About NC Wine
They say every wine has a story. Wait until you hear ours.
North Carolina’s wine story begins long before the first vineyards were ever planted. When Sir Walter Raleigh’s explorers arrived in the late 1500s, they wrote of wild muscadine grapes flourishing so abundantly along the coast that vines climbed the trees and scented the air. That heritage fruit is still very much part of who we are today. Not something forgotten, but something embraced. Muscadine remains a proud thread in our state’s agricultural DNA, a reminder that North Carolina has always been fertile ground for flavor, creativity, and cultivation.
But our history doesn’t end there. North Carolina also became home to a growing tradition of European-style wine production, and by the early 20th century, we were the leading wine-producing state in the nation. History shifted with Prohibition, redirecting North Carolina’s ingenuity into another storied craft: moonshine. The culture of innovation, speed, and grit that grew from those hidden stills eventually helped spark the creation of NASCAR, an iconic mark of our resourcefulness and spirit. That same blend of determination and hospitality continues to shape our modern wine, cider, and mead industries.
Today, North Carolina is a thriving top-10 wine-producing state with seven federally recognized AVAs, each offering its own sense of place. From the crisp mountain elevations to the rolling Piedmont and all the way to the sandy coastal plains, grapes grow from mountains to sea—with muscadines thriving in the coastal regions, and classic wine styles flourishing across the Piedmont and foothills. Alongside our wineries, a vibrant community of cideries and meaderies is crafting award-winning beverages from local apples and Carolina honey, expanding our legacy of creativity and craftsmanship.
In North Carolina, we celebrate a deep-rooted past and an innovative future—where authenticity, hospitality, and world-class flavors come together. With such rich diversity across our landscapes, traditions, and producers, it’s no wonder that North Carolina truly has a taste for everyone.
