Trail of cheers

As lovers of vino surely know by now, wineries are popping up across the United States faster than whack-a-moles. North Carolina is no exception, but this isn’t surprising. After all, North Carolina was the largest wine producing state prior to Prohibition. Not one of the largest — THE largest. It was also the first colony to cultivate grapes for wine.

But by Prohibition’s repeal, only one winery remained. By 1950, there were no wineries in North Carolina.

Today every state is getting into wine production, even Alaska. Currently, of the 5,110 wineries in the United States, 1,773 are located outside of California, Oregon, Washington and New York. And visiting these local wineries has become a multibillion-dollar industry.

Wine trails, those designated routes along which consumers sample an area’s wine, are typically associated with older wine regions where the land has become so valuable that wineries and their vineyards are squeezed together, spandex style — with barely enough breathing room or travel distance between. Such is the case in Napa, Sonoma and much of the European wine growing regions. An aerial look of these agricultural regions reveals a patchwork of properties.

But North Carolina’s first appellation, the Yadkin Valley, features elevations ranging from 700 to 1,300 feet and a long growing season. This valley is a 1.4 million-acre region that follows the contours of the Yadkin River through seven counties: Wilkes, Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Forsyth, Davidson and Davie. Wineries here are not close together.

In the last 10 years, North Carolina wineries have opened with such speed that the N.C. Wine and Grape Council had to double check the number of open wineries. Currently there are 63 bonded wineries across the state. Of those, 50 are viniferous, although some of these make small quantities of Muscadine wine as well. In addition, 400 commercial grape growers across the state sell their juice to wineries.

In the 1970s, as California leapt to international attention, Jack Koustalis established the 40-acre Westbend Vineyards in Lewisville. Against the advice of agricultural authorities, he planted viniferous grapes: chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, Riesling, gamay, merlot and sauvignon blanc. But statewide recognition to Carolina wines only came after the Biltmore Estate Winery in Asheville released their first estate-grown wines in 1985.

The largest boost to the infant wine industry came in 1999 when many wineries were established in what is now the Yadkin Valley AVA. The most remarkably beautiful is Shelton Vineyards in Dobson. Shelton was established by Charlie and Ed Shelton, brothers who made their money in construction but were from the Dobson area and had witnessed the decline of tobacco farming. They saw wine as a way to diversify farming and open new industries such as tourism. They opened their 33,000-square-foot facility with a state-of-the-art gravity flow method, similar to the system used by such notable wineries as Opus One in Napa and Domaine Drouhin in Oregon.

The Sheltons are responsible for much of the development of the Carolina wine industry. They pushed to have the Yadkin Valley named an appellation. They helped change North Carolina’s wine shipping laws (so North Carolinians can have wine shipped in and the Sheltons can send their wines out of state), and they provided funding for the Surry Community College’s viticulture program, the only one on the East Coast to have an onsite vineyard. SCC’s two-year viticulture and enology program has recently been joined with a four-year program at Appalachian State University.

At the other end of the Yadkin Valley, Richard Childress (no relation to the author), owner of Richard Childress Racing Enterprises, a 19-time championship team owner whose stable once included the legendary Dale Earnhardt, helped North Carolina wines gain regional popularity. In 2004 he opened Childress Vineyards in Lexington and soon thereafter a host of NASCAR fans, not known for swilling wine, descended on the tasting room.

Today North Carolina ranks 12th in United States in wine production with annual sales of $25 million and is 10th in grape production.

The burgeoning wine industry is spurring other wine-related businesses. Many of the North Carolinian wineries — Shelton, Childress, Hanover Park and Westbend — reported using some Hungarian oak barrels as well as American and French oak. Why Hungarian? Three years ago, a native Hungarian, Balint Gaspar, and three partners formed Stave Worldwide, a wine barrel company located in Mocksville, N.C., that sells Hungarian barrels (as well as American and French oak barrels).

Gaspar says the taste profile of Hungarian oak is very similar to French since they are the same subspecies of oak. Contributing to the popularity of his barrels is the price — Hungarian oak barrels run 20 to 30 percent less than French. Gaspar says, “A lot of the new [North Carolina] wineries have large debts to pay off and are more receptive to trying Hungarian oak. For centuries, Hungarian oak was a cost-effective alternative to French, but with Communism, Hungarian oak barrels [were] forgotten.”

Gaspar believes that although the North Carolina wine industry is still in its infancy, it shows great promise. He noted that he’s had barrel tastings of “incredible wines” and that the 2005 vintage may be the one to “put North Carolina wines in the national spotlight.”

This spring’s winter blast that damaged so much of the white wine vines may have a silver lining. Gaspar noted that the loss of juice may separate the hobbyist from those truly dedicated and in the long run will have beneficial effects on the whole Carolina wine industry. He alleged what many believe: One bad North Carolina wine can prejudice a customer from all North Carolina wines.

