Last weekend, we returned to the Yadkin Valley to do some wine tasting. The Yadkin Valley is west of Winston Salem and south of Mt. Airy, NC and it is a three hour drive from our home. This year, the wines we tasted were superior to those we tasted a year ago and we had a great time. The following are the wineries we most enjoyed this year:
Laurel Gray Vineyards
We knew that we would be arriving to the Yadkin Valley around noon. Since there are few convenient restaurants, we decided to bring a picnic to the Laurel Gray Vineyards. This was a good choice because Laurel Gray is the first winery along I-77 when you reach the Yadkin Valley and it has a large covered patio with a view of vineyards and a lake. Wine Jane had a glass of Viognier and I had a glass of Scarlet Mountain, a red blend.
Midnight Magdalena Vineyards
Midnight Magdalena is one of the newer vineyards in the area. We were greeted by the owner who filled us in on all of the details about the vineyard including the history behind the vineyard's name. At this time, Midnight Magdalena is just a vineyard and the grapes are crushed, fermented and aged by the winemaker at Laurel Gray. We had an enjoyable tasting and all of the wines were good. We especially liked the Traminette and Riesling.
Jones Van Drehle Vineyards and Winery
Jones Van Drehle is one of the larger wineries in the Yadkin Valley but we had never been there before. We planned on going there last year but the tasting room was closed for a wedding. This winery and vineyard are situated in a beautiful part of North Carolina and the vineyards appear to be the best tended in the region. All of the wines here are from French varietals. We especially liked the Tempranillo, which is often thought of as a Spanish grape, but here is from a French clone.
Jolo Winery and Vineyards
Our time at Jolo was the highlight of our trip. We were last at Jolo on their grand opening five years ago. We had wanted to return sooner, but Jolo is located near Pilot Mountain, NC and away from the other wineries we were visiting. This year, we centered our trip around visiting Jolo.
Jolo has a beautiful restaurant adjacent to the tasting room and we made advance reservations for Saturday lunch. Before lunch, we did a tasting to decide which wine to order with lunch. All of the wines were excellent but we chose a bottle of Crimson Creek made from 100% Chambourcin, a French-American hybrid grape. We have tasted chambourcin at several wineries in the southeastern states and this was by far, the best we have encountered. Our lunch was fantastic, especially enhanced with the Crimson Creek.
After lunch, we enjoyed the live music in the patio area.
In a short time, Jolo has become one of the most successful wineries in the southeast. There are already 1400 wine club members and the wines are winning many awards. Recent recognition has come from Trip Advisor and Open Table.
Laurel Gray Vineyards
We knew that we would be arriving to the Yadkin Valley around noon. Since there are few convenient restaurants, we decided to bring a picnic to the Laurel Gray Vineyards. This was a good choice because Laurel Gray is the first winery along I-77 when you reach the Yadkin Valley and it has a large covered patio with a view of vineyards and a lake. Wine Jane had a glass of Viognier and I had a glass of Scarlet Mountain, a red blend.
Midnight Magdalena Vineyards
Midnight Magdalena is one of the newer vineyards in the area. We were greeted by the owner who filled us in on all of the details about the vineyard including the history behind the vineyard's name. At this time, Midnight Magdalena is just a vineyard and the grapes are crushed, fermented and aged by the winemaker at Laurel Gray. We had an enjoyable tasting and all of the wines were good. We especially liked the Traminette and Riesling.
Jones Van Drehle Vineyards and Winery
Jones Van Drehle is one of the larger wineries in the Yadkin Valley but we had never been there before. We planned on going there last year but the tasting room was closed for a wedding. This winery and vineyard are situated in a beautiful part of North Carolina and the vineyards appear to be the best tended in the region. All of the wines here are from French varietals. We especially liked the Tempranillo, which is often thought of as a Spanish grape, but here is from a French clone.
Jolo Winery and Vineyards
Our time at Jolo was the highlight of our trip. We were last at Jolo on their grand opening five years ago. We had wanted to return sooner, but Jolo is located near Pilot Mountain, NC and away from the other wineries we were visiting. This year, we centered our trip around visiting Jolo.
Jolo has a beautiful restaurant adjacent to the tasting room and we made advance reservations for Saturday lunch. Before lunch, we did a tasting to decide which wine to order with lunch. All of the wines were excellent but we chose a bottle of Crimson Creek made from 100% Chambourcin, a French-American hybrid grape. We have tasted chambourcin at several wineries in the southeastern states and this was by far, the best we have encountered. Our lunch was fantastic, especially enhanced with the Crimson Creek.
After lunch, we enjoyed the live music in the patio area.
In a short time, Jolo has become one of the most successful wineries in the southeast. There are already 1400 wine club members and the wines are winning many awards. Recent recognition has come from Trip Advisor and Open Table.
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