Chatham Hill Winery

Look at this great note we received from Lisa and Jeff Price. Thank you both for being such great ambassadors for Chatham Hill Winery! As you know Jeff and I are very active in the Knights of the Vine - and as such we tout your Chatham Hill Wines whenever and wherever we can -- it has also allowed us to meet some very impressive and successful people. I wanted to share with you comments from a couple that has lived and traveled all over the world. We had the pleasure of being guests in their home and were quite impressed and envious of their wine collection in their wine cellar -- which included bottles of Mouton Rothschild, Lafite, Chateau Margaux to name a few. Needless to say this couple enjoys some very fine wine, is very knowledgeable about wines, and appreciates quality. To thank them and show our appreciation for their hospitality, Jeff and I presented them with several Chatham Hill Wines - Cab Franc, Zinfandel, and Viognier. I wanted to share with you the comments I received this morning in an email . . . " Yes, we enjoyed the Chatham Hill wines, especially the Cab. Franc. No aging of wine around here! Since I do enjoy Cab. Franc a great deal, I tend to be quite selective and that one goes on my "buy" list. Thank you for thinking of us. " This couple lives in a social environment where they will definitely tell others about finding a North Carolina wine they enjoyed -- hope this brings a smile to you and makes your day! ;-) more

While the exterior of Chatham Hill Winery is not symbolic of a typical winery, it certainly matches the cold and annoyed feel you get when you walk into the establishment. First let me say if you dress in anything but ascots and loafers, you will enter Chatham Hill Winery, and be greeted with looks of disgust. Secondly, the lady will treat you like you know nothing about wine, and while I can say I know nothing about Chatham Hill Wines, I do know wine, and how people should be treated at a winery. Lastly the wine is great, but don't stay there, because they do not know how to treat people, and when you go there 3 hours before they close on a Saturday, the people who work at Chatham Hill Winery, will tell you sorry we are rude it's just the end of the day. Word of Advice to whomever runs that winery. Treat all people kindly, because no matter if they wear shorts or dress pant, you don't know what is in their wallet, or how well rounded they are. more

I was trying to find a winery just to visit and by chance found Chatham Hill. Upon entering I was made very welcome. After tasting their delicious wines I decided to join the wine club. What a deal. You get a discount on the wines you buy, wine tastings are free and your quarterly wine delivery is always something to look forward to. Thank you for being there Chatham Hill. more

Being that this establishment is fairly young compared to the more established vineyards, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE FOLKS WHO HAVE COMMENTED NEGATIVELY about this place. One must consider the thoughtful efforts of the owners, the hardwork involved, and the benefits to the region in general, brought on by this pleasant outfit. I am VERY DELIGHTED that we have this company that supports local grape growers and turning their harvest into wines. The staff is generally friendly and knowledgeable of their products. Although during the barrel and winewaking tour, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE OWNER EDIT THE PRESENTATION BY HALF ITS LENGTH...HE WILL FREQUENTLY LOSE THE ATTENTIUON OF HIS CAPTIVE AUDIENCE... OVERALL, THIS PLACE IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND A GOOD WAY FOR CONSCIOUS SUPPORTERS OF LOCAL BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IN... AGAIN, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE FOLKS WHO HAVE POSTED NEGATIVELY ABOUT THIS ESTABLISHMENT... more

Steer clear of this winery. The wine is cheap and nasty, comments to the contrary are misleading. Do not waste your time. Pros: Lots of parking Cons: Terrible wine more

This unique winery, although at first questionable due to its setting in a business park just off of 40, welcomes you immediately once you enter the door. We were greeted by the owner and told the story of what it means to be an Urban Winery, which is quite common with wineries found in all metropolitan areas - NYCity, Chicago, San Francisco so this concept is not a new one. We took a tour with Chatham Hill's winemaker who was very informative telling us not only about his winery but the beginning of grape growing and winemaking in NC to where it is now -over 80 wineries! Another interesting story is the decision to make traditional wines like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon but to also all the Sweet Carolina wines to the list. These semi-sweet wines are very good - I was a skeptical at first, being a bold dry red fan, but these wines are very nice in the right place. The Cab Sav was very good - the best I have tasted in NC for certain. The Riesling was also very very good. These folks are doing a great job with their wines and their staff are fun and informative. Definitely worth the trip again and again! Pros: Close to all in the RTP, Fun & Informative Cons: None more

I must admit, I was very excited to have another winery in the area. But my enthusiasm ended when I finally found their place. This "winery" is nothing like your typically winery/vineyard with a beautiful historic building surrounded by a vineyard. This "winery" is in a brick cookie cutter building in the back of a brick office park. I'm sure that they're saving a great deal of money on rent, but this location would be more suitable for a warehouse. I almost didn't get out of the car when I pulled up. It doesn't get any better inside. The very limited staff was very slow to respond. They kept us waiting for quite a while, and the person who conducted our tasting was constantly drawn away to handle the phone and other people who came in. The place is significantly understaffed. It's hard to make any wine tasting an unpleasant experience, but that is one area in which they excelled. Behind the tasting room, I was able to tour the facility. It was the least impressive winery tour I've ever seen. A few steps through the door, turn around and go back. I think that my garage could handle all of their equipment. The "winery" focuses on the sickly sweet wines that you'd buy at Harris Teeter for $3.99 a bottle. Cherry, Peach, Pomegranite, Raspberry. Pick your favorite flavor. It's like Cool-Aid with alcohol... It's such a disappointment. The worst winery I've ever been to. It reinforces all of the worst sterotypes that you associate with NC wine. You'd be very embarrassed if you took any of your friends or family to this "winery". I live very close to this winery, but It's worth the drive to go anyplace else. Pros: Location, Prices Cons: Wine Quality, Atmosphere, Service more

