  
This section guides you through the perils and pitfalls of grape growing, from pest control to site suitability to economic factors. Whether you’re a grape grower, winemaker, or wine educator, you’ll find information you can apply towards your individual needs. Visit these links for useful information on these topics:
 Vineyard Alert: Extreme Heat and Droughty Conditions Affecting NC Vines 
N.C. Grape Varieties
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.
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.
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. For information on home grape growing, visit Muscadine Grapes in the Home Garden.
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. For information on home grape growing, visit Bunch Grapes in the Home Garden.
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)
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)
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:
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Muscadine (Scuppernong) Grape Growing
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 more about Muscadine Grapes through the links below:
These resources provide information on growing this popular variety:
Documents
Links
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Economics of Grape Production
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 below can help you with decisions about:
- Land
- Land preparation
- Labor
- Grapevines
- Trellis materials
- Pest management materials
- Debt on loans and more
- The North Carolina Winegrape Grower's Guide provides grape growers with practical information on site selection, establishment, and operation of commercial vineyards. It also includes a new chapter on spring frost control and examines the pros and cons of active frost protection systems. Be sure to see Chapter 2 of the Grower's Guide for an economic analysis of grape growing.
- "The Economics of Wine Production in Virginia" by Tony Wolf from Virginia Tech
- 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
- Contact your county's Horticulture Cooperative Extension Agent for advice. For more information, contact:
Barclay Poling, Muscadine Grape Extension Specialist
NCSU Department of Horticultural Science
P.O. Box 7609
Raleigh, NC 27695
919- 515-1196, Barclay_Poling@ncsu.edu
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Site Suitability
When deciding where to establish a vineyard, you will need to consider multiple factors for production, including climate, elevation and suitable grape varieties.
The maps below 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. Wine & Grape Council.
For an explanation of factors to consider in site selection read Dr. Tony Wolf's Virginia Tech publication Site Selection for Commercial Vineyards. Also see the following climate and weather resources for help planning your vineyard, maintenance programs and harvest:
- NC Cooperative Extension Service provides Weather Information for Horticulture. These leaflets cover frost protection, climate considerations, growing season, solar radiation and wind.
- 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.
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Zone 1 |
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Vinifera |
Hybrid |
American Varieties |
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Most Desirable Site |
None |
None |
possibly Niagra, Norton, Most Muscadine Grapes: Carlos, Magnolia, Noble, Sterling, Fry, Nesbitt |
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Good Site |
None |
None |
Most Muscadine Grapes: Carlos, Magnolia, Noble, Sterling |
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Risky Site * |
None |
None |
Carlos, Magnolia, Noble |
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Zone 2 |
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Vinifera |
Hybrid |
American Varieties |
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Most Desirable Site |
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Mataro (Mourvedre), Merlot, Viognier, Tannat, Carmine, Syrah, Petit Manseng |
Chambourcin, Chardonel, Seyval, Vidal Blanc, Rouchaneuf |
Niagara, Norton, Most Muscadine Grapes: Carlos, Magnolia, Noble, Sterling, Fry, Nesbitt, |
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Good Site |
Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Petit Manseng, Viognier |
Chambourcin, Chardonel, Seyval, Vidal Blanc |
Most Muscadine Grapes: Carlos, Magnolia, Noble, Sterling |
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Risky Site * |
Petit Manseng |
Seyval, Vidal Blanc |
Norton, Niagara |
.
