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TASTES of NC WINES & CRAFT BREWS
Discover North Carolina Wines & Craft Brews... enjoy the colorful and wonderful fall afternoon between balloon launches -- taste North Carolina's great wines and craft brews!
NC Wine & Craft Brews Tasting Hours
Saturday, October 20 11am - 7:30pm
Sunday, October 21 12pm - 5pm
Advance NC Wine & Brew tickets are available to purchase online for $15 on September 1 - October 6. Tasting tickets may also be purchased via cash or Credit / Debit at the NC Wine & Brew hospitality booth. ID's will be checked for a wristband, glass and taste card. Cheers!
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About NC Wineries
North Carolina is now home to over 100 wineries, more than 400 individually owned grape vineyards and three federally recognized American Viticultural Areas: Yadkin Valley, Swan Creek and Haw River Valley. In 2009, North Carolina ranked 7th nationally in wine production and was cited in 2007 by the Travel Industry Association as one of the top five state destinations for wine and culinary tourism activities in the U.S.
Growers in the Mountains and Piedmont regions have planted traditional European grape varieties and French-American Hybrids. Commonly planted varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Seyval Blanc and Vidal Blanc. Plantings of native Muscadine grapes, often called Scuppernongs, are also on the rise.
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About NC Craft Breweries
North Carolina boasts more craft breweries than any state in the American South, with 21 brewpubs and 28 production breweries statewide. If you're in North Carolina, you're probably just a few miles from a great craft beer.
North Carolina holds its own amongst world-class beers; breweries have taken home more medals from the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival than any other Southern state in recent years.
The best beer is fresh beer brewed by your fellow North Carolinian. From fledgling nano-breweries to the state's largest and longest-operating craft beer makers; from the Mountains, to the Piedmont, to the Triangle, to the Coast: North Carolina is the state of Southern beer.
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Our 2012 Featured Wineries & Breweries
DID YOU KNOW? North Carolina designated the Scuppernong grape as the official state fruit in 2001. A scuppernong is a large variety of muscadine (a type of grape native to southeastern U.S.). The grape was named after the Scuppernong River of North Carolina, where it was first discovered. The word Scuppernong is from the Algonquian Indian word ascopo which means "sweet bay tree."
Scuppernong grapes are usually greenish or bronze in color, similar in appearance and texture to a white grape, but rounder and about 50% larger. The skin is very thick and tart and several small green seeds are found in each grape. The pulp is viscous and sweet and the seeds are bitter - the most desirable part of the scuppernong is the sweet juice.
From North Carolina State Library...
The Scuppernong (vitis rotundifolia) has the distinction of being the first grape ever actively cultivated in the United States. It was named for the Scuppernong River, which runs from Washington County to the Albemarle Sound. Roanoke colonists are credited with discovering the Scuppernong “Mother Vineyard” (a vine that is now over 400 years old and covers half an acre).
Giovanni de Verrazano noticed this variety as far back as 1524, and explorers for Sir Walter Raleigh (sometimes spelled Ralegh) in the 1580’s sent back reports from the Outer Banks of grape vines that “…covered every shrub and climbed the tops of high cedars. In all the world, a similar abundance was not to be found.”
Grape cultivation (of scuppernong and other varieties) is a small but growing part of North Carolina's economy. According to a 2007 press release from Governor Easley's office, North Carolina is now ranked number ten in the nation for both grape and wine production, and the grape industry produces $813 million a year for the state's economy.
From North Carolina Breweries Guild...
North Carolina boasts the largest number of craft breweries in the American South, with more than 50 breweries and brewpubs. It is also the most decorated state in the South with more medals from the World Beer Cup® and the Great American Beer Festival than any of its neighboring states.
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Rain or Shine...Carolina BalloonFest is open! Hot Air Balloons will fly, tether or be on display when suitable. safe weather conditions exist. The decision to inflate hot air balloons is made near and prior to scheduled display, tether or launch & flight times.
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National Balloon Rally Charities ~ PO Box 267 ~ Statesville, NC 28687
National Balloon Rally Charities, Inc. is an incorporated 501(c)(3) charitable organization and all contributions are tax deductible.
A portion of proceeds raised through our annual hot air balloon festival are distributed to local charities. |
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