Carolina Heritage: North Carolina’s First Certified Organic Winery
Clyde and Pat Colwell spent more than a year looking at farm properties before settling on a spot just outside Elkin, and in 2005 they established Carolina Heritage Vineyard & Winery as a retirement project built entirely around sustainability. It became North Carolina’s first USDA-Certified Organic vineyard and winery, first certified in 2008, and it was also the state’s first solar-powered winery. The Colwells grew grapes without synthetic pesticides, kept chickens and guinea fowl to manage insects, and used predatory bird sounds instead of chemicals to protect ripening fruit.
In 2022, after the Colwells retired a second time, Patrick and Wendy McNabb took over as new owners. The couple moved from Boca Raton, Florida, with their two sons to pursue the winery full time: Patrick, an Army veteran who also works in sustainable packaging, oversees the farm and financials, while Wendy, a former environmental science teacher, has taken over as winemaker and is studying viticulture and enology at Surry Community College. Because Patrick is a veteran, Carolina Heritage is now a certified Homegrown by Heroes farm.
The Wines of Carolina Heritage
Carolina Heritage farms roughly 9 acres of organic grapevines plus 1.5 acres of organic blueberries, growing American hybrid and native muscadine varieties. In addition to grape wines, the winery makes wine from apples, blueberries, and elderberries — its best-selling “Apple Pie” wine is a sweet, spiced apple wine mulled with almonds, cinnamon, and raisins. Because the wines use no animal by-products or grains, the full lineup is vegan-friendly and gluten-free.
The property also includes a half-mile hiking trail (a mile round trip) that connects to the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and an on-site 1928 farmhouse — renovated in 2018 and known as The Olde Farmhouse — available as an overnight rental for visitors who want to stay on the vineyard grounds.
Planning Your Visit
Address: 170 Heritage Vines Way, Elkin, NC 28621
Tasting Room Hours: Friday–Monday, 1pm – 6pm (confirm current hours before visiting, as the winery has recently changed hands)
A visit to Carolina Heritage tends to be relaxed and down-home:
- Tasting Flight — a sampling of the current organic and fruit wine lineup, poured at the counter.
- Farm Walk — wander the property, meet the chickens and guinea fowl, and see the organic growing methods up close.
- Trail Access — the on-site Mountains-to-Sea Trail segment makes for a short walk before or after tasting.
- Live Music — the winery regularly hosts musicians on the grounds.
A few practical notes we have learned from bringing groups here: Carolina Heritage is pet-friendly, and the atmosphere is genuinely down-home rather than polished — part of its charm. Because the property is still settling into new ownership, we recommend calling ahead to confirm the day’s hours, and budgeting at least an hour if your group wants to walk the trail or explore the farm in addition to tasting.
Where Carolina Heritage Fits in Your Tour Route
Carolina Heritage sits right in Elkin, just a few minutes from several other tasting rooms in town, which makes it easy to combine with two or three other stops on the same afternoon. Its organic, farm-forward character makes for a nice contrast if you are also visiting one of Elkin’s more polished estate-style wineries the same day.
Plan on roughly 1.5 hours per winery plus drive time between stops. Because Carolina Heritage’s tasting room hours run into the early evening, it can work well as a later stop on an Elkin-area route.
We like recommending Carolina Heritage to groups who want a genuinely different kind of winery experience — less about a polished tasting counter and more about seeing organic, sustainable farming up close. It is a good conversation starter and a nice change of pace between two more traditional estate tastings elsewhere in Elkin.
Wine Tour Transportation to Carolina Heritage Vineyard and Winery
Ashe County Livery provides private, chauffeured wine tour transportation to Carolina Heritage Vineyard and Winery from Ashe County, Boone, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson and across NC’s High Country. Our Carolina Heritage trip-planning page covers drive times, tasting-room hours, group sizes and pricing.
Travel in a luxury SUV, sedan, or Sprinter van with a professional chauffeur — everyone in your group gets to taste, nobody has to drive. We only charge from pickup to your last drop-off, and every tour includes a complimentary cooler with ice and water. Plan your Carolina Heritage tour or call (336) 484-1350.
Nearby wineries we also serve: Adagio Vineyards · Christian Paul Vineyards · Elkin Creek Vineyard — or browse all 54 Yadkin Valley wineries we provide transportation to.
Explore More from Ashe County Livery
- Yadkin Valley Wine Tours — Explore NC’s premier wine region
- High Country Wine Tours — Mountain winery service
- Wedding Transportation — Luxury transportation for your big day
- Airport Transfers — CLT, AVL, GSO & TRI
- Request a free quote — or call (336) 484-1350
🍷 Planning a Wine Tour in the NC High Country?
Ashe County Livery offers private, luxury wine tour transportation throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. Skip the driving and let our professional chauffeurs take you from winery to winery in comfort and style.
Serving Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, and all NC High Country destinations • (336) 484-1350
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