Tasting wine straight from the barrel, at the hands of the wine maker, is an amazing experience and available to ticket holders for the Wine Down Festival at Overmountain Vineyards this Saturday, Nov. 12 from 2-4 p.m.

The event is being hosted by Growing Rural Opportunities, a Polk-focused nonprofit that supports local farmers and promotes local foods.

Overmountain will be uncorking each of the 2015 vintage barrels to taste for the very first time. The event is a chance to taste the hard work, the quality, and the terroir of the work that the winemakers of Overmountain put into each of their wines.

Ticket holders will be treated to live music and food as well as the chance to tour the wine production facility and the vineyard. Overmountain will also be donating 10 percent of all wine sales that evening to GRO.

The farmer support organization made news lately with the acquisition of the Bookmobile which is already on its way to becoming a mobile farmers’ market. GRO also supports county farmers with tool share programs, consultation to farmers, a beginner farmer program, and working towards a future for Polk County that retains our beautiful farmland and agrarian heritage.

Tickets for the event are available online at growrural.org and at the vineyard located at 2014 Sandy Plains Rd. in Tryon. Contact GRO’s Patrick McLendon at 828-436-0040 or patrick@growrural.org for more information.

– article submitted by Patrick McLendon