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Carolina Wineries:
Red, White and Green |
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n winery after winery across the Carolinas, people from all types of backgrounds are turning old
tobacco farms or dairy pastures into row after row of grapevines destined to be somebody’s
evening glass of Chardonnay, Merlot or Muscadine wine.
Visit Carolina
Wineries Directory
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If you find yourself in Mayberry, make time to visit Melva.
The real Mayberry, of course, is Andy Griffith’s hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina. The community is charming, with a restored downtown lined with lovely shops and galleries.
Melva is an added bonus, especially if wine tasting is on the agenda.
Old North State Winery in downtown Mt. Airy features a polished mahogany tasting bar with award-winning wines. Behind the bar, you may find Memphis-born Melva Houston, jazz and blues singer of some renown in Germany, who makes Mt. Airy her home, and chats with the tourists during her off season.
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he wines and wine-pourer vie for star status here, but ultimately, the real story is a rediscovery that there are parts of the Carolinas which are particularly well suited to certain types of grapes. Nowhere has this re-born industry taken hold more happily than in the Yadkin Valley.
In fact, in December, 2002, the Yadkin Valley in Northwest North Carolina became a federally recognized wine-growing appellation. Since then, vineyards and wineries have sprung from large and small farms, and the business of wine-making is bringing in tourists.
Take a tour of any of the wineries and you’ll find gleaming metal tanks, called fermenters, in one room, and aromatic French and American oak barrels in another. Winemakers have been lured from other states, and in some instances, Europe. The nature of the wines depends on the grapes being grown, but there are generally a number of excellent wines being produced and consumed.
With this growth, North Carolina now ranks 12th nationally in wine production. The North Carolina Grape Council explains that, “Growers in the Mountains and Piedmont have planted traditional European grape varieties, called Vitis vinifera, and French-American Hybrids. Commonly planted varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Seyval Blanc and Vidal Blanc.”
According to Lenna Hobson, who with her husband, Frank, owns RagApple Lassie Vineyards, the Yadkin Valley wineries are working together to enhance tourism and produce high quality wines across the board. “We are just like ACC Basketball,” she said, during our visit to the winery, tasting room and gift shop. “Each wine comes out on top at one time or another.”
At the top of their trophy case sits a large, gleaming trophy dated 1957 that says
Best in Show, Grand Champion. That award was for Frank Hobson’s grand champion cow, Rag Apple Lassie. Forty-seven years later, next to the case sits an even larger trophy that says
Best of Show, NC Winegrowers Cup. (It was awarded in 2004 for their 2003 Chardonnay.)
Linda King is RagApple Lassie’s award-winning winemaker, formerly from Chalet DeBonne Vineyards in Ohio, who has crafted that and other excellent wines for the vineyard.
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Their winery was named one of two finalists for “Best New Winery in the United States,” by
The Wine Appreciation Guild, which is based in
San Francisco, California.
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Back at Old North State Winery, there are thirty-eight growers who are part of their cooperative. Because they come from different areas, there is a unique ability to withstand weather fluctuations – and pull from a wide variety of grapes from different soil and climate. “We use a quality assurance program to maintain the highest standards,” says Bryan Hill, the retail manager.
The company uses French and American Oak, in old and new barrels to achieve the taste they want. Their winemaker is Sean McRitchie, whose father, Bob, is a highly-respected enology professor at Surrey Community College. Sean has worked and learned his craft in Australia, Germany, Oregon and the Napa Valley and has been influential at a number of area wineries.
Down the road at Shelton Vineyards, President George Denka is justifiably proud of the wines produced from a variety of grapes grown on the site of an old dairy farm.
With almost 200 awards to their credit, the wine quality is protected through on-site bottling equipment and rigorous quality standards.
Down in the barrel room, rows of barrels age, utilizing different types of yeast which will eventually be meticulously blended to achieve the desired effect. The resulting chardonnay is superb.
The gift shop and tasting areas are located in the lodge which, though rustic, features a magnificent chandelier, adding a touch of elegance to the high ceilings, and expansive views of the vineyards. Gourmet foods and wine-related items fill the shelves, providing marvelous mementos of wine-tasting afternoons.
“It takes three people eight hours to pick one acre,” said Mr. Denka. Located in one of the top three areas for viniferous grapes on the East Coast, whole cluster pressing is used to gather the juice. They also use their own bottling equipment to ensure quality and the clean, crisp taste they want in their Chardonnay.
On the premises is Shelton Cheeses and Deli, well-known for its artisanal goat cheese and creative casual cuisine. (It is in the process of becoming a full service restaurant called The Harvest Grille.)
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In the midst of it all, a stage is the site of concerts and festivals held during the warm months, a practice
many of the wineries use to encourage visits to the vineyards.
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In nearby Ronda and Hamptonville, The Vineyards of Swan Creek have their own wine trail including four family-owned vineyards just off I-77. One of them, Raffaldini Vineyards, traces its family heritage back to 1348 in northern Italy. When family members decided to share their wine-making with the new world, they chose the Swan Creek area of the Yadkin Valley as the favored location to create Italian wines, such as their aromatic Bella Mista and Sangiovese.
