Junius Lindsay Vineyard: A Family Farm’s Last Great Chapter
The story of Junius Lindsay Vineyard (JLV) in Lexington, North Carolina starts more than a century before the first grape was planted. The Zimmerman family has farmed this land in Davidson County since 1896, when Junius Lindsay “Lindsay” Zimmerman and his wife Beatrice Estelle Evans first worked the soil, growing wheat, corn, and sweet potatoes across four generations. It was Lindsay’s grandson, Michael Zimmerman, who reimagined the family farm as a vineyard. After a sixteen-year career as a U.S. Foreign Service diplomat — postings that took him through Ethiopia, Ghana, Mexico, and Sweden — Michael fell in love with the wines of France’s Rhône Valley during his travels through Europe. He returned to the family farm in 1996, planted two acres of Viognier in 2004, and named the resulting vineyard after his grandfather.
In 2008, Michael built the vineyard’s now-signature open-air tasting room, designed by architect Don Ruth — still the only open-air tasting room in North Carolina. Michael passed away in 2024, and his twins, Aaron Zimmerman and Mercedes Zimmerman Davis, have carried the estate forward as co-proprietors in its fourth generation. In 2026, the family announced that JLV is winding down operations and will close permanently at the end of the year, closing out a twenty-two year run and a family farming legacy that dates back to 1896. For anyone who has wanted to visit, this is genuinely the last window to do so.
The Wines of Junius Lindsay Vineyard
JLV built its reputation on old-world, Rhône-style wines — a rarity in the Yadkin Valley, where French and Italian varietals more common to Bordeaux and Tuscany tend to dominate. Michael’s early plantings of Viognier expanded to include Syrah, Petite Sirah, Roussanne, and Grenache, all varietals rooted in the Rhône Valley of Southern France. The vineyard’s Triomphe, a blend of Petite Sirah and Roussanne, pays tribute to the Northern Rhône tradition of blending red and white grapes together — a technique Michael discovered on his travels and wanted to bring home. Other estate wines include the white blend Second Leaf (Sauvignon Blanc and Vidal Blanc), the off-dry Forget-Me-Not (Roussanne and Viognier), sparkling and still rosés, and the Petite Sirah/Roussanne red blend Metro. JLV’s wines have been featured by CBS 17 at a Luxe Chef Gala and covered by Town Carolina magazine as part of Yadkin Valley’s “new Napa” story.
Planning Your Visit
Location: Lexington, NC, on the Southern Gateway Wine Trail of the Yadkin Valley AVA — North Carolina’s first federally designated grape-growing region
Tasting Room Hours: Friday, 1pm – 8pm; Saturday & Sunday, 1pm – 5pm
A few things make a visit to JLV distinct from most Yadkin Valley stops:
- Open-air tasting room — North Carolina’s only one, with ceiling fans for warm months and vinyl curtains with heating added for fall and winter visits.
- Pet- and family-friendly — well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome throughout the grounds, and children of all ages are welcome, with games and coloring books on hand.
- Bring your own picnic — guests are invited to pack a picnic and relax on the grounds when a food vendor is not scheduled (outside alcohol is not permitted per NC ABC rules).
- Music in the Vineyard — a live music series that runs February through November, alongside a rotating calendar of seasonal events.
- Private events — the tasting room and grounds can be booked for engagements, bridal showers, and micro weddings, with signature packages built around exclusive access to the estate.
A practical note we have learned from bringing groups here: JLV asks that larger parties traveling together reserve at least two days ahead of a visit during regular hours, so we always confirm the date and headcount with the vineyard before finalizing a tour stop here. Because the open-air room and grounds invite lingering — especially with live music playing — we recommend budgeting at least an hour and a half to two hours at JLV, more if you want to picnic or catch a set from the Music in the Vineyard series.
Where Junius Lindsay Vineyard Fits in Your Tour Route
JLV sits on the eastern side of the Yadkin Valley AVA, in Lexington, the same Davidson County town that is home to Childress Vineyards and Weathervane Winery — making this corner of the valley an easy cluster to visit in one day without long stretches of driving between stops. Because JLV only opens Friday through Sunday afternoons, it pairs best with a weekend itinerary built around one or two nearby tasting rooms.
Plan on roughly 1.5 hours per winery plus drive time between stops, and check each winery’s current hours before you finalize a route — hours and availability change, and with JLV winding down through the end of 2026, this is one stop worth confirming and booking sooner rather than later.
Wine Tour Transportation to Junius Lindsay Vineyard
Ashe County Livery provides private, chauffeured wine tour transportation to Junius Lindsay Vineyard from Ashe County, Boone, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson and across NC’s High Country. Our Junius Lindsay Vineyard trip-planning page covers drive times, tasting-room hours, group sizes and pricing.
Travel in a luxury SUV, sedan, or Sprinter van with a professional chauffeur — everyone in your group gets to taste, nobody has to drive. We only charge from pickup to your last drop-off, and every tour includes a complimentary cooler with ice and water. Plan your Junius Lindsay Vineyard tour or call (336) 484-1350.
Nearby wineries we also serve: Childress Vineyards · Weathervane Winery · RayLen Vineyards — or browse all 54 Yadkin Valley wineries we provide transportation to.
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
🍷 Planning a Wine Tour in the NC High Country?
Ashe County Livery offers private, luxury wine tour transportation throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. Skip the driving and let our professional chauffeurs take you from winery to winery in comfort and style.
Serving Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, and all NC High Country destinations • (336) 484-1350
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