Ever since my first trip to the Surry County last year to celebrate my birthday, I have been raving about the wineries and experience. I recently made a return trip to visit 6 wineries for the ultimate girls’ weekend. This is such a spot for a quick weekend trip because it’s about 2.5 hours from Raleigh and feels like you’ve really gotten away without a long drive. Despite the chilly, rainy weather for the weekend, we were able to get a full experience while socially distancing! Plus, it’s the perfect time of year to visit to see the leaves changing on the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Keep reading for our full itinerary for 6 of the best western NC wineries.
You can request more information on the Surry County Wine Trail to plan your trip here.
Western NC Wineries: 6 Wineries to Visit During your Next Girls’ Weekend
Western NC Wineries We Visited
Shelton Vineyards
Our first stop on our wine weekend was at Shelton Vineyards and I was so excited to make a return trip after such a lovely experience the first time. As expected, it didn’t disappoint! They are offering tastings that are socially distanced and have Plexiglas barriers at the bar. There is also outdoor seating on the front porch, which is perfect for a rainy day, and on the patio, where there is a fire pit if it’s chilly. These seating options are great for grabbing a glass or splitting a bottle and spending the afternoon at Shelton!
We did the Reserve Tastings and Colin was super knowledge and fun, so if you make a visit, ask for him! Hillary and I each brought home a bottle of Two-Five-Nine Dry Rosé and Two-Five-Nine Petit Verdot. Laura took home a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc and Two-Five-Nine Malbec.
Address: 286 Cabernet Ln, Dobson, NC 27017
Round Peak Vineyards
Round Peak is another vineyard that I visited last year, too. I loved the views of Skull Camp and Round Peak Mountains, the outdoor porch, and dog friendly spaces. They even have a dog park on their property! Round Peak was hosting a wedding on the back porch, which has the exceptional views! This is a cozy spot and popular with the locals, so I highly recommend if you’re interested in places that aren’t busy with tourists.
We did a wine tasting here, too, and Hillary and I opted for the dry wines while Laura tried the sweet wines. They serve the tastings in flights and provide you a glass. They also offer beer on tap, canned wines to go, and cheese, crackers, and other snacks for you to put together your own charcuterie board.
I took home a bottle of the dry rosé!
Address:Â 765 Round Peak Church Rd, Mt Airy, NC 27030
Old North State Winery
Old North State Winery is located right in the heart of Mount Airy and offers tastings 6 days a week. There is an option for 5 or 8 wines all made in house. This is such a unique spot because it’s in an old hardware store and boasts a shop featuring Fish Hippie apparel, wine, and a great restaurant all in one beautiful space. They also offer a Thursday night wine tasting every Thursday at 6:00PM. Check out more about the restaurant below.
I highly recommend ordering a glass of Fish Hippie Soul, which is a dry red blend.
Address: 308 N Main St, Mt Airy, NC 27030
Adagio Vineyards
For the second day, we started off at Adagio Vineyards, which has the coziest tasting room with lots of places to spread out if you stick around for a glass after your tasting. Mandy, the tasting room manager, offers a great, friendly tasting experience. They offer snacks and delicious pimiento cheese made locally in Winston-Salem. Adagio includes lots of personal touches from the two owners, including the names of the wine paying tribute to Jan’s musical background. Both Tim and Jan are practicing dentists, and Jan is a classical violinist who makes violins and often plays in the tasting room on weekends. There is outdoor space to enjoy and an outdoor fire pit, weather permitting.
Hillary and I each brought home bottles of the Vivace and Petit Verdot, while Laura brought home bottles of the Harmony and Chardonnay. while visiting the vineyard, you may opt to do a tasting, which samples all 8 wines, or a flight where you get to pick 4.
Address:Â 139 Benge Dr, Elkin, NC 28621
Grassy Creek Vineyard and Winery
Grassy Creek Vineyard and Winery offers an idyllic experience and is really a lovely place to spend a whole day. The tasting room is in a converted horse stable, the winery in the former Klondike Dairy Barn, and there is so much to do on the property if the weather cooperates with you! There is a hiking trail about 1.75 miles from the tasting room, there are the Klondike cabins available for rent, and comfy, cozy places to sit indoors. Or, if you prefer to be outdoors, there is patio seating, the Pavillon, or take your wine and snacks to go on the trail. Interested in hiking the area? Here is an interactive hiking trail map.
Tastings are being offered as a flight and you can sample the Grassy Creek wines, which are dry, or the Klondike Farm table wines, which are lighter and sweeter. The dairy barn and the horse stable have been thoughtfully renovated and repurposed, and the connections are evident throughout their decor and branding. The Klondike Farm table wines are served in old milk jars and bottled beautifully.
Grassy Creek offers snacks for sale, Skull Camp beers, and locally made gifts. We stayed here for quite a while and enjoyed lounging around the fire place and getting to know Jim, who is also just the bookkeeper. I say that teasingly because that was how he introduced himself to us; however, he recommended delicious choices in wine and was such a pleasant gentleman to talk to throughout the afternoon. They’ll treat you just like an old friend here, and it’s worth making time to explore the property. I’ve bookmarked this as a spot to return to because I think David would love the fact that there is beer, hiking trails, and nature watching.
P.S. I asked my friend, Kayte, to make us a to-go charcuterie board and this was the spot where we dug in over the weekend! It was such a treat and we really enjoyed having the snacks while spending our rainy afternoon relaxing here.Â
I brought home a bottle of Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin.