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Zone 3 |
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Vinifera |
Hybrid |
American Varieties |
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Most Desirable Site |
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Petit Manseng, Malvasia Bianca, Muscat Ottonel, Carmine, Syrah |
Chambourcin, Chardonel, Seyval, Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Rouchaneuf |
Niagara Norton |
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Good Site |
Cabernet Franc, Malvasia Bianca, Muscat Ottonel, Riesling, Petit Manseng, Viognier |
Chambourcin, Chardonel, Seyval, Traminette, Vidal Blanc |
Niagara Norton |
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Risky Site * |
Malvasia Bianca Muscat Ottonel, Petit Manseng |
Seyval, Traminette |
Niagara |
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Zone 4 |
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No plantings recommended |
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Testing Facilities
- Appalachian State University Enology Services Lab
Now accepting samples of grapes, wine, and must for analysis. They are currently providing preliminary analyses including Brix, Titratable Acidity (TA), pH, Nitrogen (FAN + NH4), Malic Acid, Soluble Solids, Glucose + Fructose, Volatile Acidity (VA), SO2 (Total and Free), and Alcohol. They will provide immediate turnaround leading up to harvest, during crush, and throughout wine production when timely analysis is most important. Contributing samples will aid in establishing the lab and allow them to cater services to the North Carolina wine industry based on your feedback.
Please see Enology Services shipping instructions and send samples with return contact information.
There will be no fee for current analyses as listed. Please contact Hollis Price, Wine Analysis Coordinator, at priceeh@appstate.edu or 828-406-6014, regarding inquiries for more detailed analyses (petiole analysis, phenolics, aroma compounds, microbiology panels etc.).
- 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
Wine Sensory Analysis Program
Having trouble with your wine? Submit a sample to the North Carolina Sensory Evaluation Panel. Provided by NC State and Cooperative Extension services, the evaluation panel is composed of nine winemakers and industry experts from across the state. They will screen your wine for known defects, conduct laboratory tests and provide tips and suggestions for making the best wine possible.
Contact: Trevor G. Phister, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
North Carolina State University, Dept. of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences
Extension Program
Campus box 7624/339B Schaub Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695-7624
919-513-1644, fax: 919-515-7124
tgphiste@ncsu.edu
- 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.
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Grape Supplies and Resources
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
- Agriculture Links for Growers
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Grant and Financial Resources - Vineyard and Winery Business Models, and Grant, Financial and Business Resources
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Resources and Links - Associations, Wine and Grower Related Links, Publications
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FAQs
Interest in grape production has generated many questions about vineyard establishment and grape production. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we hear from the grape growing and winemaking industries:
Q: Where is the best place to acquire grape vine plantings?
A: Several commercial nurseries are available from which to buy vines. Most are listed in the Vineyard Supplies section. California nurseries typically only carry vinifera varieties. Hybrids can be found from the eastern nurseries, such as those in New York. |
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Q: Is it best to plant a single variety or multiple varieties?
A: It depends on the size of your vineyard. If you're planting 1-2 acres, then grow a single variety to get sufficient quantity to sell. Otherwise, consider growing more than one, perhaps several (depending on acreage). This helps to spread out the risk (losses to frost/disease, decreased demand for a particular variety) and the harvest (consider labor availability). |
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Q: Are there particular varieties that are in high demand/short supply that would readily grow in the Piedmont?
A: The majority of varieties appear to grow well in the Piedmont area. Popular varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot, Syrah (all vinifera), Chambourcin and Seyval Blanc (French hybrids). In addition, other varieties are beginning to attract interest and attention. More importantly, talk with the wineries you hope to sell to about the varieties they anticipate needing. |
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Q: What is the optimal size of a vineyard?
A: A vineyard should be at least 4-5 acres to obtain reasonable economies of scale and produce sufficient quantities (tons) of multiple (3-4) varieties. Upper limits are determined by market demand and your ability to grow and sell premium quality grapes. The optimal size appears to be at least five acres, probably no more than 10 acres for a new, unestablished vineyard that isn't making its own wine. The average size in North Carolina is five acres. |
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Q: Do grapes prefer alkaline or acidic soils?
A: Nearly neutral soils, pH - 6.2-6.5 |
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Q: Where/how is the best way to learn the ins and outs of grape production?
A:
- Get a copy of the North Carolina Winegrape Growers Guide. This is a good introductory text on the subject.
- Talk with people already operating vineyards.
- Attend industry educational and trade shows, such as the N.C. Winegrowers Association's annual meeting.
