benjamin vineyards

We visited Benjamin Vineyards on a weekday and had the place to our selves. The young manwho conducted the tasting was able to tell us quite a bit about the different wines and they dohave a wide variety to select from, so if you like the muscadine or the European style, they havesomething for you.

Relaxing. Friendly people. Good wine. Decent store. Fun grape picking. Cute little place. Worth the trip.

We stopped in at this winery on a Sunday while in Saxapahaw to have breakfast at the General Store. There were 3 of us and just one other couple so we had a relaxed and informative visit. We were even given a flyer explaining the anti-oxidant value of the muscadine grape.I didn't fall in love with the wines but we did enjoy some sangria with a bottle of white that we bought. Most delicious to me was the muscadine jelly which I bought to bring home.

I have been to Benjamin Vineyards on two other occassions and this visit was just average. I went with a friend of mine who had never tasted their wines. It is out of the way, about 12 miles off I-40. It is worth the drive. The grounds are beautiful. We visited in May 2014, so the vines were green. The small building was quaint. There is a line of trees and a path to get to building which is very dreamy. There is a nice wrap around porch and rocking chairs if you want to enjoy a glass or just sit out and enjoy the area. They have a small bar, so only about 8 people can taste at a time. There are no bar stools so you have to stand the whole time. The tasting is $5 and you can keep the glass as a souvenir. We tasted dry to sweet red and white wines. There was only one person serving about 7 people. She told us the name of the wine and if we asked, she shared more information. There was no information about the vineyard itself, the grapes, how large of an area they have, the process to make the wine and where or more information other than the name of the wine. It was a quick in and out. Because I love the wine, I had a list to purchase when I came. I gave the lady my list, she packaged the wine, wrapped the glasses, thanked us for coming and we left. We may have been there 30 minutes tops. We were left just feeling average. They were nice enough, friendly enough but it was kinda blah. I also know because I have been there before, it could have been because they were busy or one of their other main people wasn't there. I have had informative visits, it has been more friendly and I have wanted to stay longer. This occassion was just a sip and go.I purchased the Raspberry, Strawberry and Blackberry wines. They were around $9 a bottle. They do have quite a few events. I signed up for their updates 2 years ago. It is a bit out the way for me to come to all of those, but it sounds like they do alot with the local industry farmers, musicians and artist. I would suggest you try it for yourself and if it seems a bit dry in the presentation, just ask questions. They are a great little winery. I will be back again.

I went here with my boyfriend and parents for a wine tasting. Unfortunately, there's no place to sit while you taste but they do supply oyster crackers which was great. The best part of this place is that they have non-muscadine wine and an awesome front porch area to enjoy a bottle of wine in a serene country setting. Stop by and visit - you won't be sorry!

We have tasted wine at over a dozen wineries/vineyards in NC and VA and our visit to Benjamin Vineyards was one of our worst experiences. When we arrived, the tasting bar was full but we didn't mind waiting. As soon as a little space opened up though, we were squeezed in at the end of the bar. No information was shared with us about the winery/vineyards and its history/owners - something we are always fascinated to learn about. The person leading our tasting repeated over and over the name of her favorite wine but shared very little about the other wines. Even though the tasting samples were very tiny we found several wines that we liked. It was a beautiful day and we would have purchased a bottle to enjoy on their patio if we had felt more welcomed. As we were leaving, one member of our party who had never been to a wine tasting asked "Is this the way it is at all wine tastings?" We have had some wonderful tasting experiences at other local vineyards so we will invite her to join us soon at one of those locations. Since Benjamin Vineyards is quite remote (about 12 miles south of I-40), we didn't find it worth the long drive for such a disappointing experience.

Used a Groupon for a tasting. Decent wines. Nice place to spend an afternoon with friends. A little remote if you are not familiar with the area.

The wine industry in North Carolina is growing by leaps and bounds, and it's impossible to keep up with them all. So far we've visited 43 of the approximately (as of this writing) 117 wineries that are on board within the state - yet more keep coming on line (approx 5 new ones each 3 months). Up until recently, we've spent most of our time visiting the multitude of wineries and vineyards located in the Piedmont (or Yadkin Valley), as that's where most of the world class NC wines can be found.But we were delighted to find a winery just 45 minutes from where we live (which is South of Raleigh, NC). The winery is Benjamin Vineyards, located in the Graham/Saxapahaw area. And what a delight this little winery has turned out to be. They feature a variety of European and French/American blends that are really superb (we found up buying around a dozen bottles) and you can just catch yourself wanting to sit out on the Verandah area in one of those rocking chairs while staring at the vineyards.Now keep in mind, this is not one of those large wineries such as Shelton or Childress, rather, this is a very small operation - but one whose reputation is growing by leaps and bounds. They also feature a variety of activities throughout the year, in particular, canoe rides along the Haw River - which is coordinated via one of the local outdoor outfitters. They usually come and pick you up at the winery and transport to a launch site on the river. Then after a 2-3 hour paddle, you are brought back to the winery where a dinner awaits, along with perhaps other activities. In addition, Benjamin vineyards also hosts a variety of other activities centering around the arts, etc.One of the nice things about visiting wineries throughout the state is the "ritual" of expectations - how will the place look - will the wines be superb or mediocre. Well, suffice it to say, this little trip to Benjamin Vineyards (which is just a 45 minute or so drive from the Triangle area (in NC)), should be high on your list of "to do's".Now when you're done visiting the winery, please be sure to go down the street (approximately 1.2 miles) to the village of Saxapahaw - where a delightful (and well known) gourmet kitchen awaits in, of all places, a convenience/general store scenario. Look for my review (via separate review) on the Saxapahaw General Store. The cuisine there is superb - and not what you'd expect to find in a place like this. Foodies will love that place.I've uploaded some images for Benjamin Vineyards - taken with the 16 MP Panasonic GX1 camera.Cheers...

We visited here this weekend (3 friends) to give the wine a try and enjoy the company of each other. The grounds of this vineyard are peaceful and will be beautiful in the fall. They have a small patio and rocking chairs on the front porch. It would be a very enjoyable place to drink wine on a good weather day.The wine, sadly, was not that wonderful :( I feel like in a few years it will have matured more and taste a little better. It just seemed like it was lacking in a component but I could not figure out what it was.The employee who helped us out was wonderful! I would return for sure.

We visited today with my parents that had came from out of town. It was a perfect visit to a small North Carolina winery with a beautiful view of the vines. The staff was an absolute delight. They were wonderful explaining each wine and the owner Nancy took the time to explain the benefits of the Muscadine grape and how they have picking in the fall. The wines are split between dry/semi dry and sweet with something for everyone!