Dreaming of a weekend, wine escape?
Napa isn’t the only region in America known for its wine, and that’s because North Carolina is actually a mighty contender when it comes to fresh and crisp vino. There’s 200 wineries and 400 vineyards in North Carolina alone, and it ranks 10th in wine production in the country. Because Yadkin Valley is so extensive in the North Carolina wine region, we decided to highlight all of the wineries you can find in Yadkin Valley. The region of Yadkin Valley is one of the most prominent wine regions on the East Coast with a ton of unique wine trails and wineries that you can try. We recommend calling ahead to make sure the wineries are open before making the trek, but with so many in the area, you’re bound to have a fun-filled day of wine tasting and vineyard exploring. Here’s a guide to all 20 of Yadkin Valley’s wineries and how they compare.
1. Adagio Vineyards
A winery named after the musical term, “slowly, with passion” pairs wine with violent duets from 1:30-3:30, highlighting two notes you can hear and taste. This winery is perfect for lovers of both classical music and fine wine.
Where: 139 Benge Drive, Elkin, NC 28621
2. Carolina Heritage Vineyard & Winery
Carolina Heritage is North Carolina’s first solar-powered winery and the first USDA Certified Organic Vineyard as well. They also serve vegan friendly and gluten-free wines for people with different palates. Enjoy their space, complete with a beautifully renovated farmhouse that looks over the vineyard.
Where: 170 Heritage Vines Way, Elkin, NC 28621
3. Elkin Creek Valley & Vineyard
Elkin serves award-winning wine in a stunning location, complete with an overlook of Elkin Creek and the historic Elkin Creek Mill. They even offer rental cabins if you’re going on a romantic getaway or weekend trip with friends!
Where: 318 Elkin Creek Mill Road, Elkin, NC 28621
4. Golden Road Vineyards
Golden Roads is a picturesque winery set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sip from their numerous wine types–merlot, petit verdot, or petit manseng in their outdoor tasting area surrounded by fire pits, or head inside to the rustic and cozy indoor tasting room.
Where: 542 Golden Road, State Road, NC 28676
5. Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery
Grassy Creek is an old dairy farm-turned-winery, with an old red barn to match, where you can enjoy a scenic walk before or after your wine tasting. Try out their delicious and bodied Merlot or Syrah or go for something crisper, like a Sauvignon Blanc. Either way, you won’t be disappointed with this award-winning winery. On occasion, they even have live music.
Where: 235 Chatham Cottage Circle, State Road, NC 28676
6.Haze Gray Vineyards
Haze Gray is an 85-acre former corn and tobacco farm near Blue Ridge Mountains. From whites like chardonnay and pinot grigio and reds like cabernet franc and tannat. One of Haze Gray’s specialties are their wine slushies that come in different flavors: piña colada and peach bellini are just two examples.
Where: 761 Stony Knoll Road, Dobson, NC 27017
7. Herrera Vineyards
Herrera Vineyards is set in the heart of Yadkin valley with a southwestern villa exterior and an inviting interior of wood and iron. The grounds include two 75-foot wide terraces and a waterfall. They offer a wide variety of dry, semi-sweet, and sweet wines to choose from and even have a couple of restaurants nearby to get dinner after a fun afternoon of tasting.
Where: 283 Vineyard Lane, Dobson, NC 27017
8. Hidden Vineyard
Hidden Vineyard is a cozy, farmhouse-style winery that offers a variety of different wines to sample. Have a flight inside the luminous tasting room or grab a rocking chair and sip while overlooking the lush vineyard. Hidden Vineyard also collaborates with small and local pop-ups, like Little Havana Humidor , that offers a unique cigar-experience as well as cigars to buy for home.
Where: 125 Hidden Vines Ln., Dobson, NC 27017
9. JOLO Winery & Vineyards
JOLO is a high-end, boutique winery and vineyard framed by Pilot Mountain. JOLO offers 12 award-winning wines that were made with the area’s micro-climate in mind. They offer two sparkling, two white, one rosé, five reds and two dessert wines. They’ve also got a nice new deck area to make your visit to JOLO as relaxing as ever.
