Yadkin Valley AVA

Yadkin Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) expanding across seven counties of northwestern North Carolina encompassing approximately 1,416,600 acres (2,213 sq mi) in the Yadkin River Valley. The appellation includes all of Wilkes, Surry, and Yadkin counties, and portions of Davie, Davidson, Forsyth, and Stokes counties. It was established as the nation's 147 and the state's initial appellation on December 9, 2002 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Patricia McRitchie of McRitchie Associates, LLC, on behalf of Shelton Vineyards, Inc., Dobson, North Carolina, to establish the initial viticultural area within the State of North Carolina, to be known as "Yadkin Valley." At the time, there were over 30 growers cultivating approximately 350 acres (142 ha) and three bonded wineries with at least two others under construction.

In 2008, Swan Creek was established as the state's second AVA, encompassing 96,000 acres (150 sq mi) with 60 percent of its northern region within the Yadkin Valley viticultural area and the remaining 40 percent extending beyond its southern boundary. The sub-AVA shared its name with the unincorporated community of Swan Creek in Yadkin County.