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Peg's Wine Recommendations:
North Carolina's state of Wine:
North Carolina is a state of wine. Since I’ve been with Weaver Street Market I’ve been writing about how North Carolina has its own wine country. People are growing grapes and making wine right in our own backyard. I’m not here to tell you that there is wine to be had in North Carolina; you already know that. Instead, let me tell you how NC wine country has changed since I’ve been blindly driving the back roads of remote towns looking for the next big thing for the better part of a decade.
The first year or so that I spent any real time visiting NC wine country the buzzwords were “tobacco buy out.” This was a government-sponsored program that gave farmers grants to change one cash crop (tobacco) to another (grapes). This created a boom in vineyard plantings and full enrollment at North Carolina’s first Viticulture and Oenology Program at Surry Community College. People were learning, experimenting and pioneering the next big thing in North Carolina. It was very exciting. Over the next few years I found people who were a little more serious about the hard work it takes to make good wines and run a successful winery. Then I started hearing from a lot of vineyard and winery owners of the desire to grow grapes with the least amount of impact on the environment. The grape growing industry, as a whole, can have a less-than desirable approach to using chemicals to keep vines healthy. However, more and more people, especially on smaller scale wineries, are using natural alternatives to pesticides to keep their plants healthy and producing good quality grapes. Good signs all around.
So what does it all mean? I’m here to tell you we have it all! When I first moved to North Carolina I would tell my Northern friends and relatives about all the great things NC had to offer: beaches, mountains, beautiful countryside, mild winters (usually), even culture! Now, I tell them all about my adventures to NC wine country, too. Instead of day trips to the zoo or beach when my family and friends come to town, we pack a picnic and head out to the wineries for a day of beautiful vineyards, tasty wines, and great North Carolina people!
This month Weaver Street Market’s wine features are hand-picked wines from North Carolina’s countryside. Next time you are making a meal from all that wonderful local produce you picked up at the farmers market, be sure to stop by your neighborhood co-op (WSM) for a local wine to complement all the great flavors of summer!
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