If you are into the world of wine then you might have noticed recently that the United States of America registered a new American Viticultural Area (AVA). If, however, you are not into the wonderful and fascinating world of wine then you probably didn’t notice this fact. Nevertheless, whatever your disposition is towards wine, you should know that America’s latest AVA is located in North Carolina (Yeah!) and be happy about this fact. You should also care about this new designation and I will explain why you should care about it in this article. My hope is that I convince you of its importance to this region (if you are not already convinced). So where is this new AVA located (if my title didn’t already give it away)? It is located in Polk County, North Carolina and it is called the Tryon Foothills. It’s basically most of Polk county with a sliver around Saluda that isn’t included in the boundary:
This is a big deal for the area as an AVA is a federally recognized wine grape growing region with unique geographic, geologic, and climatic features that are different from the surrounding areas. While this may seem like a lot of mumbo-jumbo to the average person, I will explain why it isn’t and why it matters for both the region and the wine industry in North Carolina.
The Significance of AVAs
AVAs not only allow grape farmers to register and define what makes their growing region unique, but it also allows wine producers to use this designation on their bottles. As of August of 2026 (when I wrote this article) there are 279 established and unique AVAs in the United States (*bragging rights for the first person to name the first AVA in America without searching the internet for it…Leave your answer in the comments). I would argue that most people are very well aware of a few well known AVAs like Napa Valley and the Sonoma Coast in California or the Finger Lakes in New York. These are very well established AVAs that have done a good job establishing their brand and the quality and types of grapes they can grow and wines you would expect from each of these areas. As time marches on, one would expect that the Tryon Foothills will do the same thing. The grape growers and wine makers in this region won’t try to make wines like Napa, Sonoma or the Finger Lakes. They will use the grape varietals that grow best in this region and produce wines that express the uniqueness on their region – the Tryon Foothills. This is a very good thing!
What’s So Special About the Tryon Foothills AVA?
Now you are probably asking yourself “What is so special about the Tryon Foothills?”. This is a reasonable question that demands an answer. If my argument that this is a big deal and a “good thing!” is going to hold up then there really needs to be some meat to this claim. Otherwise, the claim is just a bunch of bureaucratic nonsense used to make a false marketing claim (or something along those lines). Is a grape grown in the Tryon Foothills really any different than a grape grown in the Napa Valley? I will even do better than that. There is another AVA in North Carolina that is LITERALLY 17 miles up the road (as the crow flies). This AVA is called Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County and it is only about 1 mile from the Tryon Foothills AVA at their closest points. Is a grape grown in the Tryon Foothills AVA any different from a grape grown in the Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County AVA? The answer to this question is yes and I will prove it.
If you recall, earlier in this article I mentioned the criteria used to define an AVA. They are areas with unique geographic, geologic, and climatic features. All three of these factors play a significant role in the development of the grape which changes the flavor of the grape and ultimately affects the taste/quality of the wine that is produced from it. To start, I will use a picture from a previous blog article I wrote titled “What can a Mountain Teach Us About North Carolina Wines?“:
Elevation & Bud Break Differences
This is actually the perfect exhibit for this argument as the bottom of the mountain is the Tryon Foothills and the top of the Mountain is close to the elevation at Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County. I took this picture in early April of 2023. You can see in this picture that the bottom of the mountain is in full bud break while the top of the mountain was still bare. So while the physical distance, as the crow flies, from the top of the mountain to the bottom may only be a half or even a quarter of a mile, the vegetative development difference is quite stark. This alone will have a major difference on the grapes between these two regions. I get into more of the details of this on the article that I referenced so I won’t completely rehash everything again in this article. Just note, however, that EVERYTHING has an affect on the grape. There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of variables that will affect the flavor and structure of the grape. This includes things like the soil type, temperature, slope, aspect, weather, sun exposure, and many other factors. Going back to this picture and the differences in “bud break’ for these two regions, there will be differences in the grapes from each region. Not that one is better than the other, they are just different in their development cycle (thus flavor).
The Thermal Belt Climate Effect
Another factor that will significantly affect grape development is the climatic effect. For this you are probably wondering, “How different can the weather be between two spots that are right next to each other?”. Once again, a great question and I have a great answer. Did you know that there is a thermal belt in North Carolina that is a unique mountainside microclimate zone. This causes milder winter temperatures, has fewer frosts and a longer growing season than the surrounding areas. This effect is so unique and prevalent that they even named the local community college after the effect. Where is this unique weather phenomenon? Is it located in Rutherford and Polk counties of North Carolina. Where is the Tryon Foothills AVA located? Exclusively in Polk County of North Carolina. Booyah!
