Between the mountains and the river…
The Swan Creek American Viticultural Area (AVA) lies in the foothills of the Brushy Mountains, encompassing approximately 170 square miles through Wilkes, Yadkin, and Iredell county. Bound by the Yadkin River to the north, the Swan Creek AVA enjoys a unique micro-climate defined by both the mountains and the river.
As a sub-appellation of the larger Yadkin Valley AVA, the Swan Creek shares many climate characteristics with its mother-region. However, its proximity to the Brushy Mountains sets the soil apart.
The Brushy Mountains, an isolated spur of the Blue Ridge, are among the oldest mountain ranges in the world (by some estimates up to 1 billion years old). As these giants rose, buckled, and shifted through the millennia, an abundance of rocky minerals were diffused across the soil. These minerals change the chemistry of the soil, allow it to better retain nutrients and water, and ultimately add to the complexity of wines produced from Swan Creek grapes.
The Swan Creek AVA was established in 2008, making it the second federally designated wine growing region in NC (behind the Yadkin Valley AVA).
Today, NC is home to 6 different AVAs and 500+ vineyard sites, a fact that underscores our state’s growing reputation as a serious wine producing region. Each grape varietal is different, each growing site is different, and each year brings different weather conditions - wine is a summation of the moment and place it was grown, and we proudly represent the Swan Creek.