It’s one of the most wonderful times of the year—NC Wine Month! We were fortunate to be invited to the first ever North Carolina Wine Month Kickoff Event, hosted by NC Wine Guys and Childress Vineyards. The event was held at the Pavilion on the gorgeous grounds of Childress Vineyards. Having never visited Childress before, we were in awe of the sweeping vines and beautiful grounds that welcomed and directed us to the gathering.
After meeting the NC Wine Guys and picking up our name tags, tasting glasses, and NCWine.org pins at registration, we found a table before visiting some of the wineries around the room. Childress Vineyards had complimentary glasses of Victory Cuvée to celebrate the special day. The view from our table was stunning with rows upon rows of vines. Along the window fronts, were stationed the 11 wineries and two meaderies featured for this special event.
Childress Winemaker, Mark Friszolowski, welcomed us on behalf of Childress Vineyards and gave a brief introduction to North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner, Steve Troxler.
Commissioner Troxler touched upon the rich history of wine in NC before announcing that NC wine tastings will be available for the first time inside the NC State Fairgrounds, at the Our State Public House. Troxler then welcomed Governor Roy Cooper to the event.
Governor Cooper shared a little about his personal experience with farming in North Carolina, along with a few facts about NC wine and the state’s wine industry. (You can watch Governor Cooper’s remarks on our Facebook page.) He then read and signed the official proclamation of September 2017 as NC Wine and Grape Month.
NC Wine Facts:
- North Carolina is home to nearly 186 wineries.
- There are more than 525 individually owned vineyards on 2,300 acres spread across the state.
- At just over 1.1 million cases per year, North Carolina ranks 11th in US wine production.
- North Carolina’s wine industry has two focuses—native Muscadine grapes and European-style Vinifera grapes.
- According to a recent study, the annual economic impact of NC wine and grape industry is $1.97 billion, with more than 10,000 jobs supported.
Featured Tastings:
Silver Fork Winery – Four Dog Red and Chambourcin
Starrlight Mead – Semi-Sweet Traditional Mead
Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard & Winery – 2015 Barrel Aged Chardonnay
Biltmore Estate Winery – 2015 Biltmore Reserve Chardonnay
Childress Vineyards – 2015 Reserve Cabernet Franc
Cypress Bend Vineyards – Riverton Estate
Duplin Winery – Hatteras Red
Hanover Park Vineyards – 2014 Mourvèdre
Honey Girl Meadery – Hibiscus Lemonthyme Mead
Linville Falls Winery – Riesling
LuMil Vineyard – Sir Walter Raleigh
Shadow Springs Vineyard – 2014 Petit Verdot
Shelton Vineyards – 2013 Tannat
Look for our upcoming series of mini reviews of these featured wineries, and stay tuned for a special giveaway…or two!
Get out and explore NC wineries and vineyards this month! Use #NCWine and #NCWineMonth when you share your adventures on social media. Let us know your favorite NC wines and wineries in the comments!
Go local. Drink Carolinas! 🍷
Wine Carolinas 