Local Flavors at Yadkin Valley Wineries

Shelton Vineyards

Fall colors will be on display this fall throughout western North Carolina. Just west of the Blue Ridge Parkway, visitors can enjoy the view along a wine-tasting trail that meanders through much of North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley wine country.

The Surry County Wine Trail highlights 15 wineries in and around Surry County, along with five breweries and distilleries. An available trail map simplifies the experience of spending a day or two tasting wines and touring vineyards.

The map provides a geographical overview of the tasting rooms listed, as well as addresses for use in GPS devices, phone numbers and websites for all stops on the trail. The trail brochure details the varieties of grapes grown in the Yadkin Valley, along with information about lodging in wine country and a listing of annual events.

The wineries appreciate the trail maps as well, and offer them to visitors who may not know about the brochure. 

“Maybe people came to see us because of a recommendation from one of our neighbors, and then we’ll recommend another neighbor,” says Tim Wahl, winemaker and co-owner of Adagio Vineyards in Elkin. “That’s something you don’t always get in other states, where there can be an hour between wineries. People really like to visit three or four within a day.”

Wahl likes the fact that visitors receive an up close and personal experience while visiting wineries in Surry County. “The personal stories behind the wineries are interesting,” Wahl says. “We try to be there in person to give them a tour of the production facility and go through, step by step, how we make the wines and let them know why our wineries are unique.”

Getting on the Wine Trail

The Surry County Wine Trail flows in and around the towns of Dobson, Elkin, Mount Airy and Pilot Mountain. It is easily accessible via Interstate 77, Interstate 74, U.S. Hwy. 421, U.S. Hwy. 52 and a number of state and secondary routes.

To request a free map by mail, or to download a copy, visit YadkinValleyNC.com. For more information, call the Surry County Visitors Center at 800-948-0949. 

Viticulture Milestone

This year marks a 15-year milestone for the Yadkin Valley. It became North Carolina’s first federally designated American Viticultural Area in 2003 thanks to the efforts of owners Charlie and Ed Shelton of Shelton Vineyards in Surry County (viticulture is the cultivation of grapevines).