirements, people who like the idea of living in a historic town will like Fredericksburg.

Fredericksburg is about 70 miles from San Antonio and 78 miles Austin, so one of these larger cities, or their surrounding suburbs, might be better options for those looking for a bigger place with more amenities.

Austin: Anyone who loves good food, outdoor recreation and live music will be in heaven in Austin, where you can grab an award-winning bite from a food truck and simply stand on the sidewalk and discover a great up-and-coming band. And, of course, there is a variety of wine-tasting rooms and urban wineries. The city sits on the eastern edge of Texas Hill Country.

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