The high country of North Carolina is a picturesque mountain region located in the western part of the state. The area is characterized by its rugged terrain, rolling hills, and stunning views of the Appalachian Mountains. It is home to several charming small towns, including Boone, Blowing Rock, and Banner Elk, which offer a unique blend of Southern hospitality and outdoor adventure. Visitors can enjoy a range of outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, skiing, and fishing, or simply relax and take in the scenic beauty of the area. The high country is also known for its rich cultural heritage, with a thriving arts and music scene, as well as a strong tradition of Appalachian cuisine. Overall, the high country of North Carolina is a must-visit destination for nature lovers and those seeking a true taste of Southern hospitality.
The High Country
THE HIGH COUNTRY
OUR FAVORITE TOWNS
Located at an elevation of 3,300 feet (the inspiration for our 3300 label series), overlooking the profile of Grandfather Mountain, and nestled on a 58°slope lies our estate hillside vineyard. Our vines were first planted in 2003 and have been growing strong across five acres ever since.The distinctive terroir, including the challenging level of elevation, creates a flavor profile unlike any other in the grapes grown here. The Appalachian High Country, only recently recognized as an American Viticulture Area (AVA) in 2016, allows for a surprisingly high quality of wines. With less than 200 AVAs in the country, it is quite the feat to have our unique, multi-state designation here in the mountains. While we are unable to grow all the grapes that you see on our menu, we do make our wines from grape to bottle right here on our property. Although yields of our true mountain fruit are typically smaller, our estate hillside vineyard is home to many different varieties of grapes. The lower and upper sections consist of french american hybrid grapes (Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Chambourcin, etc) while the middle is mostly Pinot Gris & Chardonnay. Still, our climate and size make it impossible to grow everything. On the other hand, the grapes grown here maintain an unparalleled flavor and hold their own in blends with more well-known grapes. All thanks to the nurturing and hard-working efforts of our Vineyard staff, the fruits of our labors are unlike any other. By 2024, we hope to replace some of the vines in the lower and upper sections with Chardonel (a french american hybrid that is a cross of Chardonnay & Seyval Blanc). Occasionally our estate grapes make their way into the wines that are offered to the public, but more often than not they are allocated to our wine club in the form of an estate white blend, estate rose and estate red field blend.
Sips & Eats
Since our inception in 2011, we have worked with growers from coast to coast to bring our patrons a wide selection of wines. If you’re ever visited in the fall you’re sure to have seen our winemaking team crushing, destemming and pressing out grapes! Fun Fact: Last year we processed roughly 80 tons of fruit. Currently, we source roughly 55% of our grapes from North Carolina and our bordering states (TN, GA, & VA) and roughly 45% come from out west (specifically CA & OR). We’ve found over the years that not all grapes can survive our climate so the best way to offer everything from big in your face reds, to racy and crisp whites is to source grapes from around the country. If the grapes are traveling from the west coast they come on a refrigerated truck and we immediately crush/destem and/or press the fruit upon arrival. For grapes grown around our neck of the woods we gather our totes and rent a box truck and make a trip up or down the east coast whenever it’s time to pick up our grapes. (This can happen multiple times a week since harvest is the same for everyone and is condensed into such a short period of time). For grapes harvested right on our property, we make an employee day (or two or three) out of it and all go out in the vineyard with our cutting shears and picking buckets and delicately pluck the grapes from the vines. While we don’t offer official winery tours yet ( it’s on the horizon in coming years), you’d be hard pressed not to see all the activity surrounding harvest if you plan a visit from late August to mid October.
Sips & Eats
Since our inception in 2011, we have worked with growers from coast to coast to bring our patrons a wide selection of wines. If you’re ever visited in the fall you’re sure to have seen our winemaking team crushing, destemming and pressing out grapes! Fun Fact: Last year we processed roughly 80 tons of fruit. Currently, we source roughly 55% of our grapes from North Carolina and our bordering states (TN, GA, & VA) and roughly 45% come from out west (specifically CA & OR). We’ve found over the years that not all grapes can survive our climate so the best way to offer everything from big in your face reds, to racy and crisp whites is to source grapes from around the country. If the grapes are traveling from the west coast they come on a refrigerated truck and we immediately crush/destem and/or press the fruit upon arrival. For grapes grown around our neck of the woods we gather our totes and rent a box truck and make a trip up or down the east coast whenever it’s time to pick up our grapes. (This can happen multiple times a week since harvest is the same for everyone and is condensed into such a short period of time). For grapes harvested right on our property, we make an employee day (or two or three) out of it and all go out in the vineyard with our cutting shears and picking buckets and delicately pluck the grapes from the vines. While we don’t offer official winery tours yet ( it’s on the horizon in coming years), you’d be hard pressed not to see all the activity surrounding harvest if you plan a visit from late August to mid October.
