North Carolina Wine:  Surprises In The Tar Heel State

Wine Trails USA – March 2008

By:  Jim Hofman, Owner & Publisher

Being a lifelong student of history and geography, I've always been drawn to places that offer a sense of historical pride and geographical diversity.  Quite possibly there's no state which offers more of both than North Carolina.  North Carolina is a study in contrasts.  And through the course of experiencing those contrasts, more than a few very pleasant surprises await.

One look at a map of North Carolina tells part of the story.  In the far western part of the state, the Appalachian mountains provide a scenic backdrop.  The central Piedmont area is home to growing cities along with a technological hub.  Further east is a naturalists paradise - windswept beaches, coastal plains, and picturesque harborside communities.

Amidst it all, the North Carolina wine industry thrives.  In vineyards and wineries from the mountains to the coast, North Carolina boasts the 10th largest grape and wine production in the United States.  Each distinct North Carolina area offers different varieties of grapes, producing quite possibly one of the widest variety of wine styles in the country.  

Here in North Carolina, growers still produce the hardy muscadine grape, a staple in southeastern states. Yet, this is just one small part of grape growing and wine growing here.  Vintners in the mountain and Piedmont region of North Carolina have planted traditional European grape varieties and French-American Hybrids, with the result being a surprising and ever evolving selection of wines for travelers and wine lovers.

Exploring North Carolina Wine

Truth be told, we discovered North Carolina wine quite by accident.  And as with most accidental discoveries, once you've been exposed to North Carolina wines, you'll want to learn and experience more and more.  Our journey actually started in the world famous Myrtle Beach, South Carolina resort area, where a few extra days tacked onto a long weekend allowed us to venture some 25 miles north to the North Carolina border.

Just over the border from South Carolina, you'll immediately see signs for Ocean Isle Beach, a low key resort community located on the southernmost barrier island of North Carolina.  Ocean Isle Beach is home to our first winery stop, Silver Coast Winery (http://www.silvercoastwinery.com). 

Silver Coast Winery:  Located just a few short minutes inland from the beach, Silver Coast's slogan gave us a glimpse of what was in store for our entire wine trails journey.  Owners John and Maryann Azzato offer their guests to share in the things they enjoy most:  the beauty of nature, the warmth of friendship, and the goodness of wonderful wine.  And really, how wrong can you go with that?

Set on a 40 acre site, Silver Coast's wines have been awarded countless accolades from several acclaimed wine competitions, including the prestigious Indy International and the American Wine Society.  Laura and I love picnics, so we enjoyed a break in their garden area after viewing their gallery of works from local artists.  As for wine, we were introduced to the Calabash's, two sibling wines (a red and a white).  We loved the dark ruby red, with its hint of plum, black cherry, and spice.  Also, we were quite impressed with Silver Coast's Premium Oak Chardonnay, with its wonderfully balanced contrast of acidity and fruit.

And if you're looking for a nice casual restaurant in Ocean Isle Beach, look no further than Sharky's (http://www.oceanislebeach.com/sharkys.htm), at the foot of the causeway bridge leading out to the beach.  Sharky's is a pleasant "come as you are" spot, with fish sandwiches, hand tossed pizza, hot and cold subs, and a great view.      

Wilmington, North Carolina:  Food, Wine, and Surprises

While it was difficult to leave Silver Coast (and Sharky's!), the inland port city of Wilmington beckoned as our overnight destination.  Just 60 miles north of Myrtle Beach, Wilmington is an historic river city just minutes from several outlying oceanfront beach communities.  Scenic, peaceful, and lively at the same time, Wilmington's downtown is almost entirely on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been a filming site for over 400 television and movie productions.

Wilmington is perfect for a walking tour.  You'll enjoy Civil War era architecture, complete with southern style mansions.  The riverfront area is chock full of shopping and dining destinations, or a sightseeing cruise up the Cape Fear river.  Be sure to see our Recommendations section for a must see Wilmington itinerary.

