• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 686 0

93 towards Dobson. Turn right on Zephyr Rd, then a right onto Twin Oaks Rd. Follow this for 2.5 miles, then take a right onto Oregon Trail Rd. Throw out your best line about “blackberry overtones with a leathery finish” at the wine-tasting facilities, tour the grounds by bicycle or arrive on a summer Saturday for a live concert. Don’t miss the restaurant, with its oh-so-deliciously bastardized Southern creations, like cornbread crab cake. For more wine tasting or an off-the-beaten track winery, try Wolf’s Lair at Black Wolf Vineyards. Continue on Oregon Trail Rd, turn right on Twin Oaks and follow the signs to Hwy 601. The restaurant makes this a must-see, with wild mushroom bruschetta and grilled elk. Sip robust Black Wolf wines and check out the upstairs for a unique mix of oenological tchotchkes and taxidermy.

* * *

WPAQ: 740 AM

If you’re not in the area for the live traditional music shows on Saturday at the Downtown Cinema Theater, you can still stream it live from the web at www.wpaq740.com. The celebrated radio station first went on the air in 1948 and has played traditional music - including local boy Tommy Jarrell - along with obituaries and lost pig announcements ever since.

* * *

For your next tasting stop, backtrack on Hwy 601 to reach RagApple Lassie Vineyards. Continue for 10 miles, take a left on Hwy 67 and, 3 miles later, a right on Rockford Rd. A 2006 finalist for the best new winery in the USA, the former tobacco farm named for a pet cow features unusually creative blends that would fit right in on some of the best restaurant wine lists on either coast.

Alex Leviton

* * *

TRIP INFORMATION

GETTING THERE

From Raleigh, take the I-40 to Hwy 52 northwest out of Winston-Salem for about an hour.

DO

Andy Griffith Playhouse

Year-round live performances and home of the Andy Griffith Collection. 336-786-7998; www.surryarts.org; 218 Rockford St, Mt Airy; admission $3, performances $10; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm Sat, 1:30-4pm Sun;

Downtown Cinema Theater

Live old-time music WPAQ radio broadcasts on Saturday plus second-run films daily (call for show times). 336-786-2222; 142 Main St, Mt Airy; admission $5-8, Merry-Go-Round admission free; Sat 9am jam, 11am WPAQ Merry-Go-Round;

Pilot Mountain State Park

Campgrounds, hiking trails and a beautiful sunset overlooking the Yadkin River Valley. 336-325-2355; www.ncsparks.net/pmo.html; 1792 Pilot Knob Park Rd, Pinnacle; admission free; 8am-after sunset;

EAT & DRINK

Aunt Bea’s Barbecue

Burgers, ice cream and big plates of North Carolina BBQ. 336-368-2300; 642 S Key St, Pilot Mountain; mains $3-6; 6am-10pm;

Wolf’s Lair at Black Wolf Vineyards

Wine-tasting and an excellent dinner at the restaurant. 336-374-2532; www.blackwolfvineyards.com; 283 Vineyard Ln, Dobson; mains $6-28; tastings 11am-2:30pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun, restaurant 11am-2:30pm Mon-Sat & 5-10pm Thu-Sat, noon-8pm Sun

Old North State Winery and Scuppernong’s Restaurant

Fabulous wines and casual bistro dining downtown. 336-789-WINE; www.oldnorthstatewinery.com; 308 N Main St, Mt Airy; tastings premier $7, dry or sweet $4; 11am-9pm Mon-Wed, to 10pm Thu-Sat

RagApple Lassie Vineyard

Tobacco farm turned nationally acclaimed winery. 336-367-6000; www.ragapplelassie.com; Rockford Rd, Boonville; tastings $5-7; noon-6pm

Round Peak Vineyards

Italian-themed wines just outside Mayberry/Mt Airy. 336-352-5595; www.roundpeak.com; 765 Round Peak Church Rd, Mt Airy; 10am-5pm Thu-Sat & Mon, noon-5pm Sun

Shelton Vineyards and Harvest Grill Restaurant

The largest of the Yapa Valley wineries with an excellent award-winning restaurant. 336-366-4724; www.sheltonvineyards.com; 286 Cabernet Ln, Dobson; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun, restaurant 10am-9pm Mon-Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat, to 6pm Sun

Snappy Lunch

The old-time diner is the only original business from the Andy Griffith Show and has been open since 1923. 336-786-4931; www.thesnappylunch.com; 125 N Main St, Mt Airy; mains $2-8; 6am-1:45pm Mon-Wed & Fri, to 1:15pm Thu & Sat;

SLEEP

Pilot Knob