As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, there is no better time to reflect on the stories that helped shape our nation. Some are found in history books. Others are woven into the landscape itself.
In North Carolina, one of those stories grows on a vine.
Long before the Declaration of Independence was signed, long before there was a United States, explorers arriving on the shores of present-day North Carolina encountered something remarkable: wild grapevines growing abundantly across the coastal landscape. Among them was the Muscadine grape, a native species unlike anything found in Europe and one that would become one of the earliest chapters in American wine history.
Today, North Carolina’s wine industry is a dynamic blend of tradition and innovation. Yet its roots run deeper than many people realize. As the nation marks 250 years of independence, North Carolina’s native grapes offer a reminder that American wine has a history that began centuries before America itself.
A Grape Older Than the Nation
When English explorers arrived on Roanoke Island in the late 1500s, they recorded seeing vast quantities of native grapes. The abundance of vines impressed settlers, who hoped the New World might support a thriving wine industry similar to those of Europe.
Among the native grapes growing throughout the region was the Muscadine, a species uniquely adapted to the climate of the southeastern United States. Unlike European grape varieties, Muscadines thrived in the heat, humidity, and diverse growing conditions of the American South.
One of the most famous examples remains today: the Mother Vine in Manteo. Believed to be more than 400 years old, the Mother Vine is considered the oldest cultivated grapevine in North America. It serves as a living connection to the earliest days of exploration and settlement, standing as proof that North Carolina’s wine story predates the founding of the nation itself.
For generations, Muscadine grapes have remained part of the region’s agricultural and cultural identity. They have been grown in backyard arbors, family farms, and commercial vineyards, passing from one generation to the next as both a crop and a tradition.
Under the trellis of perhaps the oldest grape vine in North America: The Mother Vine
North Carolina: America’s Early Wine Leader
While many people associate American wine with regions that gained prominence much later, North Carolina played a foundational role in the nation’s wine industry.
By the late nineteenth century, North Carolina had become the leading wine-producing state in the United States. Before Prohibition, more wine was produced in North Carolina than in any other state in the nation. Much of that success was tied to native grape varieties, including Scuppernong and other Muscadine cultivars that thrived in the state’s climate.
The state’s growers and winemakers built an industry that supplied consumers across the country, demonstrating that quality wine could be produced outside Europe’s traditional wine regions. Their work helped establish an American wine identity rooted not in imitation but in the unique agricultural resources of the United States.
Like many agricultural industries, North Carolina’s wine industry faced enormous challenges during Prohibition. Vineyards were lost, wineries closed, and decades of momentum disappeared almost overnight.
Yet the story did not end there.
More Than Wine: America’s Early Cider Tradition
Wine was not the only beverage shaping early America. During the colonial era, hard cider was one of the nation’s most popular drinks, enjoyed by people from all walks of life. In fact, it was often considered a safer choice than local drinking water. Historical accounts note that John Adams famously drank cider every day, even with breakfast, while George Washington used cider to help rally support during his early political campaigns.
North Carolina continues that tradition today through a growing community of craft cideries that are preserving heirloom apple varieties once prized by America’s earliest cidermakers. Several North Carolina producers cultivate or source historic apples such as Hewe’s Crab, Harrison, Roxbury Russet, and Grimes Golden, varieties that were widely used to make cider during the Revolutionary era.
Among the most celebrated is the Hewe’s Crab apple, a favorite of Thomas Jefferson, who planted an entire orchard of the variety at Monticello specifically for cider production. Jefferson reportedly remarked that pressing Hewe’s Crab apples was like “squeezing a wet sponge,” a testament to their exceptional juice content and value for cidermaking.
Just as North Carolina’s native Muscadine grapes connect today’s wine industry to the earliest days of American history, these heirloom apples allow visitors to experience another beverage that helped define colonial life. Whether enjoyed in a glass of wine or a crisp cider, North Carolina’s agricultural heritage continues to tell the story of America’s beginnings.
Looking to explore North Carolina’s cider scene? Follow the North Carolina Cider Trail to discover cideries across the state producing both innovative ciders and those inspired by America’s earliest traditions.
Honoring History While Looking Forward
Today’s North Carolina wine industry reflects both heritage and innovation. Across the state, wineries are producing world-class wines from vinifera, hybrid, and native grape varieties. At the same time, many producers continue to celebrate the Muscadine’s historic importance and its enduring place in North Carolina agriculture.
The result is a wine community that honors its past while embracing the future. Visitors can experience everything from traditional Muscadine wines to modern dry styles, sparkling wines, and internationally inspired varietals grown in diverse regions from the coast to the mountains.
As America commemorates 250 years of independence, North Carolina offers a unique perspective on the nation’s agricultural history. Here, the story of wine did not begin after the founding of the country. It was already growing in the soil, climbing through the forests, and capturing the attention of explorers centuries before.
Explore the Roots of American Wine
This year, as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, consider raising a glass to one of the nation’s oldest agricultural traditions. Visit a North Carolina winery, discover the story of Muscadine grapes, and explore a wine heritage that stretches back far beyond the birth of the United States.
Because while America may be 250 years old, North Carolina’s wine story has been growing for centuries.