I thought Napa was the gold standard for wine trips. Then, a city in Washington changed what I look for in a vacation.

The Walla Walla Valley region is famous for its wine, and I loved visiting. Wirestock/Getty Images I celebrated my 30th in Napa Valley and loved it, but the cost made it tough to justify returning. Later, I found Walla Walla, Washington, which had great wine, dining, and vineyard stays for less. I was able to have the kind of wine vacation I loved without a hefty price tag or packed itinerary. When I turned 30, I wanted to do something different as I exited my 20s. Since I had recently developed an interest in champagne, I looked into wine destinations . I quickly settled on Napa in Northern California since it was the only one I'd heard of, and I found out the area offered sparkling wine tours.