Saturday, November 8, 2014

North Carolina Winery/Brewery Shines in Mount Airy

By Jennifer Primrose | Nov 8, 2014
Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown


North Carolina boasts some wonderful day trips and our day trip to Mount Airy did not disappoint as we discovered two great wineries that we plan to visit again in the future. 

Read about our first stop at JOLO Winery & Vineyards here.

After visiting “Mayberry” for a bit we headed over to Round Peak Vineyards, just minutes from Mount Airy. Little did we know, or perhaps Dathan knew, that Skull Camp Brewing was part of Round Peak’s establishment.  His face lit up knowing he would not only be able to sample some wine, but also beer.

When we arrived, the place was crowded with a group of 20 or so visitors placing their orders for both wine samples and flights of beer as they headed directly outside to the patio area overlooking the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As we patiently waited for the crowd to place their orders and retreat, we took our time scanning the wine and beer list while watching Michigan State football on the flat screen.

             Round Peak Vineyards, along with Skull Camp Winery/Brewery is located in Mount Airy, NC

Wine samples were $1 a pour – which included both Round Peak and Skull Camp’s repertoire. We found the Round Peak wines to be pleasant, aged in both French and Italian barrels. Skull Camp Winery describes their wines as “fun semi-dry wines” with names such as Anticipation, Indulgence, Dedication, Flirtation and Infatuation. We tried a rosé named Confusion as well as Infatuation, a red dessert wine. Both wines were good and not overly sweet.

Next we decided on a flight of beer to split. The beer samples range from $1.25 to $1.50 for 3 oz. pours. We tried all five they had to offer with Dathan’s favorite being the Knuckle Dragger, a Double India Pale Ale.

Overall, we had a great experience at Round Peak/Skull Camp Winery. When visiting wineries, I not only base my opinion on the wines but also the atmosphere and service. I have to say, when we first walked in and saw so many people crowded around the bar, I was a little concerned. However, the staff promptly had everyone served as they all shuffled outside with their libations and left a near empty tasting room for ourselves.

Following our tasting, we walked around the grounds to check out the area. They have a great patio area out back overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains, and a couple of cabins for rent that I am curious to check out sometime. They are pet and RV friendly. Before leaving we picked up our his-and-hers Skull Camp T-shirts. They also sell pint glasses and tulips in addition to their wines and growlers of beer.

The question of the day ... Will we be back?  Yes! We look forward to another trip to Mount Airy to visit JOLO, Round Peak and hopefully some new discoveries the next time we return.