The Vineyards of Swan Creek

Five pots of herbs… sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and basil… thrive in Mary Ann Guinn’s garden, the rewards of a recent trip to the annual Herb Festival at The Vineyards of Swan Creek in the Yadkin Valley.

The Vineyards of Swan Creek held their annual Herb Festival the first weekend in May. With the purchase of a $25 ticket for two, Brian and I received a 4-inch potted herb from each of the five vineyards. We each had a tasting of food prepared using each herb, paired with a 1-ounce pour of wine.

Shadow Springs Vineyard is located on a 47 acre farm off Crater Road in Hamptonville. Jamey & Chuck Johnson purchased the farmland in 2005. The vineyard consists of 10.5 acres of grapevines, with six varieties of French vinifera and two French American hybrids. The mix of grapevines was chosen to give customers a wide variety of wines to please different palates. Shadow Springs Vineyard currently has 14 different wines, including a Shortcake, a strawberry wine, and Dark Shadow, which has a warm chocolate cherry flavor – Yum!!

Shadow Springs Vineyard has a beautiful chateau for a tasting room.

The tasting room opened in June of 2008, located in a beautiful 5000 square foot chateau, overlooking a two-acre lake with a gazebo. (During other events, a band was playing in the gazebo, and we had lunch at a picnic table next to the lake.) The vineyard is a beautiful venue for corporate events and private parties.

The chateau at Shadow Springs Vineyard overlooks a two-acre lake with a gazebo. 

Herb:  Garden Sage
Food-wine pairing:  Sage Sausage Bites and a Balsamic Apricot Dip, paired with Sunlight, a white blend of Viognier, Traminette, and Chardonel with hints of Asian pear and apricot, fermented in stainless steel.

Windsor Run Cellars is located on Windsor Road in Hamptonville, only half a mile from Shadow Springs Vineyard and near the Yadkin County Amish Community. (It is not uncommon to pass a horse and buggy on the roads near the two vineyards.)

The Crater Family farmed the land for generations. In 2001 Terry and Joanne Crater decided to grow grapes, and vines thrived in the fertile tobacco land. They added a winery named Buck Shoals in 2006, and a rustic tasting room was built in 2007. The Craters added a distillery in 2008 to make brandy and fortified their own wine.

Chuck and Jamey Johnson purchased the vineyard, winery/distillery, and tasting room in 2011. They changed the name to Windsor Run Cellars, remodeled and expanded the tasting room, and reopened in March of 2012. (Dana Acker, the winemaker, looks like a member of ZZ Top.)

The rustic tasting room at Windsor Run Cellars is the perfect setting
for trying a fortified wine made in the distillery.

Windsor Run Cellars also sells wines from Ferguson Vineyards, about seven miles up Hwy. 421. Judge Paul Ferguson, a retired judge from Houston, TX, and his wife Mary purchased five acres of the Windy Gap vineyard in 2007. The Fergusons have partnered with the Johnsons, and Windsor Run Cellars will market their wine in the tasting room.

Windsor Run Cellars is the first winery and distillery in North Carolina under the same roof. They currently produce 13 wines, including two of my favorites, Cherry Smash and Apple Mead. Summer Breeze and the Sangria are now being offered in 2-bottle bags. Take a tour of the winery and distillery and view the second “legal” moonshine still in North Carolina, as it turns wine into brandy. The brandy is used to make higher alcohol fortified wines. They now have five delicious fortified wines.

Herb:  Silver Queen Thyme
Food-Wine Pairing:  Sweet Lemon-Thyme Crisps, served with 2012 Justice, a crisp stainless-steel-fermented dry blend of Chardonel and Melody with flavors of peaches and pear.

Laurel Gray Vineyards is conveniently located on Old US Hwy. 421, one exit past the Hwy. 421 / I-77 intersection. Benny and Kim Myers have a quaint boutique style winery with southern charm. The 84-acre century old farm was a former dairy cattle and tobacco farm, which has been in the Myers family for ten generations.

The Myers planted their first grapevines in 2001, and named the vineyard after their two children, Ashley Laurel and Taylor Gray. They now have over 10 acres dedicated to the vineyard. In 2003 the 1930’s milking parlor was converted to a tasting room, with landscaped gardens, a pond, and lovely mountain views from the patio. Laurel Gray Vineyards, the oldest winery of the Swan Creek AVA, is renowned for award winning estate-grown and bottled French Vinifera wines. Kim creates original artwork for each of the wine labels. The winery currently has 12 wines, including my favorite, Nectar, which was recently brought back after two years.

