As we travel from winery to winery, we notice an array of structures used for wineries and tasting rooms. Some are built specifically to house a winery and can vary from the opulent, often Tuscan-style building down to a simple building with one or two rooms. In its own way, each winery shows its own passion for wine.

Fascinating are the wineries that make use of old structures and rather than destroying what is structurally sound, a building is renovated into a useable facility to house a winery and tasting room. Frequently dairy barns are renovated. In North Carolina, Laurel Gray Vineyards is in a renovated “milking parlor.” Other unusual structures renovated for winery use are tobacco barns, historic homes and bank barns. We have visited wineries in towns that were originally a brick ice warehouse, slaughterhouse, and mercantile buildings.

When visiting a winery to taste their wines, ask about the building in which it is located. You can discover a sense of history that adds even more to your wine tasting experience. Have you visited any unusual renovated buildings?