Enjoy a glass this fall and year-round at these wineries near Fayetteville
Fall is for admiring foliage, tailgating football games, apple-picking — and drinking wine at the wineries around Cumberland County.
There are few places better to toast to the joys of the season, as vineyard landscapes are painted with reds, yellows and oranges.
Whether you want a fancy spot for a date or a fun hangout for a night with friends, if you casually drink wine or consider yourself a connoisseur, here are the places to check out.
Lu Mil Vineyard
Lu Mil Vineyard in Elizabethtown, which touts itself as “Bladen County’s best-kept secret,” has been producing wine since 2005. Many of the offerings are made with muscadine grapes, which are native to the South and are used to produce sweet wines.
Among the 78-acre vineyards are a tasting room and gift shop, a dozen cabins that overlook the vineyard and a pond, and several indoor and outdoor event venues.
Address: 4387 Suggs-Taylor Road, Elizabethtown
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday
Website: lumilvineyard.com
Time from Fayetteville’s city center: 36 minutes
Cypress Bend Vineyards
Dan Smith and his wife Tina have grown muscadine and scuppernong grapes since 2002, when they returned to the family farm along the Lumber River just outside Wagram, which was settled by Smith’s Scottish ancestors in 1807.
In 2005, the couple opened Cypress Bend Vineyards. The winery’s bread and butter are their 16 muscadine table wines, but their selection also includes cabernet sauvignon and malbec. The winery also hosts jazz bands on Friday evenings.
Address: 21904 Riverton Road, Wagram
Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Website: cypressbendvineyards.com
Time from Fayetteville’s city center: 49 minutes
Duplin Winery
Duplin Winery was founded by brothers Dan and David Fussell Sr. and their father in 1976 in Rose Hill. Now ran by a third generation, brothers Jonathan and Dave Fussell Jr., the winery has expanded to include locations in South Carolina and Florida.
Today, the original operation in Rose Hill still produces the sweet wines that Duplin is known for, offering production tours, tastings, shopping and an on-site restaurant.
Address: 505 N. Sycamore St., Rose Hill
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday
Website: duplinwinery.com
Time from Fayetteville’s city center: 69 minutes
Stephens Vineyard and Winery
Stephens Vineyard and Winery has served fruit and muscadine wines in Lumberton for about a decade. Open just one day a week and frequently seen at festivals throughout the area, the winery offers vino made from apples, blueberries, peaches, pomegranates and strawberries.
A dirt driveway off Smith Mill Road leads to an unassuming barn, where guests can sample and buy the sweet, fruity wines that have long had a place on tables throughout the South.
Address: 284 Smith Mill Road, Lumberton
Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday-Friday
Website: stephenswinery.com
Time from Fayetteville’s city center: 36 minutes
Rockfish Creek Winery
Named after the water used to make its signature wines, Rockfish Creek Winery was established in Raeford in 2018. Located in the Stonegate Village shopping center, the modest storefront can be easy to miss, but inside is a moody, warm vibe, perfect for a retreat from chilly evenings.
The winery offers tastings, winemaking classes, custom wine labels, and of course, wines by the glass from a wide range of varietals.
Address: 223 Flagstone Lane, Raeford
Hours: Noon to 6 p.m. Monday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday
Website: rockfishcreekwinery.com
Time from Fayetteville’s city center: 30 minutes
Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com, on Twitter, or Facebook. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Wineries near Fayetteville and Cumberland County, NC
