I have had the most exciting weekend! This weekend I got the chance to visit some amazing vineyards and wineries. It started off with visiting Rayson Winery & Vineyards with Bistro Europa Restaurant in Mocksville, NC. I was greeted and welcomed with a tasting with Coleman. This young lady is so knowledgeable and professional in every aspect when it comes to wine! She explained how it got started, how they cultivated the grapes and overcoming obstacles that was preventing the wine production etc. This vineyard has so much history that any wine lover would love to hear, and Coleman is definitely that someone who could share the story. The wines I sampled all had unique tastes. One of my favorite was Sweet Vermouth Blanc. This is a dessert white wine that has varietals of Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay. The ambiance at this location was elegant and filled with sophistication. The customer service from everyone was great. The manager who made all this possible was Liz, who is the manager of Digital and Social for JOLO Brands. She allowed me to have one of the most exceptional experiences ever! I am a wine lover and I absolutely love sampling and learning the ins and out of the wine industry so having these moments are magical! read more

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Surprisingly large vitner with beautiful vineyards and property. We arrived during a members event and the place was brimming with excitement. No worries. Still room for us. We came for a light lunch and were well attended. Enjoyed our wine and shared the flatbread du joir. Wonderful. Support local. Go here. read more

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What a great Sunday! We drove through the country a bit and our destination was lunch at a new winery. Such a great surprise. Beautiful scenery!! Beautiful property!! Friendly people. The wines were very good. The food was also delicious. A small but perfect menu. Heated patio, or outside seating. We definitely will be back. read more

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I took my boyfriend here for his birthday dinner. We started with the charcuterie board. I got the Porcini Mushroom Stuffed Ravioli and my boyfriend got the filet. We also got a red wine that was recommended by our server. I typically never like local NC wines. But it was seriously one of the best red wines I have had. We had the best service. She was very attentive and was really friendly. This is a perfect date night spot! The restaurant is beautiful inside. We will definitely be back to try the brunch next! read more

Rayson Winery & Vineyards - Charcuterie board - Wineries Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

This was a surprise disappointment! Our family chose Rayson based on last year's trip to Jolo Winery in Pilot Mountain. The service was extremely slow; they needed more help for sure. The scenery is the highlight of the trip, but the reason for the choice was the touted food quality which was dreadful. Without exception the beef choices were pricey, tough, and studded with gristle. Appetizers were served cold; the menu was far too ambitious for the chef's capabilities, and the portions were quite small yet pricey. This is not on our list for a repeat. read more

First time here since they switched ownership. I love all the upgrades and new look! So much brighter and updated and just so nice to hang out in inside and outside. We went on a Thursday after work for just a glass of wine, and I was so pleasantly surprised. It was kinda quiet inside so we got to see it without a crowd which I liked. The service was really nice and friendly and I loved how informative they were. They know their products! We got a glass of their Petit Verdot. Which is according to the server their boldest red. It was served in a lovely high red glass. I absolutely loved this vessel !! I actually really liked all their glasses. . The wine was nice and jammy and exactly what I thought it would be. Perfect easy drink. We sat outside on a gorgeous evening. They have multiple great seating areas outside. Covered and out open with some great views. They've fine a nice job with the outdoor patio seating. Loved the pops of color too. Really looking forward to the Bistro opening in the summer for a full dining experience. We need a good place to eat around this area. Will be back for sure to try it. Also they have added a great number of whites and reds and a Rosè to their list as new Rayson wines but I'm hoping they add a bubbly soon. Which is my favorite. As it stands there's only the petit verdot that would be more in line with what I like. Their prices are higher than most wineries in the area. So just know that. It is nicer than most I've visited though. Loved the friendly staff ! Looking forward to a future visit! read more

