RayLen Vineyards & Winery

Located just off of I-40, midway between Statesville and Winston-Salem (in Mocksville, NC), is RayLen, a great winery started by Joe and Joyce Neely, with excellent wines. You enter through gently rolling hills of vines until you see the large villa building, where tastings are conducted, and a 4,000 square foot covered pavilion, which is a great setting for weddings and events.

RayLen’s red blend “Category 5,” using the image of a hurricane, may be one of the best North Carolina wines we have tasted. It is a blend of the five red wines grown on the property, but predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon. The bouquet (or initial scent of the wine) is outstanding. Another great choice is the Carolinius, which is a blend emphasizing the Merlot. RayLen’s wines have a hint of raw tobacco, or some people say a leathery, flavor. All are rich in flavor, with great fruit. Most of their wines, including their Barrel Chardonnay, we rate as excellent, and the remainder are rated as very good.
We were allowed to try a sample of the limited edition 2016 bourbon barrel cabernet, which was aged in bourbon barrels, and had a touch of the bourbon flavor. We would encourage RayLen to make a bourbon barrel red wine part of their regular offerings.

The Tastings & Tours: While we have not gone on a tour of the vineyard, the tastings are wonderful, with knowledgeable folks explaining the various wines. They have a great and simple wine club- you purchase a case of wine (mix & match is fine), and you receive 10% off of the case. You are then a member of the wine club, and for the next year every time you visit, you receive a free tasting or glass of wine, plus 20% all of your case purchases.

Other Amenities: The shopping for wine related gifts is minimal, and possibly the only real negative of the experience. We would recommend that they offer a lot more interesting items for purchase, including some packaged foods. They have two great areas for drinking wine- what they call the small barrel room, which is surrounded by huge oak barrels of wine, and a great outdoor terrace, with wrought iron tables, and many soft covered couches and tables, which are immediately adjacent to the vineyard, bursting with grapes in the summer and fall. Both of these are pleasant and enjoyable venues for sampling the delicious wines.

Unusual Facts: You will notice solar panels in various parts of the vineyard. RayLen Vineyards actually produces more energy than it uses, selling the extra power back to the grid.

The winery was named for the Neely’s daughters, a combination of Rachel and

Rating: RayLen produces some of the best wines in North Carolina. That, combined with the wonderful venue for relaxing and drinking a nice glass of wine, clearly rates RayLen as a five- star winery not to be missed.