The council has funded a broad range of educational, research, and promotional activities since its inception. Examples include:
- Educational Efforts:
- Production of electronic industry newsletter and consumer newsletter.
- Creation of four-color winery brochure Discover North Carolina Wines.
- Creation of muscadine grape pick-your-own directory.
- Creation of recipe sheets for muscadine grapes and wine.
- Constant dissemination of information to farmers interested in planting vineyards.
- Public education about North Carolina wines and grapes.
- Assistance of N.C. Grape Growers Association and N.C. Winegrower's Association with organization, educational meetings, communication and publicity.
- Research Efforts:
- Production of Mid-Atlantic Winegrape Grower's Guide through NCSU Agriculture Communications.
- Continued support for research at Castle Hayne Horticultural Research Station:
A muscadine variety and trellising trial
A muscadine grape cold storage study.
- Partial funding of a cold hardiness study of vitis vinifera grapevines at Virginia Tech
- Implementation of winegrape variety trials in western North Carolina in cooperation with Virginia Tech
- Annual support for a private grape breeder to continue a successful grape breeding effort following the elimination of the grape breeding program at NCSU.
- Promotional Efforts:
- Print advertising highlighting North Carolina wineries as tourist attractions and increasing direct sales opportunities.
- Radio and cooperative retail advertising to promote North Carolina muscadine grapes as fresh fruit in retail chain stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, increasing the return per acre to growers.
- Press releases to generate publicity and educate media.
- Events at state farmers' markets and private vineyards and wineries: celebrity grape stomps, grape, jelly, juice and wine tastings.
- Public relations with all aspects of the grape industry from growers and researchers to retailers and consumers, at the state and national level.