Carolina Uncorked
Upcoming Events
April 12-15
Blue Ridge Wine Festival
Blowing Rock, NC
www.bluendgewinefestival.com
(877) 295-7965
April 2 1
Great Grapes! Wine & Music Festival
Cary, NC
www. greatgrapesfest.com
(800) 830-3976
May 5
Shine to Wine Festival
Wilkesboro, NC
www. downtownnorthwilkesboro.com
(336) 667-4875
May 12
Salute! The North Caroline Wine
Celebration
Winston-Salem, NC
www.salutencwine.com
(336) 354-1500
May 19
Yadkin Valley Wine Festival
Elkin, NC
www.yvwf.com
(336) 777-3900
For more
upcoming
events, check out
www.visitncwine.com
Have you heard North Carolina’s wine story?
Not long after Sir Walter Raleigh landed in what would become North
Carolina, the grape vine was first introduced and cultivated in the New World.
In fact, by the dawn of the 20th Century, the Old North State was the leading
wine-producing region in the nation.
It seemed nothing could stop us.
But we hadn’t counted on an act of Congress. 1919. Prohibition.
Suddenly, products from distilleries in undisclosed locations in the Piedmont
hills and dales were rather more lucrative than those from the gnarled grape
orchards of yore. When we spoke of fruit, it was shriveled in white lightning.
When we packaged, it was in Mason jars rather than Chardonnay bottles.
Other pursuits followed. Often at high speeds. The sudden
professional interest of G-Men and revenuers gave rise to
moonlit, midnight chases across the humble countryside,
engendering a motorized pastime that became a sport that
became NASCAR.
But other things permeated our viticulture, too. Our wines
evoke not just oaken barrels, but local flavors and connec¬
tions, whether of barbecue or mountain trout or tailgate
parties. And our vineyards summon samplings not of wine
alone, but wine with festivals, with arts and crafts, with our
own music and local culture. And always, with the state’s natural beauty as a
backdrop.
Our land is rich and many-textured. The vines are wide in variety. And the
people who grow them are as interesting and diverse as the state itself and, led
by pioneers, farming families and glorious chance-takers, North Carolina has
returned to its original roots.
The Economic Impact of North Carolina Grapes and Wine
According to a study released in
January by Governor Easley, North
Carolina’s wine and grape industry
provides $813 million a year to the
state’s economy. The study was com¬
missioned by the state Department of
Commerce’s Tourism Division and
the N.C. Wine & Grape Council
and prepared by MKF Research of
Napa Valley.
“The expanding wine and grape
industry in North Carolina brings
important revenue to our state and
has tremendous potential for con¬
tinued growth,’’ Easley said. The
study verifies the substantial impact
of North Carolina’s wine and grape
industry on the state’s economy.
North Carolina is now home to 63
wineries which hosted more than
800,000 visitors in 2005. Since
2000, the number of wineries in the
state has tripled and grape acreage
has more than doubled. The North
Carolina wine industry, along with
affiliated businesses, creates 5,700
full-time jobs and $ 1 58 million in
wages.