Fifteen minutes north of downtown Boone, past Lowe’s Foods and out along Tom Jackson Road, a working vineyard and orchard now sits on a stretch of land that Native American hunters once used to track bison through the mountains. That history is the whole point of Mill Camp Wines & Ciders: it’s a newer tasting room, but it’s built on genuinely old ground, and the Jolley family that runs it wants you to feel that when you walk in.
A family farm, not a franchise
Mill Camp is owned and run by the Jolley family — Christopher Jolley handles the winemaking, his brother Mark Jolley makes the ciders, and Taylor Zinda, a sommelier, runs the beverage and guest experience. The family planted the vineyard and orchard themselves, on land they describe as sitting along an old Buffalo Trail once used by bison, the Native Americans who hunted them, and later by fur trappers moving through the Blue Ridge. They left other careers to build this place, and the tasting room officially opened to the public in September 2025, with a full grand-opening celebration in October that year drawing the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce out for a ribbon cutting.
What’s in the glass
The list splits cleanly between wine and cider, and both sides are made on-site in small batches. On the wine side you’ll find a stainless-steel Chardonnay built for crispness rather than butter, a high-acid Sauvignon Blanc, a 60/40 Merlot–Cabernet Franc rosé (still and sparkling versions), an off-dry Vidal Blanc, a Traminette with honeysuckle and rose notes, and reds that include a barrel-aged Mill Camp Red field blend and a two-year-barrel Malbec. The ciders lean into the farm’s own fruit: High Country Apple is made from apples grown at 3,300 feet on the property, Tart Cherry is the tasting room’s best-seller, and Old Buffalo Trail and Hewes Crab ciders use heirloom apple varieties pressed right there. The orchard and vineyard sit on steep, south-facing slopes with a granite-based Clifton loam, which the family says shapes both the grapes and the apples that come off the land — and beyond wine and cider, they also tap maple syrup, harvest birch bark for birch beer, and keep bees for their own honey.
The setting
The tasting room itself is set up as a gathering spot rather than a formal wine bar — there’s an indoor stone fireplace for cooler days and outdoor seating that looks out over pasture and mountain ridgeline. Kids and well-behaved dogs are both welcome, food is allowed in (they also sell some in-house), and outside beverages are the one thing they ask you to leave in the car. It’s a low-key, unhurried kind of place, closer in feel to a farm gathering than a formal tasting counter, which fits the “rural escape” the family set out to build.
Beyond the tasting room
Mill Camp sits along the route to some of the region’s better outdoor recreation — fly fishing, tubing and kayaking on the New River are all a short drive from the property, and the farm itself backs up to land used historically for hunting and travel through these mountains. If you’re building a High Country day around water and wine, this is a natural stop on the way.
Planning your visit
Mill Camp is open Thursday through Monday, roughly noon to 7 p.m. in the warmer months (Tuesday and Wednesday are closed) — but hours shift seasonally, so confirm on their site or by calling ahead before you go, especially outside summer. Groups of eight or more are asked to call or text in advance so the team can prepare. The property has a gravel parking lot with designated accessible spaces, and the tasting room and patio are wheelchair accessible. From downtown Boone it’s a straightforward 12–15 minute drive north on NC-194, and it’s an easy add-on if you’re also headed toward West Jefferson or the New River corridor for the day.
Wine Tour Transportation to Mill Camp Wines & Ciders
Ashe County Livery offers private, chauffeured wine tour transportation to Mill Camp Wines & Ciders from Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson and across NC’s High Country. Our Mill Camp Wines & Ciders 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 Mill Camp Wines & Ciders tour or call (336) 484-1350.
Other High Country wineries we serve: Williamson Mead and Brewing · Molley Chomper Hard Cider · Appalachian Mountain Brewery and Cidery — 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 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
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