In Winston-Salem, the rising popularity of wine-tastings has not been lost on the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which suggests three itineraries themed around wine: The Wine and Jazz Trail, Wine and Antique Trail, and Wonderful Fun-filled Experience of Art and Wine Trail. All told, there are currently 14 wineries in the area – and growing.
Moving south and east, there are dozens more wineries inviting a sip of the grape. With 41 wineries that are members of the NC Grape Council, there are wine-tasting opportunities throughout the Carolinas, including one of the newest ventures, Childress Vineyards, created by NASCAR championship team owner Richard Childress.
With award-winning winemaker Mark Frizobowski, and 65 acres planted with a variety of grapes, their current wines are crafted from Yadkin Valley vines, and include Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Savignon, and others.
Further south in Asheville, at Biltmore Estates Winery, more than 70 acres of European varietal grapes are planted on the western side of Biltmore Estate.
Varieties include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling as well as Biltmore’s sparkling wines. The Biltmore wines are produced and bottled on site, and visitors can tour the winery and enjoy wine-tasting in the elegant, hospitable tasting room.
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Almost to the South Carolina state line is Rockhouse Vineyards, near Tryon, a labor of love produced by Lee Griffin
and his wife, Marsha Cassedy. The couple traveled extensively as part of his textile machinery business, and
explored local wineries throughout Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand. Their Chardonnay is a favorite.
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Toward the East Coast is Duplin Winery, one of the oldest commercial wine ventures in the Carolinas. Duplin is known for its Muscadine Wines, which have become increasingly popular due to the purported health benefits of the Muscadine grape. According to numerous studies, Muscadines produce the highest levels of phenoli compounds (antioxidants) of any grape ever tested. It just might be one of the healthiest liquids you can consume (in moderation, of course.)
South of Wilmington, North Carolina, and almost to the Grand Strand, Silver Coast Winery produces a variety of wines, including a lovely Seyval Blanc, a light wine with hints of the tropics. Other wines include a sturdy Barberra, and popular Merlot and Chardonnay. Their art gallery is among the most eclectic in the area, and features a variety of artists and mediums.
Just a few miles further south, and a stone’s throw from the Intracoastal Waterway in North Myrtle Beach, La Belle Amie Winery sits on the site of the Bellamy family’s former tobacco plantation. In addition to the wine made from their Muscadine grapes, they also import wine from Europe. Their European wines are selected and blended to their specifications and tastes, and come from three family-run wineries. These wines are available in the United States only from La Belle Amie. Whimsically, their Website says: “We offer these wines for two reasons: (1) the vinifera grapes of the European wines cannot grow in our vineyard, and, ergo, (2) the vinifera grapes of the European wines cannot be destroyed by the hurricanes that love to visit La Belle Amie Vineyard.”
Both La Belle Amie and Silver Coast feature extensive gift shops, and both have frequent festivals that entice families to picnic on the grounds and enjoy sun and live music.
Other South Carolina wineries include Montmorenci Vineyards in Aiken, which grows all of the grapes used in its wines. A few of its wines include Chambourcin, a red wine with at least ten awards to call its own; Savannah White, a light, dry wine with a hint of effervescence, and a barrel-fermented slightly sweet rose.
Carolina Vineyards, located near Chester, is the product of a native Southerner, Tim Walker, and his wife, Caroline, originally from upstate New York. The couple began the business as a hobby, and now they have five hundred and forty gallon stainless steel fermenters in their winery. These “taste of the South” fruit wines include blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, peach, plum, and apple, among others.
And finally, in the Lowcountry, Jim and Ann Irvin have opened Irvin-House Vineyards, located on 48 acres on Wadmalaw Island, next door to Charleston. They feature five varieties of Southern Muscadine wine, with labels designed by some of Charleston’s finest artists.
But wait, is that all there is? Absolutely not. The surface has merely been scratched in this time-consuming,
but ultimately satisfying search for wines and wineries in the Carolinas. Some wineries pride themselves on selling only wines produced from grapes grown in their vineyards. Others work with a select group of growers to blend and achieve desired results. Still others buy their grapes from Europe, NewYork State, or the West Coast, and then blend and produce wines with the help of master winemakers who like the Carolinas’ lifestyle and climate.
The wines, like the wineries, are varied in size and quality. The gift shops are routinely delightful – filled with wine-and-food-related treasures. (Obviously, people who like good wine, enjoy good food with equal gusto.) The grounds we visited are lovely, inviting outdoor strolling, picnicking, music-listening, and a bit of grass-dancing upon occasion.
It’s enough to make any Carolina visitor or resident plan a detour for an afternoon.
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Katherine O. Pettit has worked as a writer, magazine editor, printer and
public relations consultant. The Columbia resident has published
more than 250 articles in magazines and newspapers. Her writing
explores a variety of subjects including travel, lifestyles, business
and management.
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