Come for the wine, stay for the great views and laid-back music
Banner Elk Winery is one of several wineries in the area that offer the prospect of a pleasant afternoon with views, music and relaxation. (Photo: Tony Mecia/The Mountain Ledger)
by Tony Mecia
Nobody is going to confuse the Boone and Blowing Rock area with the Napa Valley, Tuscany or Burgundy.
But you can still have a pleasant time at the area’s growing list of wineries, with a flight of wine, a band playing nearby and mountains rolling out in front of you.
The wineries within 30-45 minutes of Boone and Blowing Rock have a lot of things in common. They typically bring in local musicians, sell some basic snacks or have food trucks and serve up many varieties of perfectly drinkable wine. The views vary, and the vibes differ, but all offer a laid-back afternoon.
Several are in active expansion mode, and are in the process or have recently added seating and amenities as more people discover that "let's go to a winery" is a legitimate and fun way to spend a few hours.
Here are the five closest to Blowing Rock and Boone:
Grandfather Vineyard & Winery
The biggest and busiest of the bunch, especially since Hurricane Helene washed out their bridge in 2024 and they rebuilt bigger. There's a massive parking lot now, covered cabana seating you can reserve, and QR codes on the tables so staff can bring wine to you. Its events calendar shows live music every afternoon, including weekdays, from mid-May to mid-September.
On a temperate weekend afternoon, it can feel like a popular Charlotte brewery — live music, food trucks, kids in the creek, lots of people just relaxing alongside a pretty stream with vineyards in the background. Best for groups or a full social afternoon out.
➡️ Read our review.
Banner Elk Winery
More laid-back than Grandfather, with a nice lake, scattered outdoor tables, and a front porch good for sitting and listening to weekend music. The indoor space is comfortable — fireplace, homey feel. Menu covers reds, whites, rosé, and the unexpected surprise is several varieties of sangria, including watermelon jalepeno and ginger peach mint. There’s plenty of room for kids to run around.
They're expanding — more bathrooms, more seating, a second bar — so it's only going to get bigger.
➡️ Read our review.
Mill Camp Wines & Ciders
Mill Camp opened in the fall of 2025, and although it is smaller than the others, it is one worth knowing about. You wind through some rural backroads north of Boone to get there, which is part of the charm. Once you arrive: a modern building, a deck with mountain and pasture views, a stone fireplace inside, and a solid lineup of small-batch wines and ciders ranging from dry to sweet, with fruit variations like peach and cherry.
The cider lineup alone makes it worth a trip. Family- and dog-friendly, with occasional live music and food trucks on weekends.
➡️ Read our review.
Linville Falls Winery
The most traditional winery experience of the group — a 40-acre working farm with its own vineyards, a Tuscan-style tasting room, and a hand-laid stone patio at the foot of the vineyards with views. You drive through stretches of Christmas tree farms and mountain roads near the Blue Ridge Parkway to get there. As the name suggests, it’s also a popular stop for people exploring nearby Linville Falls. More info.
Eagles Nest Winery
There’s a slightly curated, mountain-modern feel to Eagles Nest Winery that sets it apart from the more rustic winery scene in the area. Located above Banner Elk at the luxury Eagles Nest development, it feels less like a roadside vineyard and more like a mountaintop social club built for sunsets, live music and lingering over a glass in Adirondack chairs around fire pits. Eagles Nest offers a day pass ($25), which includes a tasting, and unlike other wineries, no kids under 16 are allowed. Its food menu includes salads and pizzas. More info.
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A few practical notes: These places fill up fast on summer and fall weekends, especially when live music is scheduled. A midweek visit tends to be more relaxed.