| Yadkin Valley AVA (wine region) | |
|---|---|
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
| Year established | 2002[1] |
| Country | USA |
| Part of | North Carolina |
| Other regions in North Carolina | Haw River Valley AVA |
| Sub-regions | Swan Creek AVA |
| Total area | 1,400,000 acres (5,666 km2)[2] |
| Size of planted vineyards | 400 acres (162 ha) |
| Grapes produced | Aleatico, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Malbec, Malvasia, Merlot, Montepulciano, Muscat Canelli, Nebbiolo, Niagara, Petit Verdot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Syrah, Vermentino, Viognier[2] |
| No. of wineries | 23 |
The Yadkin Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area that includes land in seven counties of northwestern North Carolina. The AVA encompasses an area of approximately 1,400,000 acres (5,666 km2) in the Yadkin River valley. The Yadkin Valley AVA includes all of Wilkes, Surry, and Yadkin counties, and parts of Davie, Davidson, Forsyth and Stokes counties.
Contents |
For decades, the area was a key tobacco-growing region. However, as tobacco farming and cigarette manufacturing in the area declined, some entrepreneurs, including tobacco farmers, have turned to winemaking. The native grapes of this region of the southeastern United States are the Muscadine and the Scuppernong. Early attempts to grow the European wine grape, Vitis vinifera, in the southeastern United States, including 18th century efforts by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello, Virginia, had mixed success. But in the past two to three decades, viticultural research has helped adapt these grapes to the climate, soil, and pests of the region. Additionally, Surry Community College, located in Dobson, North Carolina, has served as a valuable community resource for this growing industry by offering certificate and degree programs in viticulture and enology. In 2005, Davidson County Community College formed a partnership with Surry Community College for the delivery of the viticulture and enology program/certifications in Davidson and Davie counties.
In 2003, the United States' Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives approved the new appellation for the region with the name Yadkin Valley AVA, allowing winemakers to bottle wines with a label indicating that the wine came from the Yadkin Valley. In 2005, there were 14 wineries and 400 acres (162 ha) of vineyards in the region. By 2005 the number of wine producers had increased to 23.
The Yadkin Valley area is in the piedmont and foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Southern Living Magazine published a feature story about the Yadkin Valley region in November 2007. Editor Annette Thompson begins her piece, 'Carolina's Wine Country', with these words:
The Yadkin Valley Wine Festival is held the third Saturday in May at the Municipal Park in Elkin. The Yadkin Valley Grape Festival is held the third Saturday in October in Yadkinville. The 'Shine to Wine Festival is held in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina the first Saturday in May.