I've been reading The House of Mondavi recently which has me reflecting on how much the role of wine in the lives of Americans has changed over the past forty years and even over the past ten years. The Mondavis helped bring the idea of wine tourism to Napa in the 1960s and since then visiting wineries has become a popular choice of vacation not just in Northern California but all around the U.S. and the world. The next trend seems to be winemaking. Whether it participating in virtual winemaking offered by places like Crushpad, owning a share in a winery, or even doing it yourself in a spare room with a Winepod or participating through experiences like Sonoma Grape Camp, the interactive experience in wine is incredibly hot right now. Wine isn't just what you drink with dinner, it's a whole lifestyle.

That's why its the perfect time for a luxury club like Destination Cellars, which I first mentioned back in March. The club, based in Virginia offers members tailored experiences at over 65 winery properties around the world. The experiences offer the kind of custom adventures you can't get just by showing up at the winery. Private tours, lunches and dinners, wine and food pairings and special overnight stays are all part of the fun. You can also arrange special romantic wine-themed events for important moments like proposals or anniversaries. And for those who want the hands-on experience you can arrange for a custom blending session and create your own wine to take home. The club has partnered with American Express Travel as well as Capital Dream Cars and Cellar Storage. Memberships start at $15,000.

A wine cave in Ohio? Why not. Harmony Hill in Bethel, Ohio has opened the first wine cave in the midwest. The cave was created by using four massive archways, the kinds used in highway passes, which were sunk into the ground. The husband and wife team behind Harmony Hills, Bill and Patti Skvarla, came up with the idea after a visit to Napa. The cave, which opened over Memorial Day, currently hold 16 empty 59-gallon oak barrels waiting to be filled with Rhapsody, a Bordeaux-like blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Hoses running from a horse barn converted into a fermentation room run the wine downhill to the cave full of barrels.

The cave is currently open for tours but once the barrels are full it will only be open on a limited basis (to let the wine age at optimum temperature). The winery is a small one, producing about 700 cases per year from a variety of grapes such as Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Marechal Foch and Traminette. Harmony Hill produces six table wines and four dessert wines all with musical names like Ovation and Concerto. Oddly enough, the winery is located in a dry township and the winery is only able to sell because they grow the grapes and cork the wine onsite. The wines are in the $10 range and they only ship within Ohio. The pours are cheap too, only fifty cents a pour at the winery.