I've been to a lot of wine tasting events in North Carolina, and I have to say Chatham Hill always wins my vote for the best, most consistent wine. Visiting the winery for a tasting is a lot of fun. Every time I go there for a tasting there is always a new wine to try, and the experts there know their stuff and keep things fun. Even though they are known for their tasty fruit wines, I'm a big fan of their Syrahs and Cabernets. And while I am normally not a big fan of white wines, the Riesling and Viognier wines are really good. Pros: Service, selection, atmosphere Cons: Semi-hidden, if very close to I-40 more

What an amazing place, right in the Triangle! I saw that "mysterious" sign on Highway 40 with the grapes on it last weekend and decided to see what it was all about. After pulling into the parking lot I thought, what a cool idea, an urban winery. It is located in the middle of an office building. But as they say, looks can be deceiving. As soon as you walk into Chatham Hill, it feels like you have been sucked into another world ? the ambiance is warm and inviting with the nicest people doing the taste testing. The wine, the location and the people are all amazing. A definite MUST SEE when in the area. Pros: High quality wine at a reasonable price Cons: none! more

Oh my goodness! You couldn't find a better place for a refreshing summer beverage. In just one visit, I have become a major aficionado of this winery. What won me over most were the fruit-infused wines that Chatham Hill titles "Sweet Carolina" . Though I am a novice to tasting rooms, it was evident that the staff could cater to anyone in the gamut of wine tasting. The friendly staff had me try a variety of wines, starting with the more traditional varieties. All were good to me, but when we got to the Sweet Carolina Pomegranate, Raspberry, and Blackberry I knew I had found the perfect trio to take home for summer gatherings on my deck! They were simply delicious!!! The down-to-earth wine baristas (is there a correct term for this in wine culture?) even gave me a variety of drink recipe ideas that I intend on using. The peach wine sangria sounded so delicious, I decided to add a fourth bottle--the Sweet Carolina Peach-- to my purchase! What was nice is that they weren't overly suggestive; it seemed like they were speaking from their hearts about their own favorite drinks rather than sell me on a particular bottle of wine. I must admit that I was skeptical about a winery in the middle of a business park, but the atmosphere of the tasting room itself is so inviting that I decided to get a group of teacher friends together to go sit and drink at the winery! Way better than broiling on my hot deck in this heat, the pleasantly-lit and cool tasting room is a great place celebrate the beginning of summer with a leisurely afternoon indulgence of wine and cheese. There is no doubt in my mind that when my friends come in from out-of-town, I will gladly show off this treasure that we have right in our backyard. How convenient that it's right on the way home from the airport. This winery is the Triangle's best kept secret but I am determined to let the cat out of the bag! Pros: Service, Ambience, Selection Cons: Hidden more

I can't believe how many times I've driven past those grape signs on I-40 without stopping to check out the Triangle's best kept secret---Chatham Hill Winery. Although I LOVE wine, I don't know a lot about it. Not a problem here. The friendly staff (NOT snobby at all!) made me feel right at home and even showed me the proper way to taste wine. And there were so many wonderful wines from which to choose--- from sweet to dry, white to red, tannic to fruity, there's something for everyone's taste. After a fun tour of the winery I relaxed in their pleasant tasting room, sipping a glass of my favorite wine. I even joined their Wine Club so I can be among the first to taste their new releases. Yum....a perfect afternoon! Pros: GREAT wines and staff! Cons: So many wines, so little time! more

What a way to spend a cloudy afternoon! We happened upon the Chatham Hill Winery by following the roadside signs on a cloudy afternoon while waiting for a flight to arrive at RDU. Riding into the industrial park (Chatham Hill is housed in a non-descript office like building) was a bit of a surprise have always associated wineries with rustic country estates...but, once inside we found a wonderful and welcoming staff and some of the best wines we have tasted east of Florence. They have a great gift shop exciting art work on the walls and best of all Jill Winkler one of the owners of Chatham Hill selected us to be among the first to taste the wineries newly bottled Pinot. Boy was that good stuff. We only wish that Chatham Hill had a more active sales staff so we could find this great wine close to home. Pros: great wine Cons: none more

Chatham Hill Winery is the premier hotspot in the Trianle area for something to do on the weekends. I went in the other day for a tasting with my family and loved it. The wines were very diverse from dry reds to sweet whites. The tour was informative and entertaining (plus there is just something neat about giant stainless steel tanks). It is the perfect thing to do when you are killing time to go to the airport, or if you have friends flying in and you want to do something as soon as they land. Do yourself a favor and go try their Sweet Carolina Blackberry, it is to die for. more