5–10 minutes from the door
Wineries near Watauga Lake
Two genuine vineyards within ten minutes — Villa Nove Vineyards (5 min) and Watauga Lake Winery (10 min). Both pour, both have lake-adjacent patios, both are worth an afternoon.
Why two wineries matter here
Most lakes in the rural South don’t have a real winery within striking distance. Watauga Lake has two, both inside a ten-minute drive of the townhouse, both pouring genuinely well-made wine from grapes that actually grow in the region.
The local terroir is hard. Tennessee summers are humid; winters are unpredictable. The grapes that work here lean toward French hybrids and a few cold-tolerant vinifera. Both wineries handle the constraints differently, and tasting them back-to-back is a small education in what’s possible at this latitude.
Villa Nove Vineyards (5 minutes)
The first stop, and the more involved one. Villa Nove is a working vineyard with a tasting room that feels like an Italian farmhouse someone built on the side of a Tennessee mountain. The proprietors take wine seriously — the tastings move at a real pace, with notes on each pour and a willingness to talk about why a particular hybrid works on this slope and not the next.
The estate sits high enough that the lake is visible from the patio on clear days. They pour a rotating list, but the Vidal Blanc and the Chambourcin are the wines we send guests back with most often.
A standard tasting runs about $15 and includes six pours. They have a cheese plate. The whole experience takes about an hour and a half if you’re not rushing.
Watauga Lake Winery (10 minutes)
A different vibe. Watauga Lake Winery is more casual — picnic tables, a wider deck, live music on summer Saturdays, food trucks parked outside on weekends. The pours are well-priced and the wine list runs from sweet (which sells here) to dry (which we drink). They make a sangria in summer that becomes a problem if you have the keys.
This is the place to bring a group for an afternoon. Two hours on the deck, a couple of glasses, a band playing, lake visible through the trees. The food-truck situation rotates — pizza, barbecue, occasional Cajun.
How to do both
If you have an afternoon, do them in this order: Villa Nove first (more focused, better with fresh palate), then Watauga Lake Winery to wind down. They’re about 8 minutes apart. Plan on three to four hours total with the drive.
A designated driver helps. Most of our guests time it so one person is the driver on a wine day and the other person handles the dishes that night. It works.
Other drinking nearby
If you want a beer instead, the nearest local brewery is in Johnson City (about 40 minutes). Banner Elk, NC (30 minutes) has Banner Elk Winery if you want to add a third stop on a day trip. Boone (45 minutes) has Appalachian Mountain Brewery and a handful of others.
But for an afternoon based at the lake, the two local wineries are the play.
Related on the lake
Want this 5 minutes from where you're staying?
Our townhouse is 5–10 minutes from here. Two ensuites, jet tub, gas fire pit, panoramic view.
About this place
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More things to do
Other day trips from the lake
Fishing on Watauga Lake
5 minutes to the boat launch
A 6,430-acre reservoir with bass, walleye, trout, and crappie, and the kind of clean cold water that holds them through summer.
Bristol Motor Speedway from Watauga Lake
about an hour
Bristol Motor Speedway is about an hour by car. On race weekends, every hotel within 50 miles sells out — but the lake stays civil and you can still get to the gate by warm-ups.
The Appalachian Trail at Watauga Lake
15 minutes
The AT crosses on top of Watauga Dam — a 15-minute drive from the door, with one of the most photographed views on the entire 2,200-mile trail.