If you’re a food and wine lover and you’ve never explored the Yadkin Valley in NC, you’re really missing out!
The Yadkin Valley region is full of wineries and vineyards to visit, with 44 Yadkin Valley wineries to choose from.
Encompassing 1,400,000 acres, the Yadkin Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) includes 7 counties in North Carolina– Wilkes, Surry, Yadkin, Davie, Davidson, Forsyth, and Stokes.
This area was historically known for growing tobacco, an industry that has fallen into decline in the last few decades.
Many local farms have since converted their fields into vineyards, capitalizing on the region’s perfect terroir (climate, soil, and topography).
My husband and I have lived in North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley for several years now, but we’ve barely scratched the surface of the bounty of wineries there are to visit.
In addition to the myriad wineries, the area is also home to various Yadkin Valley wine tours. There’s also the annual Yadkin Valley Wine Festival, which was named one of the country’s top wine festivals by USA Today.
If you find yourself driving the Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone NC, you can get an exceptional overview from the Yadkin Valley Overlook at Milepost 289.8.
Read on for our list of the Best Yadkin Valley Wineries to visit, which includes an overview of each vineyard’s offerings and a map to help you design your own Yadkin Valley wine trail!
READ MORE: The 20 Best NC Wineries to Visit
Yadkin Valley Wineries Guide
(Arranged Alphabetically)
- Carolina Heritage Vineyards and Winery
- Dobbins Creek Vineyards
- Elkin Creek Vineyard
- Grassy Creek Vineyard and Winery
- Haze Gray Vineyards
- JOLO Winery & Vineyards
- McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks
- Old North State Winery
- Round Peak Vineyards
- Slightly Askew Winery
READ MORE: The 10 Best Virginia Wineries to Visit for Wine Tastings & Tours
1. Carolina Heritage Vineyards and Winery
170 Heritage Vines Way, Elkin NC • (336) 448-4781 • Official Website
The original founders of Carolina Heritage Vineyards & Winery were dedicated to making wines in the most environmentally friendly way possible,
Clyde and Pat Colwell nurtured the soil and figured out a way to grow organic grapes in a sustainable fashion. Their efforts made CHVW the first USDA-Certified Organic vineyard and winery in North Carolina.
New owners took over in 2022, but they’ve maintained that same commitment to the health of the land and its community. Their mission is to have the first fully sustainable winery in NC.
This stunning Yadkin Valley winery can host private events, from weddings to special birthdays. They also offer private guided tours of the vineyard.
Keep your eye on their website for updates on seasonal events throughout the year.
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2. Dobbins Creek Vineyards
4430 Vineyard View Lane, Hamptonville NC • (336) 468-4770 • Official Website
Located on Hemric Mountain, this Yadkin winery offers guests a chance to see the city of Winston Salem NC to the east and the peak of Grandfather Mountain to the west from the vineyard on clear days.
In our experience, Dobbins Creek Vineyards is a great spot to kick back in the summer, sipping delicious wine and enjoying the scenic vistas.
Come winter, you can head inside and curl up in front of the stone fireplace with your favorite vintage.
Despite their fairly large estate, the owners of this vineyard keep their growing space limited to about 5 acres in order to ensure quality over quantity.
All of their grapes are hand-picked and put through minimal processing in order to stay true to the character and flavor of the grapes.
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3. Elkin Creek Vineyard
318 Elkin Creek Mill Road, Elkin NC • (336) 526-5119 • Official Website
One of our favorite Elkin NC wineries, Elkin Creek Vineyard is a special place to enjoy a glass of wine and a Sunday pizza lunch with friends or family.
Their restaurant only makes 30 pizzas per day, so you must call in advance to make a reservation.
If you miss the pizza, stick around for a wine-tasting session in the picnic area or at the Harvest Barn.
The site also rents out four rustic log cabins, allowing guests to retreat to the forest and surround themselves with nature and the relaxing sounds of the babbling creek.
There’s also an historic mill on the grounds, and a short walk will lead you to an impressive waterfall.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Elkin NC (Blue Ridge Parkway MM 229)
4. Grassy Creek Vineyard and Winery
235 Chatham Cottage Circle, State Road NC • (336) 835-2458 • Official Website
Grassy Creek’s iconic Red Barn is where a lot of the wine-tasting action happens. They often offer live music and seasonal events in this picturesque spot throughout the year.
All grapes used to make their award-winning wine come from their 15-acre vineyard. They’re then processed, aged, and bottled in the original farm’s converted dairy barn.
One huge draw of this Yadkin Valley vineyard is access to the Grassy Creek Trail, which is part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. We hiked it on New Year’s Day, and particularly enjoyed the Grassy Creek portion of the trail.
This 1.5-mile, moderately difficult in-and-out trail led us through a huge pine forest, past a pond and meadows, through the Byrd’s Branch Campgrounds, and on to Carter Falls.
