Vineyard Hikes, Sunset Dinners & Live Music at Cider, Wine & Dine
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. – Hendersonville wineries and cideries invite you to immerse yourself in the culinary culture of this Blue Ridge Mountain town for three days of dining, dancing and discovering new delights during Cider, Wine & Dine Weekend, April 21-23.
More than a dozen venues participate in the weekend, which is filled with tastings, tours, new releases, picnics, pairing dinners, live music and vineyard hikes. Approximately 50 events take place throughout the weekend.
“It’s fun to see all of these local, craft producers come together for a weekend of events,” says Michelle Owens, executive director of Visit Hendersonville, which sponsors the weekend. “Each one does an excellent job on its own, but when they pair their beverages with local foods, local bands playing music and other outdoor activities, it elevates the experience for visitors.”
The weekend is designed to encourage patrons to get out to the vineyards, orchards and tasting rooms, many located in the Blue Ridge countryside, and see where these wines and ciders begin their journey from field to bottle. Participating wineries are part of the Crest of the Blue Ridge AVA, North Carolina’s newest wine region. The cideries draw on decades of apple-growing heritage and a bounty of fresh fruit from area orchards.
Souther Williams Vineyard, which celebrates its one-year anniversary this spring, hosts hike-and-sip tours throughout the day on Friday, April 21. Guests traverse the NC Bicentennial Farm, which has been in owner Ken Parker’s family since 1800, and hear how he transitioned the property from traditional agricultural crops into a vineyard, all while sampling five different wines.
Savor a vintner’s dinner with sunset views at Marked Tree Vineyard on Friday evening. Each of the four courses is paired with a Marked Tree wine, produced from meticulously tended European vinifera and French-American hybrid grapevines in surrounding vineyards.
On Saturday, be one of the first to see Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards’ new on-site winery and taste wines straight from the barrel. Across the road, listen to live music while sipping dry, European-style ciders and overlooking a hillside orchard at Appalachian Ridge Artisan Hard Cider.
For Sunday’s finale, kick up your heels with a Celtic band and explore a variety of meads and wines at the mountaintop tasting room of Point Lookout Vineyards.
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 Jared Kay.