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Press
Release August 19, 2003
Old North State Winery Grand Opening - October 11, 2003
The
grand opening of the Old North State Winery will take place on October
11, 2003 during the Mount Airy Autumn Leaves Festival. We will be releasing
our first vintage of 2002 under the Carolina Harvest label.
We are the Old North State Winegrowers Cooperative Association, Inc. and
our Old North State Winery is located in Yadkin Valley AVA (American Viticultural
Area). Wine is our passion and our legacy. All Carolina Harvest wines
start out as luscious winegrapes grown on our North Carolina family farms.
In 1890, the Old North State (North Carolina) grew more wine grapes than
all other states combined. At the turn of the twentieth century, North
Carolina wines were already winning international awards at the World's
Fair in Paris. Well, North Carolina is back. Today, as we enter a new
century, family farms are reviving like the proverbial Phoenix in the
form of passionate vineyard owners reclaiming their heritage. Our family
farms have roots that run deep into the soil and our Cooperative has pledged
to put our collective North Carolina legacy into the production and marketing
of premium wines in the Yadkin Valley. Taste our wines and you'll taste
generations of richness - Carolina Harvest.
Our opening weekend is the culmination of years of work. A group of determined
winegrowers started the Cooperative in November of 2001 and today fifty
member vineyards have joined together with a total estimated capacity
of 200 tons of wine grapes annually.
Old North State Winery, Foundation, and Cooperative are thankful to the
real visionaries like Ed and Charles Shelton from Shelton Vineyards who
have helped lead the way. In a recent issue of On The Vine, Carolina's
wine country newsmagazine, Ed Shelton is quoted as saying, "Eleven
million people live within a 150-mile radius of the Yadkin Valley. This
could be a billion dollar industry at some point," said Ed, "with
a ten year trickle down economic impact of $540 million dollars for the
Triad. I'd like to see 50 wineries in ten years. But we need hotels, restaurants,
and inns to make this a viable industry." The Old North State Winery
is just another step toward the dream of many to make North Carolina a
recognized wine destination.
Other states that have supported their Winegrowers, like Virginia, are
seeing a thriving industry and the benefits of its success. Bruce Zoecklin,
the state's enologist from Virginia Tech, says, "They (the State
of Virginia) realized early on that grapes are an important agricultural
commodity. Wine provides a rippling effect of economic impact for tourism
as well as taxes."
The Yadkin Valley Viticulture Area, Old North State Winery, and Carolina
Harvest are just names now. They haven't had time to develop their own
niche in the wine marketplace. But they will. Napa Valley and Sonoma were
also unknown wine destinations not so long ago. We dream that one day
Yadkin Valley will evoke a sense of geographic beauty, southern hospitality
and memories of good wines and good times shared with loved ones and friends.
"What's in a name?" Shakespeare's Juliet asked. "That which
we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet." Y'all come
see, swirl, smell, sip and savor our Carolina Harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon,
Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, sweet red blend and sweet white blend wines
October 11, 2003 at the Old North State Winery grand opening in Mt. Airy,
North Carolina. Cheers! For more information visit our web site: www.carolinaharvestwines.com
or call us at 336-789-WINE.
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