24 Best North Carolina Wineries

By VI Staff on November 12, 2019

Tasting rooms all over North Carolina welcome wine enthusiasts of all knowledge levels and any palate. Countless wineries are surrounded by beautiful views that have as much variety as the grapes found in North Carolina, often paired with Southern hospitality. The state boasts five different AVAs, including the prestigious Yadkin Valley, offering visitors a wide array of different wines across the almost two hundred vineyards and wineries.

1.Treehouse Vineyards

The Treehouse Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery and vineyard near Monroe, North Carolina. Founded in 2005 on the grounds of the 200-year-old family farm, the winery first opened to visitors in 2010. Tours and wine tastings are offered daily beginning at noon and include samples of handcrafted wines, including award-winning native Muscadine, a dry white blend, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard gets its name from the Treehouses placed charmingly around the property. The tasting room is open until 7:0pm Monday to Thursday, 10:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays if there are no private events, and 6:00pm on Sundays.

301 Bay St, Monroe, NC 28112, Phone: 704-283-4208

2.Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery, LLC

Raffaldini Vineyards and Winery may be located in Ronda, North Carolina but transports visitors to old world Italy with its Tuscan-style terracotta and stone villa overlooking distant mountains and the 42-acre vineyard. Jay Raffaldini, whose family comes from the Mantua region of Italy, founded the vineyard in 2000 when he planted a variety of grapes, such as the Vermentino, Sangiovese, and Montepulciano varieties. Raffaldini Vineyards is open for wine tastings and purchases 11:00am to 5:00pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, as well as noon to 5:00pm on Sundays. Tastings include a sample of seven wines.

450 Groce Rd, Ronda, NC 28670, Phone: 336-835-9463

3.Grandfather Vineyard & Winery

The Grandfather Vineyard and Winery offers a relaxing setting for enjoying a glass of wine, situated along the banks of the Watauga River beneath the stunning Grandfather Mountain. A variety of award-winning wines are offered for visitors to sample and purchase, ranging from sparkling and sweet wines to dry wines to dessert wines. Guests can choose from four different options for wine tastings that feature a half-ounce pour of each wine and a souvenir wine glass to take home. The Grandfather Vineyard and Winery is also a dog-friendly winery, as long as dogs are leashed at all times.

225 Vineyard Ln, Banner Elk, NC 28604, Phone: 828-963-2400

4.Banner Elk Winery & Villa

The Banner Elk Winery and Villa is considered by many to be a gem of North Carolina’s High Country. Located in a very idyllic setting, the winery offers luxury accommodations in addition to a variety of great wines for the discerning traveler. Nestled within the majestic and scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, Banner Elk Winery is the original winery of the state’s High Country and offers winery tours, accomodations at The Villa private retreat, and wine tastings to its guests. Wines produced at the Banner Elk Winery include cabernet sauvignon, seyvel blanc, and rose, as well as blueberry wine.

60 Deer Run Ln, Banner Elk, NC 28604, Phone: 828-898-9090

5.Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery

The Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery offers wine tastings during their normal business hours, typically until 5:00pm, in The Cork Room, the winery’s on-site restaurant. Visitors can also partake in wine tastings after 5:00pm if there is staff available. If no staff is available after 5:00pm to guide a wine tasting, guests are provided with descriptive wine flights to drink at their leisure. The Cork Room boasts an acclaimed and eclectic menu that features southern seafood, pork, poultry, beef, and harvest vegetables that perfectly pair with the estate and house wines of the Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery.

195 Vineyard Dr, Elizabethtown, NC 28337, Phone: 844-846-3386

6.Carolina Heritage Vineyard & Winery

The Carolina Heritage Vineyard and Winery was founded in 2005 just a few miles from the town of Elkin. A 35-acre farm in the heart of the Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area, the winery was started by Pat and Clyde Colwell who share a passion for the environment and farming, both growing up in rural areas. The Carolina Heritage Winery is open for wine tastings and winery tours from 1:00pm until 6:00pm on the weekends, as well as by appointment for other days and times. The winery is also closed during January, except by appointment.