Where: 219 JOLO Winery Lane, Pilot Mountain, NC 27041
10. Jones von Drehle Vineyards & Winery
Just a little off path, but still among the Yadkin Valley wineries, is Jones von Drehele. Their 30-yard vineyard focuses on classic wine grapes like Merlot or Chardonnay, and they’re known for their dry white wines that are often on the menus of finer restaurants in North Carolina.
Where: 964 Old Railroad Grade Road, Thurmond, NC 28683
11. McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks
Similarly to Jones Von Drehele, McRitchie also operates a little outside the county. They specialize in artisan wines but also in ciders. They’re 30-acre vineyard is also based near Blue Ridge Mountains, where they’re grapes are ethically and sustainably sourced.
Where: 315 Thurmond Post Office Rd., Thurmond, NC 28683
12. Old North State Winery
Old North State Winery is a winery in downtown Mt. Airy with both hand-crafted ales and amazing wines. What’s even better is that they hav a restaurant on-site serving lunch and dinner. They often have live entertainment so check out the website for a calendar of events.
Where: 308 N. Main Street, Mount Airy, NC 27030
13. Pilot Mountain Vineyards & Winery
This family-owned boutique winery is surrounded by the stunning Pilot mountains in the heart of Yadkin valley. One of the newest in Yadkin Valley (opening in August 2020), this winery has a variety of different types. From Riesling to Syrah to Pinot Gris, get a flight and sample them all.
Where: 1162 Bradley Road, Pinnacle, NC 27043
14. Round Peak Vineyard
If you’re a fan of French or Italian wines then you’ll love Round Peak, where they specialize in dry and sweet. With an 18-hole golf course and overnight cabins, this is the perfect vineyard to spend a weekend near Charlotte.
Where: 765 Round Peak Church Road, Mount Airy, NC 27030
15. Serre Vineyards
Serre Vineyards is a cozy farm-house style winery surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and Fisher River. Guests are encouraged to take a bottle of wine and hike down the river on the three-mile trail system. Among their whites and reds, they also offer wine slushes and non-alcoholic beverages. If you’re up for an extended stay with wine and wilderness, check out the rental cabin on-site.
Where: 364 Beast Trail, Mount Airy, NC 27030
16. Shelton Vineyard
Shelton’s is the largest family-owned estate winery in North Carolina. On top of their renowned winery, they also have the Harvest Grill restaurant, an amphitheater where they hold special events in the summer, a gift shop, and picnic areas.
Where: 286 Cabernet Ln, Dobson, NC 27017
17. Slightly Askew Vineyard
Slightly Askew specializes in sweet wines, and they offer a wide selection of it. Their fruit wines have fun names such as their Peachy Keen, Numb Knutz, and Bubba Lou’s Choice. If you’re not a huge fan of reds, they also have traditional red and white. Don’t forget to check out their Vacation House.
Where: 913 North Bridge Street, Elkin, NC 28621
18. Stony Knoll Winery
Another winery with a lodge house, this time a renovated farmhouse that overlooks the beautiful vineyard with the mountain backdrop. Enjoy a flight in the tasting room before your stay, or enjoy a drink on the outdoor brick porch. The perfect spring or summer day.
Where: 1143 Stony Knoll Road, Dobson, NC 27017
19. Divine Llama Vineyards
A special shout out goes to Divine Llama Vineyards. Llamas and wine. Is there a more unique duo? This winery, along with their tasty semi-sweet wines, also occasionally has food trucks to enjoy.
Where: 4126 Divine Llama Lane, East Bend NC 27017
20. Surry Cellars
Surry Cellars is a unique winery in that it operates on the campus of Surry Community College, where students are hard at work creating wines for you to enjoy. Try their rainbow of rosés they offer if you’re interested in something a little different.
Where: 630 South Main St., Dobson, NC 27017
[featured image by Shelton Winery via Facebook]