1. Biltmore Winery in Antler Hill
Village.
Visitors
are offered a tour of the cellars, a winetasting experience that is included in
the price of admission to Biltmore, and an unusual shop where one can acquire
almost any wine accessory imaginable.
2. Noni Bacca Winery, Wilmington.
No matter
your level of expertise in the world of the oenophile, you will be pleased with
what you discover in Wilmington.
3. Grandfather Vineyard & Winery,
Foscoe.
Great for: North Carolina country scenery. Producing fine sauvignon
blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir,
syrah, and ice wine, the Grandfather
Vineyard & Winery is among the best North Carolina wineries on the Boone Area Wine Trail.
4. Rocky River Vineyards, Midland.
Great for: North Carolina mountain scenery. The muscadine grapes
create some truly unique wine.
5. Stony Knoll Vineyards, Dobson.
Of the
several excellent varieties of wine to be acquired, try their delicious Syrah
2007; aged in oak for 17 months, it has a balanced fruit and tannin taste with
a peppery tinge. Don't miss the Ardella Blanc, a sweet wine made from an
American native grape.
6. Childress Vineyards, Lexington.
The
bistro, tasting room, well-stocked gift shop, winery tour, and deck – often
featuring live music audible from the vineyards below – will enchant you.
7. Southern Charm Winery, Lincolnton.
Known
For: Fruit blend wines. Making a choice is difficult so you are
likely to take home several bottles of fruit blends like the Honeysuckle with
hints of apples, pear and honey, or the Southern Charm with an undertone of
peach combined with the flavor of a well-balanced traditional white wine.
8. RayLen Vineyards & Winery,
Mocksville.
Great
For: Winery tours. Be sure to taste the
pinot grigio, a well-balanced Italian white with the zest of citrus and the
viognier, created from the famous Rhone Valley grape that thrives in North
Carolina.
N.C. Promotes Wine Tourism
Haw River AVA helps local industry
transition from textiles and tobacco to winemaking. Haw Valley Set amid 44
acres of winegrapes, Grove Winery & Vineyards is located about 20 minutes
from downtown Greensboro, N.C.
One of the areas benefitting from
these efforts is the Haw River Valley, now home to seven wineries: Grove Winery & Vineyards, The Winery at Iron Gate
Farm, Benjamin Vineyards and Winery, SilkHope Winery, GlenMarie Vineyards and
Winery, Wolfe Wines and Starrlight Mead. In March 2009, after three years of
waiting, Haw River was named the state’s third AVA by the Alcohol and Tobacco
Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The seven wineries and 14 growers within the 868
acres of the Haw River watershed in the north central area of the state are now
approved to use the designations “Haw River” and “Haw River Valley.” The North
Carolina legislature created the GLF in 1999 to strengthen the state’s economy,
especially agri-tourism and business development such as the North Carolina
wine trail. Approximately $20,000 was spent on the Haw River petition.
Wines produced here are likewise
extremely diverse in character. Common climatic features in the valley include
precipitation, air temperature and growing season. The soil composition changes from north to south as the river flows
southeasterly. The Haw River rock dates back 700 million years, while Yadkin
Valley to the west dates to 1.5 billion years ago.
For a flashback that puts the Haw
River AVA in perspective, growers need only review the progress made in Yadkin
Valley. The area’s first winery, Westbend Vineyards, began making wine in 1988.
Activity increased when the Yadkin
Valley AVA was awarded, and between 2003 and 2009 the area added 25 new wineries. Getting that AVA really helped the
wine business grow.
According to Susan Dosier, public
relations consultant to the N.C. Wine and Grape Council and a former food
editor at Southern Living magazine, the addition of the Haw River AVA opens yet
another door for wine marketing in the state. Tourists will still pass a few
tobacco patches in the area, but the Haw AVA enhances our state’s wine tourism
product and brings hikers, bikers, float trippers, restaurants, festivals and,
of course, wine tasters.
