Discover Yadkin Valley And The Surry County Wine Trail
Surry Country Wine Trail
The Yadkin Valley is North Carolina's first and largest AVA. It spans 1,400,000 acres in the Yadkin River Valley and includes approximately 45 wineries. A portion of this AVA is dedicated to the Surry County Wine Trail, which consists of 18 wineries. Let's delve into the Yadkin Valley and the Surry County Wine Trail to discover the area's impact on making North Carolina an up-and-coming wine region.
Yadkin Valley AVA
Brothers Charlie and Ed Shelton, owners of Shelton Vineyards, North Carolina's largest family-owned winery, were instrumental in creating the Yadkin Valley AVA. The area received its designation in 2003.
The appellation includes seven counties in northwestern North Carolina. The AVA is located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, an area between the Atlantic Ocean and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Piedmont means foothill, and the area lies at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Pilot Mountain overlooks a portion of the AVA. Low-rolling hills characterize the region giving one magnificent vistas at every turn. The soils consist primarily of clay, making them fertile for growing grapes. With moderate elevations and its proximity to the Yadkin River, many varieties of grapes flourish. The temperatures and humidity are similar to Bordeaux.
Much of the area was initially planted with tobacco fields. As tobacco farming declined, many landowners gravitated to winemaking and growing grapes. Today, Yadkin Valley is planted with both Vinifera and French-American Hybrids, including cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, chambourcin, merlot, petit manseng, petit verdot, pinot grigio, riesling, sangiovese, sauvignon blanc, syrah, tannat, vidal blanc, and viognier.
Surry County Wine Trail Wineries
Shelton-Badgett North Carolina Center for Viticulture & Enology photo credit Cori Solomon
The Surry County Wine Trail encompasses the towns of Dobson, Elkin, Mount Airy, Pilot Mountain, and Rockford. Each has its own flavor. Like the different towns, the adjacent wineries have different takes on winemaking.
Anchoring the Surry County Wine Trail is the Surry Community College Shelton-Badgett North Carolina Center for Viticulture and Enology in Dobson. The school is considered one of the top schools for viticulture and enology. This educational facility includes a 5-acre teaching vineyard and a state-of-the-art bonded winery, Surry Cellars. One finds a lot of experimentation occurs in the vineyard and winery.
Jones von Drehle Vineyards and Winery photo credit Cori Solomon
Jones Von Drehle Vineyards & Winery a family-owned winery, is located on south-facing undulating hills near the town of Thurmond. The tasting room, perched at the top, offers breathtaking vineyard views. Owners Chuck and Diana Jones and Ronnie and Raymond von Drehle, in-laws, aimed to start a winery in their home state.
Thirty of the 130-acre property are planted with vinifera, primarily merlot and cabernet franc. All wines consist of estate-grown fruit. The vineyard consists of five different soil types, including schist. The wines are fruit-focused.
One unusual grape grown on the estate is Courbou Blanc, a proprietary clone of Viognier from Condrieu; they also cultivate gros manseng and petit manseng.
Recommended wines: Try the Jones Von Drehle's viognier, an award-winning wine, petit manseng, merlot, and cabernet franc.
Serre Vineyards
Serre Vineyard tells the story of blends for Melissa Hayes and Christian Krobisch. From the wine blends they produce to the family they created—the couple met when Melissa Hayes lost her husband and Christian was newly divorced. Each brought children from their prior marriage; thus, they became a blended family with a positive outcome.
During Hayes and Krobisch’s first date, they discovered North Carolina wine. A white wine at Jones Von Drehle ignited the wine bug as Hayes compared her knowledge of California wines to the outstanding quality of North Carolina wines. Knowing the quality of the Jones Van Drehle wine, one understands the impact they had on Melissa.
Serre Vineyards Rêvasser photo credit Cori Solomon
Sere currently sources their grapes from several vineyards, including Round Peak Vineyards, but they started growing grapes on their property near Mount Airy. Krobisch works with winemaker Ken Gulaian of Round Peak Vineyards to craft the Serre wine.
The name Serre is pronounced like share and means greenhouse. When visiting, one understands the importance of sharing, especially sitting outside the tasting room and taking in the views.
Recommended wines: Carbonic Vidal Blanc called Rêvasser or The Early Blend, a Super Tuscan blend of Petit Verdot Merlot and Montepulciano.
Shelton Vineyards photo credit Cori Solomon
The Shelton brothers established their Dobson winery in 1999; their first vintage occurred in 2002. Shelton Vineyards is one of the largest on the East Coast. The winery sits on 900 acres, of which 83 are planted with grapes. The grapes include cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot, malbec, tannat, petit verdot, riesling, sauvignon blanc, and petit manseng. The Sheltons utilize sustainable farming practices in the vineyard, and the winery is a gravity-flow facility. Aging occurs in French, American, and Hungarian oak.
The best way to appreciate Shelton Vineyards is by enjoying a wine-pairing luncheon or dinner at the winery's farm-to-table restaurant, Harvest Grill https://www.sheltonvineyards.com/harvest-grill, overlooking the vineyards. It is also the perfect place to try the area's traditional dessert, Sonker. Executive Chef Mark Thrower goes out of his way to create memorable meals.
Recommended Wines: Try the Two Five Nine Tannat and Two Five Nine Franklin, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and tannat.
Round Peak Vineyards
Kari Heerdt and Ken Gulaian, owners of Round Peak Vineyards, purchased the 32-acre property with an existing winery near Mount Airy in 2008. The estate sits at an elevation of 1300 feet in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Twelve acres are planted with French and Italian varietals. In addition to producing wine, they also produce ciders and beers under their Skull Camp Label from apples sourced in North Carolina and often aged in wine and bourbon barrels.
