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Charlie & Debbie

Gotta Visit This North Carolina Vineyard

Author Charlie & Debbie

I was driving back from Myrtle Beach yesterday afternoon. After a whirlwind visit to the coast moving my son from one living arrangement to another as we try to get him out of college, my mind was wandering behind the wheel. Summer’s coming to an end soon. Fall will be here. There’s two things I love to do in the fall: watch football and visit breweries/distilleries/vineyards. I was making a mental list of the vineyards we’ve been to that I’d like to see again. Then, no sooner did I get home than I came across mention of Parker Binns Vineyards in Mill Spring, North Carolina. Just when I thought I’d been to every vineyard between Charlotte and the mountains, one pops up that I’ve not only not visited, but is on the list of “How did I miss this?!”

The 411 On Parker Binns Vineyard

85 miles west of Charlotte and 45 miles southeast of Ashville lies the Parker Binns Vineyard on 40 acres in Mill Spring, North Carolina. It was founded by Bob and Karen Binns. Their story is detailed on the Vineyard’s website. After only a couple of years of retirement, we were bored and needed inspiration. With our background in the food and beverage industry, we decided that we wanted to be part of the emerging East Coast wine industry. We searched up and down the region and finally found what we felt was the perfect parcel, 10 acres in the Tryon Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Binns’ daughter, Kelly has joined the business, and their grandson Cory (and his family) will soon be a part of this family venture as well.

What’s Available At The Parker Binns Vineyard

I must say there is a much larger than usual selection of wines of all varieties at The Parker Binns Vineyard, but what sets it apart to me is the food selection. I mean, you can’t really enjoy a good wine unless you’re able to pair it with a light snack or charcuterie board, right? Well, they’ve got you covered at PBV with a relish menu that includes light meals, shareables and charcuterie.

I’m telling you, fall can’t get here fast enough and Parker Binns Vineyard, me and my crew are coming! If you can’t wait for fall, here are the summer hours of operation.

Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.

List: The Top 20 North Carolina Wineries And Their Best Wine

If you know me you know I love a good glass of wine. And going to wineries and tastings is a great way to spend an afternoon. While North Carolina isn’t exactly known for our wine the way California, Oregon, and even Virginia are it doesn’t mean North Carolina doesn’t have some great wineries to check out. But knowing where to start can be hard, especially if you’re just a casual wine drinker.

Well, you’re in luck, the dating reviews website MyDatingAdvisor.com ranked the best wineries across the country and that includes the top 20 of North Carolina’s more than 100 wineries. Yes, you read that right North Carolina is home to more than 100 wineries. North Carolina is known for its muscadine grapes, particularly the scuppernong variety. And while a lot of NC wine, especially near the coast, is muscadine there is still a good variety!

The North Carolina “wine country” is divided into five sections the mountains, piedmont, Yadkin Valley, coast, and Haw River Valley. I’ve been to several of the ones in NC mainly in the Yadkin Valley and the Mountains. And while the coast is known for the muscadine, the Haw River is known for its hybrid grape varieties. These include Chambourcin, Seyval Blanc, and Vidal Blanc.

But what makes a winery “the best”. Obviously, to a degree it’s opinion. Something that I love others might hate, as well as the reverse.

However, the metrics used in this are the following:

This study took the winery quality, popularity, and things to do into account. The analysis was across six key metrics of winery perfection: 1) TripAdvisor rating, 2) Google reviews rating, 3) Number of TripAdvisor reviews, 4) Number of Google reviews, 5) Number of restaurants within 3 miles, and 6) Number of attractions within 6 miles.

They ranked each winery according to a ‘‘Winery Index Score.’ This value represents the quality of the winery experience that you can have there.

List: The Top 20 North Carolina Wineries

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