Travel a Trail of Good Taste This Summer

WNC Vineyards, Breweries and Meaderies Offer Visitors Beverages, Beauty and Bonhomie

By Gina Malone

The rolling farmland, stunning mountain views and vibrant towns of Western North Carolina offer unparalleled beauty and opportunities for adventure. Add to that mix a selection of welcoming vineyards, breweries and meaderies along the byways, and you’ve found a pleasurable way to while away an afternoon with friends and loved ones. Staff at these regional venues go out of their way to make surroundings, indoors and out, places that soothe the soul and invite unwinding with a glass of something refreshing and a plate of something delicious.

Owners say their operations offer dream jobs—complete with all of the long hours and hard work that any business entails. “Our dream job is not the brewery itself, but sharing a craft and providing a family-friendly atmosphere,” says Merri Fretwell, who with her husband Marc, owns Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery, with locations in Chimney Rock and Mars Hill.

Originally from Chesterfield, England, Marc learned the brewing process from his father. Marc thrives, says Merri, on introducing British food and beers to the brewery’s visitors. He was an engineer in the power industry before taking on brewing as a business, and Merri brings a doctorate in Education to her work as a speech pathologist and special education teacher. The couple lives in Lake Lure with their son Tristan.

The Fretwells enjoy relaxing at the brewery, mingling with customers and planning out the next craft brew. Along with inviting locations, “Our English-style craft beer and British food make us unique,” Merri says. The Chimney Rock location sits alongside the Rocky Broad River, and the Mars Hill brewery is located in a remodeled 1940s movie theatre that hosts Trivia Night on Thursdays and shows movies on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. To find out about upcoming screenings, call 828.680.1284 or join the Fretwell’s private Facebook group (Facebook.com/groups/934010123921849).

Lance Hiatt and Tim Parks, with backgrounds in architecture and luxury retail, devoted seven years to finding the right farm and another five years preparing to open Marked Tree Vineyard, in Flat Rock, only to find their opening date coinciding with early pandemic days in May 2020. “The path takes time and flexibility,” Parks says. “You have to have patience and be able to spend the time required (three years for the vines to produce grapes). Farming and winemaking don’t happen overnight.” To prepare themselves for running the business, Hiatt attended Surry Community College’s Viticulture and Enology program, and both attended wine conferences and workshops and, “of course,” says Parks, “bought and read the book Wine for Dummies!”

Besides the viticultural aspect of running a vineyard, there is the hospitality factor as well. While Hiatt enjoys growing the grapes and producing the wine, Parks likes meeting the guests and talking about what they are doing at Marked Tree.

“Each year is a different vintage and the experiences along the way create quite a story that the team shares with the guests,” says Parks.

Marked Tree Vineyard boasts a location on the Eastern Continental Divide at an elevation of 2300 feet. “We selected varietals that would ripen each season with our warm days and cool nights,” Parks says. “We also selected varietals that would survive the Blue Ridge winters. This is the essence of terroir. Marked Tree produces wine in a dry European style.”

They recently planted three more acres at the vineyard and invite visitors to see the new vines in their beginning state. Upcoming plans include hosting the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra in celebration of its 50th anniversary on September 11. Hiatt and Parks welcome volunteers during harvest time in September. Email jason@markedtreevineyard.com if interested.

Bob and Karen Binns, of Parker-Binns Vineyard, in Mill Spring, attended classes, seminars and did independent research as well when they knew they wanted to go into the business, but they also spent time with nearby seasoned winemakers Frank, Lita and Sofia Lilly. “We essentially volunteered our time in exchange for some firsthand knowledge of making wine in WNC,” says Bob. “It proved valuable as it gave us some confidence moving forward in producing wines from the wine grapes we had planted in 2008.” They previously owned a tree and plant nursery in south Florida.

