Grandfather Vineyards is bigger and busier than ever

Grandfather Vineyard & Winery I A popular winery along a creek with vineyards, food trucks and room for a crowd

Grandfather Vineyard & Winery has expanded significantly in recent years — big parking lot, lots of seating, QR codes on the tables for mobile ordering, cabana rentals, food trucks, live music, and a creek running alongside the whole thing. On a busy weekend afternoon, it has the energy of a popular Charlotte brewery, just with vineyards in the background.

The basics: Located between Boone and Banner Elk along N.C. 105. The bridge that was washed out during Hurricane Helene has been rebuilt, and the property has been substantially reorganized and expanded since then and is a fun and festive way to spend an hour or two.

What it is: A winery is set along the Watauga River, with vineyards visible in the background and a large open seating area. You can mobile order from your table, and staff will bring drinks out to you. When we visited on a Sunday, there were food trucks, a kettle corn vendor, a chocolate stand, face painting and kids playing in the rocks along the creek. We’ve never seen cabana rentals at a winery, but Grandfather Vineyards has 13 of them that can be booked in advance online ($107-320 for two hours, some heated). A lot of people bring their own picnic supplies and spend the afternoon.

What to order: Wine flights are the standard move, unless you know what you like and feel comfortable committing to a full glass or bottle(s).

Good to know: This is the biggest and busiest of the High Country wineries, with modern touches like QR codes and reserve-ahead cabanas. The mobile ordering setup and expanded seating mean it handles crowds well. The river is genuinely pretty and the kids-in-the-water situation on a warm day is hard to beat for families. It's well-organized for the volume it draws. Its events schedule shows live music every afternoon (including weekdays) in June, July and August of 2026 — the rest of the year, it is mostly weekends.

The move: Go on a weekend when the food trucks are there and make an afternoon of it. If you want smaller crowds, shoot for a weekday. Check the schedule ahead of time — live music and vendor lineups are posted in advance. There’s good energy here that mixes a pleasant setting with the bustle of a crowd.