Rayson Winery & Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

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My previous positive review was of the old vineyard Raylen. The new place Rayson, is very different. The old days of the relaxed family environment are gone. It's now an overpriced under delivering vineyard. It's as if they aimed for a slightly more posh / upscale experience and went too far. I went a few months ago with my family and it was not a good experience. The person who met us upfront was rude and very unnecessary in his comments. The wine was sadly unimpressive. The new look is admittedly gorgeous, but that's not enough to make me return. It breaks my heart to see what happened to the place. I hate to leave a negative review like this as the owner is actually a very friendly and accommodating person. They weren't there, but I've met them in the past. read more

Can I have sweet tea? How about coffee? No? Nothing but wine. And water. After making reservations, we still had a 45 min wait to get our food. read more

Rayson Vineyards is the new name for Raylen, which was one of the Crown Jewels of NC wine. The owners of Raylen sold the property and inventory to JW Ray ano family of JOLO fame, and they've taken over with their usual fantastic wine and customer service. Currently, they offer three Rayson wines (a collaborative JOLO and Raylen Project -Petit Verdot, a red blend - Elevage, and a reisling) which are all very JW. They're juicy, berry forward, and high in alcohol. The other wines are still Raylen label--and the price hikes over the prior regime may deter some. However, expect the wines to continue to improve and sell out. They're open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 to 7 PM, and they serve food Thursday-Sunday. read more

Rayson Winery & Vineyards - a glass of wine and a bottle of wine - Wineries Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

What can one say about Rayson....? If you have been to JoLo Vineyards (which is the same owner), you know they don't mess around. The grounds are beautiful, and to enjoy your meal outside in the late afternoon early evening is just spectacular. As far as the service goes (for the few times we've been there) it's excellent, but they are also new. In other words, it seems some of the staff is a little green, but still good. Some of the old pros know how to really take care of you! (looking at you Sophie and Victoria!) And now the best part.... The food and the wine. It's so, so good! JoLo and Rayson is just stellar wines. Great stuff! And the food that Chef Daniel puts together is magical. I don't know how he does it, but it's spectacular! Love it so much...... Thank you! read more

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Couldn't be nicer. Beautiful setting and close to Clt. Came here for the Mardi gras festival . Live music and food trucks . Highly recommend. Btw you can bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the scenery read more

Rayson Winery & Vineyards - Winery - Wineries Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

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I'm way late to review RL, as this has been one of our go-to spots for the last few years. Their grounds are well kept and serene. Nice place to go for a stroll to sip some wine down by the pond, or you can take in the entertainment that they often host out on the patio. Sometimes they have food truck as well. Plenty of shade for sitting out of the sun for a spell too. Staff I've encountered have been friendly and helpful, and not too pushy about upselling the wine club either. They do have one, but I don't drink enough wine these days to warrant that membership. Their wines are very good, though. Obviously good enough that I've been back several times and will surely be back soon. I especially like their Fizzy wines. Not terribly expensive for a bottle, and highly refreshing on a hot day! read more

Took a group of friends over the weekend while exploring the area and we had a great time. Levi did our tasting and he was absolutely incredible. Loved his sense of humor. We ate at the restaurant and the server (a very nice lady with a short cut) was amazing! The food was very good. We got a bunch of appetizers and enjoyed our time outside eating on the patio. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Definitely a cute spot where you may or may not necessarily need a reservation. We walked in with a reservation but no one asked so we sat down a few minutes after waiting. They need to work on greeting as they didn't have a system in place and lacked providing the proper greeting. With that being said, once you got their attention it was nice. They offered two pairings; one that was $20 and the other that was $30. We did both. The $20 pairing included white wines and the $30 was all red. I thought the wines on both were too sweet for my taste so the first and last on the $30 pairing was more for me. It's still a cool place to check out with a beautiful ambiance. Seems like they had some nice charcuterie boards and dishes to offer up but we already had dinner plans so we were just there for the wine. They've got EV parking spots for those with electric vehicles and I've added this since my buddies insisted this is something viewed would want. Enjoy! read more

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Overpriced, wine is nothing special. Atmosphere sucks. There is to many wineries around that are much better, cheaper and a much better atmosphere. read more

