Roofing company in Loris, SC

Loris is known for Friday night football, fertile fields, homestyle cooking, starry skies.

Now, you can add fine wines under tall pines to the mix, with the opening of the rustic Barn View Winery on a secluded 75-acre tract off Highway 9 at 280 Liberty Church Road.

“I think it’s a great addition to the community,” said Samantha Norris, executive director of the Loris Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a place for our residents to go and relax, and another thing we can add to our list of things to do.”

The main building is a 5,800-square-foot, two-story log home with heart pine floors, well-appointed Ralph Lauren furnishings, and a friendly and knowledgable staff pouring wines and selling bottles in stylish tasting rooms.

Outdoors are 30-acres of verdant grass, a multitude of tables and chairs, a golf driving range, a stage area, corn hole games, and a renovated barn with seating and a bar.

Janice Lewis, one of five employees at the winery, said “it’s Loris’ best-kept secret."

But word is spreading fast. The winery attracted 80 guests the first Saturday it was open. Those figures rose to 210, 320 and 400 the following Saturdays.

“It’s all word of mouth and Facebook,” said Randy Simmons, who operates the winery with his wife, Megan.

The wines are the couple’s private label, made in North Carolina by a master winemaker utilizing a mix of grapes from Washington state, the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina.

“Ours are non-sweet wines, more a European style,” Randy Simmons said.

Offerings include a Moscato, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, White Merlot, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Rose and Sangria.

On Saturday — warm and sunny with a hint of a breeze — dozens of guests gravitated to the grounds. They sat outside, sipping premium wines, listening to a silky voiced singer crooning Sinatra and other standards. A crew from Ritchey’s General Store and Eatery manned the grill.

At one table, a party of eight swirled, sniffed and sipped, laughing and talking.

“The wine is good,” said one guest.

"The grounds are amazing,” said another.

“The owners are very welcoming; very approachable,” said a third.

All declined to give their names as they drank hours before happy hour.

“It’s a wonderful place. This is my third trip here,” said a man who identified himself only as Joey C. from Little River.

The Simmons' hope to attract lots of locals, as well as tourists taking day trips from the beach. Small groups can come to the winery in style — Barn View has a Lincoln Continental stretch limo. “So people don’t have to worry about drinking and driving,” Randy Simmons said.

They’ll also market the winery and grounds — 30 acres of verdant grass in the middle of the wooded tract, well-buffered on all sides, with gardens, meticulous landscaping and Tennessee natural stone patios and walkways — for events like weddings. There are also art classes where participants can learn about wine as well as painting. And they hope to get the Long Bay Symphony to come out and perform.

“We want to cater to the public every way we can,” David Simmons said.

The winery is open to the public Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., year-around.

Wine costs $8 to $9 per glass, while bottles range from $23 to $28. A tasting consisting of a flight of five wines is available for $12.

Visitors on Saturdays can also enjoy catered food and live music, with silky-voiced crooners and two-piece ensembles.

“We take pride in what we’re doing,” Megan Simmons said. “We’re very passionate about giving people a place to relax and enjoy our wine."

Reach Casey Jones at 843-488-7261 or casey.jones@myhorrynews.com.

LORIS, S.C. (WMBF) - A long-standing eyesore in northern Horry County is one step closer to getting a much-needed facelift.

Last Tuesday, the City of Loris received $1 million from the state to help clean up the old Loris High School.

Some local businesses said the transformation of the property has been long awaited.

“We need something to go on over there, we really do. It (the old high school) is really truly melting itself away,” said Delane Gilchrist.

Gilchrist owns HaHa Car Wash, which is blocks from the old high school’s property. He said he’s tired of seeing the school rotting away.

“We need some little development over there, we really do,” said Gilchrist.

WMBF News told you in July the city got approval from the state for funds to help the site of the old high school. However, the city finally cashed in and got to hold their $1 million check, that’s been months in the making.

“It’s a great feeling to know that now we’ve got the funds in hand, so there’s no stopping us now and we can go ahead and start doing the process that we’ve been looking forward to for the last 3-4 years,” said City of Loris City Administrator W. Clay Young.

In all, the city has received $2 million from the state for the property and Young said the city has also contributed over half a million as well.

In 2023 the state provided the city $1 million to purchase the roughly 18 acres. However, the city said the most recent funding will be used for cleanup efforts.

“We’re excited that our citizens should be seeing some improvements to that site and hopefully in the next six months they’ll be seeing major improvements,” said Young.

Young said the city is working through the environmental aspects and is completing testing before the buildings are demolished in phases.

Knowing that the buildings could soon come down is exciting to some business owners like Gilchrist, who said they hope the clean-up will bring in more clientele.

“It’s kind of time for change a little bit. The old passing, the new coming along, we just need some new activity in Loris,” said Gilchrist.

The project is also leaving many dreaming of what the area could be developed into, as the city brings new life into a seemingly dead area.

“A little plaza, or bowling alley or something. A movie theatre would be great. You know, we need a little movie night right here in Loris, South Carolina!” said Gilchrist.

It’s still unclear exactly what the site of the old high school will become, but the city said some part of it will honor the former campus.

The city also said some of the environmental test results could be completed within the next two weeks.

Stay with WMBF News for updates.

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