Gioia dell’Amore Cellars: A Sisters’ Dream Born from Cancer, Kept Alive with Wine

Gioia dell’Amore Cellars: A Sisters’ Dream Born from Cancer, Kept Alive with Wine

The story of Gioia dell’Amore Cellars at Autumn Creek Vineyards starts around a kitchen table in 2013, when sisters Julie and Laura — along with their husbands, Dave and David — began dreaming about opening a winery together. In 2015, Julie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. While living with Laura and David during treatment, the sisters kept planning: debating names over the kitchen table (Laura wanted the French “Joie de le Vie”; Julie, drawn to Italian wine and culture, pushed toward Italian) and taking wine assessment classes together at the Texas Wine School between chemotherapy sessions. The name they settled on, Gioia dell’Amore — Italian for “the Joy of Love” — became the winery’s mission statement: “Scatter Joy.”

Today the winery is owned and run by David and Laura Comer on a 96-acre farm in Mayodan, North Carolina — a property with dairy and tobacco farming in its past, where the original 1800s farmhouse and several historic outbuildings still stand alongside the vines.

The Wines of Gioia dell’Amore

The estate’s first Merlot and Chambourcin vines went into the ground in the late 1990s; today the vineyard also grows Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminette, Riesling, Montepulciano and Barbera, feeding a portfolio that spans dry whites, rosé, dry reds, sweet wines and limited-edition reserves. Among the current lineup: White Flirt, a méthode champenoise sparkling wine made from 100% North Carolina Chardonnay; Diamond Girl White, a heritage blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Petit Manseng; Cherish, an estate-grown Traminette; and two estate rosés — First Blush and First Kiss — built from Chambourcin and Merlot. The wines have earned Gold, Double Gold, Silver and Bronze medals across major North Carolina competitions, alongside separate recognition for the winery’s venue quality.

What sets the portfolio apart from most Yadkin Valley producers is its range: rather than leaning on a handful of signature Bordeaux varieties, David and Laura have kept adding grapes as the vineyard has matured, so a single flight can move from a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to a heritage white blend to an estate rosé without repeating a grape. It is a portfolio built for exploring rather than settling on one house style — fitting, for a winery whose whole mission is built around discovery and joy.

Planning Your Visit

Address: 364 Means Creek Rd., Mayodan, NC 27201
Phone: (336) 548-9463
Tasting Room Hours: Friday 1–6pm, Saturday 11am–6pm, Sunday 1–6pm; Monday–Thursday by appointment

The tasting room is a warm, 2,000-square-foot space with a fireplace, courtyard and wrap-around deck overlooking the stream, pond and vineyard:

• Walk-in Tasting — five wines for $18, souvenir glass included, no appointment needed during posted hours. Novice or connoisseur, there is a flight for every palate.
• Weekday Tastings — Monday through Thursday visits can be arranged by appointment, booked from a week in advance up to same-day.
• Cabin & Suite Stays — two rustic log cabins and four luxury lodging suites sit within walking distance of the tasting room, each sleeping up to four, for anyone wanting to turn a tasting into a weekend.
• Weddings & Events — five venue settings across the property, from the intimate Barrel Room to the rustic-elegant Pavilion (up to 275 guests) with its stone fireplace and open timber ceiling, plus ceremony sites under 100-year-old oaks or beside the pond and gazebo.

A few practical notes we’ve learned from bringing groups here: the property regularly hosts live music, food trucks and craft beer alongside the wine list, so check the events calendar before you go — a Saturday visit can turn into an afternoon rather than a quick stop. Small snacks are welcome on days without a food truck; when a truck is on-site, guests are asked to support it instead of bringing outside food. We recommend budgeting at least two hours here given the grounds, the cabins, and the sheer amount of vineyard and pond scenery worth walking off a tasting.

Where Gioia dell’Amore Fits in Your Tour Route

Autumn Creek Vineyards sits in Mayodan, in Rockingham County near the Virginia line — well east of the core Yadkin Valley cluster, closer to the Stokes County wineries around Madison and to Winston-Salem than to Elkin or Boonville. That makes it a natural anchor for a route through the northeastern Piedmont rather than a stop tacked onto a core Yadkin Valley loop.

Plan on roughly 1.5 hours per winery plus drive time, and expect a bit more road between stops out here than in the tighter Elkin-area cluster — the payoff is a quieter, less-trafficked wine country experience.

Explore More from Ashe County Livery

• Yadkin Valley Wine Tours — Explore NC’s premier wine region
• High Country Wine Tours — Mountain winery service
• Wedding Transportation — Luxury transportation for your big day
• Airport Transfers — CLT, AVL, GSO & TRI
• Request a free quote — or call (336) 484-1350

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Ashe County Livery provides luxury wedding transportation, wine tour shuttles, and airport transfers throughout North Carolina’s High Country.

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