Why you should visit the Greenville, SC area for wine
This blog post covers the best wineries in Greenville, South Carolina.
Greenville is a small city nestled against the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina. This blog post lists the best wineries Greenville SC offers inside (and outside) the city limits.
The wineries in Greenville SC are truly the best of both worlds. You can visit a sophisticated city wine bar or a quaint family-owned winery in the countryside… on the same day!
Downtown Greenville is full of wine bars, wine shops, and even an urban winery.
And the area just outside downtown Greenville is dotted with small wineries waiting to be explored.
There’s a lot to see, do, and drink in this charming Southern city, which is why we’ve compiled a list of the best places to enjoy a glass of wine in Greenville. Cheers!
How to access Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville is located in Greenville County in the northwestern corner of South Carolina State.
If you live in the Southern United States then Greenville is fairly easy to access. It’s located between Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Charlotte, North Carolina is a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Greenville, SC. Atlanta, Georgia is a 3 hour drive from Greenville, SC.
You could fly into either of these cities, rent a car, and drive from the airport to Greenville.
But I suggest you fly directly into Greenville. The Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is a 15 minute drive from Greenville’s downtown.
Once you actually reach Greenville you can choose to have a car – or not. The first seven businesses on this list are located within the city. You could take a taxi or an Uber to these destinations.
The remaining nine businesses on this list are scattered throughout small towns just outside of Greenville. You’ll definitely need a car to explore wineries in Greenville SC that fall outside Greenville’s city limits.
Where to find wine in Greenville SC
Elevation 966 Winery (Greenville, SC)
Elevation 966 Winery is a boutique winery located in the heart of Greenville, South Carolina.
This urban winery has an industrial tasting room, which is different from the other wineries on this list. Another difference? Out of all the wine bars, wine shops, and wineries in Greenville SC this is the only true winery located within the city.
They handcraft small batches of dessert and sweet wine, dry white wines, and dry red wines.
Well known varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio comprise their wines.
Lesser known grape varieties such as Müller-Thurgau (a cross of Riesling and Madeleine Royale) and Traminer (one of the oldest European grapes) appear in the dry white wines.
Wine tasting flights include four samples for $10. Elevation 966 Winery is open Thursday through Sunday beginning at noon. They’re closed Monday through Wednesday.
Wine House (Greenville, SC)
Wine House is the kind of place every wine lover wishes they had in their neighborhood.
Guests can enjoy a glass of wine at their wine bar indoors or their patio outdoors. And, since this is also a retail space, you can also grab a bottle of wine to go.
Wine House offers customers regular deals. On Tuesdays you can enjoy a glass on tap and a pizza for only $20. Wednesdays have a free tasting for all guests from 5-7 PM.
Thursdays are for the live music lovers – there’s a live piano player every week. On Fridays the all day happy hour features “$2 off by the glass pours.”
And occasionally there are food trucks. Check their calendar for event updates.
This retail shop and wine bar is located near the airport just a short 10 minute drive from the center of Greenville. It’s open every day except for Sunday.
Foxcroft Wine Co. (Greenville, SC)
Foxcroft Wine Co. is located in Greenville’s bustling downtown historic West End. Falls Park is nearby so you can enjoy a drink and then a walk or vice versa.
Guests can enjoy over 40 wines by the glass in the indoor bar area or the outdoor patio. The indoor wine bar has a calm, relaxed feel thanks to the warm brick walls, stained glass accents, and wall to wall wine shelves.
Foxcroft Wine Co. offers a full menu to compliment the wide variety of wines. Their dinner menu features small plates, flatbreads, house-made pasta, and hearty mains like a burger, salmon, half chicken, and steak.
Foxcroft Wine Co. is open every day of the week except for Sunday.
The original Foxcroft Wine Co. is in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is good to know if you’re ever in the area.
Northampton Wine + Dine (Greenville, SC)
Northampton Wine + Dine is a wine bar and wine shop located in a former trolley barn.
Their retail space is a good place to buy a bottle of wine to go. Or you can stop in for a wine tasting.
Wine tastings are held Saturdays at 4 PM and typically follow a geographic theme like Northeast Italy or Washington State. Check their website to see which specialty wines they’ll cover next.
If you fancy a full meal they’ve got that too.
The Northampton Wine + Dine menu is a mix of Southern comfort food (chicken and dumplings, shrimp and grits) and protein-heavy mains. Order a glass of red wine and dig into some red meat; they’ve got lamb, burgers, short ribs, filet mignon, and bison ribeye.
Northampton Wine + Dine is open every day of the week except for Sunday. Dinner is available every day of the week but food service is longer on Saturdays.
SIP Whiskey & Wine Bar (Greenville, SC)
The menu at SIP Whiskey & Wine Bar in Greenville focuses on Californian and Italian wines.
