These steps can get you started tasting some of North Carolina’s world renowned wines.

The Five Ss to Wine Tasting

1) See
Pour about an ounce of wine in a clear, stemmed glass; hold the glass by the stem. Raise your glass in front of a white background and tip it slightly away from you. Check for clarity and brilliance. If the wine is dull and cloudy, something is wrong.

Next, note the color and intensity of its hue. These two factors change as wine ages and are often clues to its condition and quality. As white wines age, shades of light straw with hues of yellow change to tones of full straw and gold. As red wines mature, their purple or violet tones first become ruby, then brownish-orange.

2) Swirl
Grasp the glass firmly by the stem with one hand. Gently swirl the glass so the wine laps up the sides of the glass. Observe how the wine trickles back down. The clear tear-like streams on the side of the glass are called "legs". The thickness of the legs will give you a clue as to how full-bodied the wine is. For the next step, swirl the wine again to get the most concentrated smell of the wine.

3) Sniff:
Now raise the glass to your nose and sniff deeply. Your nose will tell you about 75 per cent of what you want to know about a wine. An experienced taster can detect and distinguish hundreds of smells - and so can you. The majority of these smells are everyday scents. All it takes is practice.

4) Sip
Take a good sip. The taste of the wine in your mouth should confirm what your nose already told you.

5) Savor
As you swish the wine through your mouth, your taste buds will note the presence of fruit, acidity, and alcohol. If tannins are present, your cheeks will feel an astringent puckering sensation, as is often the case with red wine. (This is the same way your cheeks feel when you drink a strong cup of tea.)

The tip of your tongue will detect the wine's degree of sweetness, something your nose cannot do. Check for a balance of all the tastes you sense. Now swallow and savor the taste. The longer the taste stays in your mouth after swallowing, the higher the quality of the wine. Above all, enjoy!

(Courtesy LCBO )

North Carolina is the home of our nation's first cultivated wine grape: the scuppernong. Although muscadines thrive in the piedmont and coastal plain of all southeastern states, only North Carolina claims the original native scuppernong as its own.

The first recorded account of these grapes occurs in the log book of Giovanni de Verrazano, French explorer and navigator, who in 1524 discovered them in the Cape Fear River Valley. He wrote that he saw, "Many vines growing naturally there that without doubt would yield excellent wines."

Sir Walter Raleigh's explorers, Captains Phillip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe, wrote in 1584, "The coast of North Carolina was so full of grapes that the very beating and surge of the sea overflowed them.”  Sir Walter Raleigh's colony is credited with discovering the famed Scuppernong "mother-vine" on Roanoke Island and introducing it elsewhere. It along with some neighboring vines supplied the Mother Vineyard Winery, which operated in Manteo until 1954.

At first the grape was simply called "The Big White Grape" by settlers. During the 17th and 18th centuries cuttings of the mother vine were placed into production around a small town called Scuppernong in Washington County and along the Cape Fear River east of Fayetteville.

The name Scuppernong comes from an Algonquin Indian name, "Ascopo" for the sweet bay tree. "Ascupernung" meaning place of the "Ascopo" appears on early maps of North Carolina as the name of a river in Washington County that runs in to the Albemarle Sound. By 1800 the spelling of the river had become Scuppernong.

Our Commercial Beginnings

North Carolina's first commercial winery, Medoc Vineyard, was founded in 1835 by Sidney Weller. Medoc was located in the community of Brinkleyville in Halifax County. Weller had twelve acres of white and black muscadines. He reported in 1853 that Medoc produced 60 barrels of wine annually. The wine was distributed throughout the eastern United States and sold for 1-6 dollars per gallon. Weller even produced a champagne out of Scuppernong grapes.

Winemaking in North Carolina thrived and before the Civil War, there were 25 wineries located in such places as Tokay, Medoc, Cognac, Niagara, Vina Vista, and Catawba. The war sent many vintners heading North and disrupted wine making in the South.

