To be successful, grape growers must make sound decisions from initial planning through harvest and sale of fruit. Vineyard establishment and operating costs can vary significantly within a region due to differences in cost for land, labor, machinery, and materials.

The following resources can help you with decisions about:

• Land
• Land preparation
• Labor
• Grapevines
• Trellis materials
• Pest management materials
• Debt on loans and more.

Chapter 2 of The North Carolina Winegrape Grower's Guide, contains an economic analysis.

Virginia Tech's publication: "The Economics of Wine Production in Virginia" by Tony Wolf

This 196-page production guide provides grape growers with practical information on site selection, establishment, and operation of commercial vineyards. It includes a new chapter on spring frost control and examines the pros and cons of active frost protection systems.

Visit the North Carolina Winegrape Grower's Guide website to purchase or download the publication.

The North Carolina State University Grape Advisory provides regular electronic newsletters with timely tips and announcements for grape production in North Carolina.

To subscribe via email:

Send a message to almanac@ces.ncsu.edu with a blank subject line and the message body: subscribe grape-mg

Or you can request the advice of your county's Horticulture Cooperative  Extension Agent.

For more information, contact:

Barclay Poling, Muscadine Grape Extension Specialist
NCSU Department of Horticultural Science
P.O. Box 7609
Raleigh, NC  27695

Phone: (919) 515-1196
Email: Barclay_Poling@ncsu.edu

Wines may be made from 100% or predominantly one variety of grape, or wines may be made from a blend of several grape varieties. Becoming familiar with grape varieties is a vital step in knowing your wines. Many wines, especially in the United States, have the name of the producer (the winery) on the bottle, and the wine is named by the grape variety used.

Today, bunch grapes, including V. vinifera, French-American hybrids and Labrusca-type grapes, are grown throughout the Piedmont and mountain regions of North Carolina. Muscadines are grown in the coastal plain where moderate winter temperatures prevail.  Check out the Crop Profile for Grapes in North Carolina.

Below is a summary of the types of wine made from these different grapes:

Vitis vinifera

Wines produced from grapes of this traditional European species are reminiscent of those harvested in Europe and California. New agricultural developments have enabled viticulturalists to successfully cultivate these grapes in North Carolina. Cultivars include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier and Cabernet Franc.

French-American hybrids

These are crosses between various Vitis vinifera and native American species. Developed in France in the late 1800s, these grapes combine the disease resistance and winter hardiness of American species with the classic flavors of the Vinifera, or European, species. Cultivars include, Chambourcin, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, and Villard Noir.

Vitis rotundifolia

Muscadines, known locally as scuppernongs, are the native grapes of North Carolina. Muscadines are commonly consumed fresh or made into wines and jellies. Wines of this grape are rich, full-flavored, and very fruity. Popular cultivars include Carlos, Magnolia, Sterling, Nesbitt and Noble.

Labrusca-type

Wines produced from grapes of this species, considered the American "bunch" grapes, offer intense, fruity flavors which display the true taste of their labrusca heritage. Cultivars include Catawba, Concord, Delaware, and Niagara.

Fruit varieties

Wines vinted from fruits other than grapes are opening new opportunities through the efforts of North Carolina vintners. These exciting new wines are pleasing to the palate and delectably enchanting. Fruit varieties include apple, blueberry, blackberry, peach, plum, strawberry and cherry.

This is a conservative list of grape varieties that are grown or might be considered for growing in North Carolina:

Note: These are not recommendations and the list does not reflect many varieties currently undergoing trial plantings. Additional varieties not appearing in this list may be suitable in select ideal vineyard sites. Likewise, not all varieties listed below are suitable for every site.

For information on variety and site compatibility, please visit Site Suitability in this section.

