Richard Childress developed Childress Vineyards on a vision based on his visits to California wineries.   Wine Maker Lisa Herrinton checks the quality of the wine.; Below: Winemaker Mark Friszolowski.   The entrance to Childress Vineyards.

To get a true taste of wine country, you no longer have to hop a flight to California or France. Instead, you can take a tour across North Carolina and experience some of the best reds, whites and blends the state has to offer. And now, when Tarheel grapevines are yielding the fruits of the summer growing season, is a great time to pack your car or arrange an organized tour to a winery or two.

North Carolina is home to more than 70 large and small vineyards and wineries across four regions. The mountain region stretches from the southern border of Virginia to the northern border of Georgia and produces wines from grapes that grow well at higher elevations.

The Yadkin Valley is in northwestern North Carolina and is home to the state’s first federally recognized American Viticultural Area, which encompasses 1.4 million acres across seven counties. The Piedmont region is a vibrant and fast-growing area to the east of Winston-Salem, from Virginia into the central area of the state.

And the sand hill and coastal region stretches to the east and is an area of unique microclimates that result in some of the most varied growing conditions in the state.

As grape vines take root in the rolling fields that were once the fabled Carolina dairy and tobacco farms of yesterday, the numbers of wineries across the state is increasing quickly. “In the late 80s, there were only a handful of wineries in the Yadkin Valley and a few dozen across the state,” says Karyn Howard, marketing and events manager at RayLen Vineyards and Winery. “There are now over 20 in the Yadkin Valley alone and 70 across the state.”

Local wineries to begin or end.
Located in Davie County, just to the west of Winston-Salem, RayLen Vineyard offers guests a chance to sample any combination of 15 wines through three offerings in an open tasting room that overlooks the vineyards. The winery was recently given the North Carolina Winegrowers Association’s 2007 Member of Distinction Award, and winemaker Steve Smith was also recognized as the group’s 2007 Winegrower of Excellence. “Everything here is estate-grown, and there’s almost nothing better than sitting in a rocking chair with a bottle overlooking our 40 acres of rolling hills,” says Howard.

Situated in southern Iredell County is the 52-acre, pastoral Davesté Vineyards. Not only is it one of North Carolina’s newest wineries, it is also the closest to the shores of Lake Norman. Owners Dave and Ester DeFehr opened the winery in the fall of 2006 to produce traditional dry red and white French varietals as well as Chambourcin, a semi-sweet Traminette from a white hybrid grape based on the Gewurztraminer grape.

“The idea of growing grape varietals here, even 10 years ago, was an almost-unheard-of thought,” says Dave DeFehr. “This is an up-and-coming region that offers a very good growing season that begins in April and allows us to harvest as late as November in some years.” If you catch Dave in the winery’s new tasting room, be sure to ask him about his grandfather’s winery in Russia and how a certain grape he grows here was planted to continue the family’s wine-growing legacy.

What makes the Davesté tasting room different from most is the collection of original artwork from Ester DeFehr and the Davesté Artists. The 4-year-old guild comprised of 12 artists from across the Piedmont region shows framed and unframed work, including watercolor, oil and pastel. DeFehr says the tasting room will also host private showings and exhibitions from other area artists and sculptors. If the coziness of this new rustic, timber-framed tasting room with a three-sided porch is not enough, the artwork will be sure to capture your eye.

Marketing Manager Stevie Frye believes Davesté Vineyards is a hidden treasure for Lake Norman residents. “As the first and only winery in Iredell County, Davesté is a great place to either start or finish your wine-touring day,” she says. “We hope visitors from Charlotte as well as Lake Norman will discover our convenience and bring family and friends to explore the vineyards, trails and ponds on the property.”

National notoriety
A bit further up the road is one of North Carolina’s more nationally recognized vineyards. NASCAR Team owner Richard Childress opened Childress Vineyards in 2004 from a vision of the days when he first began racing in California and went to wineries with friends. The winery now boasts a tasting room that was recently named as a Wine Enthusiast Magazine Top 25 “Tasting Room in America.” Visitors enjoy classic, reserve or signature-level tastings in a combination of more than 30 available wines from an educated and knowledgeable staff.

In addition to the award-winning tasting room, Childress has a lot more to offer those who travel from Charlotte. Visitors enjoy daily lunch in the bistro, a relaxing Sunday brunch, banquet facilities and gift shop that even carries a special “Race Wine Collection” featuring the car numbers owned by Richard Childress.

Through the end of September, Childress Vineyards is staying open late for a special public offering. “We are keeping our doors open late on Thursday nights for the public to enjoy our ‘Wine Down Thursdays,’” says Kathleen Watson, director of marketing and public relations. “It’s a great way to unwind with music, sample wine by the glass and enjoy the setting sun on our property.”

Custom group touring
For those who prefer to kick back and experience the region through an organized touring company, Yadkin Valley Wine Tours offers regularly scheduled and custom tours to all the Yadkin Valley wineries, as well as to several of the wineries in the lower mountains. Tours leave from the Village Inn and Conference Center in Clemmons or from customized pickup locations including Charlotte and Lake Norman. John Byrd is a co-owner of the 3-year-old company and takes pride in allowing his clients to customize everything from their wine preferences to food selections and choice of transportation.

“We visit three or four wineries on our tours and learn about the history and quality of the wines that come from our state,” John Byrd explains. “It’s such a diverse experience where customers experience the history, culture and geography of the wineries. We offer a comprehensive experience that starts with information sessions en route and extends through the tours, lunch and tastings.

“At the end of the day, we hope the clients leave with more knowledge of the winemaking process, how to taste and select wine and how to properly store and serve it. Guests leave with great memories and a better knowledge of North Carolina wine and the winemaking process.”

An overnight education
Located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway at MP 246, Thistle Meadow Winery offers a wine getaway escape that is as relaxing as it is engaging. As part of their deluxe Wine Getaway Package, guests to the winery enjoy a seven-day, six-night stay at the Burgiss Farm Bed & Breakfast in Laurel Springs and participate in the actual winemaking process at this family-owned winery.

“Our guests go step-by-step through the winemaking process and actually help us make our wine right down to the bottling,” says Glen Graves, marketing director. “We believe it is a unique, exciting, hands-on experience that they typically can’t get anywhere else.” The winery is beginning its seventh year and produces a wide variety of red, white and blush wines.

Graves notes the other amenities in the package. “The stay at the bed-and-breakfast is a vacation in itself. The home has a mountain spring running right through it, plus a massive great room with a stone fireplace to compliment the mountains,” he offers. At the end of their visit, guests leave with a selection of 30 bottles of wine of their choice. Shorter stays may also be arranged.

North Carolina vines are wide in variety, and the people who grow the grapes and produce the wine are as interesting and diverse as the regions themselves. If you are the type who likes to pour, swirl, sip and savor the taste of a Tarheel wine, or if you are simply looking for an enjoyable way to spend a day, weekend or week close to home, the time to plan your grape escape is now.

Want to know more?
To learn more about the vineyards and wineries highlighted in this story, as well as any of North Carolina’s other wineries, visit the following sites:

• RayLenvineyards.com
• Daveste.com
• Childressvineyards.com
• Yadkinwinetours.com
• Thistlemeadowwinery.com
• Breakfastinn.com
• VisitNCwine.com
• NCwinegrowers.com