CityView Magazine

Toasting the Town "We have a lot of people who enjoy sweet wines," said Angie Malave, the owner of the two locations of The Wine Cafe, downtown and in Hope Mills. At each lo- cation customers are able to purchase wines in very small tasting-sized samples to see which they like best before committing to purchase a full glass or bottle. "After they try a sweet wine, we like to introduce them to a dryer wine. I wouldn't recommend a bold cabernet to someone who thinks they only like sweet wine, but maybe some- thing fruity. Fruity doesn't always mean sweet," Malave said. Malave spends much of her time intro- ducing customers to wine, both helping wine newbies develop a taste for it and helping customers who already love wine discover different varietals and brands. "I also recommend that customers try a light- bodied red with some food," Malave said. "That way we can train their palate. This market is underdeveloped and people want to know more about wine." It took a bit longer — about 300 years — for the state's wine industry to take off, but by 1835 Sidney Weller of Brin- kleyville in Halifax county had founded the state's first commercial winery. Five short years later he had named his win- ery Medoc Vineyards and was making and selling more wine than any other winery in the nation. Others began to take notice and by 1850 there were 25 vineyards operating in the state, happi- ly serving North Carolinians and oth- ers, until the Civil War devastated the state's wine industry in the 1860s. In the subsequent years North Carolina's relationship with wine production be- came a study in stops and starts, oſten because of national and local prohibi- tion laws. But, by the 1950s, vineyards were again being planted in the state and in 1986 The North Carolina Wine and Grape Council was established. The industry really started taking off in the state in 1999, though, when the state began granting incentives to former tobacco farmers who made the switch to growing grapes — and the wine industry here has positively exploded in the last 48 | Food & Wine • 2011 decade. In 2005 there were 48 wine pro- ducers in 28 counties and by 2010 there were more than 90 wineries statewide and North Carolina was ranked seventh in the nation for wine production. There are three federally recognized American Viticultural Areas (AVA) in North Carolina: The Yadkin Valley, Swan Creek and Haw River. The Yad- kin Valley, located in the northwestern part of the start, was the first to receive the designation and currently is home to more than 30 wineries. Swan Creek, also located in northwestern NC, has five wineries and Haw River Valley, the third and newest AVA, is in the central part of the state, where it is home to sev- en wineries. But new wineries are open- ing around the state at the rate of about one per month, so information is apt to change. Duplin Winery, the largest and oldest winery in the state, is the world's largest producer of Muscadine wine. "There are some vineyards here in North Carolina that are putting out some excellent wines — and they're not all sweet wines," said Teresa Swint, one of the owners of Grapes and Hops, a wine and beer store on Ramsey Street. "I would really love to see people sup- port North Carolina wineries." Picking the perfect bottle But all of this information is useless if you don't know which North Caro- lina wine to purchase for yourself or as a giſt. If you're looking for a giſt, Beck- Lopez said that unless you know that the intended recipient likes sweet wines, you'd best avoid the blended wines made in North Carolina. "It would be safe to purchase any of the better made North Carolina reds or whites, but stay away from the blends because they may be too sweet for some people's tastes," she said. But if you feel certain the person would appreciate a sweet wine and just aren't sure whether to go for a red or a white variety, Swint says a blend might, in fact, be your best choice. "A blend will cover a lot of people's taste. Blends seem to be the trend these days, more than a single varietal." In addition, Swint said, many of the state's wineries offer special holiday blended wines with labels and names that are festive and seasonally appropri- ate, making them ideal choices for giſts. Beck-Lopez said that if you know the recipient is a wine lover, then don't be afraid to give a bottle known for it's complexity. "Every true wine drinker will normally have a cultivated palate over the years and will want a structured wine, with a well-rounded, full taste." She said North Carolina-made Ries- lings are an excellent choice if you want to give a wine that is somewhat sweet, but not as sweet as a Muscadine wine. She recommends all of the wines made by West Bend, a producer in the Yadkin Valley. West Bend sells 14 different va- rieties and Beck-Lopez said all are good. Sparkling wines, which are similar to champagne, are hard to come by from North Carolina wineries, she said. But if a sparkling wine is on your list, Beck- Lopez recommends Duplin's Raspberry Delight and said that Biltmore Estate also offers several types of sparkling wine. And if you're still not sure what to

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