Before our final tasting, we took a scenic detour to Pilot Mountain, one of North Carolina’s most iconic landmarks. Rising 2,421 feet above sea level, this quartzite monadnock has guided travelers for centuries. The Saura tribe called it Jomeokee, meaning “Great Guide”—a name that stuck as settlers followed the Great Wagon Road past its base.
The drive up was steep and winding, with tight curves and descending traffic that made for a white-knuckle ascent. But the payoff? A short walk to the Little Pinnacle Overlook, where sweeping views of the Piedmont and Blue Ridge foothills stretched for miles. The knob of Big Pinnacle, capped in greenery and framed by sheer rock, stood like a sentinel over the valley.
