Congratulations are in order for our friends down in the Yadkin Valley. Mat Worrell and Katy Kidd of Dynamis Estate Wines have been nominated for Winemaker of the Year in the 2026 Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards — a first for a North Carolina winery.
The Wine Star Awards are one of the most respected honors in international wine. A nomination puts Dynamis, and the Brushy Mountains they planted in, on the same page as the most celebrated producers in the world. For everyone who has argued that world-class wine can be grown in North Carolina, this is the proof arriving on the biggest stage there is.
What Mat and Katy Said
“This nomination belongs to everyone who has stood beside us since the first vines went into the ground. To our team, our members, and everyone who has poured a glass of Dynamis wine and believed in what we were building, thank you. We built this estate with a plan and no shortcuts, and to see that recognized on a international stage means more than we can put into words.”
Why This Matters for the Yadkin Valley
North Carolina wine has spent the last two decades earning its reputation one bottle at a time. A Winemaker of the Year nomination is not a regional pat on the back — it is an international jury saying the fruit, the site, and the winemaking here stand up to anyone’s. Every winery in the Yadkin Valley and the Swan Creek AVA benefits when a neighbor is recognized at that level, and every guest we drive down from the High Country is walking into a more serious wine region than they expect.
We have taken a lot of guests to Dynamis. It is a favorite stop on our Yadkin Valley routes for a reason: the estate is beautiful, the tasting team is genuinely good at their job, and the wines have never needed an excuse. Nobody who has visited is surprised by this news.
Go Raise a Glass With Them
The winner is announced this fall. In the meantime, Mat and Katy would love visitors at the estate — Dynamis Estate Wines is at 1003 Fox Trail, Jonesville, NC, and reservations for tastings are available through their website.
If you would like to go see for yourself, we will handle the driving. Our Yadkin Valley wine tours run from Ashe County, Boone, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson and the surrounding High Country in a luxury SUV or equivalent, and Dynamis is an easy anchor stop on a multi-winery day. Book your wine tour here or call us and we will build the route around the tasting rooms you want to see.
Congratulations, Mat and Katy. Richly deserved.
🍷 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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