Please click on the underlined winery names, for more specific directions.
Boone/Blowing Rock/Linville
Three great wineries, not super close to one another, but great to visit all three if you have a long afternoon (round trip from the heart of Boone, this will take 1 hour 45 mins. drivetime):
Grandfather Vineyard & Winery, located off NC Highway 105 southwest of Boone- a great place to take off your shoes and put your feet in the Watauga River, with great wines.
Banner Elk Vineyard, located near the Town of Banner Elk, with a very pastoral setting and solid wine blends.
Linville Falls Winery, located near the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Linville Falls, with great dry wines mostly from Washington State, and local sweet wines.
Asheville/Hendersonville Area
Three great wineries, varying from the large and touristy Biltmore to local vineyards with the friendly mountain folks in Hendersonville (total round trip driving from Asheville, 1 hour 15 minutes):
Biltmore Winery, located in Asheville- the most visited winery in America. You can visit the winery with no admission charge, simply bypassing the iconic house. Great tours, free tastings (although we would recommend doing at least one of the specialty wine experiences). Great history, lots of restaurants, etc.
BurntShirt Winery- located just outside of Hendersonville, this winery grows pretty much all of its own grapes on the estate, and has some of the best wines in North Carolina, with a great patio and huge shopping area for winery items.
St. Paul Mountain Vineyards- not far from BurntShirt, St. Paul has a great family history, with a wonderful tasting room, a great patio, and solid wines.
I-77 and US 421 Loop #1
Four wonderful wineries here, including everything from country setting to Italian Tuscan-like mountain views, beginning a little over 1 hour from Center City Charlotte (without traffic):
Laurel Gray Vineyards- located just off of US 421, near I-77, is the unique country setting of Laurel Gray. The tasting room used to be a dairy barn, and a great covered patio with farm views sets the mood. Several varieties of chocolate infused wine. A great, low key way to start a tour.
Shadow Springs Vineyard- just south of Laurel Gray off of Windsor Road is Shadow Springs, a solid winery with a tall tasting building, and an indoor porch overlooking the vineyard. Solid wines here as well. (Note- we do not recommend stopping at Windsor Run Cellars, with the same owners, which you will pass on the way.)
Raffaldini Vineyards- Head back north and cross US 421 to Rhonda, where you find Raffaldini- with a large Italian tasting villa high on the ridge, and a great sweeping view of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance, you will feel like you are in Tuscany! Great Italian wines with a friendly and knowledgeable staff. Not to be missed!
Piccione Vineyards- Adjacent to Raffaldini is Piccione, another great Italian themed winery, also with a brand new pavilion with great views of the Yadkin Valley and the Blue Ridge. It is unusual to have two Italian oriented wineries next door to one another, and although Piccione is much newer, it holds its own with great Italian wines.
I-77 and US 421 Loop #2
For a different twist, start with the two Italian Tuscan wineries, and end up at two places with a more country, small vineyard feel, just over 1 hour from Charlotte:
Raffaldini Vineyards- Head northwest to Rhonda, where you find Raffaldini- see description above.
Piccione Vineyards- Immediately adjacent to Raffaldini- see description above.
Midnight Magdalena Vineyards- a newer family winery located 4½ miles northeast of Raffaldini. It has a very country feel, also with a good mountain view. Great whites and some interesting dry wines.
Dobbins Creek Vineyards- southeast of Midnight Magdalena (back toward I-77), perched very high on a hill, is the country setting of Dobbins Creek. From the large knotty pine tasting room to the oversized wooden porch, you can see the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west, and the City of Winston Salem 40 miles to the east. A friendly place where no one is a stranger.