Geological & Soil Profile Differences
What about geologic differences? We covered geographic and climatic. Are there significant geological differences between these two AVAs? Yes there are. The geologic differences between these two regions is going to be the soil types for each area with also a little bit of differences in slope and aspect (which direction the hill faces). Since the Tryon Foothills sits at the bottom of the Blue Ridge Escarpment and the Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County is higher up and straddles the continental divide, there are going to be enough differences to change the way grapes develop in each area. The Tryon Foothills will generally have soils with a higher clay content while Henderson County has more loamy soils (a mix of sand, silt and clay). Additionally, the hills in the Tryon Foothills will generally be southern facing slopes (more sun) while slopes in Henderson County will be more varied primarily due to being on the continental divide and the steeper topography. Note that I am speaking in broad generalities and none of these differences are inherently better than the other. They are just different and are going to develop grapes grown in each region differently.
Hopefully you can see now that this region really is unique and worthy of a special AVA designation from the federal government. The Tryon Foothills truly has attributes within its boundary that not only make it unique from every other AVA but even the one right next to it. These difference are not just subtle either; they are significant and make this area (and every other area) unique. This is great news for anyone that is into wine. Who wants everything to be exactly the same? Boring!
The Four Wineries in the Tryon Foothills AVA
The nice thing about a big AVA (the Tryon Foothills cover about 176 square miles) is that it is welcoming to others who start growing grapes inside the AVA. Even if they start after the AVA is formed, they receive the benefits of growing grapes for wine in a recognized viticultural area. So while there are currently only four wineries that are growing grapes and producing wine in the Tryon Foothills, the hope is that this number will grow and others will join the club in the future. As for now, however, in August of 2026 the four that are growing grapes and producing wine for you to taste today include:
Mountain Brook Vineyards
A family owned winery/vineyard with about 12 acres under vine, Mountain Brook Vineyards is currently growing Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Petit Manseng, Albarino, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Mountain Brook is open to the public.
Overmountain Vineyards
A family owned farm with a father/daughter team tending the vines and making the wine. Overmountain has about 18 acres under vine and is currently growing Petit Manseng, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Overmountain is open to the public but reservations are required.
Parker-Binns Vineyard
Another family owned/operated vineyard/winery with a total of four generations working on the grounds. Parker-Binns is currently growing Chardonnay, Muscat, Petit Manseng, Vidal Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Chambourcin, Tannat and Malbec on about 14 acres of vines. Parker-Binns is open to the public.
Tryon Cellars
The smallest vineyard/winery in the Tryon Foothills; visits available via appointment only. Tryon Cellars is a husband/wife team growing Cynthiana (also known as Norton) on property and producing small batch wines.
Why Book Your Tryon Foothills Wine Tour with Van in Black?
You are full of great questions today! Van in Black cares deeply about this kind of stuff for two reasons. The first being that we are complete and total wine nerds and geek out on stuff like this. Many of us at Van in Black have pursued formal wine education with both the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and the US Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS). I personally have certification from both CMS and WSET and am currently about half-way through level 4 with WSET (that is the highest level they offer). We are really into wine! This contributes to the second reason you should book a vineyard tour with Van in Black, we provide wine tours to many of the wine regions in North Carolina including the Tryon Foothills. Our wine tours are epic because we know wine and want you to enjoy it as much as we do. All of our wine tours are custom for each group and can include elevated experiences that you can only get through Van in Black. Another very nice fact about the wineries inside the Tryon Foothills is that they are easily reachable from the three major metropolitan areas that we serve. So whether you want an Asheville Wine Tour, a Charlotte Wine Tour, or a Greenville Wine Tour, Van in Black can give you the best experience possible. Just visit our website and book your luxury wine tour experience today!
How Did I Do?
Earlier in this article I said that I would prove that the Tryon Foothills AVA is truly unique and worthy of a special designation. Did I convince you of this fact? Despite being literally right next to the Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County AVA, did I adequately provide enough facts to convince you that these are two genuinely unique regions both worth a visit? Did I forget or overlook other information that makes them unique? Geek out with me and please leave a comment below. Let’s keep this conversation going a little longer. Also, does anyone know the answer to the trivia question I dropped above? (*What was the first AVA in the United States of America, leave your answer in the comments). No cheating!
Until next time…Cheers!
