Slightly Askew

Location & Atmosphere:  Slightly Askew is located in an old house, on a main street near the center of Elkin, NC. While they do not grow any grapes on the property, it is a different type of winery, with an in-house winemaker who makes dry and sweet wines from local grapes, and grapes purchased through brokers throughout the world. Unlike vineyards where you look out over grape vines and farmland, Slightly Askew feels more like you have gone over to a friend’s house to sample their wine. Many of their wines are named after their black lab dogs.

 
The Wines:  Slightly Askew has the greatest selection of wines we have seen in a North Carolina winery, from very dry to very sweet fruit wines, most of which are excellent quality. They are some of our favorite North Carolina wines. And we consider them North Carolina wines because the grapes are crushed, blended, aged and bottled in North Carolina. For those same reasons, we consider the wines from Biltmore Estate Winery as North Carolina wines, even though they use 80% California grapes. Mitchell River White, a blend of Chardonnay and Traminette, is an interesting white with just a hint of sweetness, and the Pinot Grigio from Italian grapes was quite good, as was the Malbec made from Chilean fruit. Their Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, and local Chardonnay are all outstanding.

 
Events/ Shopping/ Other Amenities:  There are some wine oriented items for purchase, as well as their famous tee shirts.

 
Tastings & Tours:  Tastings cost $7 to sample seven wines. They have 4 dry whites, and 7 dry reds to try, as well as a slew of sweet and fruity wines. A glass of any of the wines is $7.

 
Value:  Priced between $16 and $24 per bottle, their wines are an excellent value, due to the great flavors and high quality.

 
Rating: Slightly Askew produces some of the best dry wines in North Carolina. The feeling is clearly of an old homestead in a small town, where everyone is welcome. Winemaker Walt Tayloe (in the black shirt pictured above) works wonders with both local and international grapes. The only reason we do not give this winery five stars is due to the lack of big winery amenities, like serious food offerings and a porch to overlook the vineyard. But for a friendly, down-home feeling experience of fabulous wines in a relaxed setting, Slightly Askew may be the best there is.