I love this place! Not only do they have a spectacular winery but the events are just spectacular as well! Tonight I'm listening to a local band named Magnolia Green w lead man Doug Davis from the Plaids and other projects he has produced, put on recordings etc. A fine musician in his own right and a local powerhouse. read more

Very disappointed that Raylen is no longer Raylen. Went in for the first time today in months and was greeted, did you make reservations? No, didn't know I needed to. I asked if we could still have a glass of wine and was told that in a couple months it will be reservations only. Sat us down at a table that was set up for 10 for two people. No smaller tables there. Outside seating, I was told that was for reservation only. I remember sitting outside with the heaters and it was a nice atmosphere to sit with friends. Food, cheese board was good but overpriced for the amount that was served. I felt like we were pressured to place a food order as soon as we sat down. Just overall so disappointed. read more

I came back with friends to enjoy the Mardi Gras event they hosted today. It was great. In particular the weather was excellent considering February and the snow we had just two days ago. The gumbo was ok. Low country instead of New Orleans but still tasty. They also had king cake and a band. I enjoyed Raylen merlot (2018) which I don't think was available last time I was here. excellent. read more

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So as usual I am a wine snob, travel to a "new" winery at least every weekend. So let's start....this winery was an easy route just off of the interstate. So, very easy access, just not on a scenic route. Once entering the grounds, you travel through a paved road, winding down through the grape vines. Beautiful!!! Once arriving, you see the beautiful winery building, They have outside covered patio. Parking is in the grass so be prepared, it's clean but hilly. Once we entered inside the winery to do a tasting, we were not greeted, which kinda sucked, they just looked at us. LOL. So I just said hey and went on to the tasting counter. We chose the extended wine tasting which was $20, no signature souvenir glass. You would thing with that price it would a signature glass included. Majority of wineries include a signature glass. AnyWho....the wines were good, smooth, very tasty. I really enjoyed the Pale Red, Chardonnay, Riesling, white carolinius. The Pale Red was awesome!!! All of there wines were very smooth, which was pretty cool! We also tasted the slushees, I really enjoyed the Blueberry slushee. All of there wines were very reasonably priced, even down to a glass of wine, but as you know buying a bottle is always cheaper if you have more than one in your party that enjoys the same wine. We ended up buying a signature glass and a bottle of the Pale Red to take home. I always buy a signature glass. I just like to collect them. They have a crystal glass one and a regular one. All in all I would come back here in a heartbeat, it's very relaxing, peaceful, wonderful atmosphere! I'm glad I didn't let the non-greeting deter me away. The only reason for 4 stars! read more

Rayson Winery & Vineyards - Regular glass - Wineries Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

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So many good things about this place... First- I have been disappointed in the past at wines in this region of NC... they all just taste "off" or too sweet. The Cab Franc was the second best cab franc I've ever had. SO good. My partner who is more of a fuller, jammy red wine guy actually liked this wine, which is also a win. Second- the calamari. Never had anything like it, loved how it was in strands, not rings, and it DIDN'T GET RUBBERY! Third- Lamb meatballs were great. I have never said that anyone's meatballs are better than my mother's, and I'm still not... but... This is very very very close. Also the mushrooms were fabulous, and the salad and chocolate torte were nice, too. Fourth- super great waitstaff, and LOVELYYYYY atmosphere. Overall- best food I've had at a winery, and definitely the best NC wine I've had. See you again very very soon. read more

I stumbled on this place via social media found out they were doing an event called Goats and Wine. It was a no brainer who doesn't love baby goats?!?! No I really wasn't asking! Lol the baby goats were adorable. We got to taste goats cheeses with Wine pairings we learned a lot! That event was fun! So here I am back again for just a regular Friday I'm loving it! Live music is amazing the views sitting here in the grass are breathtaking. The artist tonight is James Vincent Carrol They have a really good Cuban food truck here tonight! Now let's talk about the wine! I'm a read drinker I recommend doing a tasting it's not expensive you may surprise yourself I loved the Chardonnay surprisingly. The staff is very knowledgeable. You can buy by the glass or the bottle. read more