Use: Red Wine

• Type of Grape: Vitis vinifera
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Shiraz (Syrah)
  • Merlot
  • Cabernet franc
  • Petit Verdot
  • Mourvedre
  • Tempranillo
• Type of Grape: American hybrids
  • Norton (Cynthiana)
  • St. Vincent
  • Delaware (Vitis labrusca)
• Type of Grape: French hybrids
  • Chambourcin
  • Burdin 8753
  • Villard Noir
• Type of Grape: Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadines)
  • Noble
  • Nesbitt

Use: White Wine

• Type of Grape: Vitis vinifera
  • Chardonnay
  • Viognier
  • Muscat Canelli
  • Muscat Ottonel
• Type of Grape: American or American hybrids
  • Chardonnel
  • Blanc du Bois
  • Daytona
  • Traminette
  • Niagara (Vitis Labrusca)
• Type of Grape: French hybrids
  • Vidal Blanc
  • Seyval Blanc
  • Villard Blanc
  • Roucaneuf
  • Ravat 34
  • Joannes-Seyve 23-416
• Type of Grape: Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadines)
  • Carlos
  • Magnolia
  • Sterling

Use: Fresh Table Grapes

• Type of Grape: Vitis vinifera: none suitable at present time
• Type of Grape: Seeded American hybrids
  • Sunbelt (blue like Concord, but ripens evenly in the South)
  • Seneca (yellow)
  • Buffalo (blue)
  • Concord (blue)
  • Steuben (blue)
  • Niagra (white)
  • Catawba
  • Delaware (home garden only)
• Type of Grape: Seedless American hybrids
  • Remaily (yellow)
  • Himrod (yellow)
  • Glenora (blue)
  • Lakemont (yellow)
  • Vanessa (red)
  • Venus (blue, home garden only)
  • Mars (blue)
  • Reliance (red, home garden only)
  • Suffolk Red
  • Canadice (red)
  • Orlando (yellow; bred in FL, resistant to Pierce's Disease)
  • Interlaken (white)
  • Einsett (red)
  • Neptune (white)
  • Jupiter (blue)
  • Marquis (white)
• Type of Grape: French hybrids: none at this time
• Type of Grape: Vitis rotundifolia - dark (Muscadines)
  • Black Fry (female)
  • Cowart
  • Nesbitt
  • Noble
  • Scarlett (red, female)
  • Supreme (female)
• Type of Grape: Vitis rotundifolia - white (Muscadines)
  • Carlos
  • Doreen
  • Early Fry (female)
  • Fry
  • Late Fry
  • Magnolia
  • Pam
  • Sterling
  • Summit (pinkish, female)
  • Triumph

If you would like to learn more about grape types, the following websites provide extensive lists of grape varieties:

• Wine and Juice Grape Varieties for Cool Climates
• California Grape Vine Nursery Rootstock Chart

Muscadine grapes are native to North Carolina and the southeastern United States. These large, thick-skinned and seeded grapes grow in small, loose clusters and are often harvested as individual berries. They can be bronze or black in color. The most well known bronze variety, Scuppernong, was named the official state fruit in 2001.

Muscadine grape growing continues to increase in North Carolina. In 2001, there were 275 acres of bronze muscadines and 71 acres of black muscadines. Just five years later in 2006, the total muscadine acreage has grown to 610 acres, with 495 acres of bronze and 115 acres of black muscadines.

Muscadine grape harvest in North Carolina occurs in late August through early October. The grapes are generally packed in clamshells or sold in bulk boxes for custom packing. The Produce Electronic Identification Board has recently created six Universal Product Codes (UPC) for bronze and black muscadines in pint, quart and pound packages.

Muscadine bloom occurs in mid-May. Warm and dry conditions lead to a good fruit set. Late summer hurricanes can sometimes threaten the muscadine harvest. While rain is necessary for young grapevines to become established, hot and dry conditions maximize sugars and flavors in the grapes.

See the Muscadine Grapes page for more information on the following topics:

• Muscadine History
• Muscadine Wineries
• Muscadine Grapes, Wines and Health
• Muscadine Grape Nutrition
• Muscadine Recipes and Cooking Tips
• Pick-Your-Own Muscadine Vineyards

These resources provide information on growing this popular variety:

Documents

• Muscadine Grapes in the Home Garden
• Muscadine Grape Production Guide for NC

•  Muscadine Grape Integrated Management Guide

Links

• NC Cooperative Extension - Muscadine Grapes website
• NC State University Horticultural Leaflet: Muscadine Grapes in the Home Garden
• The Southern Region Small Group Consortium: Establishing Muscadine Grapes for NC
• University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: Home Garden Muscadines

Visit the following sites for information on home grape growing:

Bunch Grapes in the Home Garden

Muscadine Grapes in the Home Garden

The following maps are provided to help in decision making and are not recommendations for or against any site or area. Because they are not all-inclusive in terms of conditions at the particular site, they should not replace an on-site evaluation which may reveal other potential positive or negative aspects.