One Sunday in May, I tasted several dozen North Carolina wines, and, honestly, many of these tasted of flavored water — nothing more. Here and there was a sparkle: a fleshed out cabernet franc or a developed chardonnay. But to judge North Carolina wines at this stage is something akin to comparing a professor to a two-year old. Not many of the wines I tasted would satisfy a persnickety wine connoisseur. One of the best possibilities for North Carolina wines, in all likelihood, may not be a classic French varietal. After all, the unlikely Norton grape now calls Missouri home.

If you’re interested in hitting the trail and trying out N.C. wines for yourself, here are three “rules of the road”:

1.) Like Napa, the tastings along this Yadkin Valley route are not free. The charge ranges from $5 to $15 and include a wine glass. Unlike Napa, the route is not littered with upscale gourmet delis or restaurants. In fact, you may drive for a considerable distance between vineyards without passing any food outlet. Two vineyards, Childress and Shelton, have full-scale restaurants on site and also have provisions to go.

2.) Spit or swallow? If you are in for a day of tasting, spitting is preferable. Not only is the drive long between wineries, but your taste buds will be on sensory overload. Unfortunately most of the wineries I visited had only open buckets, not the more discrete covered spittoon that hides the several inches of collective spittle. To be fair, though, I was the only spitter along the trail. The other visitors in the tasting rooms seemed to be swallowing all the wines they tasted.

3.) Even though the United States is hell-bent on youth and all its easy glamour, the truth about wine is the older the vines the better the wines. Only age can give vines the complexity of character that aficionados look for in a glass. Want a richly textured wine with spice-box nuances and a dark core fruit? Try wines from a 40-year-old vine. Want a protean wine that changes from bottle to glass to lips? Try a 60-year-old vine. Vineyards in North Carolina are young, just slender slivers coming out of the earth. In contrast, some of the grenache vines in Australia are 150 years old, resembling wizened hands protruding from a rocky hillside. N.C. wines have a long way (actually time) to go.

What is most noticeable, though, is the lack of a signature element. This challenge is intimately familiar to Gill Giese, the resident instructor for viticulture at SCC. “We don’t have signature wine — yet. But then we have not looked at it in a systematic way. All the winemakers are on their own searching, hoping they will find it,” he says. To help farmers, SCC has led the way with a phenology study, which may act as the foundation for the soon-to-launch North Carolina State University longitudinal study. This will determine which of the 5,000 grape varietals will work best in varying soil in the wine regions. The results of this study will be available to farmers eight to 10 years thereafter. Remembering that it takes five to eight years for a good quality harvest after the initial planting means that a generation may pass before the wineries in North Carolina develop a winning combination like pinot noir in the Willamette or sauvignon blanc from New Zealand.

For now, individual vineyard managers and owners will determine what varietal is best for the vineyard’s mesoclimate (a vineyard’s unique climate). And with a little luck and intuition, the right combination will make itself known.

Molly Kelley teaches enology at SCC. She is optimistic about some of the hybrid varietals they have planted on campus. “We had a tasting with our traminette for the new students; they were blown away with it,” says Kelley. “This wine has a rose petal nose and fruity.” And hybrids may be key since, as Giese noted, they are winter hardy. But for now, sweet wines are what keep many vineyards alive in North Carolina. Giese says, “The Australians had to sweeten Yellowtail before they exported it to the U.S.” He laughs and adds, “Customers talk dry, but buy sweet.”

With that in mind, I set off on a day trek through the countryside of the Yadkin Valley to sip and spit Tar Heel wine.

Childress Vineyards, Lexington: Lexington is the epicenter for Piedmont-styled Carolina barbecue, yet right in the shadows of Lexington No. 1 are viniferous grapes. Lexington is now pork and cork country. The striking 35,000-square-foot Childress facility is visible from the highway and is easily found via signage. Heavy carved oak doors reveal a Tuscan-inspired interior. An elegant portico — often the setting for wedding photographs — and a large patio overlook newly planted vineyards and the entertainment area. Do people ask for barbecue while in the winery? You bet.

Childress’ dark wood tasting room is a mix of NASCAR and wine. Tastings cost $9, $10, $12 or $15 depending on the quality of wines. The $15 Signature Tasting includes the 2005 Viognier, 2004 Chardonnay, 2004 Reserve Chardonnay, 2004 Signature Chardonnay, 2004 Cabernet Franc, 2004 Syrah, 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 Signature Merlot and the Polar, a sweet wine. During the tasting, the pourer’s scripted description was designed to appeal to needy novice wine drinker: “This is a medium-bodied red jammed with black cherry and clove. This wine goes well with chocolate,” then she reached under the counter and produced a bowl of Toll House sized chocolate chips. Mark Friszolowski is the winemaker and general manager at Childress Vineyards. He has been making wine since 1986 in New York at Pindar Vineyards and its sister winery, Duck Walk Vineyards. Friszolowski is one of those talented winemakers patiently working with young grapes.

