Banner Elk Winery Wins Three Medals at
Blue Ridge Wine Festival

Story by Sam Calhoun

The past year has been fruitful for Banner Elk Winery, the High Country’s only winery.

Having bottled its first flavor of wine on July 1, 2006, Banner Elk Winery, under the direction of co-owner Dr. Richard Wolfe, is celebrating its second round of awards.

Banner Elk Winery won a double gold medal for its Cabernet Sauvignon and a bronze medal for its Blueberry Wine at the North Carolina State Fair last fall.

Wolfe’s varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, High Country Rose and Blueberry Wine all won bronze medals during the second annual Blue Ridge Wine Festival in Blowing Rock on April 12 to 15.

Twenty wineries participated in the Blue Ridge Wine Festival, and the judges awarded one gold medal, seven silver medals and twenty bronze medals. Even though the three wines from Banner Elk Winery received bronze medals, only one other Cabernet Sauvignon placed above the Banner Elk Winery’s entry and no other rose or blueberry wines placed above Banner Elk Winery’s selections.

Banner Elk Winery purchases from 15 farmers in Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties who are growing more than 30 acres of grapes. This spring, three more farmers and five more acres will join that tally, said Wolfe.

“More farmers are starting to pay attention. They’re starting to see that they can make more money growing grapes than tobacco, and now we’re winning awards with the products of those grapes,” said Wolfe.

The recent drop in temperatures in the High Country that devastated local fruit trees and crops didn’t affect the local grape growers, said Wolfe, because the grapevines hadn’t bloomed yet.

“[The grapevines] are just now budding out and that’s an advantage,” said Wolfe. “People are starting to notice that this might be one of the better areas in North Carolina to grow grapes, especially after winning these awards. And local restaurants are even starting to take notice.”

Banner Elk Winery is open for wine tastings Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m.

For more information, call 828-898-9090 or click to www.bannerelkwinery.com.