In the early 1920s, John Hanes of Hanes Hosiery bought a one room cabin on more than one thousand acres of land surrounding a small stream called Grassy Creek.
John’s sister Lucy fell in love with Thurmond Chatham of Chatham Manufacturing Company and the two influential families began converting the cabin and property into a stylish retreat for vacationing and hunting and the Klondike Cabins were born. The creek and rolling hills were the perfect setting for breeding polo ponies, training bird dogs and soon raising the prize herds of “Golden Guernsey” cattle that produced “the best chocolate milk in the world” at the Klondike Dairy. The property was eventually purchased by the Chatham family and became the official guest house for Chatham Manufacturing Company.
In 1992, Derrill and Lori Rice came to Elkin when Derrill started his job at Chatham Manufacturing Company. Their family lived at the “official guest house,” on Klondike Farm while they searched for a home in town. Almost two decades later, Chatham Manufacturing was ready to relinquish the property and Derrill went out on a limb to preserve a site with such history and personal memories.
The Birth of The Yadkin Valley Appellation’s 14th Vineyard & Winery
In 2003, Jim and Cynthia Douthit joined Derrill and Lori Rice in fulfilling their dreams of starting a vineyard and winery. Planting began that April and continues to this day. Varietals include Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Viognier, among others. In addition to the estate vineyard, Winemaker Jim Douthit used grapes from his Holloway vineyard in Troutman, NC, for the very first Grassy Creek vintages in 2004, which included Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese. These were all included in our signature Red Barn Blend first released in 2005.
The Clark and Nycum families have since joined the Grassy Creek family, and bring their passion for the wine and their expertise in business and winemaking. Our family, along with countless friends and relatives, has helped plant, prune, tube, mow, spray, pick, de-stem, stomp, crush, ferment, pump, rack, fill, cork, cap, label, box, market, sell, deliver, and of course, taste…