Outdoor Activities
An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the United States Department of the Treasury. The Appalachian High Country AVA is a large 2,400-square-mile area spanning eight counties and three states. One of the things that sets the Appalachian High Country AVA apart from surrounding areas is its elevation. Grapes are planted at elevations between 2,290 and 4,630 feet. More than half of the vineyards are located at or above 3,000 feet in elevation. In addition, more than half of the vineyards are planted on slopes with angles 30 degrees or more.
Shopping
Through trial and error we’ve learned that Hybrids grow extremely well in the cooler climate and wines often end up with high acidity and bold fruit flavors. We think the High Country provides the perfect growing environment for grapes such as Chardonel, Vidal Blanc and Traminette. While these grapes are not commonly seen in sparkling production they make wonderful alternatives to a traditional style Champagne. Our winemakers foresee our AVA being known as sparkling wine country in coming years and thus we have been focusing our efforts on crafting sparkling wines with the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. As we continue to grow our sparkling program, we will be adding corks and cages to wines bottled in 2023 (currently we use bottle caps to retain carbonation) and by 2024 we hope to have a charmat sparkling tank. Our Tasting Room Manager says “If there’s bubbles in your glass it’s a good day” and we couldn’t agree more!
Shopping
Through trial and error we’ve learned that Hybrids grow extremely well in the cooler climate and wines often end up with high acidity and bold fruit flavors. We think the High Country provides the perfect growing environment for grapes such as Chardonel, Vidal Blanc and Traminette. While these grapes are not commonly seen in sparkling production they make wonderful alternatives to a traditional style Champagne. Our winemakers foresee our AVA being known as sparkling wine country in coming years and thus we have been focusing our efforts on crafting sparkling wines with the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. As we continue to grow our sparkling program, we will be adding corks and cages to wines bottled in 2023 (currently we use bottle caps to retain carbonation) and by 2024 we hope to have a charmat sparkling tank. Our Tasting Room Manager says “If there’s bubbles in your glass it’s a good day” and we couldn’t agree more!
FUN FOR FAMILY
An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the United States Department of the Treasury. The Appalachian High Country AVA is a large 2,400-square-mile area spanning eight counties and three states. One of the things that sets the Appalachian High Country AVA apart from surrounding areas is its elevation. Grapes are planted at elevations between 2,290 and 4,630 feet. More than half of the vineyards are located at or above 3,000 feet in elevation. In addition, more than half of the vineyards are planted on slopes with angles 30 degrees or more.
WHERE TO STAY
Through trial and error we’ve learned that Hybrids grow extremely well in the cooler climate and wines often end up with high acidity and bold fruit flavors. We think the High Country provides the perfect growing environment for grapes such as Chardonel, Vidal Blanc and Traminette. While these grapes are not commonly seen in sparkling production they make wonderful alternatives to a traditional style Champagne. Our winemakers foresee our AVA being known as sparkling wine country in coming years and thus we have been focusing our efforts on crafting sparkling wines with the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. As we continue to grow our sparkling program, we will be adding corks and cages to wines bottled in 2023 (currently we use bottle caps to retain carbonation) and by 2024 we hope to have a charmat sparkling tank. Our Tasting Room Manager says “If there’s bubbles in your glass it’s a good day” and we couldn’t agree more!
WHERE TO STAY
Through trial and error we’ve learned that Hybrids grow extremely well in the cooler climate and wines often end up with high acidity and bold fruit flavors. We think the High Country provides the perfect growing environment for grapes such as Chardonel, Vidal Blanc and Traminette. While these grapes are not commonly seen in sparkling production they make wonderful alternatives to a traditional style Champagne. Our winemakers foresee our AVA being known as sparkling wine country in coming years and thus we have been focusing our efforts on crafting sparkling wines with the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. As we continue to grow our sparkling program, we will be adding corks and cages to wines bottled in 2023 (currently we use bottle caps to retain carbonation) and by 2024 we hope to have a charmat sparkling tank. Our Tasting Room Manager says “If there’s bubbles in your glass it’s a good day” and we couldn’t agree more!