READ MORE: The 10 Hiking Essentials Packing List for the Blue Ridge Mountains
5. Haze Gray Vineyards
761 Stony Knoll Road, Dobson NC • (336) 374-1072 • Official Website
Nine of the 85 acres at Haze Gray Vineyards are dedicated to growing 9 different types of grapes. So guests who visit can sip a chardonnay, pinot grigio, merlot, or cabernet sauvignon.
The Dobson NC vineyard hosts weddings as well as live music and wine/food pairing events throughout the year.
Haze Gray also has a newly built log cabin for rent, offering views of the vineyards on two sides. The cabin sleeps four people, with a master bedroom on the first floor and a fun open loft upstairs.
Staying at this cabin rental puts you in a great spot to enjoy everything the Yadkin Valley has to offer.
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6. JOLO Winery & Vineyards
219 JOLO Winery Lane, Pilot Mountain NC • (336) 614-0030 • Official Website
JOLO Winery & Vineyards is another fine place to taste Yadkin Valley wines, with a tasting room and a restaurant that offers a delicious lunch and dinner menu.
There’s an outdoor patio seating area where you can enjoy views of the beautiful estate, plus an enclosed patio and a gazebo used for private events.
The winery also has a cabin available for rent for visitors who want to extend their stay. The accommodation is affectionately referred to as the “Newlywed Chateau,” and it’s a great place for romantic getaways.
Check out their website for a list of upcoming events, from food-and-wine pairings to Cuvée experiences.
READ MORE: 20 Best Things to Do in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina
7. McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks
315 Thurmond PO Road, Thurmond NC • (336) 874-3003 • Official Website
This winery and cidery is located in the foothills of the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains, in the heart of the Yadkin Valley wine region just 6 miles east of Stone Mountain State Park.
This is a family-run operation that produces award-winning wines as well as hard apple cider.
The growers are dedicated to using sustainable and low-intervention growing techniques in order to keep their beverages true to the land they come from.
In fact, the whole facility is designed to be as earth-friendly and low-impact as possible, from the way the kitchen garden is tended to how the grapes are processed.
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8. Old North State Winery
308 North Main Street, Mount Airy NC • (336) 789-9463 • Official Website
Located in Mount Airy NC, the Old North State Winery is famous for its Fish Hippie brand of wine and apparel.
They also have a fantastic Mt Airy restaurant. My husband and I enjoyed an amazing vegan dish of roast vegetables and mushrooms, which was perfectly paired with a bottle of their Fish Hippie “Soul” (a delightful dry red).
Rather than housing the winery in their rural vineyard, founder Ben Webb and wife Ellie wanted to bring their success to the Mount Airy community. So they converted an old hardware store (built in 1890) into a pretty hip hangout.
The winery hosts live music, private events, and Chef’s Table experiences, where guests can watch as their meals are cooked and plated by Executive Chef Chris Wishhart.
With a great selection of fine wines and a stunning winery/restaurant, Old North State is a must-visit spot for your Yadkin Valley wine tour.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Things to Do in Mount Airy NC (& Surry County)
9. Round Peak Vineyards
765 Round Peak Church Rd, Mount Airy NC • (336) 352-5595 • Official Website
Round Peak Vineyards sits at an elevation of 1300 feet, and is the northernmost vineyard in the Yadkin Valley AVA.
Guests can enjoy a wine tasting while looking out over the impressive view. If you’re feeling frisky, play a round of wine-themed frisbee golf (with wine-barrel baskets) that will have you zigzagging through the vineyard.
You can also take advantage of all that Mount Airy has to offer by staying in one of their two rental log cabins. Sip your wine on the porch in the evening, and enjoy your morning coffee surrounded by the North Carolina mountains.
We’ve spent a lot of time at Skull Camp, this winery’s sister brewery in Elkin NC. So it was fun to explore the wine side of the local business.
It was a wet, drizzly day when we visited Round Peak Vineyards, but we were able to still enjoy the lovely view from an enclosed porch while sampling some of their best wines.
READ MORE: Visiting the Andy Griffith Museum in Mt Airy NC
10. Slightly Askew Winery
913 North Bridge Street, Elkin NC • (336) 835-2700 • Official Website
If you’re looking for a winery right in the heart of the town of Elkin NC, Slightly Askew Winery is one of our favorite wineries in the Valley to visit.
This tasting room is located close to historic downtown Elkin, with many of the best Elkin restaurants close by.
Slightly Askew also has a holiday rental house right next to the winery that’s perfect for those who want to spend a few days exploring the surrounding area.
The house sleeps four people, and boasts a large deck and a hot tub!
If you’re looking for a “Designated Driver” for your visit, the Elkin Vine Line has a hop-on-hop-off bus that passes by Slightly Askew every Saturday and Sunday as part of its Yadkin Valley winery tours. -by Emma Gallagher; featured image via Canva
