About the Trail

How a transportation company and nine mountain wineries are building something new

The Vision

The NC High Country is home to some of the most unique wineries in the Southeast. But unlike Napa or the Yadkin Valley, there was no organized wine trail connecting them — no shared brand, no shuttle service, no reason for visitors to plan a multi-winery trip.

The Appalachian High Country Wine Trail was created to change that. Founded by Ashe County Livery, a local transportation company that already runs wine tours through these mountains, the trail is a collaborative initiative to put High Country wine on the map.

"These mountain wineries deserve to be discovered. We're building the trail to make that happen."

— James Armstrong, Founder

What We're Building

The Appalachian High Country Wine Trail is more than a website. It's a regional tourism ecosystem:

  • Shared digital presence — one trail, one brand, one place to plan
  • The Vine Line shuttle — hop-on, hop-off service so visitors taste without driving
  • Collaborative events — festivals, dinners, and tastings that draw regional attention
  • Cross-promotion — with lodging, restaurants, and tourism boards
  • Airport access — via Blue Ridge Airport Shuttle from Charlotte
"Stronger together than apart. One trail, nine stories."

Winery Membership

Interested in joining the trail? We're welcoming founding members who want to help shape High Country wine tourism.

Founding Member

$0
for the first year — founding special
  • Full winery profile on the trail website
  • Vine Line shuttle stop at your winery
  • Inclusion in all trail marketing & social media
  • Participation in trail events calendar
  • Voting seat on trail decisions & direction
  • Founding Member badge & recognition
  • Cross-links from all other ACL sites

Standard Member

TBD
annual membership after Year 1
  • Full winery profile on trail website
  • Vine Line shuttle stop
  • Trail marketing inclusion
  • Events calendar listing
  • Social media features
  • Annual membership pricing set by founding members

Get In Touch

Winery owner? Tourism partner? Just curious? We'd love to hear from you.