These maps were generated by John Boyer, a Virginia Tech Geographer commissioned by the N.C. Grape Council. If you would like printed copies of these maps, or those more specific to your North Carolina site, please check back later for a request form. This service is unavailable at this time

For an explanation of factors to consider in site selection prepared by Dr. Tony Wolf in Virginia, read his publication Site Selection for Commercial Vineyards. 

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Whether you’re deciding where to establish a vineyard, timing a vineyard maintenance program or deciding when to harvest, climate and weather information are essential. The following resources can help:

• NC Cooperative Extension Service provides these helpful links:
  • Weather Information for Horticulture - Horticulture Information Leaflets covering frost protection, climate considerations, growing season, solar radiation and wind.  
• Weather Bug is a weather data service. 
• UM Weather accesses all weather information available on the Internet.  
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service 
• Agricultural Weather Information Service, Inc. (AWIS) charges a fee ($50.00 per month, 3 month minimum, $10.00 set-up fee) to log onto their site for information. For example, one of the reports they offer is a frost/freeze report that predicts 60 hours in advance. For each hour they predict dry bulb temperature, dew point, wet bulb temperature, wind speed, wind direction, cloud cover, inversion layer strength, and dew and/or frost. This includes everything you would need to know for irrigation/wind machine start-up. The referenced page lets you look at samples of all of the various reports.

This section includes resources on how to combat the common vineyard pests and diseases including, how they spread, their effect on vines and strategies for their control.

General Resources

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an ecologically-based management program aimed at reducing unnecessary inputs in crop production and improving overall fruit quality.  For information, visit NC State's website or view these attachments:
  •   Bunch Grape IPM
  •  Muscadine Grape IPM
• N.C. Cooperative Extension Service - find horticulture county centers and agents at www.ces.ncsu.edu/counties. They also publish a Horticulture Information Leaflet by W.O. Cline: Muscadine Grape Diseases and their Control
• NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services - personnel & information at 919-733-7125 or www.ncagr.com.

• Pesticide label information:
  1.   NCDA&CS Pesticide Section 919-733-3556
  2.   NCSU Pesticide Education Program 919-515-5369

• Pesticide container recycling
  1.   Pesticide Environmental Trust Fund, NCDA&CS Pesticide Section 919-733-3556
  2.   NC Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222
  3.   Local County Extension Offices supply collection bags and additional information.

• Worker Protection Standards and OSHA Regulations:
  1.   Kay Harris, North Carolina Pesticide Section 919-733-3556
  2.   NC Department of Labor 1-800-522-6762
  3.   Agricultural Safety & Health 919-807-2923
  4.   NC Department of Health & Human Services 800-662-7030
  5.   Local County Extension Offices provide Private Applicators Licensing information, training manuals, testing, continuing education, and recertification classes for obtaining credits.

• Environmental Regulations
  1.   NCDA&CS Environmental Programs & Regulations 919-733-7125
  2.   Dept. of Environment & Natural Resources 919-733-4984

• Waste Disposal & Permits

Fungicide Spray Recommendations

• North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual
• Virginia Cooperative Extension's Pest Management Guide
• Fungicide Labels and MSDS Sheets
• University of California Statewide Integrated Management Test Program
• Midwest: Commercial Small Fruit & Grape Spray Guide
• Southwest: Missouri State University Grape Disease Pages
• Integrated Pest Program Cornell University
• Compendium of Grape Diseases - This useful publication is available from  APS Press or call (800) 328-7560.

Pest Stewardship Fact Sheets

These fact sheets about working safely with pesticides in North Carolina are published by the North Carolina Environmental Stewardship Project of CropLife Foundation and are available in English and Spanish.

