By Tara Verna | April 2004
- 1: Introduction
- 2: Visit a Winery
- 3: Pick Your Own Grapes
- 4: Frequent Festivals
- 5: Learn More & Winery Listing
- Download the FULL
article as a
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Click photos to enlarge and learn more. | |||
The number of wineries across North Carolina has more than tripled over the past 10 years, with half a dozen new ones scheduled to open in 2004, bringing the total to 36. Why the sudden boom?
Well, thanks to fertile farmland and a mild climate, grapes have always grown well in this state. In recent years, farmers have been looking for alternatives to traditional crops, such as tobacco. And demand—$30 million in state-produced wine sales and $2.9 million in grape sales in 2002—has attracted others to the industry. Not to mention the 1 million tourists who visit N.C. wineries and vineyards annually.
“We may not be Napa or Sonoma Valley, but North Carolina has a strong potential to become a popular destination for wine lovers. You can pretty easily visit more than a dozen wineries in a long weekend,” says Bob Hodge, webmaster of the Yadkin Valley Wine Trail™ (visit www.yvwt.com) and the North Carolina Winery Locator (www.ncwine.com).
Because they are located in relatively rural parts of the state, many wineries and vineyards are served by North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives.
| top |