Ken Gulaian Owner/Winemaker Round Peak Vineyards photo credit Cori Solomon
Heerdt and Gulaian met in Cincinnati in the late 1990s while working at General Electric. They moved to Charlotte, NC, in 2000 and relocated to Oakland in 2006. Living in Northern California, they got the wine bug and visited many area wineries, with the Dry Creek Valley a favorite. When they moved back to North Carolina, Gulaian wanted to get out of the corporate world and decided to get into wine, especially when the opportunity to purchase a winery and vineyard availed itself. Gulaian accredits Surry Community College North Carolina Viticulture Center with his wine acumen, although his engineering background also plays a role in his winemaking.
Today, the wine is 100% estate-grown. They grow approximately 11 varieties, including chardonnay, vidal blanc, merlot, Nebbiolo, cabernet franc, petit Verdot, Cabernet sauvignon, petit manseng, tannat, montepulciano, and Norton. Red wines age 14 months in new and neutral French oak, and whites age in stainless steel. The goal is to produce crisp whites and fruity red wines with floral aromas.
Round Peak Vineyards La Petite Vendage photo credit Cori Solomon
Round Peak was the fourth winery to open in the Yadkin Valley. The winery's name and circles on the label represent the vineyards and roundness found in the wines. While Round Peak represents their dry and blended wines, Skull Camp Wines tend to be both dry and sweet.
Recommended wines: La Petite Vendage, which means little harvest, is a vidal blanc and a Finger Lakes International Competition winner. Nebbiolo, Round Peaks' signature wine, is one of two produced in North Carolina and a winner of the NC State Wine Competition and NC Fine Wines Competition. Finally, Fiddlers Red is a light blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot. This wine pays tribute to Tommy Jarrell and the Round Peak Style of fiddle music. Round Peak donates a portion of the proceeds to the Surry County Arts Community.
Stony Knoll 6 Generations of Farming photo credit Cori Solomon
Stony Knoll Vineyards represents the Coe family heritage dating back to 1896. The story of Stony Knoll is about farming the land. Now in its 6th generation with Kathy Coe and Jonah Hoosier at the helm, the family's farm in Dobson moved from growing tobacco to raising cattle and hay. In 2001, Van Coe decided to plant grapes, specifically cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, syrah, cabernet franc, and niagara, on 5.25 acres of his land. In 2004, the tasting room and winery opened.
Today, the farm includes 10 acres under vines with the added varieties of merlot, chambourcin, viognier, arandell, and corot noir. The goal is to "maintain the cultural preserve of our family farm and business."
Jonah Hoosier - Winemaker & Vineyard Manager photo credit Cori Solomon
Winemaker and vineyard manager Hoosier aims to make the winery a place for people to gather and visit. The tasting room is homey, with patio seating that affords a view of the quintessential North Carolina landscape. At Stoney Knoll, it is not about food and concerts; it is about enjoying wine or bringing a picnic basket to enjoy with a glass of wine.
Recommended Wine: The viognier, a winner of the 2023 NC Fine Wines Best in Show and Double Gold or Master Exquisite Black Oak Stick Reserve, a Bordeaux-style chambourcin and cabernet sauvignon blend. The Black Oak label came about after finding an oak stave floating in the wine barrel.
Jolo Vineyards and Winery with Pilot Mountain photo credit Cori Solomon
Jolo Winery & Vineyards / is considered the largest grower in North Carolina. It sits on three parcels totaling 235 acres, with 80 under vine. The varieties grown include cabernet franc, chambourcin, cynthiana, merlot, traminette, vidal blanc, petit verdot, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese, and marquette.
Jolo comes from combining the names of owners Kristen and JW Ray's sons Joey and Logan.
A visit to Jolo must include lunch or dinner at the End Posts' Restaurant, especially dining outdoors enjoying the winery's country feel and spectacular view of Pilot Mountain.
Jolo Vineyards Pink
Recommended Wines: Jolo Pink combines chambourcin, vidal blanc, sangiovese, zinfandel, and traminette and a top winning Rosé at the American Fine Wine Rosé Competition in Florida. Find an elegant Provencal Rosé with strawberry and grapefruit flavors: Crimson Creek, a chambourcin with carbonic qualities. Finally, the Jolotage, Jolo's flagship wine, a Bordeaux blend with chambourcin that expresses a fresh, fruity demeanor.
Beyond the Surry County Wine Trail
While visiting the area, one must explore Mount Airy. The town's claim to fame is the Andy Griffith Show since he grew up there. They patterned Mayberry after Mount Airy. The town is built around a granite quarry. While in Mount Airy, take a Mayberry Squad Car Tour. It gives you the history and flavor of the area.
For the foodie, two food trails speak to the area's history. The Surry Ground Steak Trail showcases ground steak sandwiches that began when people stretched their meals in the 1930s during the Depression. The Surry Sonker Trail pays homage to this heritage dessert, handed down by local families for generations. Think deep-dish pie meets cobbler.
Where to Stay
Many wineries offer delightful accommodations in addition to many of the local B&Bs or standard hotels. Round Peak Winery has two cabins with four bedrooms and a kitchen. They are pet-friendly at no extra charge.
Discovering Yadkin Valley's Surry County Wine Trail
While many varieties grow well in North Carolina, the Yadkin Valley defines itself with superb viognier, petit manseng, and cabernet franc. It's also a region with uniquely entertaining experiences for adventurous foodies and nostalgia buffs alike.