This Gorgeous New England Destination Is A Foodie Dream With Trails Dedicated To Cheese, Wine, And Craft Beer

If you're into gorgeous natural scenery, quaint small towns, and delicious hand-crafted food and beverages, which state would come to mind? Well, Vermont should be at the top of the list for several reasons. First, it's sparsely populated, so there are miles of pristine beauty between various towns and cities, and crowds are almost unheard of. Second, Vermont is home to dozens of artisan businesses crafting everything from small-batch beer to cheese to spirits.

Thankfully, you can tour these sites by following various foodie trails throughout the state. Much like other foodie trails, like the Arizona trail that takes in farm fresh eats and citrus groves, Vermont is practically bursting with homegrown flavors.

Best of all, you don't have to spend hours looking for breweries, wineries, and cheese makers on your own. Instead, the Vermont Artisans website has collected and organized all these businesses so you can create your own foodie trail from scratch. Let's break down what you can expect during your tour of the Green Mountain State.

With almost 80 unique breweries scattered throughout Vermont, it's impossible to take a tour of them all (unless you have months in which to do it). Although there are clusters of high-quality brewers in different parts of the state, the largest and most well-known cluster is centered around Burlington, Vermont's largest city and provider of an artsy urban vacation. It's also located next to Lake Champlain and the New York border.

In fact, you could just take a tour of Burlington's breweries and get more than your fill of delicious beer. In just the downtown area alone, there are four options, including Zero Gravity, Queen City, Switchback Brewing, and Burlington Beer Company. According to a poll from the Vermont Real Estate Company, Zero Gravity is the best brewer in the state, so it's a fantastic place to start your tour. If planning your own brewery route is overwhelming, you can have a local company take the reins instead. For example, City Brew Tours will take you to the top brewers in Burlington and provide more insight into Vermont's craft brewing industry and history.

Outside of the big city, most of the breweries are relatively spread out. However, you can ditch Burlington's crowds for the nearby tiny town of Waterbury, which has four breweries practically across the street from each other. Overall, most towns in the state should have at least one craft brewer, so no matter where you go, you'll be able to knock back a tasty pint or two.

If you were to look up a list of the top five things Vermont is known for, cheese would definitely be on the list. It's easy to see why, as the state is home to 45 different cheese makers, each using a level of care and attention to detail that makes each bite unforgettable. If you're a cheese aficionado, taking a tour of Vermont cheese artisans is like a dream come true, with over 150 varieties available. But even if you're not that into cheese, you can still enjoy the stunning vistas and charming small towns along the way.

In fact, there's even a website dedicated to showcasing these cheese mongers, complete with an entire map of the state, broken down into six regions. Unlike craft beer, most of the cheese-making action happens in the southern half of the state, with a cluster of artisans centered around the storybook college town of Middlebury, and another group around the Woodstock area.

While most cheese makers in the state focus on using cow's milk, some farms use goat and sheep milk instead. Some farms, like Blue Ledge Farm, Fat Sheep Farm, and Grafton Village Cheese Company, make cheeses from multiple animals, so you can sample a wider variety. Some of these farms are always open to the public, while others require reservations, so plan your route accordingly. Or, if you visit in September, you can partake in Cheese Week, a statewide celebration of Vermont's artisan cheeses. In 2025, Cheese Week occurs from September 6th through 13th.

Although Vermont is not as big on wine as it is on craft beer and cheese, wineries in this region are just as tasty and memorable as those you could find in Napa or Oregon's Willamette Valley. Overall, the state has almost 30 vineyards, with most of them clustered around Lake Champlain. Because of Vermont's cold seasons, most vineyards grow cold-hardy varieties of grapes, making the wine of this region much bolder and more unique.

Speaking of Lake Champlain, you can make your winery trail even more memorable by visiting the three island-based vineyards on the lake. First, there's Snow Farm Vineyard and Distillery on the southern tip of Grand Isle. This is Vermont's oldest winery, offering multiple award-winning options. Then, you can visit Sunset Vista Vineyards on the western side of the island. As you drive up Highway 2 through the lake, you'll wind up at the Isle la Motte Vineyard.

Fall is often the best time to visit these wineries, as they are harvesting their grapes. September and October are often the busiest months for Vermont vineyards, and places like Snow Farm host events and festivals during the season to make your visit even more memorable.

So far, we've sampled craft beer, artisan cheeses, and fruity wines, but now it's time for something a bit stronger and bolder. Vermont boasts a thriving distillery industry and features 22 unique distilleries scattered throughout the state. Some of these companies only focus on spirits, while others offer both wine and liquor, allowing you to get a more diverse tasting when you visit.

The largest distiller in the state is Smuggler's Notch, which has multiple tasting rooms and storefronts throughout Vermont. However, if you want to see where the spirits are actually made, you must go to the original location in Jeffersonville, about 46 minutes northeast of Burlington.

When looking at the map, it's relatively easy to create a customized distillery trail, as many of these spots are along the same routes. For example, in the north, you can make your way from St. Johnsbury Distillery in St. Johnsbury to Lost Lantern Whiskey in Vergennes, Vermont's oldest city with sweet small-town charm. On the way, you'll pass by Hooker Mountain Farm and Distillery, Barr Hill by Caledonia Spirits, and Mad River Distillers. Overall, the whole route takes about four and a half hours of driving.

Realistically, if you're going to tour the best artisan businesses in Vermont, you'll want to sample a wide variety of different foods and beverages. Fortunately, many of these stops overlap, so you can plan an itinerary that offers beer, wine, spirits, and cheese. For example, if you visit the state capital, Montpelier, you can knock back a pint at the Three Penny Taproom, taste different wines at the Montpelier Vineyards, and sip on gin and vodka at Barr Hill. Then, if you travel about 20 minutes south, you can check out the Vermont Creamery and indulge in cheese, cream, and freshly made butter.

As you might imagine, Burlington is another fantastic place for getting your fill of all of Vermont's culinary offerings. Plus, since it's likely where you'll have to fly in, you don't have to travel far to get a taste of everything. Best of all, because Burlington is next to Lake Champlain, you can book a room at a resort overlooking the water for an even more memorable experience.

One thing to keep in mind is to limit your alcohol intake if you're driving from one place to the next. Just because you're sipping on wine or beer doesn't mean it can't affect your motor functions. If possible, choose a designated driver or avoid driving if spots are clustered together. Also, keep in mind that there are relatively few freeways in the state, so your route may zig and zag, depending on where you're trying to go.