Address: 235 Chatham Cottage Ln, State Rd, NC 28676
Carolina Heritage Vineyard and Winery
Our last stop this trip was at Carolina Heritage Vineyard and Winery and this space is absolutely dreamy! We enjoyed a little front porch sitting chatting with the owner, Pat, and learning more about the wine and process that they use at Carolina Heritage. The vineyard is the first USDA-Certified Organic vineyard in North Carolina and is located about 3 miles outside of Elkin. They make the wine that they like to drink, and they are incredibly passionate about their process. We kept hearing all around town about their Glogg, which was hands down my favorite wine at Carolina Heritage, and was the perfect way to warm up on a chilly afternoon while learning more about the vineyard.
Pat and her husband, Clyde, teamed up to pursue their dreams: Clyde, who always wanted to establish a vineyard and winery, and Pat, who was focused on a clean environment. They planted their first vines, and Pat told us about how she came out and took photos of the vines each time they grew with pride. She also shared that they took local classes at Surry County Community College for Viticulture and Enology. She also shared that after taking those classes, they would learn from previous attempts what they had been doing wrong and fix those for the next harvest. I appreciated learning more about their experiences, trial and error, and how they have achieved their goals with their vineyard.
The tasting room has a beautiful front and side porch with spectacular views, and both porches are complete with heaters for the cooler weather and fans for the warmer weather. Flights are available and you are given a glass to use and take with you. I love souvenir wine glasses, and this helps minimize contact during COVID as well.
Right beside the tasting room is the Olde Farmhouse, which was originally built in 1928 and recently renovated in 2018. This space is available for rent on Air BnB and is two bedrooms and one bath. It has gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the porches are such goals! I have this space saved for my return trip to the area!
Hillary and I bought a bottle of Glogg, a traditional Scandinavian mulled wine, which we both plan to heat and use during the holiday season. I also really enjoyed the Chambourcin as well!
Address: 170 Heritage Vines Way, Elkin, NC 28621
Where to Eat
Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards
We left Raleigh and headed straight for Harvest Grill to have lunch. I highly recommend making reservations for lunch if you want to sit indoors or on the enclosed patio. We opted to get our lunch to go and eat outdoors. There are scattered tables with 4 and 6 chairs with umbrellas. We were able to eat outdoors with the rain holding off until we made it to the tasting room! The restaurant recently launched its fall menu and their tomato basil bisque, the Rueben, and the turkey sandwich were absolutely delicious! Check out the picnic packages, too!
Address: 286 Cabernet Ln, Dobson, NC 27017
The Restaurant at Old North State Winery
I mentioned earlier how interesting this space is and I really love the mix of comfort foods with a twist. Mount Airy is nestled right in between the mountains, and the restaurant offers patio seating to enjoy this quaint town. I ordered the crab cakes, which were served with fingerling potatoes. Laura ordered the scallops, which came with butternut squash ravioli. Hillary ordered NY strip, which came with green beans and potatoes. It was a delicious meal and perfect after a day of exploring! This is another spot I’d recommend making reservations. It’s also worth noting that it’s open 6 days a week and closed on Sunday.
Address: 308 N Main St, Mt Airy, NC 27030
Southern on Main
Wowow was this restaurant a treat! Our hotel offered breakfast, so we did grab something to eat before getting ready for our second day of touring around. We stopped here for a small lunch before getting started on our wine tours and it was really such a great meal. Laura and I both ordered a cup of crab bisque and split a wedge salad, while Hillary ordered a cup of the soup of the day, which was tomato, black eyed peas, and kale. We also split fried okra and pimiento cheese appetizers. This is a must stop on your trip!
Address: 102 E Main St, Elkin, NC 28621
Where to Stay & How to Get Around
Fairfield Inn and Suites
We stayed in a suite at the Fairfield Inn, which was perfect for accommodating three of us. The hotel really does it up with its decorations for fall–they even changed out the curtains to be fall themed! While the weather didn’t cooperate for us outdoors, there is a beautiful patio space with an incredible fire pit. For a rainy weekend like the one we had, there is a nice fire place in the lobby to sit in front of with a cup of tea.
The spaces were welcoming, well maintained, and cleaned frequently for COVID-19 procedures. Each room has a TV with Netflix, a microwave, refrigerator, and spacious bathrooms. The hotel is offering complimentary breakfast and is served by the hotel staff. It was also a great location right in Elkin, close to most of the vineyards we went to, and because it is right off the highway, easy to get around the area.
Address: 628 Cc Camp Road, 268 Bypass, Elkin, NC 28621
Parkway Wine Tours
Last trip, we got around town thanks to Woody from Parkway Wine Tours, so I knew we’d have to call him this time! He is such a kind gentleman and is knowledgeable about the area from places to eat, histories of the wineries, and other fun tips. We had our itinerary planned out for us, but if you’re going on a trip, call Woody and he’ll make sure you get around safely and help plan your wine tastings for you! It’s absolutely worth it to get a driver for safety of getting around and for someone who is familiar with the terrain of the area.
For more information on wine tours, check out the options here.
Our Western NC Winery Weekend Itinerary
If you’re looking to plan your own girls’ weekend getaway to Yadkin Valley Wine Country, check out this idea guide.
For more North Carolina wine ideas, check out our itinerary for an overnight stay, how to host a North Carolina wine tasting at home, and how to celebrate North Carolina wine during NC wine month.
Thank you to Tourism Partnership of Surry County and the Surry County Wine Trail for hosting and making this trip possible. As always, all opinions are my own.
Have you been to any of the western NC wineries? Let me know in a comment below!
Shop the Post
