McRitchie Winery and Ciderworks

Open: Year Round

It's all about the wine. From the moment the ground was prepared and planted through each growing season it always comes down to alchemy with a little human assistance that causes sun-ripened grapes to convert their sugars into alcohol and become wines worth drinking. We grew up in the wine country of Oregon and Washington and this has been our life together. Now, with our children, we hope to produce wines that are memorable, true to place, and most of all, enjoyable.
So, how did we get here?

Sean's father was a winemaker in California and Oregon and the winemaking bug hit Sean early. In addition to working in wineries and vineyards in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, he has worked at renowned wineries in many of the world's premier wine regions including Alsace Lorraine, Napa Valley, and Australia. In 1998 his adventurer's heart led him to North Carolina where he was involved in the establishment of a large vineyard and winery in the Yadkin Valley and later founded a winery and vineyard consulting business with Patricia.

Patricia initially took a different career path as a criminal attorney and judge. After marrying Sean and starting a family it soon became evident that a life among the vines and barrels was a better fit for the young growing family so she changed her focus and for the last 15 years has specialized as a business consultant for vineyards and wineries.

After a lifetime spent growing grapes and making wines for others we decided it was finally time to grow and make it for ourselves. We had developed a deep affection for our corner of the Yadkin Valley and a vision of a vibrant new North Carolina wine industry. It was with boundless excitement that we planted our first five acres of grapes in 2004 on the flanks of the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The doors of the winery opened in time for the 2006 harvest and the tasting room opened in May of 2007.