Henderson County’s Crest of the Blue Ridge wine region is now home to six wine producers following the openings this summer of Marked Tree Vineyard and Stone Ashe Vineyard.
Marked Tree sits at an elevation of 2,300 in a picturesque setting along the Eastern Continental Divide. A unique tasting room offers enclosed and open-air seating areas, along with two patios. There are also sitting areas and tents on the lawn.
Marked Tree cultivates European vinifera and French-American hybrid grapes, including Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Grüner Veltliner, Chardonel and Vidal Blanc. The wine lineup features four reds, four whites and two rosès.
The tasting room welcomes guests Thursday through Monday, with vineyard tours offered on Saturdays.
Stone Ashe owners Craig and Tina Little wanted to replicate the vineyard experience of Bordeaux, France, with steep slopes, a moderate climate and similar soil conditions. They found their perfect terroir on a 2,700-foot mountain outside Hendersonville.
Thirteen acres of vines, cloned from legacy vines in Bordeaux, grow the following varietals: Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Stone Ashe is open Thursday through Sunday offering three white wines, one rosè and one red. A 3,100-square-foot tasting room includes a catering kitchen, bar, covered patio and deck. The atmosphere is airy and spacious with a 25-foot cathedral ceiling framed in Douglas fir timbers.
The tasting room opened July 17, and the Littles are excited their vineyard is the sixth to put down roots in Henderson County’s federally designated Crest of the Blue Ridge American Viticultural Area.
“Having that AVA designation is going to bring more and more prestige to this area,” says Craig Little. “The wineries here are making superior wines and really elevating the process.”
For info on Hendersonville-area wineries and craft spirits, visit www.CheersTrail.org