- Join grower associations.
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Q: What considerations are important for growing grapes at higher elevations and colder temperatures?
A: Winter minimum temperatures will be the most limiting factor in variety choice at your site. Vitis vinifera varieties (i.e. Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.) are the least hardy of the bunch grapes and would be at a higher risk level of cold-injury or death. Most are only hardy down to between -5 and -10 degrees and can suffer a lot of wood damage at temperatures of 0 to -5.
Varieties such as Merlot and Syrah, which are gaining in popularity here are more cold-tender. Some varieties are slightly cold-hardier, such as Cabernet franc, which is a better choice in our area than Cabernet Sauvignon (much more grower friendly). This would be a possibility if the site is higher on the hillside with a good slope and plenty of air drainage.
Riesling is also a more cold hardy variety. We don't recommend Riesling as a commercial variety due to its susceptibility to fruit rots in our summer heat and humidity, but in a smaller scale "hobbyist" planting you might want to try some.
Your best bet will be with hybrids and American varieties, which are more cold-hardy (from -10 to -25 degrees, depending on variety). American varieties worthy of your consideration are Concord, Niagra, Delaware, and Catawba, all of which have been successfully grown in the mountains and used for wine. The hybrids make very good wines and are more reliable croppers due to their higher level of cold-hardiness and their tendency to set near-full crops on secondary shoots, making them more frost tolerant than vinifera varieties.
There are several varieties from which to choose. Hybrids and American varieties haven't been widely planted in North Carolina, but Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, and Villard Blanc have done well. I've also had a very good wine made from Baco Noir grown in Ashe County (elevation around 3200 ft). Other hybrid varieties worthy of consideration are Traminette, Chardonel, DeChaunac, Ives, Marechal Foch, and Leon Millot. This list is certainly not all-inclusive.
You won't find the American or hybrid varieties at the California nurseries; they deal almost exclusively with vinifera varieties. But all the varieties mentioned, and others that you might want to experiment with, are available at many eastern grapevine nurseries, particularly those in New York.
For a list of nurseries and contact information, visit our Vineyard Supplies section. |
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Q: Which grapevines are grafted and why?
A: All vinifera varieties are grafted onto rootstocks (the only way they'll survive our soil-borne pests). Hybrid varieties may or may not be grafted (depends on the nursery). All grafted grapevines need to have their graft unions protected from hard freezes each winter, typically by "hilling up" soil around the vines (covering the graft unions) in late fall and leaving it over the graft unions until after the last frosts in spring. This needs to be done at least until the vines are five years old, but is best done every year with vinifera varieties, which are more at risk for winter-kill. |
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Q: Assuming a vinifera vineyard spaced at 6 ft. between vines and 10 ft. between rows, and trained to a Vertical Shoot Positioned trellis, how much does one acre of grapes produce, how many vines would that acre contain and how many pounds on average can one expect from each vine in this configuration?
A: Approximately four tons is the upper allowable limit. The vines can produce more, but fruit quality begins to suffer. Using a divided canopy trellis such as the Lyre or reducing between row spacing (i.e. to 8 or 9 ft.) can increase yields to 5 or 6 tons per acre. By the same token, poor vineyard management can reduce yields even if all other factors favor high yields.
At 6x10 ft spacing, an acre would contain 726 vines.
The vines would carry 11-12 pounds each. |
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Q: What is the average spacing of vines in North Carolina?
A: As the model states, average is around 6x10 feet. For Vertical Shoot Positioned trellises, Andy Allen suggests that 6 ft. between vines is too close under North Carolina vigor levels and would rather see vines spaced at 8 ft. apart. |
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Q: How much wine can one make from a ton (2000 pounds) of grapes?
A: Average production is about 100 gals/ton. Reds can get up to 110-120 gal/ton, whites aren't pressed as hard (otherwise you get harsher tannins from the seeds) and therefore don't have as high a juice yield as reds (90-100 gal/ton). | |
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