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Updating my Yelp rating on RayLen to 5 stars. I have consumed way too much of their wine to say they are just a 4 star. In my opinion, RayLen has the best wines in this part of the Yadkin Valley, which is why I have been a case club member with them for 3 years now. It is really a cool thing to live in the Triad and have a lot of great vineyards and wineries in easy driving distance. RayLen is one of the best. Quick Highlights - Great wines, especially the reds - Category 5 (blend), Petit Verdot, & Cabernet are great - You can get deep discounts, and other benefits, by joining a case club - Easy to get to from I40, off highway 158 - RayLen hosts several festivals and other events (live music, etc) throughout the year. read more

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My husband and I made a quick stop here in route to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. We did a tasting and had Laurie as our bar steward. The wine was great with a variety of options to choose from and Laurie was very knowledgeable and a pleasure to talk to. We would highly recommend making a stop at RayLen. You can also bring your own food if you would like. read more

Rayson Winery & Vineyards - The entrance - Wineries Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

This is a great winery to vist. We went on Father's day 2022 and did a wine tasting, and all the wines were palatable. There were 3 of us and no wines were unpleasant. Some just more pleasant than others. We bought a case of different wines, some white, others red and a couple sparkling. We joined their club and will be back. They have food trucks on special occasions which is great. Check online for dates. Otherwise bring a picnic, grab a bottle (or two) and have a great afternoon/day. read more

We had a wonderful time doing a dry wine tasting. Had a hard time choosing a favorite. They are really good and we ended up buying a case of wine to take home with us! Beautiful views of the vineyards. Outdoor covered seating. Will return! read more

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Great wine and they just added a kitchen. Great experience without having to drive all the way up to the mountains

Great service! Responded my question via text and completed my reservation... Wine were surprisingly good - sampled one white and two reds... The watermelon salad is a-maz-ing, I will go back for that salad... Pappardelle mushroom pasta was good but the pork ribeye with Sauce Robert: yum yum yum... I cannot wait to come back with my friends... Thank you!!! read more

Charlie is amazing!!! He was so kind and personable! We had a blast on our wine tasting!! Ive been to plenty and this was the best! He's A great employee and should get a reward read more

Rayson Winery & Vineyards - Cab Sauvignon - Wineries Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

This is one of my favorite wineries! They have a super nice staff and their wines are delicious. I always recommend folks trying a flight! We love their sauv blanc, rose, bourbon barrel aged red, and the category 5 which is a red blend. They are dog friendly and typically have fun events. During Covid I think it's mainly outside seating only. They welcome picnics so bring some food or tasty charcuterie! read more

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Beautiful location. Great selection of wines. Snacks available if you don't bring your own. Live music! Friendly helpful staff!

This is a fantastic place with amazing people! There are so many wonderful things happening here with world-class wines being made here, a European-style bistro in the works, well-appointed and stylish decor being added, vast membership opportunities and events, tastings, top-notch food, new grapes being grown, new varieties. This place has so much to offer. This is my Napa in Davie County! read more

No Yelp entry for Rayson yet. They seem to be charging insane prices. Their wine club prices are ridiculous considering they haven't even produced anything. It's cheaper to order from Biltmore or California. read more

