New center to support and promote N.C. wine

According to a press release, the Shelton-Badgett North Carolina Center for Viticulture and Enology opened its doors at Surry Community College on Friday, November 5th. The Center was hailed by Governor Beverly Perdue as the facility that will provide the "backbone" for the state's growing wine industry.

The $5 million facility is the centerpiece of SCC's Viticulture & Enology program, which for the past decade has prepared students for careers as winemakers and vineyard managers. The 16,000-square-foot building includes a bonded commercial winery, a microbiology lab, a research library, classrooms, and a 3,800-square-foot assembly hall designed to host industry events.

In her keynote address for the grand opening, Perdue praised the positive impact the Center will have on the state's economy. Perdue noted that North Carolina is 7th in the nation in wine production, directly accounting for 5,700 jobs and an economic impact of almost $1 billion. There are more than 90 wineries and 400 vineyards across the state.

"This is an industry that is waking up in North Carolina. I have every reason to believe that North Carolina will become a national and international leader in wine because of the investment that you're making here, and the fact that this community college now has the infrastructure to train the workforce for the 21st century," Perdue said. "Today is a big day for North Carolina. Today is a day that will be written about in history books."

The center is named after the Shelton-Badgett family, which founded Shelton Vineyards in 1999 and played an integral role in starting SCC's Viticulture & Enology program that same year. Shelton Vineyards has grown to become one of the largest producers of wine on the east coast, spurring the development of many more wineries in the area. Both Shelton Vineyards and SCC are in the Yadkin Valley, North Carolina's first federally designated winemaking region. Many of the area's grapes are grown on former tobacco farms.

"I think this is an example of what we can do in Surry County if we all work together to create new ideas, new ventures and new ways to make money," Ed Shelton said at the grand opening. "The key is to make a profit and create jobs, and as long as we can do that, we have a great future here."

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N.C. wines coming into their own

We've discussed before the historical popularity and success of North Carolina's wine industry. In fact, as Phil Kirk writes here, North Carolina's wine industry was the top one in the nation before Prohibition. (We could've used Homer and his bowling ball-speakeasy techniques.)

Well, our state's vineyards have made quite the comeback in recent years. So much so that it may not be long before N.C. wines are back in the top 5.

"North Carolina enjoys a number of 'firsts' in the wine and grape industry," writes Kirk, the spokesperson for the Yadkin Valley Winegrowers Association. "The first cultivated grape in the U.S. was discovered in 1524 in our state. Also the first commercial winery in the U.S. was opened in Halifax County in eastern North Carolina in 1835. Prohibition wiped out the wine industry in our state and we were slow to getting back in the business.

"The Duplin Winery, located off I-40 in southeastern North Carolina, was opened in 1972 and is the oldest, continuously operated winery and is also the largest in terms of annual wine production and sales in our state. ...

N.C. wineries are winning both national and international awards for excellence. On the "Today" show, food editor Phil Lempert proclaimed that the Napa Valley is out and doomed by global warming. He said, "North Carolina is poised to claim Napa's crown."

The state has twice been named as one of the top states for wine and culinary tourism. North Carolina ranks third in the nation as a wine-related travel destination. Wineries have tasting rooms and provide tours, as well as extensive gift shops.

The state's wine industry employs more than 6,000 people with a payroll surpassing $200 million. More than 1 million visitors are recorded at N.C. wineries and there is an economic impact approaching $1 billion annually. The Biltmore winery is the most-visited winery in the United States. ...

It was good enough for Thomas Jefferson ...

We toured Monticello on a recent trip to Charlottesville. Down in TJ's cellar was a note about the kinds of wines that our third president enjoyed. He liked Madeira. He liked port.

He also liked North Carolina wine. REALLY liked it.

In fact, in 1817 Jefferson -- according to the Jefferson Encyclopedia -- "gave the state of North Carolina credit for producing 'the first specimen of an exquisite wine,' Scuppernong, and praised its 'fine aroma, and chrystalline transparence.' " It should also be noted that by 1826, "[w]ith the exception of a 'sufficient' quantity of Scuppernong, all the wines on hand in the Monticello cellar at the time of Jefferson's death came from southern France."

Not bad praise at all.

So why do wine snobs still look down their noses at the "sweet" wines?

Sweet wines - or "comfort wines," as this poster states -- are those "familiar, simple wines that are inseparably linked to fond memories, or places, or events. While they typically don’t receive rave reviews from wine critics and won’t be showcased in glossy periodicals, they do have merit."

Sounds fine to me.