Childress Vinyards

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Only about a 15 min. drive from the Forest Lake RV resort in NC and right at the point where two major RV routes cross, US 64 and US 52, is a place where sheer elegance meets southern charm.  A place that is so sophisticated yet a little redneck at the same time.  This little piece of heaven that I often like to visit is Childress Vineyards.   

“Childress? Now where have I heard that name before?” You might ask.  “Wasn’t there some NASCAR driver named Childress?”  And yes you are correct.  Richard Childress the former NASCAR driver is the one that owns this beautiful place.  Right on the edge of the city known mainly for Barbeque, Lexington NC, Richard Childress bought 72 acres of land, planted a vineyard and built a winery.  Since the doors first opened in 2004 Childress Vineyards has become the most prominent wineries in the entire state of North Carolina.  Richard Childress wouldn’t settle for anything less than the best so he sought the expertise of the award winning winemaker Mike Friszolowski who has won more than 350 awards for his work.  The entire process from the grape to the bottle is done right there on the site with great precision under the direction of Mike Friszolowski.  The result is some of the best tasting wines in the world.  Notice the plural “wines”, over 30 different varieties actually.  From sparkling wines to Muscadine wines, red and white wines and though I have only tried a few I think I have already picked my favorite which is called Starbound. You can taste it for yourself at the wine tasting bar that is right inside the gift shop.  

The sheer beauty of this place kind of takes your breath away as you pass the planted vines and approach the main building which houses the winery, the reception room, the gift shop, wine tasting bar and the Bistro which is usually only opened 11am to 3pm except for special occasions like Valentine’s day and you  really have to plan ahead to book a reservation for that night. Like a year in advance. However most normal days you can get in even without a reservation.  My wife and I like to go there for our birthday which we share.  While you eat you are seated in a room with a wall of windows or out on the deck if you like overlooking the courtyard and the rolling hills of vineyard which is beautiful in every season.  Once you are done eating you are welcome to descend the stairs to the courtyard where many outdoor weddings are held, There are many nice spots scattered throughout the area to sit, relax, chat with your friends…and of course enjoy a nice glass of wine.

If you see a group forming near the front door right inside the foyer go ahead and join them because it means that another free tour of the winery is about to begin.  The guide leads you out the front door around to the lower level of the building explaining the process of harvesting the grapes along the way.  Once you reach the other side of the building you see the huge tanks where the grapes are loaded into to start the wine making process.  From there you enter into the chilled fermentation room where each tanks temperature is controlled with great precision. Next you enter into the barrel room where the aging process begins. I never knew the importance of the wooden barrels in the wine making process until the guide explained it to us in the tour. Each of these barrels can only be used once and after that they are usually recycled into other things like tables or stools. Many weddings and events have been held in this very room. Next you enter a hallway that leads along a big window where you are able to observe the bottling process.  As you look through the glass you may notice that  not all of the labels say Childress Vineyards.  That is because Childress Vineyards also bottles for many other wineries as well. In fact there are only a few wineries that have their own bottling facility on site like Childress does.  The next room is my favorite.  Many call this the “Barrel Cave” which is actually a multi-purpose room that has been used for business meetings, wedding receptions and gatherings of all sorts.  The back wall is an indoor waterfall that is lit up with the Childress Vineyards logo. A beautiful backdrop for any sort of speaker or presentation.  Then off to the left is the “Wine Vault” a room you can view but not enter.  There Richard Childress keeps his own private collection of fine wines from all over the world as well as his own vineyard.  Mr. Childress has been known to entertain some very special guests from time to time in his wine vault.  Next you enter the hallway again and proceed to the end where you enter a stairwell (an elevator is also available for guests who may have trouble ascending the stairs) all along the walls of the stairway you see awards and articles written about Childress Vineyards and who knows, you may even see this one someday. Once you reach the second level the tour comes to a close but there is another third level to this building as well.  The tour guide explains that the third level is mainly the business section where the offices are. There is also an overflow section for the Bistro on the third level that is used on occasions when needed.

The tour concludes in the foyer where you first began but you can’t leave without at least taking a look through the gift shop.   It is there in the gift shop that you will discover that Childress Vineyards is more than just about fine wine.  There you will also find various spices, sauces and seasonings that are also exclusive to Childress Vineyards.  I have to recommend the CV Classical Seasoning Blend. It goes great on all sorts of meats and vegetables and especially those hobo bundles you cook over the campfire. We have never found anything like it anywhere else.  We asked the cashier once about it and she said there are some that order it in bulk to stock up on it.  Fancy figurine corkscrews, scented candles, all kinds of seasonal things and of course all of their selections of wine you will find there  in the shop.  

The latest addition to Childress Vineyards is the new outdoor pavilion which is open on  two sides and enclosed on two sides.  This pavilion is able to be reserved for weddings and special events.  The back wall has a grand stone fireplace in the center.  The pavilion overlooks the courtyard and the pond and in the open corner is an antique winery truck out on display.  The pavilion was added because of all of those unpredictable summer rain showers that tend to pop up when one is having an outdoor wedding. 

My wife and I have really fallen in love with Childress Vineyards and we look forward to every visit.

So if you are staying at the Forest Lake Resort in Advance NC or just driving down US 64 in route to your next destination, I highly recommend you drop by Childress Vineyards for a while and I believe once you have experienced it firsthand that you will fall in love with it too.

Witten by

Don and Lisa Finch

The Camper Couple.

You can enjoy some fine food while you take in the beautiful scenery.

The rolling hills of the vineyard provide a beautiful background for those special photos.