Ok, now my tastebuds may have been affected by the young girl doing our tasting. We arrive at 530Pm as we saw the place was open to 6PM. I was then told she could not do a full flight because of the time. By that time it was 531 and she said the last full flight has to be started by 530. FIne, we picked the reds as we had wanted to stop here several times but its always closed on Sundays. We told her "come on, its only a minute and she said she understood but sorry" so we started out tasting. Then after the third sip she is gone, no where to be seen. Comes back...oh her name was Sarah but the way, and I said, wow, I thought we lost you. No sorry or anything. She was gone for almost 15 minutes. She was I guess working the cash register but the polite thing to say is excuse me we are short on staff, do you mind if I leave? No, nothing , not even a sorry when she returned. then she give us another drink and is gone again. This time it was so long two of our party went to the ladies room and returned before she did. She then tells us she will let us try a wine no on the red list not thinking we read the wines on the flight list since we were standing there so long. May I point out that the party who was there half into the full flight was still there by the time we left. First , there is something to be said about customer service. If I walked into Raffaldinis 10 minutes after they closed they would serve me. But to deny guests a full tasting when the place is still open and then leave them standing there and then not even apologize. She only gave an excuse after I asked her name.In my opinion you serve your guests or anyone who walks in before 6PM. Then lock the door if you want but you should not say you are open until 6pm and then say you will not serve your guests after 530PM. We would have went somewhere else. So was the wine good?. It might have been. My fiancee was so looking forward to this tasting. ME, it left a bad taste in my mouth and I paid for it as well. If you listening RayLen, fire Sarah and give the others a course in customer service. It is poor business to be rude to those who visit and hand over money for a sip of your wine. I spent 30.00 and feel like she should have paid me since she did not even tell us the name of the wines she poured except for one hurricane wine. The other men doing the tastings we spouting out stories and the guests who where still there when we left seemed to be having a good ole time. Sarah should have paid us. Now I know why your staff does not wear name tags. But in the event her name was not Sarah we came on March 21st and she was the only girl working there when we were in the tasting room. Me, I feel like I an due a whole new full flight tasting to get the bad taste out of my mouth read more

I'd willingly go here again but probably not enthusiastically. My wife and I went for a wine tasting for our anniversary. I took one star off because the person who served us the wine didn't do much besides pour - we're not wine experts and don't really know what we're doing, so we felt a little lost not to be told much about each wine we were drinking. More info would've been helpful. Nice setting and a beautiful day to enjoy the glass of wine outside. read more

Category 5 all the way! Had a large group (10) and they told us to call ahead next time, but it was a bit slow that Saturday so luckily they were able to accommodate us. Nice, no frills tasting room (really makes the wine the star). Instead of oyster crackers, they had animal crackers which was very playful and unique. The tasting room also displayed some local artist crafts. It reminded me of an upscale cracker barrel with a lot of charm. My favorite wine from here was the Category 5, but they had a ton of other offerings that any wino would appreciate. read more

RayLen is good. Do not get me wrong there... I love all of their community involvement and have never had a "bad" wine there. Not to mention the helpful staff. The problem I have is...compared to the wineries around it, their wine is average. Nothing really stands out in comparison to other wineries. It could be my taste but this is not a winery that I would put at the top of the Yadkin Valley wine trail. Again, great people and good location- it is just, unfortunately, nothing extraordinary. read more

Great time with good wine. The wine is better than expected. This is not Napa, but the wine was good and the people very friendly. More impressive was how much the people who worked here really knew about wine and how their wine tasted. Definitely should be a stop when wine tasting. Cost is $10 for five tasting -- the pours could be a bit more generous. Cost of a bottle is more than reasonable. read more

This is a new winery for me! I really never knew it existed until I accidentally fell upon when driving down the wrong road :) Lucky for me! It is extremely hidden and the sign is not large, so go slowly or you will miss it. The scenery is stunning. The inside of the winery is very nice and welcome. They have a little shop with some items for purchase. The tasting here runs a little higher than what I am used too, but it was still good and I was still glad to try it. I didn't get to stay too long here, but I would enjoy coming back for a glass of wine and exploring more of the property. read more

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Raylen Vineyards has one of the best settings around! They have a nice array of wine, from Sangria, Pinot Grigio, and their famous red blend, Category 5. They have a lot of great events including live music, food trucks, murder mysteries and an annual oyster festival. Micah, Erin and Alex are always super friendly and knowledgeable! read more

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I came to your vineyard hoping for a peaceful and relaxing time. The girl serving us was really nice until it was 6. She took her purse, put it on the counter. I told her I had a little wine left and I wanted to enjoy it for 3 to 4 minutes. She repeated my comment exactly as I told her. I rushed to drink my wine outside, as she watched me. This was the end of my serene and peaceful vacation. read more