By Tom Campbell
As a proud born and bred North Carolinian I thought I knew a lot about my native state. That notion was disabused after our stateâs unofficial âGoodwill Ambassador,â Phil Kirk, gave a talk on North Carolinaâs wine industry. Who knew there were more than 200 wineries and 2,300 grape bearing acres producing more than 1.1 million cases of wine each year? North Carolina is sparkling as a major player in wine production, generating some $1.97 billion per year in economic impact and 10,000 jobs.
We have a vintage heritage, boasting the first cultivated grape grown in the U.S. Motherâs Vineyard in Manteo boasts the scuppernong grapevine dating to 1524. The first commercial winery started in 1835, the Medoc Vineyard in Halifax County and we were the leading wine producing state in the nation early in the 20th century. Prohibition wiped out the industry; our state was slow in repealing the ban, so we didnât rebound fast, but by 1972 Duplin Winery opened, the largest winery in North Carolina and the South. From about 20 wineries at the turn of this century the industry has grown exponentially, both in numbers and importance.