Sip & Savor at Blowing Rock's WinterFest
A wine lover's guide to this cozy North Carolina wine tasting event
By Jennifer Primrose
Wine Tasting in Winter? Absolutely. Blowing Rock’s WinterFest is known for embracing the chill with roaring fires, hot chili and plenty of wine. The Sip & Savor Wine Tasting and Auction at Chetola Resort promised an afternoon of swirling, sipping and bidding—all for a great cause. With local North Carolina wineries pouring alongside global selections and a live auction adding a splash of competitive fun, we were ready to raise a glass (and a paddle).
Sipping for a Cause
It’s one thing to enjoy good wine—it’s another to do it while making an impact. The proceeds from Sip & Savor support the Rotary CART Fund (Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust), which funds innovative research on Alzheimer’s disease. This year’s live auction featured everything from weekend getaways to local artwork and fine wines, with attendees enthusiastically vying for their favorite prizes. Unlike our first WinterFest, we did not walk away with any winnings, but knowing the funds were going to a meaningful cause made every sip that much sweeter.
Navigating the Afternoon
Armed with our wine glasses and bidding paddles, we set off on a tasting adventure. We started with Grandfather Vineyard & Winery, where we caught up with their team about the winery's post-Hurricane Helene recovery. We were thrilled to hear their footbridge is up and running, reconnecting visitors to their tasting room. Their Appalachia Bubbles was a festive way to start, followed by the fruit-forward Chambourcin and their smooth Cabernet Franc-Merlot blend, Hair of the Dog, a fan favorite.
Next up, Fine Vine, a Charlotte-based distributor, brought an international lineup that had us dreaming of future travels. We sampled Chardonnays from South America and Australia, Cabernet Sauvignons from California, North Carolina and France, and a selection of red wines from Spain's Rioja region.
The standout? The Radicle Vines Red Blend from Columbia Valley, with layers so complex we were still talking about it long after the event ended. But the real star was the wine representative pouring French wines, who had attendees engaged with her descriptions like a “whisper” of this and a “dash” of that—turning what could have been a standard and albeit boring description of what's in our glass into an effortlessly fun conversation.
From there, we tried the wonderful wines of Linville Falls Winery. We tried their Brandy Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon, a rich, warming pour that felt tailor-made for a winter weekend in the mountains. Their Malbec and Cascade were standouts, but sadly, their Petit Verdot didn’t make the trip. We’ll have to visit their tasting room soon—what a hardship!
We finally reached the end of our wine tasting and were introduced to Old Jefferson's Old Barn Winery. It was our first experience tasting their offerings, and we were grateful for the opportunity to learn more about them. We even started planning a trip to West Jefferson to visit the winery soon.
The Silent Auction That Was a Little Too Silent
While the live auction generated a lot of excitement, the silent auction was a bit too quiet. Tucked away in an adjacent room, we forgot to check it out until it was too late. By the time we realized it, the bids had been placed, the winners were celebrating and we were left wondering about the incredible treasures we missed out on. Lesson learned: next year, we’ll make it a point to explore the silent auction before getting too caught up in the wine and the excitement of the live auction.
One of the highlights of the event, beyond the wines, was the wonderful people we met. We had an engaging conversation with Amanda Lugenbell, the assistant director of the Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority. She played a crucial role in helping us plan our weekend in Blowing Rock. Amanda was a pleasure to work with, assisting us in creating our WinterFest itinerary and sharing valuable insights about the area.
Final Thoughts on Sip & Savor
As much fun as we had, we couldn’t help but reflect on how this year’s Sip & Savor compared to previous years. Earlier iterations featured more North Carolina wineries and distributors, offering an even broader range of wines to explore. We understand the lingering challenges from Hurricane Helene and applaud the event organizers for pulling off such a fantastic experience despite these setbacks.
If we had one wish for next year, it would be for extra elbow room. With the auction, food and wine stations in one space, the room filled quickly, making it feel like a game of strategic sipping. At times, we felt like sardines crammed in a tin as fellow wine lovers inched closer to snag their next sample. A dedicated space for the auction might allow the wine reps to spread out and give guests a little more room to explore. That said, the addition of Fine Vine’s international wines added an educational and flavorful twist, and we were impressed by the etiquette displayed by the crowd—a rarity at events like this!
While we missed the spacious charm of the Green Park Inn from previous year's wine tasting, the location of Chetola Inn provided its own personality. One thing’s for sure—Sip & Savor remains a must for wine lovers looking to experience Blowing Rock’s cozy, communal atmosphere while supporting a great cause.
All of the wines sampled during the event were available for purchase, making it easy to bring home a bottle (or three) to enjoy later.
