Mead — honey wine — is the oldest fermented beverage in the world, and it’s having a real moment in North Carolina’s High Country. Williamson Mead and Brewing, tucked into Glade Valley in Alleghany County about an hour from Boone, is one of the small stable of producers keeping that tradition alive, and in 2024 the state took notice: their honey-strawberry-black cherry mead “Freya” was named Best Mead at the North Carolina Wine Competition.
Reviving an ancient craft in the mountains
Williamson describes itself as having been established in Alleghany County to craft mead and cider “in the heart of North Carolina’s wine country,” combining old-world honey-wine tradition with what they call a proprietary, faster fermentation process. It’s a small, community-rooted operation — the tasting room sits right on the family property on Shawtown Road, and the winery has become one of the stops on the NC Mead Trail, a statewide list curated by the NC Mead Alliance to spotlight the state’s growing mead scene.
What to taste
The lineup runs across meads, ciders and a few beers, with honey as the throughline. Their award-winning “Freya” blends honey with strawberry and black cherry, and the broader menu of meads and ciders is built to appeal to both first-time mead drinkers and long-time enthusiasts — expect fruit-forward, approachable pours rather than the heavy, syrupy meads some visitors expect. Because the lineup rotates with the seasons and what’s fermenting at any given time, ask what’s currently on tap when you arrive rather than expecting a fixed menu.
The tasting room experience
The Glade Valley tasting room is designed as an unhurried, welcoming space — described by the winery as a warm spot for the community as much as for visitors passing through. It’s the kind of stop where you can take your time working through a flight of meads you’ve likely never had anywhere else, since most tasting rooms in the region pour wine, not honey wine. Reviewers frequently note the staff’s willingness to walk newcomers through the differences between mead styles, which is worth taking advantage of if this is your first time trying it.
Why mead is worth the detour
Most High Country tasting rooms pour grape wine or apple cider, so a dedicated meadery is a genuinely different stop on a wine-tour day. Mead starts from fermented honey rather than fruit, which gives it a different body and sweetness curve than either wine or cider — some styles come out light and floral, others rich and almost port-like, depending on the honey and what’s blended in. Williamson leans into that range rather than making one “safe” style, and the fact that a panel of judges picked their mead over the state’s cider and wine entries for Best Mead in the 2024 NC Wine Competition says something about how seriously they’re taking the craft. If your group has already done a few tastings at grape-based wineries, this is the stop that resets the palate and gives people something to talk about on the ride home.
Nearby and worth combining
Glade Valley sits in Alleghany County near Sparta, on the northern edge of the High Country wine map — a different pocket from the Boone/Watauga cluster, which makes it a good candidate to pair with a day that also includes Ashe County stops like Molley Chomper in Lansing or a swing through West Jefferson. It’s mountain country the whole way, with the kind of two-lane, curving roads that make a dedicated driver worth having if you’re planning to actually enjoy what you taste. Alleghany County itself is worth a slower look if you have the afternoon — Sparta’s small downtown and the surrounding farmland make for an easy walk or a short stop before or after your tasting.
Planning the drive
From Boone, Glade Valley is roughly an hour’s drive — about 57 miles by road — so it’s a full outing rather than a quick detour. Hours have varied by season on their site, with recent listings showing Wednesday through Friday afternoons and longer weekend hours, so check their current schedule or call ahead before you head out, particularly midweek. Because it’s a bit further out than some of the Watauga County wineries, it works well as an anchor stop for a half-day trip rather than one of several quick pours.
Wine Tour Transportation to Williamson Mead and Brewing
Ashe County Livery offers private, chauffeured wine tour transportation to Williamson Mead and Brewing from Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson and across NC’s High Country. Our Williamson Mead and Brewing 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 Williamson Mead and Brewing tour or call (336) 484-1350.
Other High Country wineries we serve: Molley Chomper Hard Cider · Mill Camp Wines & Ciders · 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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- 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
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