North Carolina Wineries
 

Spent weekend in NC visiting daughter. For 4 years we have been discussing that when she was 21 we would go to a wine tasting at a few of the wineries we had seen signage for in Burlington area. Friday tried 2 - Grove Winery and Glen Marie. It was monsooning and the young man conducting our private tasting was obviously looking for something to do in the empty winery, so we enjoyed a slightly expanded tasting. Neither DD nor I are especially wine-educated, and he was able to increase that somewhat. Best was his taking us behind the scenes for a few minutes to see the stainless and oak barrels, bottling machines, and even a few huge tubs of recently picked, smashed grapes. Location was beautiful on a lake and they have events and concerts. We bought 7 assorted bottles and he gave us protective sleeves so I could take mine in checked luggage.

Then on to Glen Marie. Talk about contrasts. This was in what seemed to be a converted garage of a ranch-style home. There was a quite elderly guy who gave a rather rote description of a half dozen wines. However, interestingly, he told us he and his wife are the only workers for every aspect of their wine - they grow, prune, pick the fruit; then they do every aspect of the wine making themselves - not even a part time picker or clerical person! Wines were not as good, but since they were so authentic, we bought a couple of bottles. Then visited his 2 alpacas - which he had grumbled that he bought for his wife and she was bored with them - and offered to sell them to us.

These wineries were part of advertised Haw River Winery Trail - there are 2 others. Calling it a trail is really a stretch, since they are not in a geographically logical pattern, and to visit all 4 would take at least a day and lots of backtracking on pretty country roads.

Posting mainly in case anyone does a search for this type of info - since a few years ago I searched here for info on NC wineries and found nothing (there are apparently over 150 commercial wineries in NC)

a short drive west of Elon will put you in the Yadkin Valley, where a number of vineyards can be found. Several have excellent restaurants on site. I can particularly recommend Shelton Vineyards (Harvest Grill), Sanders Ridge and Century Kitchen. See http://www.yadkinvalleywineries.com/ for more information.

And the wines are really quite good. There are some gorgeous vineyards and houses associated with many of them. Richard Childress has a beautiful winery just off Route 52 near Lexington. There are numerous ones off I77 and I40 west of Winston.
Then there are the ones in the foothills.

Gretchen, have you tried the restaurant at Childress? I went about two years ago and it was so so, but a friend recently went and said it was excellent. The location is super convenient to Winston Salem, Greensboro or Charlotte.

No, we haven't. Our DGS lives in Winston with his mother, and we have been going up and down that road a good bit the past few years on pick ups and deliveries. We've stopped for a tasting several times for filling in a Saturday afternoon.
We were there one time when there was going to be a wedding and it would be beautiful for that.
Have you gone to Green Gate Olive oils in Winston? OMG--their oils are TDF--balsamics also. Treat yourself!! The blood orange is absolutely indescribably good. They have a shop in Pinehurst also.

A fan of Green Gate but have not tried the blood orange. Thanks for the tip!

There is the Bennett Winery between New Bern and Washington.

Many of the 'big name' wineries in NC are not necessarily the best 'wine producers'. I particularly like Raffaldini for Italian varietals, Rockhouse for Reds, particularly their Petite Sirah when they have any, Round Peak, Elkin Creek for Chards & of the big ones, Shelton is the best. Although their quality has gone down & their prices have gome up in recent years - but they do have a great picnic area & excellent goat cheese.

I don't really care much for Shelton wines--for the price point, etc. But they did the big breakthrough. There's one up on I40 that the young lady at Childress said had the beginnings of a montvedre, I think. Looking forward to stopping there--and can't call teh name until I see it!!

Shelton actually produced better wine(s) when they weren't using their own grapes...back in the day.
It is ludicrous that many wineries (in NC) charge more than I pay for a much better French wine @ the Harris Teeter. I know they have to make $$$, however (& Childress is really bad about this) you need to adapt to your market, as well.
Also, anyone (generally speaking) in NC that makes Vigionier or Cab Franc - well, those wines/grapes @ least seem to turn out consistently good wines here.