Visiting Childress Vineyards in North Carolina – What To Expect & Best Wines

A few weeks ago, a few of my girlfriends and I decided to venture to a beautiful vineyard in North Carolina named Childress Vineyards. North Carolina is truly a hidden gem when it comes to wine production. North Carolina is divided into three separate regions. These are the Mountain & Foothills, Piedmont, and the Coastal Plains. Childress Vineyards is located in Lexington, NC, which is in the Coastal wine region or Yadkin Valley AVA – an American Viticultural Area.

NASCAR champion Richard Childress is the owner of this beautiful estate. Most of the grapes for the wines produced at Childress are grown on the vineyard or are purchased by local farmers in the region. Childress Vineyards is the perfect destination for all wine lovers, regardless if you enjoy dry, semi-sweet, or sweet wine varieties. Continue reading as I share inspiration on how to plan the perfect afternoon at Childress along with some of my favorite wine picks from our visit.

Location & Planning Your Visit

Childress Vineyards is around a 50-60 minute drive north from Charlotte, NC. The estate stands out on its own in a tranquil valley, with views of beautiful rolling hills of wine vines. There are many tasting options offered at Childress. You can explore daily walk-up stations in the lobby terrace area, a gift store shopping area, and a guided tasting in the lounge area. If you’re looking for a memorable experience, I recommend spending the extra money and booking the Luxe Wine Tasting.

The Luxe Wine tasting is mostly reservation only, and is hosted in the lounge area. I recommend avoiding Saturdays since this seems to be their busiest day, which can detract from the overall experience. All other wine tastings at Childress are self-guided, but with the Luxe wine tasting includes a local wine guide who can educate and answer questions about each wine throughout the tasting. Our favorite wine expert at this vineyard is Olga. She is absolutely amazing and highly knowledgable regarding each grape variety, wine, and food pairings.

Should you choose to book the Luxe wine tasting, this experience can accommodate both sweet and dry palates. To compliment your wine tasting, you will also have the option to purchase food add-ons such as chocolate, cheese, meat or crackers. The Luxe Wine Tasting includes a piece of chocolate to compliment the red wine pairing towards the end of the tasting.

Following your wine tasting, I recommend booking a tour of the vineyard, prior to having lunch. One of my favorite features about Childress is the separate dining area called The Bistro. Every meal my friends and I have enjoyed here is wonderful! You can enjoy your meal indoors or outside. The service is quick and the staff is very friendly.

One callout I would like to make is although this vineyard is located in Yadkin Valley, it is not very close to any of the other vineyards in Yadkin Valley. You will not find another vineyard in close driving distance for at least another 30 minutes. So I recommend making this a full day visit to truly take in the property, amenities, and shopping. After enjoying a filling meal, why not swing back by their terrace counter and order a wine slushy for dessert? They have a nice variety of slushy flavors or you can satisfy your sweet tooth with one of their many truffles! Childress Vineyards is truly a relaxing destination out in the country that should be taken in, and enjoyed without rushing.

TikTok Overall Recommendation Summary Video:

My Favorite Wine From Spring 2022

Everyone’s palate is different, but I would say I am a bit more on the citrus and dry side. My top three favorite wines to purchase at this vineyard are as follows:

Favorite Red Wine: Devil’s Tribute

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Beautiful bright, ruby red color with little to no hints of brown
• Nose: Cherry with hints of vanilla
• Palate / Taste: Smooth. Very cherry forward tasting, soft hints of plum, with balance hints of earthy spice

The name of this wine is not my favorite lol, but the flavors absolutely are! If you’re a dry wine fan who enjoys cherry notes and whiskey, this is the wine for you! This blend is bold, aged in whiskey barrels, along an ALC of 15.9%!

Favorite White Wine: Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 20

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Soft yellow, with hints of green
• Nose: Citrus, green apple, earthy
• Palate / Taste: Grapefruit and grassy notes, hints of peach and lime, yet not too acidic

If you enjoy light, crisp, dry white wines with citrus notes and a clean finish, this is my current favorite at Childress Vineyards.

Favorite Rosé: Three Rosé

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Light blush pink with a slight peach hue
• Nose: Light fruit, strawberry, does not have a strong aroma
• Palate / Taste: Strawberry, raspberry, and floral

Rosé is one of my favorite wines, yet it’s often hard to find a good one with character. Some rosé wines are too sweet, flat or lack depth. However, I found this rosé to be unique in flavor, not too sweet and not too dry. Perfect for a lovely spring afternoon!

I hope you have the opportunity to visit this beautiful vineyard next time you’re in North Carolina! If you’ve been to Childress Vineyards before, what was your favorite wine? Let me know in the comments below!