vino with a view

Winston-Salem is your gateway to the Yadkin Valley Wine Region, where award-winning wine and unbeatable views await.

sip a glass of wine amid rolling hills, lush vineyards, and distant mountains. It’s easy to mistake the scenery for Napa or Tuscany, but Yadkin Valley Wine Country is just 30 minutes outside Winston-Salem. The topography, climate, and soil create the perfect conditions for producing award-winning wines with a beautiful terrain found only in this special place. Here's a sampling of a few fan favorites.

Shelton Vineyards

Brothers Charlie and Ed Shelton founded this vineyard in 1999 in an area once dependent on tobacco farming. At the time, North Carolina was home to fewer than ten vineyards. Today, Shelton is the state’s largest family-owned estate winery with 25,000 cases produced annually. Spanning 406 serene acres, the winery features walking trails that wind through its manicured grounds, passing by grapevines, rose bushes, streams, and ponds. sheltonvineyards.com

Raffaldini Vineyards

Enjoy the sweet life, or, as the Italians say, la dolce vita. When Wall Street hedge-fund manager Jay Raffaldini decided to open a winery, he chose to do so in the Yadkin Valley, where he built a breathtaking Tuscan-style villa and planted his first vine in 2001. The rocky soil and warm climate are perfect for producing classic Italian varietals, earning the winery the nickname “Chianti in the Carolinas.” A lively calendar of events includes charcuterie classes, wine dinners, live music, and food trucks serving everything from lobster to brick-oven pizza. 21 and up. raffaldini.com

JOLO WINERY & VINEYARDS

Natural beauty abounds as far as the eye can see at JOLO, with stunning views of nearby Pilot Mountain and Cox Lake. The winery exudes charm, from outdoor picnic tables with barrels of flowers to the mountain-style lodge with stone fireplace. Its onsite restaurant, End Posts, was voted one of the top 100 brunch spots in America by OpenTable and also features a full lunch and dinner menu. A traditional tasting flight includes one sparkling wine, white wine, rosé, three reds, and a choice of dessert wine. 21 and up. jolovineyards.com

Divine Llama Vineyards

Nestled on 91 acres, this unique vineyard and tasting room just happens to be on the Southeast’s largest llama farm. Sign up for a llama trek and take a 2.5-mile scenic hike with the friendliest of companions. Then, visit one of the featured food trucks or enjoy a picnic on the grounds while sampling one of the featured wines. Families welcome. divinellamavineyards.com

Dynamis Estate Wines

Encompassing 1,500 acres, this high-end, high-altitude winery yields bold Bordeaux varietals. A long, winding driveway leads to the Dynamis Estate, set amid rolling green fields and lush orchards in the shadow of the Brushy Mountains. The property includes four distinct vineyards and six acres of fruit and pecan orchards. Casual tastings with small bites are offered along with in-depth, sit-down experiences. 21 and up. dynamisestatewines.com