After the war, winemaking again returned to the state and grapes flowed into wineries at Castle Hayne, Conover, Eagle Springs, Gibson, Littleton, Louisburg, Manteo, Murphy, Peachland, Pettigrew State Park, Holly Ridge, Samarcand, Tryon, Warrenton, Willard, Edenton and Icard.

North Carolina’s Prosperous Winemakers

Paul Garrett, born in Edgecombe County in 1863, became North Carolina's most famous and prosperous wine maker. In 1865 his father, Francis Marion Garrett, and wealthy uncle, Charles Garrett, purchased the Medoc Vineyard located in Halifax County. In 1900 at age 37, Paul Garrett struck out on his own, following sales commission disputes with new owners, and established his own winery at Littleton. During the next 16 years Paul Garrett built a nationwide wine empire by outbidding other wineries for Scuppernong grapes, buying everything he could find.

Garrett developed a new label "Virginia Dare" and began promoting American wines for Americans. Virginia Dare white and red became the nation’s leading selling wine. It won the grand prize in the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition in 1904. According to the sixth federal census, North Carolina was the leading wine producing state in the U.S.

When Prohibition was repealed in 1933 Garrett was the only vintner ready again to sell wine. Virginia Dare red and white immediately went on sale in every wet state. Garrett also launched the first singing commercial ever broadcast for wine, "Say it again....Virginia Dare."

In 1950, ten farmers in Onslow County planted 25 acres of Scuppernong grapes based upon a promise of a market when production started by an out-of-state winery. In 1955, when these grapes came into full production, the out-of-state winery would not buy them at any price.

Raymond A. Hartsfield, one of the growers, decided to build a winery to furnish a local market for grapes. The winery was named Onslow Wine Cellars and sold under the "Onslow" label. The demand for Scuppernong wine was rising in the northern wet states. Hartsfield and a few growers began enlarging their vineyards.

In 1961, this growth was further spurred when Richard Wine Cellars in Virginia offered North Carolina farmers 5-year contracts to grow muscadines at $200 per ton and provided vines to plant. A vineyard planting boom began. As plantings increased it became evident that research was needed to support this growing industry.

Senator Carl Vitners of Onslow County introduced legislation in 1965 which appropriated $166,000 for grape and wine research and grower education. Dr. Bill Nesbitt, of N.C. State University, started breeding new muscadine varieties suited for wine making and testing bunch grapes suited for North Carolina climates. Dr. Dan Carroll set up an experimental winery in NCSU's Food Science Department to improve processing techniques and recipes for muscadine wine.

The Industry Begins to Flourish

By 1968, when Raymond Hartsfield sold his winery to Richard Wine Cellars, North Carolina had no wineries. In order to stimulate the development of new wineries, the state legislature in 1972 reduced the annual winery license fee from $1,000 to $100 and cut the state tax on native table wine from 60 cents per gallon to 5 cents per gallon. This spawned several new economic developments:

• In 1973 the New River Grape Grower Association was reorganized and expanded as the N.C. Grape Growers Association.

• In 1972, Jack Kroustalis established Westbend Vineyards in Lewisville. He planted the same vinifera varieties that are used to produce fine California and French wines. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Gamay, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc are now thriving on 40 acres neatly tucked into the gently rolling countryside in the northwest corner of Forsyth County along the banks of the Yadkin River.

• In 1974, Deerfield Vineyards Wine Cellars was opened by George and Benburry Wood near Edenton. It initially had a 13,000 gallon capacity and utilized grapes grown on the family's 80 acres of muscadines. Deerfield operated until 1980 producing 55,000 gallons that year when its principal owner passed away, and it closed down.

• In 1976, Duplin Winery located in Rose Hill opened its doors, producing 35,000 gallons. The winery was a culmination of the cooperative efforts and finances of 11 muscadine grape growers in the area who began planning the venture in 1972 to combat falling grape prices. The winery produced 3 varietal wines in 1976. It currently produces 17 lines with an average production of 90,000 gallons per year. 

