Our Grand Cru wine tours are for wine drinkers who want to delve deeper into the high quality of wine being produced in the Yadkin Valley. Each tour features limited production and reserve wines along with gourmet food pairings plus dessert pairing. This is a tour for anyone who wants to try the best wines in the Yadkin Valley.
You can opt for the following style of tours:
- Progressive – Mix of wine styles that progress from rosé to white to red.
- White – All white style wines like Chardonnay, Viognier and Vermentino.
- Red – All red style wines like Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc & Chambourcin.
- Sparkling – Mix of sparkling and dry rosé style wines.
This tour consists of several varieties of wine from whites, sparklings to reds. Types of grapes may include: Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Tannat & Sangiovese.
There are no set departure dates for this tour, it is offered as a private wine tour. Please indicate your wine preferences when registering.
- Fun Breakfast & Wine Pairing
- Curated Wine at 3 Vineyards, 1 Glass of Wine at Each
- Reserve Tasting at Jones Von Drehle Vineyards
- Gourmet Food Pairings at 3 Vineyards. Possible Pairings Include: Charcuterie Board, Duck Empanadas, Chicken BBQ Sliders, Bacon Wraped Dates & More
- Additional Dessert Pairing
- Knowledgeable NC Wine Gal Guide
- Transportation in Comfy 15 Passenger Ford Transit Van
- All day snacks and waters
- Pickup in Uptown Charlotte/NoDa/Plaza Midwood (Private Pickup Available for Some Locations at No Additional Charge)
- Sometimes Harry the Wine Dorkie
Here is a partial list of vineyards you may see on this tour along with the wines. All tours will include up to 4 of these vineyards.
- Piccione – A boutique vineyard known for their Italian style wines and one of the best views in the Yadkin Valley. Featured Wine(s) on Tour: 2020 Rospira Sparkling Rosé
- Midnight Magdalena – A boutique vineyard smack in the middle of the valley, serves up some bold & delicious options. Featured Wine(s) on Tour: 2020 Petit Verdot
- Raffaldini – This is perhaps one of the Carolina’s prettiest vineyards, Raffaldini. Raffaldini makes excellent Italian wines and have been doing so for a couple decades. Featured Wine(s) on Tour: 2019 Auguri (sparkling white) or 2019 Il Falco (Montepulciano, Petit Verdot & Sagrantino Red Blend)
- Cellar 4201 – A boutique vineyard making limited production wines who excell in red varietals such as Sangiovese & Cabernet Sauvignon. Featured Wine(s) on Tour: French Oak Aged Red Blends: Warrior or Cherokee Red
- Stoney Knoll – This 7th generation former tobacco farm makes some of the best Viognier around. This is a great (relatively unknown) boutique vineyard open only Thursday to Saturday. Featured Wine(s) on Tour: Viognier
- Jones Von Drehle – Located in the upper Yadkin Valley AVA, this vineyard has some of the best bottles of wine around. While we love most of their wines, we really love their Petit Verdot (red) and Petit Manseng (white). Featured Wine(s) on Tour: Reserve Tasting
- Shelton Vineyards – 90 minutes from Charlotte, Shelton has a littany of delicious wines. We prefer their Tannat, a French grape that packs a intense punch. Featured Wine(s) on Tour: 2017 2 5 9 Tannat
- Brandon Hills – A small vineyard on less than 10 acres, they have a couple of red wines that are settling themselves up as serious wine makers. Featured Wine(s) on Tour: 2017 Raptor Red Reserve
- Laurel Gray – One of NC’s oldest vineyards, Laurel Gray has some mouth watering wines, which win awards and lots of them. That’s why it’s one of our favorites and is included on this tour. Featured Wine(s) on Tour: Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
Pricing + More Info
This tour is $199 per person and is offered as a private tour.
The tour starts at 10 am on Thursday/Fridays/Saturdays and 10:30 am on Sundays and last until 6:00/6:30 pm.
This is a very social tour consisting of 6 – 10 wine wanderers.
Pick-up varies, either Uptown or in NoDa neighborhood. Private groups can choose pick up location.
FAQs
What wines will I try on the Grand Cru Food & Wine Tour ? This tour represents the best of the best (in our opinion) of wine in the Yadkin Valley. We have handpicked vineyards making some truly excellent bottles of wine and the tour is about bringing serious wine drinkers to these vineyards.
Will there be sweet wine on this tour? No, this tour focuses on varietals not known for their sweetness.
What do I get for this price? This tour is slightly different than other tours. We are trying premium and reserve wines at select vineyards, some with limited productions. The quality of wine being consumed is amped up on this tour with many reserve bottles being served. We are also featuring the reserve tasting at Jones Von Drehle, a sample of 6 of their best wines.
In addition to curated wine, there will be gourmet food pairings at 3 vineyards.
Your driver/guide is a NC Wine Gal who has done extensive research in Yadkin Valley to find the absolutely best bottles of wine at each vineyard.
Where do we meet the tour? We have several pick up locations, one in Uptown and one in NoDa. Private pickup is included if within 10 miles of Uptown or along the I-77 corridor.
What time do we meet? We meet at 10 am on Thursdays/Fridays/Saturdays and 10:30 am on Sundays.
How large are the groups? We take 6 -10 people on our tours.
How far are the vineyards? Most vineyards we visit are 75 to 90 minutes from Charlotte.
How much wine are we consuming? We will be providing a fun breakfast and wine paring before we begin, curated bottles of wine at 3 vineyards (5 ppl = 1 bottle) and a full reserve tasting at Jones Von Drehle. We are estimating 5+ glasses of wine for the tour.
Do you have to only drink what is provided on the tour? Absolutely not. While we include over 5 glasses of wine & a full tasting, you are welcome to seek out more wine as long as it falls within our length of stay. You are also encouraged to buy bottles you like, as many only sell their wines at the vineyard.
What are we eating on this tour? Will I be hungry when we finish? We have amped up the menu for the Grand Cru Food & Wine Tour. We are working with local NoDa restaurant Artisan’s Palate to cater the perfect gourmet menu. This will include paring options such as charcuterie boards, bacon wrapped dates, BBQ chicken sliders and Thai-Style meatballs. Plus, we have a special dessert option to accompany one of our stops.
What if I am a vegetarian? No problem, we can make substitutions with some of our menu offerings. We will try and accommodate you to the best of our ability. Please contact us directly if you have any special dietary restrictions that would hinder your fun.
What if I don’t eat beef or pork? Please let us know if you have a dietary restriction. We are able to substitute chicken or turkey in place of some of our food pairings.
How long are we staying at each vineyard? We are estimating a stay of 60 minutes at each vineyard which is enough time to eat and enjoy the wine an an occasional additional bottle.
What is the cancellation policy? No refunds are given within 72 hours of the wine tour date.
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DepartureCharlotte
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Departure Time10am & 10:30am
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Return Time6:00pm
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IncludedBreakfast & Wine PairingHand Picked Wine at 3 Vineyards, About 1 Glass at EachReserve Tasting at Jones Von Drehle Vineyards3 Gourmet Food PairingsAdditional Dessert PairingA NC Wine Gal GuideComfy Transportation in Ford Transit 350XL VanVan Waters & SnacksPickup from Tour Location (Uptown/NoDa/Plaza Midwood)Private Pickup AvailableSometimes Harry the Wine Dorkie
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Not IncludedGratuities for guides/driversFood outside what is indicated