If you think a driving tour through wine country is strictly a West Coast adventure, think again. North Carolina is fast earning a reputation as a wine and food lover’s favorite vacation destination. With more than 90 wineries, a number that’s tripled since 2001, planning a two-day wine tour itinerary is as easy as opening a map and pointing your car toward an area near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains known as the Yadkin Valley. Designated North Carolina’s first American Viticultural Area, or AVA, the Yadkin Valley boasts more than 30 wineries—more than enough to surprise and delight any wine aficionado.
We’ll help you get started with highlights from a Cooking Light Wine Trail itinerary that you can customize to suit your own pace and pleasures. The mix of smaller and larger wineries on our tour means you’ll often be able to meet the winemakers and winery owners, and get a delicious education in the art of wine-making and tasting, East Coast-style.
Start your tour at the Shelton Vineyards, in Dobson, near Mount Airy (hometown of The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry RFD). The largest family-owned estate winery in North Carolina, Shelton is a hilly, picturesque vineyard with a gorgeous tasting room—the perfect place to sample their 2008 Riesling. Cooking Light’s own Chef Billy did, and loved its smooth finish and the burst of fruit up-front. He thought it was a great wine for dining al fresco, so it’s probably no coincidence that Shelton has so many places to picnic. Or you could complement the wines inthe winery’s Harvest Grill, where Chef Paul is serving up artisan-style cheese, grilled shrimp and grits, and Smithfield pork tenderloin. And if you’re looking for lodging, the Hampton Inn at Shelton Vineyards is a national award winner for the brand, the only one like it in the country.
Moving on, RagApple Lassie Vineyards, located about 25 miles northwest of Winston-Salem, in Boonville, is a great place to hear live music on the weekends. The winery is committed to being "green," and even recycles its bottles, letting you "return this bottle for a 25 cent ‘bottle for bottle’ credit on your next RagApple Lassie wine purchase." If you’re road-weary, stay at the Hobson House, where you can rock on the porch of a classic Bungalow and unwind with a glass of Syrah or Chardonnay. Don’t forget to ask about buying the local truffle butter or Ashe County Cheddar Cheese, also sold on site.
Back on the road, be sure to try out the BigWoods Zipline at the Sanders Ridge Winery and Organic Farm, in Boonville. It’s the perfect way to work up an appetite for Chef Starr Johnson’s fried chicken in The Big Woods Restaurant. From there, check out Flint Hill Vineyards in East Bend. It’s located on land that’s been in the Doub family for more than 130 years, earning the Century Farm designation from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. A cozy 1870s-style renovated farmhouse on the property has a tasting room and a must-not-be-missed restaurant where Chef Sean Wehr creates seasonal daily menus designed to complement the flavors, aromas and textures of Flint Hills’ wines.
As you head south, visit the Hanover Park Vineyard, where two former art teachers and their dog serve up French-style wines in the tasting room of their white clapboard farmhouse. Nearby, at Raylen Vineyards, you can meet winemaker Steve Shepard, the first winemaker to bottle vinifera wine in the Yadkin Valley. Flint Hill Vineyards’ tasting room and restaurant Shrimp and Grits at Shelton Vineyards’ Harvest Grill Grapes are harvested in August and September The Yadkin Valley wine region snuggles against the Blue Ridge Mountains, embraces Winston-Salem and ambles down to Lexington, North Carolina. The state is now home to almost 100 wineries.
End your trip in Lexington, at Childress Vineyards, owned by NASCAR legend and team owner Richard Childress. If you’re in the mood for sophisticated cuisine with an Italian flair, try a tasting flight at the winery’s restaurant, The Bistro. Flights feature three courses from a menu that changes weekly. Chef Billy thought the beautiful color and strong, bold finish of their 2006 Meritage was a perfect complement to the Petite Filet, recommended as a Chef’s Specialty. For a great everyday wine, Chef Billy suggests the blueberry and cherry notes of the 2006 Merlot reserve. If you’re having something spicy, opt for the quick, smooth finish of the 2006 Cabernet Franc. Our itinerary makes for a great weekend trip, but could be customized to allow time for any of the great fall events held in North Carolina. No matter where you choose, a trip through this Southern wine country is filled with stops that make you want to keep going.