JOLO Vineyards

Location & Atmosphere: JOLO is located in Pilot Mountain, near Mount Airy, north of Winston-Salem. It was established in 2010, on a beautiful piece of property, which views Pilot Mountain. Upon nearing the building, you notice a typical paved parking lot, only to learn that it is for wine club members only. Non-members must park in a narrow gravel lot at the bottom of a steep hill. If you are there on a busy weekend, as we were, you may have trouble backing out of the narrow lot. We were not off to a good start.
The Wines: The wines available for tasting and purchase include Chambourcin (they call it JOLO Pink, as well as Crimson Creek red), Golden Hollows (blend of Vidal Blanc and Traminette), and JOLOTAGE, which is a blend of various reds. There is a Cynthiana wine called Pilot Fog, which is only available to wine club members. Some of the wines are on the sweet side. Also, they apparently do not produce more mainstream varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay.
Tastings & Tours: The tastings lodge is open Thursday through Sunday. The tasting format is a bit unusual, since five glasses are set out at every place setting for a tasting. It was very elegant. However, we were a bit put off by the people conducting the tastings, who pushed bottle purchases and tips. We concluded they must be on commission for each bottle sold. The tasting is $15 to taste 7 wines. Tours are offered, which we did not take.
Shopping & Other Amenities: The End Posts restaurant, in the middle of the tasting lodge, is open Thursday through Sunday for lunch only, with a large variety of small plates. The property has a large deck with a nice view of rolling hills and the vineyard, which is a great place to enjoy a glass of wine, and would make a great wedding venue. There is also a cute small honeymoon cabin on the property. However, there was no shopping or availability to purchase anything other than restaurant food or wine.

 
Value: JOLO wine is somewhat pricey for the value of the wines, which are good to very good, but cost from $25 to $45 per bottle. Likewise, the tastings are a bit steep at $15 for 7 wines. They really do push the wine clubs, which has four levels of membership costing between $300 and $5,000 per year. With the basic membership, you receive 12 bottles of wine and other perks; for the most expensive level, you get to blend your own wine.
Rating: We struggled to give JOLO a four-star rating. The setting is beautiful, with great views, and a large deck and a nice tasting lodge. But they need to drop the “sales” emphasis, and make everyone feel welcome, beginning with the parking lot.