Childress Vineyards

An easy stop after a visit to Lexington (http://www.lexingtonnc.net/), Childress Vineyards (http://www.childressvineyards.com/home.asp) boasts a nationally recognized tasting room and some nice vineyards. The rows of grapes are labeled so visitors can see which types of grapes are on the vines. The people at Childress support the state's wine industry by sharing facilities and bottling equipment with other local wineries and vineyards.

They even have a Holiday Inn Express (http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/) on site for people who want to make a weekend out of wine tasting. There are some other nearby wineries, so Childress can make a good home base for an NC wine road trip.

Check out Mike Helsabeck's gallery and North Carolina wine shop (http://www.mikehelsabeck.com/) in The Shoppes at Vineyards Crossing (on the Childress property). See Mike's artwork (and that of other local artists) and taste a few North Carolina wines. He features different ones each day as well as some of his own wines. On weekends, he brings in wine makers from other North Carolina wineries to do free tastings. He is quite knowledgeable about North Carolina wines and has a huge selection of wines from all over the state.

On the way to Childress Vineyards, don't forget to check out some Lexington barbecue. There are a lot of great restaurants featuring this local treat. The Barbecue Center (http://www.barbecuecenter.com/) has tasty barbecue, kids meals, sweet treats, etc. for reasonable prices!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! NC Winery Count: 30