Duplin Winery & Tasting Room

Duplin Winery's Myrtle Beach tasting room is one of the most surprisingly family-friendly experiences on the Grand Strand — a place where parents get to enjoy complimentary wine tastings while kids are genuinely included with their own grape juice tasting experience. Located on US-17 near Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, Duplin is America's largest muscadine grape winery, and their tasting room offers families an activity that feels distinctly Southern, educational, and entertaining without breaking the budget.

The adult tasting experience is genuinely generous. Duplin offers complimentary tastings of their full wine lineup — typically 10-12 varieties — at no charge. The sweet muscadine wines are unlike anything from Napa or European wine regions, with bold fruit flavors ranging from blueberry and peach to traditional grape varieties.

The pouring staff explains each wine's characteristics and food pairings. For parents who rarely get an 'adult' experience during family vacations, this feels like a small luxury — and it is free.

What makes Duplin genuinely family-friendly rather than merely kid-tolerant is the children's grape juice tasting. Kids receive a miniature tasting tray with several varieties of muscadine grape juice, presented with the same ceremony as the adult tasting. Children feel included in the experience rather than stuck waiting in a corner.

They taste each juice, share their opinions on which is sweetest or most 'grapey,' and genuinely enjoy participating in an activity that mirrors what their parents are doing. This thoughtful inclusion is rare at wineries and makes Duplin a standout.

The gift shop extends the tasting experience into a browsing adventure. Shelves of Southern food products — muscadine jelly, pepper jelly, hot sauces, honey, and fudge — offer generous samples. Kids work their way through fudge tastings and jam samples while parents select bottles to take home.

The products make affordable, uniquely Southern souvenirs that family members back home actually appreciate receiving.

The winery functions as an excellent rainy-day activity, providing 60-90 minutes of indoor entertainment that appeals to adults and keeps children engaged. It pairs naturally with Barefoot Landing (5 minutes south), where families can continue their outing with shopping, dining at House of Blues, or visiting Alligator Adventure. The combination of free wine tasting, kid inclusion, and convenient location makes Duplin a hidden gem that families who discover it wonder why no one told them about it sooner.