Just a few short minutes outside of downtown is our next winery stop, Lumina Winery (http://www.luminawine.com).  Lumina is a fun winery/wine supply shop that enjoys experimenting with varietal blends and unique fruit wines.  Never tried a Black Raspberry Merlot?  We hadn't either, and this beautiful richly colored and flavorful red won us over.  For a more traditional taste, we tried Lumina's Oleander Bianca, a medium dry white with a smooth flavor of vanilla and tropical fruit.  And for a real taste of North Carolina, go for the Sweet Carlos, a silver medal winner in the recent Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition.  Made from North Carolina muscadine grapes, it is a moderately sweet wine with a nice balance of acidity and a fresh fruity aroma.

35 Years Of Grape Growing And North Carolina's Oldest Winery

Interstate 40 is the main highway in and out of Wilmington, and it's a short drive on I-40 to our last two wineries on this wine trail:  Bannerman Vineyard (http://www.bannermanvineyard.com) and Duplin Winery (http://www.duplinwinery.com).  Formerly a vineyard, Bannerman proudly added a winery in recent years and is one of North Carolina's oldest muscadine grape vineyards, having cultivated grapes since 1973. 

Bannerman Vineyard is located in Pender, NC and is only an easy 20 minute drive outside of Wilmington.  We wanted to stop here to get a taste of North Carolina's pride, wine made from muscadine grapes.  And although muscadine wine is not all that Bannerman produces, it is front and center. 

Muscadine is a hearty, versatile grape variety that does well in the sandy soil of North Carolina's coastal area.  It's used not only in wine making, but also in preserves, juice, and sweet dessert treats like pies.  As an added bonus, in addition to their versatility, muscadines contain high levels of Resveratrol and other health-enhancing antioxidants.

We enjoyed the Sweet Bay Blush, a blend of red and white muscadines, as well as the White Oak Semi Sweet, a fruity white.  We just missed on Bannerman's Strawberry Sweet, made with North Carolina strawberries, as it hadn't quite been introduced when we visited.  Next time for sure!

Up the road about 15 miles is the small town of Rose Hill, NC, home of North Carolina's oldest winery, Duplin Winery.  Founded in 1976, Duplin is also North Carolina's largest, producing over 250,000 cases annually. 

When you arrive, you'll enter a large retail area, over 5000 square feet, and a handsome 40 ft. long tasting bar.  Take a guided tour of their sparkling production facility and then settle in to taste on of their many offerings.

Duplin is known for their Southern hospitality, and their fruity easy to drink wines follow suit.  A must try is their Hatteras Red, one of the most well known and popular wines in the state.  It's slightly sweet and very pleasantly fruity, with nice balance and full body.  Equally good was the light and smooth Magnolia, a white wine with a crisp finish. 

Duplin's gift shop alone is well worth a trip, with everything from their numerous wine selections to specialty gift baskets and wine related health and beauty supplies.  Plan for a good 2 to 2 1/2 hours to fully enjoy the friendly Southern experience at Duplin.

Now that we've been introduced to North Carolina wines, we learned more about wine producing in the state.  There are two other wine producing areas in the western part of the state, with dozens of wineries in each.  We'll be sure to cover both in a future edition of Wine Trails USA.

Wilmington NC Recommendations:

Hollywood North Carolina Tour: (http://www.hollywoodnc.com) Fun, interactive 90 minute walking tour showcasing Wilmington sites where over 400 movies and TV shows have been filmed.

Wilmington Riverwalk: (http://www.capefearguide.com) Downtown, along the river.  Over 200 shopping and dining options.

River Sightseeing Cruises:  (http://www.cfrboats.com) 90 minute sightseeing cruises on the scenic Cape Fear river.

And now for something completely different :  Visit the Cape Fear Serpentarium (http://www.capefearserpentarium.com), a fascinating display of some of the world's most unique reptiles in beautiful simulations of their natural environments.

Front Street Brewery: (http://www.thefrontstreetbrewery.com)  Gorgeous brewpub in the heart of downtown.  Here's what we shared for our highly enjoyable dinner:  Crab/Artichoke dip, Cheddar Ale soup, Carolina Pulled Pork sandwich, Gorgonzola Walnut salad, washed down with a few Port City IPA's.

Blue Moon Gift Shops: (http://www.bluemoongiftshops.com) Fine art and distinct gifts with over 100 eclectic booths supporting local and regional artists, crafters, and designers.

Three Hounds Gallery:  (http://www.threehoundsgallery.com) Charming downtown Wilmington gallery showcasing local art and artists.