They don’t offer a full menu but they do offer plenty of snacks like hummus, charcuterie boards, and cheese. Specifically brie, feta, and pimento cheese. Yum!
Wines and whiskeys under $20 are half price during happy hour, which runs Monday through Friday from 4-7 PM.
SIP Whiskey & Wine Bar is open seven days a week. On Fridays and Saturdays they’re open until 2 AM, which makes this the perfect place to grab a glass of wine and a late night bite.
Old Europe Desserts (Greenville, SC)
Old Europe Desserts in downtown Greenville serves European-inspired pastries and desserts.
The large dessert menu includes everything from cannoli to cream puffs to key lime pie. There are gluten free, vegan, and regular options so you can enjoy a treat no matter what.
A simple savory food section of salads and sandwiches balances out all the sweets.
And of course Old Europe Desserts didn’t forget about the drinks. Their short but sweet wine list includes Italian and French options.
It’s the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine and a dessert and imagine you’re having a very European summer.
Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4-7 PM and includes $5 off glasses and $15 off bottles.
The Cook’s Station (Heritage Green, SC)
The Cook’s Station is a one stop shop for kitchen appliances, cooking classes, a casual meal, and wine by the glass.
The café menu is a tasty collection of hearty breakfast and lunch options like biscuit egg sandwiches and shrimp po-boys.
The wine bar menu features white wines from France and New Zealand, sparkling wines from Italy and Spain, and red wines from France, Portugal, Italy, and Napa Valley.
You can get $3 off wine by the glass every day of the week during Happy Hour.
Should you drink a bunch of wine and then walk through a cute kitchen store? No, probably not. But would that be fun? Yes, definitely.
The best wineries and tasting rooms located outside of town (in order of closest to furthest)
The remaining wineries on this list are located outside Greenville city limits. The first two businesses are situated south of Greenville. The remaining seven businesses are north of the city.
Sweet Sippin’ (Simpsonville, SC)
Sweet Sippin’ is a wine bar with a delightful rooftop seating area. It’s a great place to kick back and relax with a glass of wine, cider, or craft beer.
Not only do they have a rooftop bar, they also have live music several nights a week. Fun events like Trivia Night and a Spanish-themed wine and paella night round out their calendar.
If paella doesn’t entice you I don’t know what will.
Location: Sweet Sippin’ is located in Simpsonville, which is an 18 minute drive southeast of Greenville.
City Scape Winery (Pelzer, SC)
City Scape Winery caters to a wide variety of tastes by crafting everything from dry red wines to port-style dessert wines.
Their regular wine tasting is available Wednesday through Sunday and costs $25 per person.
City Scape Winery works with Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Viognier, Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, and Gewürztraminer grapes.
If you want a wine that reflects the terroir of City Scape Winery, look to their muscadine wines. The Single Vineyard White Muscadine comes from grapes grown, crushed, pressed, fermented, aged, and bottled entirely on their estate. The Carolina Nights wine is a combination of blackberries and estate grown Muscadine grapes.
Local food trucks visit every weekend and the onsite menu includes charcuterie boards, sandwiches, and tapas style plates.
City Scape Winery is kid and dog friendly, has plenty of food and wine, and it’s not far from Greenville. Sounds like a perfect escape from the city.
Location: City Scape Winery is located 32 minutes south of Greenville in the tiny town of Pelzer, South Carolina.
Lazy Bear Winery (Easley, SC)
Lazy Bear Winery is a small business that crafts fruit and berry wines.
They harvest blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries in addition to the typical wine grapes. They supplement fruit from their own crops with fruit from local growers.
Sweet wine lovers will appreciate the mead flavored with black cherries and blueberries.
The Lazy Bear Winery tasting room is open for wine tastings Thursday through Saturday from 12-6 PM.
Location: Lazy Bear Winery is a 24 minute drive northwest of Greenville.
Wellborn Winery (Travelers Rest, SC)
Wellborn Winery is a small-scale craft vintner. Or, as Wellborn Winery and the French say, they’re “garagistes.”
Wellborn crafts wines in the old Italian style. After all, their family name “Beninati” is Italian. And that’s where the winery’s name comes from. “Beninati” translates to “Wellborn” in English.
Unlike local wineries that source their grapes from out of state, this lovely little winery reflects the history and nature of their upstate South Carolina climate and soil.
They source American and French-American hybrid grapes from nearby growers and from their own estate vineyards (South Vineyard, Terrace Vineyard, and Carriage House Vineyard).
Guests can sample six wines for $8.
Location: Wellborn Winery is a 25 minute drive north of Greenville. It’s a short drive (9 minutes) outside Travelers Rest, South Carolina.
The Tasting Room of Travelers Rest (Travelers Rest, SC)
The Tasting Room of Travelers Rest is a wine shop and wine bar located at the center of town.