• In 1981, several officers and members of the Piedmont Grape Growers Association decided to form Germanton Winery and Vineyards. There were 1000-1500 gallons of wine produced in 1982 from the 6 stockholder's vineyards of French hybrids and some American hybrid grapes. Production currently averages 3,000-3,500 gallons per year.

• In May 1985 The Biltmore Estate Wine Company opened its 6.5 million dollar state of the art winery to the public. Small quantities of wine produced from experimental vineyards were sold to Biltmore visitors in 1977. Current production averages 100,000 gallons of over a dozen varietal wines, utilizing grapes from the estate's 75 acres of vinifera grapes, other North Carolina vineyards and juice from California.

• As grape vines flourished at Westbend Vineyards, more acreage was planted and, by 1986, Jack Kroustalis found he had a 70-ton grape harvest, which was sold to other wineries. Westbend has been growing steadily and continues to win awards for its nine varietals of European-style wines. 

North Carolina’s Modern Wine History

In June of 1985, the state lost its preferential tax rate for native wines due to the Supreme Court ruling in the Bacchus Case. North Carolina wine products were returned to the higher state excise tax rates that were being collected on wines produced out of state. The effect of this ruling greatly hindered the growth and competitiveness of our wineries.

As a result, the legislature established the N.C. Grape Council in 1986. The North Carolina Grape Council is charged with stimulating the expansion of North Carolina's grape and wine industry by funding research studies and marketing/promotional efforts.

In 1987, the council successfully lobbied for legislation that appropriates the majority of the state excise tax collected from wines bottled in North Carolina to the council to be utilized to fund research and promotion.

To learn more about North Carolina wineries, including location, visiting hours, and wine lists, visit the  North Carolina Winery Guide & Map.

For those that want to experience the vineyard first-hand or are looking for a fun family outing, you can visit a pick-your-own vineyard and harvest your grapes yourself.

 Printable List of Pick-Your-Own Muscadine Vineyards

Counties

Alexander

Rocky Ridge Vineyard
Henry Bowman
828.632.3637
63 Ben Eller Lane
Taylorsville, NC 28681

Alamance

Jerry Bell
336.584.6955
3600 Danieley Waterwheel Rd.
Burlington, NC 27217

Beaufort

Bennett Vineyards
Buddy Harrell
252.322.7154
6832 Old Sandhill Rd.
Edward, NC 27821

Bladen

Alex Gooden Vineyard
Alex Gooden
910.862.3008
PO Box 1242
Elizabethtown, NC 28337

 

Carter Farm’s Vineyard
Ralph & Doris Carter
910.588.4932
11671 Hwy 701 North
Garland, NC 28441

 

Hardwick’s Vineyard
Butch Kerr
910.762.1225
610 Ham Road
Elizabethtown, NC 28337

 

J.E. Mote Vineyard
J.E. Mote
910.588.4829
317 Mote Fields Rd.
Harrells, NC 28444

 

LuMil Vineyard
Ron Taylor
910.866.5819
474 Suggs-Taylor Rd.
Dublin, NC 28332

 

Brunswick

Indigo Farms
O.K., Kenny & Sam Bellamy
910.287.6794
1542 Hickman Rd. NW
Calabash, NC 28467

 

Caswell

Hill Vineyard
Bradley & Michelle Hill
336.421.0288
7167 Kerr Chapel Rd.
Elon, NC 27244

Cleveland

Kildeer Farm
Ervin Lineberger
704.739.6602
300 Goforth Rd.
Kings Mountain, NC 28086

Cumberland

Auman Vineyards
Andrew McLean
910.867.9689
1300 Seventy-first School Rd.
Fayetteville, NC 28314

 

Easy To Pick
W.V. Clark, Jr.
910.483.1798
2537 Clinton Road
Fayetteville, NC 28301

Currituck

Martin Vineyards
William Martin
252.429.3542
PO Box 186
Knotts Island, NC 27950

Davidson

Cabin Creek Berry Farm
Ernest & Vada Bumgarner
336.859.2783
587 Lick Creek Church
Denton, NC 27239