• English Versions
  •  Calibrating Boom Sprayer
  •  Chemigation 
  •  Farm Family Exposure 
  •  Mixing and Loading 
  •  Pesticide Safety 
  •  Pesticide Spills 
  •  Pesticide Storage 
  •  Recycling Containers 
  •  Well Water Safety
• Spanish Versions
  •  Farm Family Exposure
  •  Mixing and Loading 
  •  Pesticide Safety 
  •  Pesticide Spills 

Pesticide disposal and pesticide container recycling is essential! Contact the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Resources Pesticide Section at (919) 733-3556 for general information or visit the NCDA website.

For questions about legal disposal options, contact:

William T. McClelland
NCDA Pesticide Disposal Specialist
4000 Reedy Creek Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27607
Phone: (919) 733-7366

Ag Links: World Wide Web sites of Interest to the Agriculture Industry

Agcenter

Agrisurf

AVERN: American Viticulture & Enology Research Network  

California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance - Reducing Risks through Sustainable Winegrowing: A Grower’s Guide

Charles Sturt University Winery, Australia

Cornell - Grape Pages

Cornell University - Food Science & Technology

Cornell University - Viticulture and Enology 

Georgia Muscadine Production Guide  

Harvest Contract Sample

Home Garden Muscadines

NC Cooperative Extension

NC Center for Environmental Farming Systems

NC Department of Agriculture

 NC Dept. of Revenue Sales Tax Guide for Agricultural Products

NC Fruit and Vegetable Shippers Directory 

NC Market Ready

NCSU Plant Pathology for Fruits

Northwest Berry & Grape Infonet

Ohio State’s Horticulture and Crop Science in Virtual Perspective

Penn State Winegrape Network

Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium

Southwest Missouri State University Grape Grower Newsletter

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education - How to Conduct Research

Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Production in the South

UC DAVIS Wine Page

Unfair Practices by Handlers of Fruits and Vegetables in NC

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Virginia Fruit Web Site: Virginia Vineyards

Virginia's Viticulture Pages by Tony Wolf; offers papers on site selection and economics, as well as a bimonthly newsletter.

Washington State Pest Management Resource Service

Washington State University IPM Pesticide Safety Education

Business Models specific to Wine grapes and Wineries:

• Economics of Wine Production in Virginia
• A Virtual Winery Model
• Bruce Zoecklein's Virginia Tech winemaking website (look under "Extension Publications" for excellent resources)

Financial Resources:

The following list of resources is provided by the N.C. Wine & Grape Council to guide those looking for loans, grants or information regarding financial aspects of starting a vineyard and/or winery in North Carolina. To contact the office of the Council, call (919) 715-WINE (9463), fax (919) 715-5001, or email mmetzger@nccommerce.com.

• N.C. Dept of Agriculture, Agribusiness Development  Ron Fish, ron.fish@ncmail.net or (919) 733-7887
• USDA agriculture funding resource guide
• USDA Rural Development Division offers business and cooperative programs including Value-Added Producer Grants.  VAPG may be used for planning activities and for working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy. Eligible applicants are independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, agricultural producer groups, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures. For assistance, contact Bruce Pleasant, Business Programs Specialist, at 919-873-2031 or email bruce.pleasant@nc.usda.gov.
• Small Business and Technology Development Center
  (800) 258-0862. A counseling service with regional offices.
• Small Business Center Network within the local community college system 
  offers counseling, training & resources
• Business ServiCenter, N.C. Department of Commerce
  (800) 228-8443 or (919) 715-2864 works with individuals to determine needs, permits, options, employee regulations and provides further resources.
• Self-Help Credit Union (offices throughout NC) Low interest or high-risk loans for small businesses. Environmental Lending Initiative: A non-profit development bank supporting sustainable agricultural activities. Fred Broadwell, (800) 476-7428. 
• Small Business Administration - Charlotte (800) 827-5722
• N.C. Rural Economic Development Center's microlending program
• Good Work  in Durham (919) 682-8473
• Farmers Tax Guide - IRS Annual Publication (800) 829-1040
• Golden LEAF Foundation is a possible source of grant funds available to non-profit and government organizations. 
• Tobacco Trust Fund Commission at (919) 733-2160
• Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA of Pittsboro offers a producer cost-share grant program.  Scott Marlow is the director of farm sustainability at (919) 542-1396. They offer free assistance in putting together a loan package or restructuring debt.
• North Carolina Agricultural Finance Authority - Frank Bordeaux - (919) 790-3949. Primarily a lender of last resort, they require that a company be turned down by at least two commercial lenders. They do have other programs that may be helpful, depending on the specifics of your situation.
• The N.C. Department of Commerce offers two grant programs: Tourism Matching Funds and Rural Tourism Development Grants for tourism projects. Contact Teresa Watts at (919) 733-7502.

