On Your Next Trip to Western North Carolina, Check Out the Area's Newest Award Winning Winery

Many Lowcountry residents take a weekend road trip to the mountains of western North Carolina for a reprieve from the heat of the summer months to enjoy the many cooling waterfalls and hiking trails of Pisgah Forest and Dupont State Forest. After a morning of recreation, the late afternoon hours are the perfect time to savor another cultural amenity the mountains around Hendersonville offer, fantastic wine vineyards. One of the area's newest wineries was recently awarded top honors in a USA Today Readers' Choice poll.

After a scenic drive and a wrong turn on Green Mountain Road--even GPS occasionally gets it wrong--we could see the winery's tasting building perched high above the road on the side of the mountain. Just ahead, the sign marking the entrance to Stone Ashe Vineyards. We ascended the long, curving driveway to the spacious parking area. Rows of grape vines covered the sloping terrain beyond the perimeter of the pavement in a symmetric blocking pattern--a future harvest to be crushed, pressed, clarified, aged, and bottled.

We entered the 3100-square-foot Chalet-designed building trimmed with cedar timbers, which included a catering kitchen, bar, covered patio, and deck. A 25-foot cathedral ceiling framed with Douglas fir timbers towered high above the tasting floor beyond the bar. There were plenty of wood tables for sitting with a large stone fireplace on one wall surrounded by a compliment of comfortable seating. Large windows afforded beautiful views of the surrounding mountain vistas. 

When it comes to wine, you could put almost anything in front of me, and I would think it was good. My friend, more refined and knowledgeable about wine than me, made the perfect choice of a slightly bubbly 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Rose Wine.

We chose to sit on the open patio on black Adirondack furniture. The view from our chairs was majestic, overlooking the descending vineyard and valley with lightning streaking down onto the surrounding high peaks. The company rewarding and the wine refreshingly dry.

Beginning in 2010, Craig and Tina Little left their careers to pursue a dream. They started their search for American soil that would match their beloved Bordeaux region of France. After three years, they found the ideal site. They discovered an area in North Carolina near Hendersonville rich in 'stony ashe' soil providing internal drainage, steep slopes for high-density planting and external irrigation, and a micro-climate suited for efficient photosynthesis and elegantly balanced fruit. Their find would cover 67 acres of beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain real estate. The couple then mated grapevine clones from France with California rootstock, and Stone Ashe Vineyards became a reality.

Wine tasting is from 12-6 Thursday through Monday and is $15 per person. You will get to choose five wines to sample from their current selections. The staff was friendly and polite, and the facility was clean and beautiful. Reservations are not required unless you plan on coming with a party of five or more. Locally sourced charcuterie boards and snack boxes (spicy pimento or hummus) are available to purchase and paired with any of their wines.

Stone Ashe Vineyards offers seven wines on its website: 2019 Petit Verdot-$44.00, 2021 Sauvignon Blanc-$38.00, 2021 Chardonnay-$29.00, 2021 Riesling-$28.00, 2021 Cabernet Franc Rosé-$29.00, 2019 Coppedge Hill-$44.00, and 2019 Davenport-$40.00.

Stone Ashe Vineyards has a full catering kitchen that can serve wedding receptions and special events such as private events, bachelorette parties, and corporate outings. Its modern farmhouse motif and warm decor are the product of Polish + Pop Design of Charleston, S.C. For information, visit the website or call 828-551-5643. It is located at 736 Green Mountain Road.

Stone Ashe Vineyards was named the Best New Winery of 2022 in a USA Today Readers' Choice poll that ended July 18. This North Carolina viticulture jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains gives California's Napa Valley wineries a run for their money.