Laurel Gray Vineyards is a quaint boutique style winery with southern charm.

The winery also offers several Laurel Gray sauces:  Artisan Vinaigrette, Crazy ‘Bout Butts BBQ Sauce, Chocolate Cabernet Wine Sauce, and Caramel Chardonnay Wine Sauce.

Herb:  Rosemary
Food-Wine Pairing:  Pulled Pork Sandwiches – the pork had been marinated in their delicious Artisan Vinaigrette, and The Crazy ‘Bout Butts BBQ Sauce was available to add extra kick. They paired 2012 Estate Cabernet Franc, an estate wine with strawberry, raspberry, and spicy cherry flavors.

Yadkin Valley Wine Company is located on the hillside on the other side of the pond from Laurel Gray. It is a state-of-the-art 20,000-case capacity winery, which opened in 2007. When Benny is not working in the vineyard, he spends time in the winery consulting with the winemaker. The Yadkin Valley Wine Company is now producing Fruit Crate Wine by combining grape wine and fruit juice. Flavors include: apple, pear, raspberry, watermelon, pomegranate, cherry, blueberry, and peach. We bought three bottles the last time we were there, and I am looking forward to having a Summer refreshment!

Yadkin Valley Wine Company is on the other side of the pond from Laurel Gray Vineyards.

Dobbins Creek Vineyards is also located in Hamptonville, off Rena Rd. and Carrie Farm Dr. The vineyard gets its name from a large spring that originates on the property, just down the hill from the tasting room. This spring is part of the headwaters of Dobbins Creek. With an elevation of 1380 feet, there is a spectacular view of the Yadkin Valley, as far as Winston-Salem, over 40 miles away, to Grandfather Mountain, over 70 miles to the west.

Dobbins Creek Vineyards has log cabin tasting room with a 60 foot porch.

The King family purchased the farm property in 1948, and they raised tobacco until the 1960’s, when the farm was converted to pastureland. The current owner, Charles King, planted grape vines between 2002 and 2006 and built a tasting room, choosing a spot with the best views. The tasting room is a 2000 square foot log cabin with a full basement, a 60-foot long front porch, stone fireplace, and a unique wine bar, constructed from 100-year-old wild cherry, which was harvested on the property.

Dobbins Creek Vineyards has a spectacular view of the Yadkin Valley.

Herb:  Oregano
Food-Wine Pairing:  Polpetta (meatballs) with Oregano Pesto & Herbed Crouton with 2012 Estate Grown Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon.

Raffaldini Vineyards is located off Groce Road in Ronda. Known as “Chianti in the Carolinas”, Raffaldini Vineyards brings Old World charm to the Old North State. The Raffaldini family dates back to 1348 in the town of Mantua, located in the Northern Province of Lombardy, Italy. Jay Raffaldini, a first generation Italian-American, sought land where he could make wine that reminded him of his Italian heritage.

Raffaldini Vineyards has panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Brushy Mountains.

In 2000, there were only seven vineyards in the state, when Jay happened upon the Swan Creek area of North Carolina and immediately fell in love with it. The abandoned hillside farm had fallen into disrepair largely due to the very rocky terrain which made farming nearly impossible. Jay was inspired by the old Italian saying “the land the farmer rejects the vineyard accepts”, implying that the worse the ground the better, as vines need to struggle to survive. The Raffaldini Family now has 36 acres planted in reds and 6 acres in a white wine grape from Sardinia.

Mary Ann is on the walkway to the Tuscan-style Villa at Raffaldini Vineyards.

The grounds have beautiful landscaped pathways leading to the incredible Tuscan-style Villa, a 6,000 square foot tasting room and event venue inspired by villas in Mantua, Italy. Villa Raffaldini features traditional Italian art, architecture, and tasting rooms on two levels. The balconies and landscaped terraces offer panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Brushy Mountains. The northern side of Villa Raffaldini has a large piazza with a beautiful fountain, reminiscent of the intimate settings found in villages throughout Italy. The tasting room offers a deli case to select food for a picnic on the deck or the piazza. Raffaldini hosts public and private events throughout the year.

Rafaldini Vineyards’s piazza, with a beautiful fountain, is reminiscent of
the intimate settings found in villages throughout Italy.

Herb:  Basil
Food-Wine Pairing:  Cheese & Fruit Skewers with Basil, paired with Pinot Grigio, a light-bodied white wine that is dry and crisp with high acidity and low tannins.