170 Heritage Vines Way, Elkin, NC 28621, Phone: 336-366-3301

7.Chatham Hill Winery

The Chatham Hill Winery opened back in 1999 as the Chapel Hill/Durham/Raleigh area’s first winery, as well as the first “urban winery” in the state of North Carolina. The goal is to produce handcrafted, distinctive wines of high purity and quality from the state’s native grapes. Most of the wines produced by Chatham Hill Winery are made from the highest quality grapes from the Yadkin Valley, including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, and Chardonnay. Wine tastings are available starting at 11:00am on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and from 1:00pm on Sundays.

8245 Chapel Hill Rd, Cary, NC 27513, Phone: 919-380-7135

8.Cypress Bend Vineyards

Cypress Bend Vineyards first opened its winery’s doors to visitors in 2005 after around four years of cultivating the thirty-acre vineyards of muscadine grapes. Growing a variety of muscadine cultivars like Magnolia, Noble, and Carlos, Cypress Bend Vineyards is aiming to take the state’s native muscadine grapes to another level with their sixteen different muscadine table wines. Other wine varietals visitors can find at Cypress Bend include Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery is open from 12:00pm until 6:00pm Monday to Friday, 10:00am until 6:00pm on Saturdays, and 12:00pm until 6:00pm on Sundays.

21904 Riverton Rd, Wagram, NC 28396, Phone: 910-369-0411

9.Daveste Vineyards

Daveste Vineyards was established in 2003 by Ester and Dave DeFehr, who envisioned their own vineyard and opening the Iredell County’s first winery. The pair constructed a three-level, modern “barn on the 52-acre property and includes the vineyards’ small winery. The first batch of grapes was harvested in 2006, which allowed Daveste Vineyards to produce five hundred cases of wines. That number doubled a year later to one thousand cases. Tours of the winery and vineyard are available daily at 2:30pm and 4:30pm. Wine tastings are offered during normal hours and include a sample of six wines.

155 Lytton Farm Rd, Troutman, NC 28166, Phone: 704-528-3882

10.Duplin Winery

Duplin Winery has winery locations in both Rose Hill in North Carolina and North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. The winery focuses on sweet Muscadine wines and is the south’s largest and oldest winery. Visitors are greeted by friendly staff and true southern hospitality as they walk through the door. Duplin Winery is thought of as a hidden gem filled with signature southern hospitality and rustic charm. Guests can also have a meal at the Duplin Winery’s Bistro, sit and relax with a glass of wine in the courtyard, or learn some history of the winery with a tour.

505 N. Sycamore St, Rose Hill, NC 28458, Phone: 800-774-9634

11.Hinnant Farms Vineyard & Winery

The Hinnant Farms Vineyard and Winery has put in countless hours of work into the cultivation of only the highest quality muscadine grapes for more than forty-seven years. Situated in the town of Pine Level, Hinnant Farms Vineyard boasts more than one hundred acres, making it the state’s largest muscadine vineyard. Wines produced at the winery rang from the traditional sweet scuppernong wines to dry reds and whites. Wine tastings are offered from 10:00am until 6:00pm Monday to Saturday and from noon until 5:00pm on Sundays. Visitors can choose from the sweet/semi-sweet tasting or the dry tasting.

826 Pine Level Micro Rd, Pine Level, NC 27568, Phone: 919-965-3350

12.Native Vines Winery

The Native Vines Winery is the country’s first Native American owned and operated winery, founded by Darlene Gabbard. Located near Charlotte and Winston-Salem in Lexington by the old Waxhaw Indian Trading Trail, the winery was founded on the homeland of the Keyauwee tribe of Native Americans across thirty-six acres of woodlands and rolling pasture where arrowheads can be found even today. Native Vines provides a variety of different award-winning vitas vinifera, as well as several fruit blends. Darlene, the winemaker, has also created a unique line-up of green tea wines, which is another first for Native Vines Winery.

