The 7 top views of North Carolina's Swan Creek wineries

North Carolina's Swan Creek AVA located in the heart of Yadkin Valley is home to 7 different wineries. Visiting the wineries you can find anything from award-winning cabernet sauvignon wines to moonshine. You can taste rare hybrid grapes such as the corot noir or sample a wine that tastes like a liquid Tootsie Roll pop. And all of them are surrounded by scenic views of the valley. 

We have decided to rank these 7 wineries by their views, according to Triangle Around Town, and put together our "Seven Top Views of N.C.'s Swan Creek Wineries." Each one of these are worth checking out your next time in Yadkin Valley.

7. WINDSOR RUN CELLARS | 6531 Windsor Road, Hamptonville
Driving up to Windsor Run Cellars, you see what you're expected to see ... grapes ... and not much else. But don't let that fool you in the slightest. Step inside and you get great hospitality from any one of its employees. You can find yourself going through a tasting of all its wines, and if that isn't enough, Windsor Run Cellars also offers a tasting flight of all its fortified wines (don't miss out on the Midnight Run ... it's one of our favorites). And if that's not enough, stop by on a Saturday when you can head over into the distillery for a tour and tasting of its 3 brand new spirits.

6. MIDNIGHT MAGDELANA | 5109 Howell School Road, Jonesville
We always enjoy talking to owners Jim and Tauny Zimmer at Midnight Magdelana each time we're in the valley. You don't see many grapes growing as you approach the tasting room – they're all across the street. But the couple are planting grapes currently and in several years, the rows of vines will blend beautifully with the mountain side that lies just behind the tasting room. Come here to check out the corot noir – the only winery in the state growing this red wine.

5. DOBBINS CREEK | 4430 Vineyard View Lane, Hamptonville
Dobbins Creek offers up a nice view of its property and vines while sitting on a wooden deck enjoying a bottle of wine. Owner Charles King's winery serves up a variety of wines to sample which include a riesling, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay. On picture perfect days one can see in the distance the high-rises of downtown Winston-Salem on one side and the silhouette of Grandfather Mountain on the other.

4. SHADOW SPRINGS VINEYARD | 5543 Crater Road, Hamptonville
You can't ask for much more if you're looking to enjoy wine on a perfect day out in Yadkin Valley. Shadow Springs pretty much has it all. Nice green grass. Rows and rows of vines. A gazebo overlooking a lake. All you need now is some wine – and Shadow Springs can help you out with that. On a nice sunny day, its seyval blanc really hits the spot. Outside on a fall evening ... the 2014 petit verdot will warm you up.

3. LAUREL GRAY VINEYARD | 5726 Old U.S. 421, Hamptonville
You always get a picturesque view when you head over to Laurel Gray Vineyards. Walking up to the tasting room, one is taken back by all the rose bushes and flowers that line around the building, making it very inviting. Take a bottle or glass out back and relax in the new enclosed patio, or make your way outside and sit in one of the many chairs that overlook vines, a small lake with a fountain or the mountain that lays right behind the winery. The outdoor patio is lined with ceiling fans for those warm afternoons and has a fireplace for the chilly autumn evenings. 

2. RAFFALDINI VINEYARDS | 450 Groce Road, Ronda
What's more amazing than driving up the path to Raffaldini Vineyards and seeing a breathtaking glance of an Italian villa where award-winning Italian wines can be found? Not much! From walking through the garden en route to the front door of this winery, you feel like you left the real world behind – at least for an hour or two. Decide to sit upstairs on the veranda or out on the patio around the water fountain and enjoy views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Owner Jay Raffaldini knows a travel destination is needed here in wine country and hopes to bring it here with these views, as well as a new restaurant and inn coming soon on the property. There's not much that can beat these views.

1. PICCIONE VINEYARDS | 2364 Cedar Forest Road, Ronda
We just said not much can beat the view from Raffaldini – but there is one. And that's our No. 1 view of Swan Creek – Piccione Vineyards. Elevated just slightly higher and Raffaldini and right next door, this winery has the best view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and on a clear day, you can see Mount Mitchell, which resides 6,684 feet in the blue skies. Take a bottle outside and just enjoy the views, and take lots of selfies. We always do. The winery hosts food trucks and local musicians on the weekends that only add to your temporal bliss for the afternoon. 

We hope you enjoyed our list. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more adventures and to keep up with our upcoming blogs on North Carolina wine, beer and travel.