The Vineyard at High Holly sits on nearly 30 acres of the Highlands Plateau in far western North Carolina, on Scaly Mountain between Highlands, NC and Dillard, GA. It’s worth being upfront about geography: this is not a quick trip from Boone. It’s a destination in its own right, in a different corner of the mountains entirely, and it’s best treated as a full day or overnight excursion rather than a stop you tack onto a Boone-area wine afternoon.
A family project on the Highlands Plateau
The vineyard is run by Connie and Jim Mercer along with their daughter and son-in-law, Lesley and Eric Galloway, who bought the property and now live there full-time raising their family on-site. The Mercers split their time between Florida and North Carolina. The Galloways describe the place as centered on a working vineyard, and the property has grown to include an award-winning dahlia garden, tennis courts, a pond with waterfalls, an event pavilion and walking trails across the hillside — more a full mountain retreat than a simple tasting room.
What to taste and eat
On-site, Barrel & Vine is the vineyard’s restaurant and bar, pouring wines by the glass, bottle and curated flight alongside a seasonal, chef-driven food menu of light bites, entrées and desserts. There’s live music and themed dinners on the events calendar, and the restaurant operates without reservations, so you can show up, taste, and stay for a meal without planning weeks ahead. Because it’s also a working vineyard, the pours you get in the tasting room are tied directly to fruit grown on the property.
The setting
What sets High Holly apart from most High Country tasting rooms is the sheer scale of the property. Guests can walk the grounds, sit by the pond, wander the dahlia garden, or play tennis or cornhole in a community area built around a fire pit. The vineyard is family- and pet-friendly, and there’s on-site lodging if you want to turn a visit into a stay: five cottages that each sleep 4–6, a farmhouse that sleeps 4–6, and a restored 1890s homestead cottage for two. Because the property regularly hosts weddings and private events, it’s worth checking their calendar before you go — they note the vineyard may be closed some Saturdays for exactly that reason.
What else is nearby
The Highlands and Scaly Mountain area is its own outdoor destination, with ziplining, hiking, waterfalls, horseback riding, rafting, fishing and golf all within about 30 minutes of the property, plus the shops, restaurants and antique stores of downtown Highlands a short drive away. If you’re making the trip out from the High Country, it makes sense to build in at least a night in the area rather than treating it as a single stop.
Planning the trip from Boone
This is the honest caveat: Scaly Mountain sits on the opposite side of western North Carolina from Boone, closer to Highlands, Cashiers and the Georgia border than to the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor. Straight-line driving estimates between Boone and the Highlands area run in the range of three to four hours depending on route, so this isn’t a same-day add-on to a Watauga or Ashe County wine day — it’s a separate trip, and one best paired with an overnight stay either on-site or nearby. If a group is already planning an extended High Country getaway that includes a swing toward Asheville and beyond, High Holly is a worthwhile detour; if you’re looking for a winery stop within an hour or two of Boone, the other producers on our list are a better fit for a single afternoon.
Wine Tour Transportation to The Vineyard at High Holly
Ashe County Livery offers private, chauffeured wine tour transportation to The Vineyard at High Holly from Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson and across NC’s High Country. Our The Vineyard at High Holly 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. Plan your The Vineyard at High Holly tour or call (336) 484-1350.
Other High Country wineries we serve: Burntshirt Vineyards Tasting Room and Bistro · Linville Falls Winery · Eagle’s Nest Winery — or browse every High Country winery, cidery and meadery we provide transportation to.
Explore More from Ashe County Livery
- High Country Wine Tours — Mountain winery shuttle service
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- Airport shuttles by town: Boone · Blowing Rock · Banner Elk · West Jefferson · Linville · Beech Mountain
- Ashe County Livery — Premium transportation in NC’s High Country
- 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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