The Land of Wool & Wine

Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery near Elkin has been many things: a family getaway for a textile dynasty, a dairy farm, a company retreat. Today, it weaves each of those threads into a rich tapestry.

Papertown Proud in Canton

The rebirth of Canton has been different from that of other small mountain towns: While some have reinvented themselves as tourist destinations, Canton is focused on nurturing a close-knit community.

The Maple Brothers

Every year, Tim and Matt Nichols create hundreds of different kinds of Japanese maples — in a dizzying array of shapes and colors and sizes — at their mail-order nursery in East Flat Rock. And every one of the trees has roots in their grandmother’s garden.