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A Guide to North Carolina's Wineries

Name: A Guide to North Carolina's Wineries
Author: Joseph Mills, Danielle Tarmey
ISBN: 9780895872685

by Joseph Mills, Danielle Tarmey

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Overview

The future of North Carolina wine was hinted at as early as 1584, when Arthur Barlowe wrote Sir Walter Raleigh that the land was "full of grapes." Today, the state has 22 wineries and over 240 vineyards. With annual retail sales estimated at $25 million, North Carolina ranks 10th nationally in wine production, and it is experiencing impressive growth. As one winery owner says, "This is an industry whose time has come." Visitors to North Carolina's wineries have a wide range of wines to sample, and as they do, they can engage in a variety of activities, In addition to touring and tasting, they can picnic, celebrate weddings or other events, listen to concerts, look at art, try their hand at horseshoes or Italian bowling, and even help in the vineyards. A Guide to North Carolina's Wineries provides detailed portraits of the state's wineries. These include the history of each establishment, hours of operation, comprehensive wine lists, and recipes and food-pairing suggestions contributed by the wineries themselves. Interviews with owners, winemakers, grape growers, and other people involved in the industry make it clear that in North Carolina, winemaking is rapidly evolving as an art form.

Synopsis

In 1584, when the settlers who later became famous as the Lost Colony arrived in North Carolina, Arthur Barlowe reported to Sir Walter Raleigh that the land was "full of grapes . . . both on the sand and on the green soil, on the hills as in the plains, as well on every little shrub, as also climbing toward the tops of high cedars, that I think in all the world the like abundance is not to be found." Tradition says that among the grapes the settlers found was the Scuppernong Mother Vine, which is still producing grapes. Thus began the North Carolina wine industry.Today, North Carolina has 22 wineries and over 250 vineyards. It ranks 10th in the nation in total wine production, with annual retail sales estimated at around $25 million. The state even has the most-visited winery in the United States at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville.The entries in A Guide to North Carolina Wineries, provide historical information, comprehensive wine lists, and interviews with the owners and winemakers at allof the state's wineries. Each profile also includes a recipe or food-pairing suggestion for the establishment's wines. In addition to enjoying the information about the wineries, you'll meet some of the people who work in the business -- vineyard managers, farmers who sell their grapes, architects who design the wineries, and the itinerant bottler who travels with his truck, bottling vintages for wineries that don't have their own equipment.Whether you're interested in sampling new vintages, reading about the fascinating people behind a rapidly growing industry, or incorporating a visit to a winery during your travels, this guide will provide all the information you need.

About the Author, Joseph Mills, Danielle Tarmey

Joseph Mills, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Davis, teaches at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Danielle Tarmey is experienced in many aspects of the wine business; for several years, she was a member of the tasting-room staff at Westbend Vineyards.