The Binns relish the vibe at Parker-Binns Vineyard as an appealing aspect of the business, harmoniously connecting wine lovers. “We watch strangers become best friends, first dates become marriages and even introverts showing their extroverted side,” they say. “The people are the party and the wine is the fuel.” In addition to wines made from the 11 varieties of wine grapes grown, Parker-Binns also produces its own hard ciders, with cider base sourced from Henderson County apples, and Kangria, a sangria in a can, its fruit grown onsite. The vineyard also offers Burger Barn, serving local, grass-fed beef as well as charcuterie boards, house-made cheese, crackers and other light bites, and house-made artisan pizza slices.

At Stone Ashe Vineyard, in Hendersonville, Craig and Tina Little have turned their enjoyment of food and wine with friends into their second careers, after retiring from dentistry. “With a shared vision in 2010, we started to imagine an estate vineyard similar to those of the great growing regions of France,” Tina says. To prepare themselves for the endeavor, they took classes from several universities, and Craig earned certificates in viticulture and enology.

They sourced grapevines from various regions in France with similar environmental and climatic conditions as their mountain property. “We are one of the few vineyards on the East Coast that have steep slope vineyards along with our high altitudes to promote the slow ripening process needed to produce world-class wines,” says Tina. “Our grounds, vineyard, barn, tasting facilities and brand logo pay tribute to the land. We are continually advocating for environmental responsibility both in our viticultural practices and our approach to winemaking.”

Stone Ashe’s small boutique winery encourages a laid-back experience as well as providing the Littles with opportunities to educate visitors about grape growing and winemaking.

Vickie and Jonathan Redgrave worked as lawyers in Virginia before moving full-time to NC in 2017. They began looking for land to develop when, in 2018, they learned that Mountain Brook Vineyards, in Tryon, was for sale. “There is an enormous learning curve to understanding the business of wine, especially when you combine the farming, winemaking and retail operations under one umbrella,” say the couple. “We are still on a steep learning curve, but have tremendous employees who bring years of their own experience which is very helpful. The good news is that we love being able to learn new things every day.”

They seek to offer a “trilogy of excellence”: service, wine and property. “The service model we adopted is table service, which is a challenge given the size of the operation,” the couple says. “But it allows us to provide a more personalized service that enables us to connect better and provide a more tailored experience to each guest.” Pushing the quality of the wine to highest standards and offering outdoor tasting areas that provide a front-row seat to the pristine grounds furthers the excellence—“without being snooty”—for which they strive. “We welcome families and dogs, and we welcome those who have never tasted wine as well as aficionados alike,” say the Redgraves.

Charles Myers and Kathryn Curran say that Keeper’s Cut Meadery, in Marion, which they own along with Kurt Myers, is the result of beekeeping, “a hobby we let get out of hand,” adds Curran. Before opening Keeper’s Cut, she worked as a manager in the manufacturing industry and Charles was a chiropractic physician. Kurt is a warrant officer in the US Navy.

“We love to share our story and educate our customers on the history of mead,” says Curran, “and our customers love the interaction and learning how we make our products.” Though it’s hard work requiring dedication and sacrifice, she says that the meadery is a dream for the owners who enjoy every minute.

“Mead is the oldest alcohol beverage, dating back thousands of years, and is experiencing a resurgence in popularity,” Curran says. “We offer still wines and session meads which are carbonated and on tap.” Food offerings include a charcuterie of salami, cheese, fruit, nuts, olives, roasted tomatoes, pickles and crackers, and a cheese tray, with plans to offer a selection of tapas in the coming months.

Their plans include opening a second location in the near future. They recently expanded to online sales as well and are able to ship to other states.

Upcoming events include a comedy night with Brian T. Shirley on Saturday, July 23.

To learn more, visit HickoryNutBrewery.com, KeepersCut.com, MarkedTreeVineyard.com, MountainBrookVineyards.com, ParkerBinnsVineyard.com and StoneAsheVineyards.com, and find the latest events and updates posted on their social media sites.