Insurance Coverage

The Department of Insurance (NCDOI) has a Market Assistance Program (MAP) established in the mid-eighties when commercial coverage was difficult to find. Anyone having difficulty finding commercial coverage should contact the MAP and see if it knows of carriers that may be willing to write the coverage.

Keep in mind though, that MAP attempts to respond to the availability issue. It does not speak to affordability. There are two types of companies that provide insurance coverage:

• Licensed companies, whose policyholders are covered by the NC Guaranteed Association in the event a licensed company became insolvent
• Surplus Line Coverage (SLC) companies. If the SLC Company were to become insolvent, there would be no protection for its policyholders, under the Guaranty Association.

If you are having a problem finding coverage, please call the NCDOI’s Market Assistance Program at (919) 807- 6750 or (800) 546-5664 for assistance.

• Soil sample testing: Contact your County Cooperative Extension Agent or call Agronomic Services at 919-733-2655 for instructions.  Service is free to residents but may take several weeks.
  
  
• Wine analysis:  Contact NCSU Department of Food Science 919-515-2951
  
  
• Petiole Sampling: Full bloom is the time of year to take petiole samples from your vineyard for nutrient level testing.  Petiole sampling and testing is a practice that all grape growers should implement each year.  Test results can diagnose a nutritional deficiency or toxicity in the vineyard that may otherwise go unnoticed or misdiagnosed.  Such a nutritional imbalance could reduce the quantity and quality of the crop and/or impair the health of the vines.  By taking petiole samples for testing, growers may, in some cases, be able to correct a nutritional imbalance that growing season. A state-of-the-art plant testing laboratory in the Agronomic Division of NCDA&CS receives your samples, takes only 2 business days to analyze the sample and send you your results.
  
  Stop by your county Cooperative Extension office to pick up sampling kits.  If they are not available there, contact NCDA&CS Agronomic Services at 919-733-2656.  Follow these instructions for taking samples:

1.     Sample at full bloom (when two thirds of the flower caps have been shed).

2.     Collect one sample unit from each variety in each planting block.  If you have several varieties within a block, you may want to sample only one variety.  Do not mix petioles from different varieties within a sample unit.

3.     Collect 100 petioles per sample unit (the petiole is the small shoot which connects the leaf to the main stem).  Collect no more than 1-2 petioles per vine.  Immediately separate the petiole from the leaf and place in a labeled paper bag or envelope.

4.     From each sampled vine, collect a petiole that is opposite a fruit cluster.  If there is no fruit, pick a healthy leaf at the second or third node from the base of the shoot.

5.     DO NOT SAMPLE: a)  diseased plants, b)  heat- or moisture-stressed plants, c)  within 7 days after spraying, unless there has been a good rainfall d) early in the morning or on extremely cloudy days

6.     Place plant tissue samples inside the large envelope provided with the sampling kit.  Do not wrap or enclose sample in plastic bags.

Check out the links below for grape growing supplies, resources, services, classifieds and more:

• Supplies - Vineyard & Winemaking Supplies, Nurseries, References, Consultants, Services
  
  
• Classifieds - Grape Exchange, General Grower & Vintner Classifieds, Vineyards & Wineries For Sale, Employment
  
  

• Resources and Links - Associations, Wine and Grower Related Links, Publications