Durham

Herndon Hills Farm
Nancy Herndon
919.544.3313
7110 Massey Chapel Rd.
Durham, NC 27713

Edgecombe

Taylor Farm Vineyards
Jim & Peggy Taylor
252.641.9122
12091 Hwy 42 East of Hwy 64
Tarboro, NC 27886

Forsyth

Chad’s Berry Farm
Sid & Sandra Chadwick
336.697.8013
9601 Shallowford Rd.
Lewisville, NC 27023

Franklin

Crossroads Vineyard
Ed Harris
919.554.1962
145 Dreamcatcher Trail
Youngsville, NC 27596

Greene

Martha’s Vineyard
Martha Bottoms
252.238.2279
Box 8452, Hwy 58 N.
Statonsburg, NC 27883

Guilford

Birchcreek Vineyard
Nancy Jones
336.288.6919
3600 Pinetop Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27410

 

Garrett’s Vineyard
Connie & Carl Garrett
336.697.8013
5409 Coble Church Rd.
Julian, NC 27283

 

Windy Knoll Farm
Andy Angyal
336.449.5029
7149 Ludgate Rd.
Gibsonville, NC 27249

Harnett

John Mason’s Vineyard
John & Mildred
910.893.4771
Rt. 6 Box 56
Lillington, NC 27546

Johnston

Greenleaf Farm & Nursery
John & Dianne Earp
919.365.6348
6279 Applewhite Road
Wendell, NC 27591

 

Hinnant Family Vineyards
Willard & Bob Hinnant
919.965.3350
826 Pine Level-Micro Rd.
Pine Level, NC 27568

Lee

Griffin’s Vineyard
A.K. Griffin
919.258.3587
Thomas Rd.
Sanford, NC 27330

Lenoir

Loftin’s Berry Farm
Dennis Loftin
252.468.8337
1371 Hwy 58 South
Kinston, NC 28504

Lincoln

Davis & Son Orchard
Gary & Alan Davis
704.276.2647
922 N Hwy 18
Lawndale, NC 28090

 

Lockman’s Muscadine Vineyard
Mike & Pattie Lockman
704.732.6637
4590 Orchard Rd.
Iron Station, NC 28080

Montgomery

Bruton’s Vineyard
Betty Lou Bruton
910.673.2757
1547 Samarcand Rd.
Biscoe, NC 27209

 

Clayton Orchard
Adelaide Clayton
910.652.5753
289 Research Farm Rd.
Candor, NC 27229

 

The Earl Orchards
Ed Bruton
910.673.2757
547 NC Hwy 211 East
Candor, NC 27229

Moore

Fox Branch Vineyards
Tim A. Davis
910.947.1991
167 Sandy Ridge Lane
Carthage, NC 28327

Onslow

Botticelli Vineyards
Tim Davis
910.346.3131
1125 Canady Rd.
Jacksonville, NC 28540

 

First Baptist Church, H. Devane
Rev. Dr. James E. Brown
910.358.5279
153 Broadhurst Rd.
Jacksonville, NC 28540

Orange

Parker Vineyards
Clay Parker
919.732.9485
2211 Laws Store Rd.
Hurdle Mills, NC 27541

Pender

Bannerman Vineyard
Scot & Colleen Bannerman
910.259.5474
2624 Stag Park Rd.
Burgaw, NC 28425

 

Six Forks Vineyards
William Blank
910.686.5089
700 Tree Swallow Ln.
Wilmington, NC 28411

Randolph

Hill’s Orchard & Vineyard
Hubert Hill
336.475.7042
3452 Marvin Hill Pl.
Trinity, NC 27370

Rockingham

A.G. Gilliam, Jr. Farm
A.G. Gilliam
828.349.3158
771 NC Hwy 150
Reidsville, NC 27320

Sampson

Sir Charles Vineyard
Charles & Louise Daughtry
910.567.6290
3548 Wrye Branch Rd.
Newton Grove, NC 28366

 

