Stonefield Cellars

You might expect visiting a North Carolina vineyard and winery in the middle of one of the coldest and snowiest winters in recorded history would be a chilly experience. Not so; not when the location is Stonefield Cellars in Stokesdale.

Stonefiled is deceptively close to the cities of the Piedmont Triad. An easy 15 to 20 minute drive from Greensboro on north NC Hwy 68 guides you through a stretch of wooded road that belies its proximity to larger cities. It takes a keen eye to notice the winery from the highway. From the road, it looks like a large farm building with an adjacent house and chicken coop. Upon closer inspection though, you’ll notice signage that leads you to a building that appears larger inside than out. There is a generous porch adjacent to the front door that features seating and a pathway to some of the vineyard.
The welcome is warm, and the facility is fascinating to explore. We arrived just as the tasting room was being opened for the afternoon, and were greeting by a spacious, beautifully decorated facility.

Our tasting also included an impromptu tour of the barrel facility, and a chance to taste a variety that was scheduled for bottling in a few days time, right out of the barrel.
We were also treated to some dessert wines and delicious chocolate to complete the experience.

Stonefield began as the dream of Robert and Natalie Wurtz and George House. Robert is a California native, who began making wine in his parents' basement when he was a young teenager. It became a lifelong pursuit and a passion that led to a PhD in wine chemistry from the University of California in Davis. Almost twenty years of experience with North Carolina grapes has led to excellent products from even the most challenging vintages. Natalie handles sales and marketing, and George is an environmental attorney and amateur naturalist. He chairs the Advisory Commission of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science and has had a long standing interest in agriculture.
Stonefield’s selection is remarkable. The website lists some 27 varieties of wine. Many of the grapes for those wines are purchased from other regional vineyards, but Stonefield does grow almost a dozen varieties on its own property. There is no food on site, but events on property are catered by Pepper Moon Catering in Greensboro. Stonefield hosts several music and wine events during the year that often require advanced ticket purchase so it’s a good idea to keep close watch on the website for the schedule. Tasting packages are available for $7.00 and $10.00. Each package offers a taste of 10 varieties and includes the glass. The more expensive offering features Stonefield’s premium wines.
Wines are available for purchase in the tasting room, online, and at several NC Triad restaurant locations:

223 South Elm (Downtown Greensboro)
Undercurrent (Downtown Greensboro)
Bistro 150 (no website - located in the Oak Ridge Commons shopping center, intersection of NC Hwy 150 and NC Hwy 68N, Oak Ridge, NC - 336-643-6359)
Longhorn Steakhouse 6012 Landmark Center Blvd. Greensboro, NC 27407 (336) 855-5300
River Twist 118 East Main Street, Jamestown, NC 27282 (336) 887-5966
Bill's Pizza Pub 1433 NC 68 North Oak Ridge, North Carolina 27310
GSO Wine Warehouse 2310 Battleground Ave. Greensboro, NC 27408