Addison Farms Vineyard sits on a 55-acre family farm on New Leicester Highway, about 17 miles northwest of downtown Asheville in Leicester, NC. It’s a small, quiet, working vineyard rather than a polished tasting-room complex — six acres of vines at roughly 2,250 to 2,300 feet elevation, run by the same family that has owned this land since 1937. For a group willing to make the drive down from the High Country, it’s a good example of what a genuinely small NC mountain winery looks like up close.
A Farm That’s Been in One Family Since 1937
The Frisbee family’s connection to this property goes back to Addison Farmer, whose parents bought the land in 1937. Three generations later, his daughter Maleada and her husband Jeff Frisbee — along with family members Eddie and Dianne — started Addison Farms Vineyard as a way to keep the farm working and in the family rather than selling it off. They planted their first acre of vines in 2009. The first vintage, in 2010, was made from grapes purchased from other North Carolina growers while their own vines matured; by 2011 they were making wine from their own fruit, and the tasting room opened in December 2012. Today the vineyard is planned to grow to about 10 acres, with roughly six planted now, and the farm also works with partner growers at Spring Branch Vineyard to round out production, which runs in the range of 600 to 800 cases a year — genuinely small-batch by any measure.
What’s in the Glass
As of last year, Addison Farms had five grape varieties planted on site: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, and Petit Manseng — an unusual, ambitious lineup for a vineyard sitting above 2,000 feet in the Blue Ridge, since Petit Manseng in particular is a grape more associated with warmer growing regions that also happens to do well in cooler mountain sites. The winery’s own description emphasizes small-batch production made with traditional winemaking methods rather than a large commercial operation. Exactly which wines are pouring at the tasting bar shifts with vintage and season, so it’s worth checking their current list before you go rather than planning around a specific bottle.
The Tasting Room Experience
Addison Farms offers two ways to taste: a Guided Tasting where a tasting room host walks you through several current wines and talks about the growing season and the stories behind them, and a Winemaker’s Tour led by owner and winemaker Jeff Frisbee himself (or occasionally another family member), which includes a behind-the-scenes look at the vineyard and cellar plus the Guided Tasting. The winemaker tour has typically run on Saturday afternoons. Reservations aren’t required for a regular visit, but the winery recommends booking ahead for groups of six or more so the tasting room can make sure there’s room. The property is dog-friendly for well-behaved, leashed dogs kept outside, and it’s family-friendly — kids are welcome. They keep a rotating selection of local charcuterie and snacks on hand, guests can bring their own food, and there’s occasionally a food truck or pop-up chef collaboration on weekends.
What Else Is Nearby
Leicester is a rural, low-key stretch of Buncombe County rather than a tourist strip, which is part of the appeal — it’s genuinely quiet out here. Because Addison Farms is only about 17 miles from downtown Asheville, it pairs naturally with a day that also includes Asheville itself: the River Arts District, the Biltmore area, or one of the other wineries and cideries scattered around Leicester, Fletcher, and Hendersonville to the south. Given the distance from the High Country, most groups from Boone or Banner Elk will want to treat a visit here as part of a broader Asheville-area day rather than a quick stop.
Planning Your Visit From the High Country
Addison Farms Vineyard is roughly 85 to 90 miles from Boone by road, which typically runs about two to two and a half hours each way depending on route, traffic through Asheville, and the season — this is a full-day trip, not an afternoon errand. Hours have changed seasonally in the past (the tasting room has operated on different day/time schedules depending on time of year), so confirm current hours, tasting prices, and reservation policy directly with the winery before you go. Given the drive, most High Country groups pair a stop here with at least one other Asheville-area winery or cidery to make the most of the day, which is exactly the kind of multi-stop routing a private driver is useful for.
Wine Tour Transportation to Addison Farms Vineyard
Ashe County Livery offers private, chauffeured wine tour transportation to Addison Farms Vineyard from Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson and across NC’s High Country. Our Addison Farms 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 Addison Farms Vineyard tour or call (336) 484-1350.
Other High Country wineries we serve: Biltmore Winery · Appalachian Ridge Artisan Cidery · Barn Door Ciderworks — or browse every High Country winery, cidery and meadery we provide transportation to.
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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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