Hendersonville, NC – Sip wine and cider, savor delicious food pairings and explore the Blue Ridge Mountain countryside during Hendersonville’s Cider, Wine & Dine Weekend, April 22-24.
The three-day celebration welcomes people to vineyards and orchards where artisan craft beverages are produced in this thriving agricultural region. Almost 60 events take place throughout the weekend, including specialty tastings, dinners, tours, and lots of live music.
“Visitors enjoy spending the weekend hopping from one winery and cidery to another,” says Amy Boswell with Visit Hendersonville. “They have favorites, but the weekend also encourages them to check out new locations they haven’t experienced.”
Souther Williams Vineyard holds its grand opening Friday, April 22. It becomes the seventh winery in the Crest of the Blue Ridge AVA, which received federal designation in summer 2019. Souther Williams sits on land that’s been in the same family since 1800.
The vineyard has eight acres of grapes, including well-known names like cabernet franc, riesling and vidal blanc, and unexpected varieties, such as blaufränkisch, regent and saperavi.
“Part of the joy of wine drinking is learning and educating others and developing your palate,” says Ken Parker, owner of Souther Williams. “We want to educate people about different wines and bring a different winery experience to this part of the state.”
During Cider, Wine & Dine, Souther Williams invites visitors to check out the 35-acre estate with a hike-and-sip tour and a vineyard picnic with live music by the Stormin’ Norman Band.
Marked Tree Vineyard, which opened in spring 2020, hosts a Vintner Dinner at sunset on Friday. The seasonally inspired four-course meal features wine pairings with each dish.
Explore Stone Ashe Vineyard during a hiking tour of its hillside property. Or bring the whole family to Sawyer Springs for a cornhole tournament with barbecue and live music.
Returning favorite Point Lookout once again hosts its Celtic Festival featuring mead tastings and Irish music. And live music stars at Burntshirt and Saint Paul with bands all weekend.
On the cider side, Appalachian Ridge hosts orchard breakfasts and guided farm tours, while Bold Rock welcomes families to its kid- and dog-friendly cider garden for live music all three days, cider tastings and food from the Bold Bites food truck.
Events are both free and ticketed. For a full schedule and weekend lodging options, go to www.VisitHendersonvilleNC.org/cider-wine-dine-weekend or call (828) 693-9708.
Photo by Todd Bush
