N.C. celebrates its 100th winery

We may not be Napa, but this ain't bad.

Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that North Carolina is now home to 100 wineries. The 100^th winery in North Carolina to raise a glass is Cauble Creek Vineyard in Salisbury, she said in a press release.

“Our wine industry is made up of small business owners, entrepreneurs and farmers. Most importantly it creates jobs in our state,” said Gov. Perdue. “Our wineries and vineyards provide a compelling reason to visit our state and they are a significant economic engine.”

North Carolina ranks seventh in wine production and 10^th in grape production nationally. Research funded by the North Carolina Wine & Grape Council reports the wine and grape industry in this state accounts for more than 5,700 jobs with total economic impact as much as $813 million. North Carolina also ranks among the top five states in the country as a destination for culinary tourism according to a 2007 Travel Industry Association (now known as U.S. Travel Association) survey.

I found this section particularly interesting ...

The Road to 100: Notable N.C. Wine Facts

· North Carolina was the top producing wine state in the country before Prohibition

· Every part of the state has wineries; almost every North Carolinian lives within 100 miles of a winery.

· With one million visitors annually, Biltmore in Asheville, N.C. is the most visited winery in the nation.

· Westbend Vineyards in Lewisville, N.C. was the first to bottle European vinifera grapes in the Yadkin Valley in 1972.

· Duplin Winery opened in Rose Hill, N.C. in 1976. Today, they are the largest volume producer of wine in the state and the largest muscadine winery in the world.

· Scuppernong, a type of muscadine grape, is the first grape cultivated in the United States and is the official fruit of North Carolina.

· The Mothervine in Manteo on Roanoke Island, N.C. is a 400-year-old scuppernong vine; it’s the oldest known cultivated grapevine in the nation.

For more information on visiting North Carolina wineries, buying North Carolina wine or enjoying seasonal events at wineries across the state, go to VisitNCWine.com.

An N.C. present for the Italian prez

Personally, I think this says a lot about how far North Carolina wines have come ...

President Barack Obama presented Italian President Giorgio Napolitano this morning with a gift from North Carolina [according to the N&O's Under the Dome].

Obama, meeting with Napolitano prior to the G-8 Summit, presented the Italian president with a variety of American wines. Included in the package was a 2008 Raffaldini Vineyards Vermentino.

Raffaldini Vineyards is in Ronda, between Winston-Salem and Wilkesboro, and the vinyard's owners were thrilled to have their wine included in the gift.

“Raffaldini Vineyards is honored to have been selected to represent the U.S. and is proud that our preservation and promotion of our Italian heritage and culture have been recognized,” co-owner Barbara Raffaldini said in a release.

A release from the vineyard notes that the Vermentino grape is "most famously cultivated in Sardinia," and that Raffaldini Vineyards was among the first to plant the grape in the U.S.

The vineyard says the 2008 vintage "is characterized by its lively green apple and lime flavors and refreshing acidity."