Water into wine? No, Let's Make Tobacco into Wine!

North Carolina is the number one tobacco producing and cigarette manufacturing state in the country.

North Carolina also just celebrated the opening of their 100th winery.

Courtesy of zazzle.com

Courtesy of post-gazette.com

How did North Carolina make the leap from tobacco to wine? Well, I'm glad you asked.

It was not a leap at all. The only thing that changed was that the rest of the country realized North Carolina could grow grapes. And since the decline of the tobacco industry, North Carolina has slowly transitioned its industry to meet the changing market, which meant out with failing tobacco farms and in with wineries! 

But Southerners already had a legacy of homemade wine. From a young age, I drank it and moonshine, which is another conversation altogether.

The late Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton
(My family's old moonshiner with his homemade still)
Photo courtesy of the Appalachian Traveler

And let's be honest, southerners like to drink. And southerners, especially North Carolinians, like to manufacture and farm, so I'm not completely sure why it was such a shock t the rest of the country when we, as a state, began to sell our wine.

Given our heritage of bootleggin' and moonshine, the only thing I can understand to be shocking is that we would want to sell our alcohol legally.

Well, California may be the most notorious wine state with the infamous Napa Valley, but North Carolina has the Yadkin Valley and the difference goes far beyond the grapes.

Here is a list of observations gathered by my father, a seasoned winery-goer in both areas:

Napa Valley Wineries (some of these may be the exception, not the rule):

• The limo parking is in front of the handicap parking
• You have to make an appointment for a wine tasting
• A tasting costs around $50 and you don't get to keep the glass
• You don't get to meet the owner or the wine-maker

Yadkin Valley Wineries (almost all of these are the rule, not the exception):

• Most parking lots are gravel or dirt
• There is a good chance fiddle/banjo music will be playing in the background.
• A tasting cost around $5-8 and you get to keep the glass.
• The owner or wine-maker usually gives the tasting.
• If you are from North Carolina, there is a good chance you will find out you are related to the owner or someone who is in that winery.

For those who feel the need to drink fancy wine, bless your heart. I'll take my country Yadkin Valley wine any day!