1336 N. NC Hwy 150 Lexington, NC 27295, Phone: 336-787-3688

13.Old North State Winery

The Old North State Winery is housed inside of a former 1890 hardware store on Main Street in Mount Airy. Open daily, the winery offers tours and wine tastings throughout the day. Five different wine tasting experiences are available for visitors to choose from, which include the wine flight, semi-sweet and sweet tasting, semi-dry and dry tasting, premier tasting, and group wine tastings. The owners have created an upbeat, hip, and fun atmosphere in which to try new wines or just relax with a favorite, along with providing live entertainment on occasion and delicious food for lunch and dinner.

308 North Main St, Mount Airy, NC 27030, Phone: 336-789-9463

14.Overmountain Vineyards

Overmountain Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery established on the family’s seventy-acre farm within the Tryon Foothills of North Carolina. The Tasting Room is housed inside of a one-of-a-kind cottage that overlooks the scenic foothills and is open from 12:00pm until 6:00pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday and from 12:00pm until 7:00pm on Friday and Saturday. Visitors can enjoy the diverse outdoor areas around the winery while they enjoy a glass of wine and time with friends and family. The friendly staff in the tasting room are happy to help guests find a new favorite.

2012 Sandy Plains Rd., Tryon, NC 28782, Phone: 828-863-0523

15.Addison Farms Vineyard

The Addison Farms Vineyard in Leicester, NC is a family owned winery, vineyard, and tasting room. Found just seventeen miles away from Asheville in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, the winery offers visitors an almost 360-degree view of the breathtaking mountains. The Tasting Room at the Addison Farms Vineyard is open throughout the year on Fridays and Saturdays from 12:00pm until 5:00pm and on Sundays from 1:0pm until 5:00pm. Visitors can also experience a wine tasting on Thursdays from the beginning of May to the middle of November from 12:00pm until 5:00pm.

4005 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester, NC, Phone: 828-581-9463

16.Sanders Ridge Winery and Events

The Sanders Ridge Winery produces several award-winning wines made exclusively from the two native muscadine grape varietals and seven french wine grapes grown on the winery’s fifteen-acre vineyard, which was first planted in 2001. Grape varietals include Noble, Carlos, Chambourcin, Viognier, Muscat Canelli, Merlo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Chardonnay. The Tasting Room at the Sanders Ridge Winery is open Sunday to Saturday from 12:00pm until 5:00pm. Visitors are welcome to walk around the woods and the vineyard, or have a picnic either with their own food or snacks from the winery made by some of the local food producers.

3200 Round Hill Rd, Boonville, NC 27011, Phone: 336-677-1700

17.Silver Coast Winery

The Silver Coast Winery produces wines modeled after the traditional styles of Europe, as well as wines made from hybrid grapes, like the winery’s signature Traminette and Seyval Blanc. All of the wines at Silver Coast Winery are semi-dry or dry, aged in stainless tanks or traditional oak barrels depending on the varietal, such as the American Oak Chardonnay. Located in the small town of Southport, NC near Wilmington, the downtown winery provides tastings of its variety of award-winning wines, along with samples of craft beers. Guests can also get a full tour of the wine production facility during their visit.

105 A South Howe St, Southport, NC 28461, Phone: 910-777-5151

18.Silver Fork Winery

The Silver Fork Winery creates high quality wines that harness the unique qualities of the mountains of western North Carolina. Located in Morganton, North Carolina, Silver Fork offers a wine tasting experience with style and soothing comfort. The beautiful grounds and tasting room provide a stunning view that overlooks the vineyard and the surrounding grand South Mountains. The tasting room, open Wednesday to Sunday at noon, boasts an airy and rustic elegance and an open patio with plenty of room both inside and outside for visitors to sit and relax with friends, family, and a glass or bottle of wine.

5000 Patton Rd, Morganton, NC 28655, Phone: 828-391-8783

19.South Creek Winery

The South Creek Winery created award-winning wines of the Bordeaux style at its charming Italian Renaissance Farmhouse of more than one hundred years old. Upon entering the grounds, visitors are greeted with a panoramic view complemented by grazing horses. Visitors can wander through the vineyards, meet the winemakers and owners, shop for unique wines and other unique products, or simply relax with a glass of wine in the lounge or spacious outdoor area. During the warmer months, South Creek Winery is open Sunday to Wednesday, and is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday during the rest of the year.

2240 South Creek Rd, Nebo, NC, 28761, Phone: 828-652-5729

20.Stonefield Cellars Winery

The Stonefield Cellars Winery offers a great place for wine lovers to enjoy a tasting and then hang out with friends as they share a bottle of wine and some of the snacks available in the Tasting Room. The Tasting Room is open from 12:00pm until 6:00pm Thursday to Friday and from 1:00pm until 6:00pm on Sundays. Wine tastings are conducted at the bar in the Tasting Room during normal hours and include a sample of seven currently available wines and a souvenir signature wine glass. Groups of six or more should call ahead.

8220 NC Hwy 68 North, Stokesdale, NC 27357, Phone: 336-644-9908

21.Adams Vineyards

Adams Vineyards is located in Willow Spring and boasts the rare qualities people would hope to find in any local establishment: superior product quality, a relaxed atmosphere, and good hospitality. The vineyard has been a working family farm since the mid-1700’s and now the eighth generation grows Muscadine grapes and other fruits to make several different delicious wines, ranging from sweet native Muscadine and semi-sweet wines to semi-dry and dry wines. The Tasting Room is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 2:00pm until 6:00pm and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11:00am until 6:00pm.

3390 John Adams Rd, Willow Spring, NC 27592, Phone: 919-567-1010

22.Weathervane Winery

The Weathervane Winery is local family-run winery near Charlotte and the Winston-Salem/Greensboro area. What started as a small, simple winery has grown to feature an events center, wine tastings, and a calendar of special events. Wine tastings are offered every day except for Monday in the tasting room and include a sample of seven different wines and a souvenir wine glass. There is no stuffy attitude among the friendly and knowledgeable staff during tastings, only refreshing wines that range from sweet to red and white. Along with the wines produced by Weathervane Winery, visitors will find an assortment of unique items.

1452 Welcome Arcadia Rd, Lexington, NC 27295, Phone: 336-701-5235

23.Woodmill Winery

The Woodmill Winery offers tastings of its award-winning wines made from blueberries, blackberries, scuppernongs, and muscadines, as well as tours of its beautiful vineyards. The winery is open Tuesday to Friday from noon until 6:00pm, on Saturdays from 10:00am until 6:00pm, and on Sundays from 1:00pm until 6:00pm. Visitors should allow forty-five minutes for a wine tasting and tour, however, shorter wine tastings are also available. Wine tastings at Woodmill include an extensive wine tasting, tour of the winery’s production facility, and a souvenir wine glass with the winery’s logo engraved on it.

1350 Woodmill Winery Ln, Vale, NC 28168, Phone: 704-276-9911

24.A Secret Garden Winery

A Secret Garden Winery is located a little ways down a little country road within northern Wayne County. The North Carolina winery is one of the area’s best kept secrets and welcomes visitors with southern hospitality and friendly staff. A Secret Garden Winery is open for wine tastings and winery tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9:00am until 5:00pm. The winery offers an organic wine tasting experience, something that is rather unique. Wines produced at A Secret Garden include whites, reds, blush wines, and a number of fruit wines, including blueberry and strawberry.

1018 Airport Rd, Pikeville, NC 27863, Phone: 919-734-0260