A Decade of North Carolina Wines

With the new year comes a new decade for North Carolina wine. Take a look back at a few of the highlights from the prosperous decade of the 2000’s:
• N.C. wineries more than quadrupled in growth from 21 in 2000 to 89 in 2009
• Three appellations were established in N.C., starting with Yadkin Valley AVA in 2003, Swan Creek AVA in 2008, and Haw River Valley AVA in 2009
• N.C. wine production climbed from off the charts in 2000 to now rank 8th in the U.S. in 2009
• Grape production in N.C. jumped from ranking 12th in the U.S. in 2000 to 9th in 2009
• Grape bearing acres in N.C. grew from 600 in 2000 to 1,700 in 2009
• Biltmore Winery became the most visited winery in the U.S.
• Duplin Winery became the largest Muscadine wine producer in the U.S.