A VISIT TO A NORTH CAROLINA WINERY

We took a short drive down I-77 to Dobson, North Carolina to tour the Shelton Vineyards and winery.  Prior to the 1990's there were no wineries in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.  Two brothers, Charles and Ed Shelton, who were natives of Mt. Airy, wanted to give back to their community.  They first purchased a dairy farm and then bought several adjacent tobacco farms, planting their first vines in 1999.  The clay loam soil of the Yadkin Valley is ideal for growing European varietals such as merlot, cabernet franc, chardonnay, tannat and riesling grapes.  Our guide said that the soil retains moisture so they rarely have to use irrigation techniques.  The local tourist pamphlets tout the Yadkin Valley as the Napa of the East.

There are vines planted all along the picturesque main driveway leading in from the road.  Our tour guide explained that the rose bushes are used as a barometer of possible insect or mold infestations on the vines.  If there is a problem with a rose bush, they inspect the vines carefully to identify the problem and be sure it doesn't affect the vines and most importantly, the grapes.

The Shelton Vineyards have many serene areas for having a picnic on their grounds.  You can see several picnic areas along a meandering stream with a small pond.

The front entrance is impressive as well.  Their logo, concrete square at Paul's feet, is an interlocking design of five "S's"; one for each of the two brothers' five children.  These brothers were very family oriented.  Several of the reserve wines are labeled "two-five-nine" which stands for two brothers, five children, and nine grandchildren. 

We enjoyed our tour of this modern and very clean winery.  We also enjoyed sampling about a half dozen of their wines.  We were both fond of the Madison Lee White and the Estate Cabernet Franc.

Crushing season is in late August while we are still in Virginia.  We hope to return to see the winery in full operational mode.