Planning a relaxing wine getaway? I like the flavors produced by North Carolina wineries. Take a trip to the charming countryside and explore it for yourself.
Best North Carolina Wineries:
1. Sleep in the Vines, Sip in the Sky: 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.
Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St, Monroe, NC 28112, Phone: 704-283-4208
2. Toast Tuscan Style in the Carolinas: Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery
Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery, LLC 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.
Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery, LLC, 450 Groce Rd, Ronda, NC 28670, Phone: 336-835-9463
3. Elevate Your Palate Among Peaks: Grandfather Vineyard & Winery
The Grandfather Vineyard & 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.
Grandfather Vineyard & Winery, 225 Vineyard Ln, Banner Elk, NC 28604, Phone: 828-963-2400
4. Luxury Meets Local in the High Country: Banner Elk Winery & Villa
The Banner Elk Winery & 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.
Banner Elk Winery & Villa, 60 Deer Run Ln, Banner Elk, NC 28604, Phone: 828-898-9090
5. Savor Southern Soul with Every Sip: 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.
Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery, 195 Vineyard Dr, Elizabethtown, NC 28337, Phone: 844-846-3386
6. Go Organic, Go Local: Carolina Heritage Vineyard & Winery
The Carolina Heritage Vineyard & 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.
Carolina Heritage Vineyard & Winery, 170 Heritage Vines Way, Elkin, NC 28621, Phone: 336-366-3301
7. Urban Flavor, Boutique Spirit: 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.
Chatham Hill Winery, 8245 Chapel Hill Rd, Cary, NC 27513, Phone: 919-380-7135
Date Ideas:
8. Pour on the Culture: 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.
Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Rd, Wagram, NC 28396, Phone: 910-369-0411
9. Sip, Stroll, and Stay Awhile: 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.
Daveste Vineyards, 155 Lytton Farm Rd, Troutman, NC 28166, Phone: 704-528-3882
10. Where Sweet Wine Meets Southern Hospitality: 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.
Duplin Winery, 505 N. Sycamore St, Rose Hill, NC 28458, Phone: 800-774-9634
Map:
Plan Your Trip