CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/580750
CityViewNC.com | 53 T obacco decline hit North Carolina farm- ers hard. As one of the few crops to thrive in sandy soil, it had been a natural fit for regional farmers since the country was settled. But there was an- other indigenous crop that caught the eye of Sir Walter Raleigh and his crew… grapes. Raleigh sent Captain Arthur Barlow to explore the east coast of the Carolinas and Barlow wrote back that the Outer Banks were "so full of grapes as the very beating and surge of the sea overflowed with them." As farmers struggled to replace the cash-wielding crop of tobacco with something as viable, many turned to the vines already in their backyards. Most farms already had a few thriving vines used to make wines, jams and jellies for family and friends. As popularity grew, more farms expanded their vine- yards and began producing commercial wines from the bronze (used for white wines) and black (used for red wines) Muscadine varieties. In 2001, the most common bronze variety, the Scupper- nong, was named the North Carolina state fruit. ese eastern North Carolina vine- yards and wineries share their love of all Muscadine varieties, most com- monly Scuppernong, Carlos, Magnolia and Noble. Whether you want to pick your own grapes and try your hand at the age-old tradition of homemade wine or simply show up and sip the fruits of their labor, these spots won't disappoint. Auman Vineyards Fayetteville Tucked down 71st School Road, Au- man Vineyards offers "You Pick" ser- vice throughout the season. e vine- yard is named for its original owner, Loyd Auman. In 1937, Auman arrived in Fayetteville as an agriculture teacher at Seventy-First High School. Aer World War II, he returned and in 1968 became the school's principal. His career was dedicated to education, but much of his heart always belonged to the land. Auman's son-in-law Roger McLean tends the vineyard alongside his son Auman Vineyards in Cumberland County Photography by Byron Jones 1300 71st School Road Fayetteville, North Carolina www.scuppernongs.com Open Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to Sunset Saturday Sunrise to Sunset "You Pick" Prices 2 ½ quarts: $5 5 quarts: $9 10 quarts: $18 Roger McLean with the fruits of his labor.