Are you looking for a relaxing way to spend the weekend? Why not consider taking a drive to some of the wineries in the Daphne, Alabama, area? You don't have to go all the way to Napa to get a taste of some truly flavorful, carefully crafted, premium wines. Since the Daphne area offers plenty of upscale experiences, from impressive golf courses to gourmet restaurants, it shouldn't be a surprise that there are plenty of wineries around Daphne.
Some are just a few miles away, while others may require a longer trip, but they're all ideal places for a relaxing weekend or Sunday trip. So call up your friends, family, or significant other, make a plan, and drive to one of the wineries below to spend some time off in flavorful luxury.
Perdido Vineyards
Worth a visit for the wine and its fascinating history, Perdido Vineyards is one of the most popular and well-known wineries in all of Alabama. Located just a 45-minute drive north of Daphne, it makes for a fun and easy day trip.
In the late 1800s, immigrants from Germany and Italy founded wineries all over Alabama. These were by no means the tiny rustic farms you might imagine; the vineyards usually were part of a complex that included resort hotels, top-tier restaurants, and multiple orchards. So what happened to Alabama's prominent winemaking industry?
Well, it all ended with Prohibition in 1920. Even though the 21st Amendment ended the Prohibition Act in 1933, it took a while for the winery business to make a comeback in the state until Jim and Marianne Eddins came along. The couple founded Perdido Vineyards in 1972, making it the first post-Prohibition vineyard in all of Alabama.
As one might expect from such an innovative family, the Eddins went on to experiment with and create some stunning wines and internationally recognized wine vinegar varieties, always paying homage to their state and local area by creating fortified wines from Alabama fruits.
The couple lobbied for state legislation to allow wineries to sell directly to retailers and consumers rather than wholesalers so they could bring their exquisite wines to more consumers across Alabama. The law passed in 1979, so you can purchase your favorite, one-of-a-kind wine selections from local Alabama wineries thanks to the Eddins couple.
Today, Perdido Vineyards is a sprawling 50-acre muscadine vineyard with a tasting room. You'll need an appointment if you want to visit, so make sure you do an accurate head count of your group and call the vineyard in advance. When you visit the winery, you'll taste top-tier wines that infuse local ingredients while learning about Perdido's fascinating history. Pick up a bottle of the White Muscadine, blended to go with Southern fried chicken, or the Daphne, a dessert wine blended with Muscadine grapes and black currants. You can find Perdido Vineyards at 22100 County Road 47 in Perdido.
Junavelli Winery
Located in the small North Brewton community, the family-owned Junavelli Winery works hard to maintain its small-town charm and hospitality to give you a warm, fulfilling, delicious experience.
To begin with, Roger, the winery's founder, never meant to establish a winery. He started experimenting with different flavors and methods to make wine in 2004. After hitting on his first major success, the Sweet Blueberry that remains one of the preferred wines at Junavelli today, his family encouraged him to keep testing and creating.
After making wines with combinations of other flavors, including blackberries, strawberries, and muscadine grapes, the family and friends who loved tasting his wines encouraged Roger to open a real winery to get his creations out to more of the public. Thus, in May 2018, Junavelli Winery was born and has thrived ever since.
Nowadays, flavors such as the 2019 Southern Sweet Blueberry wine have won multiple awards and are prominently on Junavelli's shelves. You can taste different varieties here and buy bottles for special occasions without breaking the bank.
Stop by 357 Gum Tree Lane in Brewton to get a glimpse of this charming winery from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday or 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. If you and your group want to stop at another time, call ahead to set up an appointment instead.
South Ridge Winery
Located a good two or two and a half hours from Daphne in Crenshaw County, South Ridge Winery is perfect for a longer day trip or a beautiful weekend getaway. The family-owned vineyard grows hand-selected varieties of grapes and produces all its wines exclusively from its own varieties.
They harvest all the grapes they use in South Ridge wines by hand to put more love and care into the winemaking process and tighten the quality standards for acceptable grapes. Processing takes place using imported, authentic wine-producing equipment from Italy's best wine regions with the longest winemaking traditions. Varieties include native muscadine, Black Spanish, Blanc DuBois, and Lenoir grapes.
Because of the attentive and meticulous way the family produces the wines, South Ridge Winery offers only six varieties, including four red and two white wines. To avoid diluting the flavor and texture of the wines, they don't add water during the production process, ensuring that the wine is 100% juice instead. Even though the selection is small, it's guaranteed to be of the highest quality. If you love refreshing white wine, try the Carlos Muscadine, fermented slowly to preserve its fruity flavor.
Visit South Ridge Winery at 3297 Live Oak Road in Luverne, Alabama, and check out the website or ask the owners about great local eateries where you can indulge in scrumptious Southern cuisine between wine tasting on your long weekend away.
Who doesn't love a relaxing day at a winery sampling top-quality wines while experiencing the best of Southern hospitality? If you have a favorite Daphne-area winery that's not on our list, contact us at Tameron Buick GMC to let us know. We would love to include your suggestion in a future post.
winery by Arnaud Paillard is licensed with Public Domain Mark 1.0
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