It’s the perfect place to relax with a glass of wine and get a bottle to go. They’re open seven days a week except for Monday.
On Wednesday and Thursday nights from 6-8 PM you can enjoy live music and a glass of wine or beer either inside the shop or outside on their deck.
Location: The Tasting Room of Travelers Rest is located in the tiny town of Travelers Rest, as the name suggests. Travelers Rest, South Carolina is located an 18 minute drive north of downtown Greenville.
Eagle Mountain Vineyards & Winery (Travelers Rest, SC)
Eagle Mountain Vineyards & Winery is set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
They source grapes from throughout the United States mainly from Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino, California
The Eagle Mountain winemakers turn these California grapes into Albariño, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and sparkling wine.
They’re open seven days a week from 12-6 PM. Reservations are not required for wines by the glass and bottle sales.
Location: Eagle Mountain Vineyards & Winery is located 33 minutes north of Greenville. It’s an 18 minute drive outside the tiny town of Travelers Rest, South Carolina.
Victoria Valley Vineyards (Cleveland, SC)
Victoria Valley Vineyards is a little taste of Europe in the upstate of South Carolina.
This charming French-style winery offers tastings, a cafe, plenty of outdoor seating, and a lovely view of the vineyards.
Guests can take a group tour of the winery or peruse the gift shop stocked with wine accessories.
There’s even a cafe that serves lunch from opening time until 2 PM. Small plates, desserts, and cheese and charcuterie boards are available from 2 PM until closing.
Victoria Valley Vineyards works with grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
They’re open Thursday through Sunday and closed Monday through Wednesday. Reservations are not required to taste wine.
Location: Victoria Valley Vineyards is a 40 minute drive northwest of Greenville.
Red Horse Inn Wine Bar (Landrum, SC)
The Red Horse Inn is located in Landrum, South Carolina less than an hour’s drive from Greenville. The inn has rooms and cottages if you’d like to stay overnight. Even better, it has a wine bar!
The Wine Bar at The Red Horse Inn boasts an extensive selection of over 150 different wines.
Their global selection includes Chablis from France, Chardonnay from Napa and Burgundy, Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
From December through March they host an “Intimate Music Series” and “Wine Inside,” both of which are small group events hosted in the cozy winery interior.
April through November is the season for “Wine on the Terrace,” which is first-come, first-served seating on their beautiful terrace patio.
The Red Horse Inn Wine Bar strongly encourages guests to secure their tickets in advance. Outside food and drinks are not allowed and neither are children or pets.
But if you need to pet something, come to the “Alpaca Wine Experience,” which combines alpacas and fine wines in one event. Sounds like a great time to me.
Location: The Red Horse Inn Wine Bar is located 46 minutes northeast of Greenville.
Similar wine regions to explore
South Carolina and North Carolina towns with fun wineries
The wineries in Greenville SC are not the only worthwhile wine destinations in the Carolinas.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a treasure trove of small family-run wineries.
Elkin, North Carolina is a tiny town nestled in the Blue Ridge foothills beside the Yadkin River. It’s a little less than 3 hours drive from Greenville, which makes it a great weekend getaway. This charming historic town has exactly four wineries and they’re all within a 15 minute drive of downtown Elkin. Great wine, cute town, beautiful landscape… perfect!
Mount Airy, North Carolina is another Yadkin Valley wine country town. The wineries Mount Airy NC offers are all supremely friendly. They encourage people to bring their kids, dogs, and curiosity for wine.
Surry County is another place to visit in the Yadkin Valley. These Surry County wineries situated within the Blue Ridge foothills prove that a passion for wine, land, and community is a winning combination.
Dobson is another small town just 10.5 miles (about 17 minutes by car) from Mount Airy. As the birthplace of the Yadkin Valley AVA and home to the largest winery in North Carolina, Dobson is certainly worth a second glance. But the best wineries in Dobson NC might just be the smaller family-run operations.
The Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina is a popular vacation destination. The twin towns of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach are only 19 miles apart. Both towns have sandy beaches, good restaurants, fun entertainment options, and wine! These wineries in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina are a great place to quench your thirst in between beach sessions.
And if you head north to North Myrtle Beach check out the Barefoot Landing shopping center. Our list of the best wine bars and wineries North Myrtle Beach offers provide a short but sweet list of where to grab a glass of wine.
Other Southern wine country destinations
Smith Mountain Lake is nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. You can enjoy camping, picnicking, hiking… and wine tasting! The area’s easygoing attitude and rural charm is baked into the best Smith Mountain Lake wineries.
Blue Ridge, Georgia is known for its stunning natural scenery. There’s plenty of hiking, views, waterfalls, and wineries. And what better way to end your day than with a glass of wine! The best wineries Blue Ridge GA offers reflect the town’s charm and southern hospitality.
