Carolina Wine Country Comes Into Its Own
The rolling vineyards of the Yadkin Valley have quietly matured into a serious wine region, complete with the tasting rooms and inns to match.
Mention Carolina wine and you may still draw a smirk. The vintners of the Yadkin Valley have grown used to proving skeptics wrong.
A region matures
The rolling foothills of the Yadkin Valley have developed into a genuine wine region, their soils and climate suited to varietals that thrive in the mid-Atlantic. The wines have earned real recognition, and the region has the tasting rooms, restaurants and inns to support a proper visit.
The Tuscan comparison
Visitors often reach for European analogies, charmed by the landscape of vine-covered hills and stone tasting rooms.
The vintners themselves prefer to be judged on their own terms — as a New World region still discovering its identity.
For the traveler, the valley offers the pleasures of wine country without the crowds or prices of its famous cousins, a Carolina secret still early enough to feel like a discovery.
Related Stories
A Nor'easter Closes N.C. 12 at Pea Island and Disrupts Ferries
High tide breached the dunes near the Pea Island Visitor Center on September 24, closing the road between the Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe as crews braced for more of the same.
Mountain State Fair Draws 153,260 Over 10 Days
The fair in Fletcher wrapped up September 20 with new rides, a butterfly experience, calf births and a food drive that put more than 18,000 meals on the table.
Bridgeman Rallies With a 61 to Win Asheville's First PGA Tour Event Since 1942
Trailing by five shots on Sunday, Jacob Bridgeman shot a bogey-free 61 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove to win the inaugural Biltmore Championship at 26 under.