Souther Williams Vineyard sits on Hoopers Creek Road in Fletcher, NC, about 20 minutes from both Hendersonville and Asheville, on a 35-acre property that’s remained in the same family for more than 200 years. The tagline the winery uses — “where the mountains meet the vines” — is more literal than most marketing lines; the open-air pavilion tasting room looks straight out over rows of cool-climate European grape varieties with the Blue Ridge rising behind them.
A Bicentennial Farm Becomes a Vineyard
The land traces back to a roughly 10,000-acre 1800s property that made up much of what’s now the Hoopers Creek valley; the 35 acres that remain today form the original homeplace, and remnants from that earlier era are still visible on the property. Owners Ken Parker and Angela Adams — who spent their careers in banking and technology before turning to wine full time — named the vineyard for Ken’s grandparents, Carrie Souther and JK Williams, and opened it in 2016 after first running a wine-and-cigar venture called The Highlander Cigar Club. Their granddaughter Ashleigh has been involved in building the vineyard from the ground up and, according to the winery, plans to study fermentation science with the goal of becoming their winemaker. (Source: Souther Williams’ own “Caretakers” page.)
What to Taste
Souther Williams specializes in cooler-climate European vinifera not commonly seen in the Southeast — grape varieties that originate in Austria, Germany, Eastern Europe and Russia, chosen deliberately for the vineyard’s higher elevation and shorter growing season. The current planting includes three whites (Grüner Veltliner, Riesling and Vidal Blanc) and five reds (Cynthiana/Norton, Blaufränkisch/Lemberger, Regent, Saperavi and Cabernet Franc), with roughly an acre of each variety across 8 of the property’s 35 acres. At full production the winery expects to make 1,500–2,000 cases a year. Because the lineup is built from these less-common grapes rather than the usual Merlot-and-Chardonnay list, it’s worth going in curious rather than expecting familiar names.
The Setting and the Experience
Tastings happen in an open-air pavilion overlooking the vineyard, with a few different formats: a walk-up four-wine flight with no reservation needed, a hosted five-wine flight with a private guide, a “Hike and Sip” tour that combines a roughly 75-minute walk through the hillside vines with five wines along the way ($50/person, offered Friday–Sunday at 11 a.m. or by private appointment), and an “Owner’s Tasting” hosted by Ken Parker himself on the estate farmhouse deck for four to eight people ($135/person, three days’ advance reservation required). The property also features a carved wooden sculpture called “Amara, Lady of the Vines,” created by artist Mountain Mike Ayers in a red oak tree on-site in August 2023 — the winery has built a folklore-style legend around the piece as part of its brand storytelling, which is presented explicitly as a created legend rather than local history.
What Else Is Nearby
Fletcher sits directly between Hendersonville and Asheville, so a Souther Williams visit pairs easily with either downtown — Hendersonville’s walkable Main Street or Asheville’s broader restaurant and gallery scene — without adding much drive time. Souther Williams itself also offers helicopter tours, luxury picnics, and hosts private events on-site, so some groups treat the vineyard as the whole afternoon rather than one stop among several.
Planning Your Visit
From Boone, Souther Williams is about 93 miles and roughly 2 hours and 18 minutes by car — the shortest drive of the far-western wineries in this area, but still a full-day trip once you add tasting time, a meal, and the return drive. The vineyard’s posted hours are Thursday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (with Sunday specifically 12–6 p.m.), closed Tuesday and Wednesday — confirm current hours and reservation requirements directly with Souther Williams before you go, especially if you want the Hike and Sip tour or Owner’s Tasting, both of which need advance booking. If your group is combining the vineyard with time in Hendersonville or Asheville, having one driver for the day keeps everyone together and means nobody has to sit out the tasting to handle the drive home on mountain roads after dark.
Wine Tour Transportation to Souther Williams Vineyard
Ashe County Livery offers private, chauffeured wine tour transportation to Souther Williams Vineyard from Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson and across NC’s High Country. Our Souther Williams Vineyard 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 Souther Williams Vineyard tour or call (336) 484-1350.
Other High Country wineries we serve: Sawyer Springs Vineyard · Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards · Jeter Mountain Farm — 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
- Yadkin Valley Wine Tours — Explore NC’s premier wine region
- Wine Loop Shuttle — Hop-on hop-off winery tours
- Wedding Transportation — Luxury shuttles for your big day
- Wedding venues we serve — 40+ High Country venues
- Airport Shuttle Service — CLT, AVL, GSO & TRI transfers
- 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
You Might Also Like
