Before I tell you about the Childress Vineyards let me give you a bit of history into the NC Wineries.
The rich farm lands once lay claim to king of cotton and tobacco. With more textile plants moving oversees and less Americans smoking, these 2 industries that had helped NC jobs would soon find themselves loosing their cash crops. Today those two crops are only grown in small numbers in NC farms.
But some industrious farmers figured that these same rich, fertile lands that once produced cotton and tobacco were also perfect for producing grapes. At the turn of the century, NC was one of the top producing states. Today NC ranks 12th for producing wine and 10th for producing grapes. Although wineries can be found all over the state, the largest population lay within the Piedmont region of the Carolinas. Here, the land is protected from the harsh winters by the mountains and receive the effects of the nearby ocean waters. Making it the perfect combination for grape production.
Today in NC there are 55 wineries and more than 350 individual wineries. The Yandkin Valley region is the largest area for grape production. The area has now become a federally recognized American viticulture area. And just like in the wine producing regions of California, you can tour of wine country. For information on Yadkin Valley wine tours please go to
www.yadkinwinetours.com. Currently in NC the Biltmore Estate reigns as the largest winery in the state. You can tour the winery as part of the estate tour. For more information on NC wineries please visit
www.ncwine.org.
If you you’re a NASCAR fan, then the name Richard Childress will certainly ring a bell. Childress is a legendary race car team owner. He owns a number of cars including the Cingular car driven by Jeff Burton. In addition to his numerous NASCAR endeavors, Richard now adds winery owner to his list of achievements.
During his racing career, Richard, found himself near the famed California wine country. He not only appreciated the beauty of the region but the work and passion of the vineyard owners. Richard soon decided to start looking into growing grapes at his NC home. Both he and business partner, Greg Johns, began experimenting with grape varieties.
The team eventually sought out the expertise of Matt Chobanian as their winery manager. Next they enlisted the help of renowned wine expert, Mark Friszolowski as their winemaker. In the fall of 2004, the first of the grapevines were harvested. There are now more than 90 areas of vineyards including trellises at the estate and at the homes of both Richard and Greg.
Oops 500 words done crept up on me. Keep reading in experiences for more!