Once a bustling town steeped in the textiles industry, Elkin has pivoted to become the premiere wine hub in North Carolin’s most popular viticultural region, the Yadkin Valley AVA. We were fortunate enough to spend a weekend in Elkin with friends a few weeks ago and highly recommend this area for the budding oenophiles among our readership.
Begin your adventure in Elkin by taking a ride on the Elkin Vine Line. This locally-owned driving service launched in 2020 by a husband and wife team. They offer five different routes or ‘lines’ that connect four wineries each. The Green Line, which we opted to hop on, takes you to the southern Swan Creek wineries, a Blue Line ranges further to the southeast, the Gold Line winds its way east, a Purple Line heads north to the wineries near the base of the Blue Ridge, and the Red Line visits the wineries closest to Elkin. Each line budgets about an hour at each of the wineries with a break for lunch making for a full day.
Elkin Vine Line: Green Line
Before you hop on the Elkin Vine Line, we recommend grabbing a bite at the Yellow Door Cafe, conveniently located across the street from the Welcome Center and the pickup location for the Vine Line. This small cafe has fantastic charm, great food, and friendly staff. We recommend the chicken and waffles or the Sunrise Plate. If you are not a fan of breakfast, they start serving lunch items at 9 am on Fridays and Saturdays for their brunch special.
After a short drive out of Elkin, the first stop of the day is Raffaldini Vineyards. From the Tuscan building and the dry-style Italian wines, you will feel transported to Italy. The view from this winery is breathtaking, and if you enjoy dry reds, you will not be disappointed.
The lunch spot for the Green Line is Shiloh General Store. This Amish country and general store takes you back in time and reminds you of your childhood with old-school candies and sodas. The deli offers handmade sandwiches and chips at a great price to help you sober up a bit before heading off to the second winery on the Elkin Vine Line.
Winery number two is Shadow Springs Vineyard. This eleven-acre winery offers something for everyone, and the staff ensures that you feel like family the moment you enter the door. Our favorites included the award-winning Meritage–a Bordeaux blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Petit Verdot–and the French Kiss, a 50/50 blend of the Dark Shadow (a red blend infused with chocolate) and Shortcake (a wine made from NC strawberries) wines resulting in a chocolate-covered strawberry drink.
Next up is Laurel Gray Vineyards, a winery steeped in history. The winery sits atop land gifted to the Myers family in the 1770s by King George and Queen Charlotte of England. The land has been farmed by the same family for 10 generations and now their farming efforts focus on sustainability. The grape skins are composted to provide healthy soil, Purple Martin houses are placed near the scenic pond to provide pest protection and wildlife habitat. Laurel Gray’s wines also focus on drier reds with our favorite being a bourbon barrel version of their Merlot.
The finale of the tour is Piccione Vineyards, a winery with Sicilian roots and spectacular views of the surrounding valley and foothills. In the fall, they also offer a mulled cider and have live music most weekends. By this point, we were sufficiently tipsy from a full day of wine tastings, so the details on this one are a little hazy. You’ll just have to visit and see for yourself!
To end our day we decided to have dinner at Angry Troll Brewing. Housed in a renovated warehouse on Main Street, this brewery has become a staple in the community and caters to locals and tourists alike. Offering homestyle wings, burgers, and piles of nachos and fried pickles, there are ample “vittles” here to help you soak up all the wine from your day’s ride.
The Day After…
Assuming you spent the night (no driving home after a day on the Elkin Vine Line!) and aren’t completely hung over the next morning, consider taking a hike out to Carter Falls. Although you can drive directly out to the falls parking lot, we recommend starting at (you guessed it) a vineyard–Grassy Creek Vineyard and Winery. The four-mile out-and-back trail leads you on a magical journey through towering pines and whimsical gnome homes, ending at a 50-foot series of upper and lower falls on the Wilkes County side of Elkin.
No matter how you spend your time in Elkin, you are sure to find welcoming people, great wine and beer, and tasty food!