Childress Vineyards, 1000 Childress Vineyards Road, Lexington. www.childressvineyards.com.

Westbend Vineyards, Lewisville: The purple grape signage on HWY 421 indicates the turn onto Shallowford Road for Westbend, a winery that looks more like some of the unpretentious wineries in Sonoma with vineyards approaching a small rural road and a small grey building set behind a covered picnic area. This tasting room has a long bar at the back counter and for five bucks you can taste five wines of your choice. We tried the 2005 Viognier, 2005 Yadkin Fume, Barrel Fermented 2004 Chardonnay, a 2004 Pinot Noir of lackluster color, 2005 Cabernet Franc, a 2006 Chamboucin, and the 2004 Vintner’s Signature a blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot. The only wine of note here was the barrel fermented chardonnay, which stylistically approached a Sonoma Chardonnay.

Westbend Vineyards, 5394 Williams Road, Lewisville. www.westbendvineyards.com.

Hanover Park Vineyard, Yadkinville: Not far from Westbend is Courtney Huntsville Road, a rural diversion filled with farms, goats and an old country store painted Carolina blue. A bit beyond is a white farmhouse built in 1897 on land which once produced tobacco, but is now planted with viniferous grapes. On hand in a small tasting room of Hanover Park Vineyard, the smallest winery I visited, is owner Amy Helton who talks at length about her husband Michael’s wines. Both are teachers turned vintners. Last year they released about 3,000 cases of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, chambourcin, chardonnay and viognier. They also sell sweet wines and locally made goat cheese.

Hanover Park Vineyard, 1927 Courtney-Huntsville Road. www.hanoverparkwines.com.

RagApple Lassie Vineyards, Boonville: Boonville is a spit of a town at the intersection of two unremarkable rural roads. Yet suddenly grapevines line the road. Behind the vines is a large barn within which is a tasting room and merchandise for RagApple Lassie Vineyards, named for farmer and winery owner Frank Hobson’s championship 4-H show calf. Pierre Dalmas, a student in the SCC enology program, directed the tasting. With his help, this tasting was by far one of the more informative since he could field questions about varietals, barreling, vineyard conditions — and the cow. The Taste Everything ($8) included the 2005 Pinot Gris, a 2005 Viognier, 2004 Chardonnay, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and a syrah; a “First Blush” blend of traminette, marsanne, semillon and malbec and some sweet wines. If this winery wants to get serious about its wine, though, it’ll need to lose the cow on the label.

RagApple Lassie Vineyards 3724 RagApple Lassie Lane, Boonville. www.ragapplelassie.com.

Shelton Vineyards, Dobson: In the midst of the rolling terrain is a picture perfect vineyard. End of row stones reveal the varietals planted including cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, sangiovese and viognier. Paths allow visitors to wander through the vineyards to a lake. In addition to a well-staffed tasting room is a separate restaurant, The Harvest Grill, which opened two years ago. Last year the Sheltons brought in Chef Paul S. Lange, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., who has made a lasting impression with his desserts and jamming cornbread crab cake. The same wine tasting is available in the restaurant as the tasting room.

Shelton Vineyards, 286 Cabernet Lane, Dobson. www.sheltonvineyards.com.

Round Peak Vineyards: The last stop of the day was perhaps the most beautiful. Near Mount Airy (as in Andy’s Mayberry) in the Blue Ridge with views of Round Peak is the almost zen-like, serene, 32-acre Round Peak winery. In its modern tasting room is Susan Little who owns the winery with her husband George and friends Lee and Janet Martin. Their story is typical: They visited Napa and decided to open a winery back home. Their wines are made through the expert hands of wine consultant Sean McRitchie who cut his teeth in the Oregon wine business (and whose his dad was the winemaker at Sokol Blosser and taught at SCC). McRitchie came to North Carolina to open Shelton Vineyards, but now consults for several area wineries as well as opening a winery of his own: McRitchie Winery & Orchard in Thurmond. Round Peak has several wines that show depth and promise including their sangiovese. Little said the couples have spent time in Italy learning the taste profiles of Italian varietals. Currently they produce sangiovese and nebbiolo grapes as well as some French varietals. Little also reported that McRitchie talked them into producing a sweet wine. She was almost apologetic as I told her I would skip the sweet wine tasting. She then added, matter of factly, “You’d be surprised how many folks from Ohio come in here off I-77 wanting a sweet wine.”

Round Peak Vineyards, 765 Round Peak Church Road, Mount Airy. www.roundpeak.com.

This article appears in Jun 13-19, 2007.