SunDance Farms
Sam & Angela Anders
910.564.6700
3879 US 421 N
Clinton, NC 28328

Scotland

Cypress Bend Vineyards
Dan & Tina Smith
910.369.0411
21904 Riverton Rd.
Wagram, NC  28396

Wake

The Vineyard
David & Sheila Rohrbach
919.266.1494
4300 Old Milburnie Road
Raleigh, NC 27604

Warren

Kim’s Vineyard & Winery
Cheryl Royster
252.257.2100
436 Largo Rd.
Norlina, NC 27563

Wilson

Sandy Cross Vineyard
Ben & Tom Webb
336.786.2388
2811 Boone Road
Elm City, NC 27822

Yadkin

Brad’s Blueberries
Jackie Elliott
336.766.6363
3108 Old Hwy 421
Yadkinville, NC 27005

 

Oakwood Vineyards
Gary Meeks
336.367.7884
3620 Oakwood Rd.
Boonville, NC 27011

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. 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.

"A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine." - Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Here, we’ve summarized recent findings on the relationship between moderate wine consumption and health.

Historically, physicians have recommended wine for:

• The treatment of iron deficiency
• To help vegetarians increase their mineral absorption
• To help reduce the incidence of troublesome sleep disorders.

The traditional use of wine with meals offers many benefits including:

• Aiding the digestive process
• Stimulating the intake of nutrients
• Helping reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing cholesterol.

You may have heard the term "French Paradox", which refers to the phenomenon that despite per capita wine consumption and saturated fat intake in France being very high, levels of coronary heart disease in that country are relatively low. Researchers have discovered that one reason for the French people’s low rate of coronary heart disease is the presence of phenolic compounds or antioxidants such as resveratrol in wine, especially red wine.

Studies show that resveratrol lowers LDL cholesterol (the so-called "bad") while elevating HDL cholesterol (the "good") levels, which helps to clear arterial walls of harmful deposits (Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Experimental Station, Vol. 58, No. 2).

In fact, recent studies have found muscadine grapes and their resulting products contain more resveratrol and other antioxidants than any other types of grapes. Muscadine grapes contain antioxidants in skins, seed, pulp, juice and wine.

Indeed, scientific researchers have found repeatedly that moderate daily wine consumption actually appears to be more beneficial than either zero consumption or over-consumption. A healthy lifestyle also includes regular exercise and a diet low in fat and high in fresh fruit, vegetables, and grains.

For those adults who include wine in their lifestyle:

• Wine should be consumed only in moderation, and preferably around mealtime.
• Wine consumption should be part of social, family, celebratory or other occasions, but not as their central focus.
• Excessive consumption should be discouraged, and the choice of abstinence for religious, health or personal reasons must be respected.

Notable Quotations

Among persons who prefer a beverage type, those who choose wine, but not red wine in particular, are at the lowest coronary artery disease risk. Possible explanations include favorable traits of wine preferrers, factors related to consumption patterns, or some unknown protective ingredient of wine.

- Arthur Klatsky, M.D. American Heart Association Conference, November 18, 1992

If you are a proven light to moderate drinker, with no history suggesting risk of alcohol problems and you are at coronary artery disease risk, you should not change. For some persons abstinence may be hazardous.

- Arthur Klatsky, M.D. American Public Health Association Conference, November 10, 1992

Drink a glass of wine after your soup and you steal a ruble from your doctor.

- Russian Proverb

More Links about Wine Consumption and Health

• Wine Institute: Wine Specific Research

• USDA Dietary Guidelines

Suggested Reading Materials on this Topic

Books

• The French Paradox & Drinking for Health, Gene Ford, Wine Appreciation Guild, San Francisco 1993
• Society, Culture and Drinking Patterns Reexamined, Editors: David J. Pittman and Helene Raskin White, Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies, New Brunswick 1991
• Health, Lifestyle & Environment, The Social Affairs Unit and the Manhattan Institute, New York 1991
• Constructive Drinking, Edited by Mary Douglas, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1987

Periodical

• Alcohol Issues Insights ($390), 51 Virginia Avenue, West Nyack, N.Y.