A gnarly old vine on Roanoke Island is the Mother Vine of our nation’s first cultivated wine grape. First recorded in 1584 by Sir Walter Raleigh’s explorers, today the vine is a trunk two feet thick with tendrils stretching on wooden arbors across an acre of land. It was the beginning of wine in America.
Before the Civil War, there were 25 wineries in North Carolina. Prohibition and Carrie Nation killed the wine-growing industry for almost a century, until a new millennium brought a new interest in wine, spawning more than 120 vineyards throughout the state.
The Yadkin Valley, located in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, is considered “The Heart of North Carolina Wine Country”. The Yadkin Valley currently has 36 wineries. The elevation of 1200 feet, soil composition, and microclimates of the protected river basins create an ideal environment for grape vineyards.
Many of the wineries belong to wine trails, which sponsor events for a group of four or five wineries. Mary Ann Guinn writes about the winery events that she and her husband, Brian, experience, as they follow the wine trail and sample the fruit of the vine.
The Shallow Ford Wine Trail has four wineries in the heart of Yadkin Valley, a short drive from Winston-Salem and only minutes apart. The wineries, Allison Oaks, Brandon Hills, Hanover Park, and Misty Creek, have Wine and Dine events throughout the year.
We recently attended the Summer Grill Wine and Dine, where you receive a taste of wine with a dish specially prepared to pair with that wine at each vineyard. The Shallow Ford Wine Trail has a Fall Chili & Stews Wine and Dine event at the end of October. We have enjoyed this event several times and are looking forward to a delicious wine and food pairings. The Shallow Ford Wine Trail is also planning a Holiday Open House in December. See www.shallowfordwinetrail.com for more information.
The Vineyards of Swan Creek Trail
The Vineyards of Swan Creek Trail consists of five wineries a few miles apart: Laurel Gray, Dobbins Creek, Raffaldini, Shadow Springs Vineyards, and Windsor Run Cellars. We have been to several of their wine and food pairing events. Fall events include the Harvest Celebration in October and the Holiday Open House in December. See http://swancreekvineyards.com or the websites for individual wineries.
The Yadkin River Wine Trail, another of our favorite trails, includes Cellar 4201, Divine Llama Vineyards, Flint Hill Vineyards, RagApple Lassie, and Sanders Ridge Vineyard & Winery. They are celebrating their fourth annual Summer Mini-wine Festival Series on the first Sunday of each month through October (noon to 4 p.m.). Each winery sets up a tent at a different Yadkin River Wine Trail winery each month for a day of wine tasting, music, food, and crafts.
The Yadkin River Wine Trail wineries also have a Holiday event planned, which features live music, food & wine, holiday gift items, and a complimentary ornament from each of the five wineries. For more information about the Yadkin River Wine Trail events, see www.yadkinriverwinetrail.com.
For More Information
A good source of information and an interactive map can be found at www.ncwine.org/wineries. The wineries often have events that are advertised on their websites or Facebook page, or you can get on their mailing lists to stay up-to-date on upcoming events. The website www.visitncwinecountry.com/nc-wine-trails/ has a list of wine trails throughout the state.
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