Abingdon Winery and Vineyard is the answer to a question that few people besides Bob Carlson and his wife Janet Nordin would have ever bothered to ask.

“What do we do with all of this land?”

After all, the land in question was 53 breathtaking acres of wooden hills and ambling streams in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, a short drive from historic Abingdon, Va. 

Considering Carlson, 74, and Nordin, 64, are both retired business executives, the answer seemed obvious: “Don’t do a thing. Sit back, relax, and simply enjoy the view.”

Yet anyone who knows Bob Carlson and Janet Nordin will tell you that doing nothing is never an option.

A newspaper article about local wine and a few visits to nearby vineyards gave the husband and wife pair the idea to use the land to build a winery of their own.

Janet’s brother Rick Nordin, 61, and his wife Cheryl, 61, were soon recruited to move from Texas to lend a hand and the Abingdon Vineyard and Winery was born.

A continuously muddy and sweaty cycle of trial-and-error taught all four how to do everything from planting the grapes to bottling and corking the finished product.

That finished product has grown from the first harvest in 1998 to an award winning variety of 22 different red, white, and blush wines.

The winery now produces over 7,000 gallons of wine annually with bottles ranging from $9-$12.

Free tasting and tours are available Tuesday through Sunday from March 15 to Dec. 15.

Wine is available for purchase by glass, bottle, or case. The tasting room also features a gift shop where souvenirs, crackers, and cheeses can be purchased.

Visitors can sip on their wine while enjoying the relaxing view of the South Holston River as it meanders through wooded Virginia hills. 

Just be glad the owners weren’t content to do the same thing. 

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday: noon to 6 p.m.
Monday: closed
Rates: Tours are free for groups of 14 or fewer.
Bottles range from $9-$12
Phone: (276) 623-1255
Web: http://www.abingdonwinery.com
Directions: Call ahead or visit the website. Internet maps will take you to the wrong place.

Must Try
A Bottle of the Norton: a barrel aged dry red wine.  $12.00