We suggest visiting no more than four wineries in one day. Even three in an afternoon is a lot. If you view winery exploring as a quest to see as many wineries as possible in a short time, you missed the whole fun of it. You need to savor a winery, just as you savor the wine.
Take your time with a tasting. Take a tour. Leisurely have a glass of wine as you take in the vineyard, the serene and pastoral setting. Talk to the person giving the tasting. Most North Carolina wineries have been in business less than 18 years. Hear their stories. Ask who the owners are, and are they around. More often than you realize, they are sitting at the next table.
Please drink responsibly. Make sure your driver does not over-indulge, or better yet, have a designated driver, or take a limo. Some of the tastings use a measured “tasting” pour (a small gadget attached to the top of the wine bottle, which only lets a small amount of wine out), which is just enough to taste the wine. Most wineries such as Childress, Shelton, and Raffaldini, use the tasting pour. If you sample 5-6 wines with a tasting pour, you have had about a half glass of wine. Some wineries, like Six Waterpots, actually pour a small glass of wine for tasting, about 1/5th of a glass. If you sample all 18 wines and Sangrias they produce, you will have drunk 3 ½ glasses of wine. If you did this in one hour and weigh 140 pounds, you are definitely over the legal driving limit from just one winery. Think about this before you start your tour, and notice how big the pours are.
The best advice is to take a limo. Invite a whole group! You’ll have a load of fun, and the cost of the limo divided by a large number of people is relatively cheap- $50 to $100 per person. And best of all, everyone can relax and have a good time. The following limo services cater to the NC Wineries of the Yadkin Valley area: