North Carolina Muscadine Grape Association

We've come a long way!!! Paul Garrett's began making a Muscadine wine called "Virginia Dare," around the mid 1800's. Garrett said that Muscadine wine was "the finest wine in the world." In order to increase the limited quantity of his very popular wine, Garrett began to blend in the more plentiful Concord and California wines. His "Virginia Dare" wine prior to Prohibition was the best selling wine in the United States. By 1903, Garrett had five wineries in North Carolina - the largest being at Aberdeen. A Castle Hayne Vineyard Company existed in the 1870's. Far surpassing all rival winemakers in the vicinity was the family of Sol Bear. By 1902, the Bear employed six commercial travelers and had agents in New York. A featured product was the "Belle of Carolina," which resembled a mild port. In addition, blackberries and Muscadines provided the ingredients for several of their wines. A new winery was built in 1902 at Front and Marsteller Streets in Wilmington, capable of turning out 200,000 gallons a year. The Bears' plant was one of the largest consumers of Muscadines in the nation, and its demands, fortified by those of Paul Garrett and others, practically exhausted the available supply of Muscadines by 1906. Wine production in North Carolina came to an abrupt end as the Prohibition Act passed in the 1920's. The renewed popularity of Muscadine wine is now carried on by many Wineries in North Carolina. In addition, the recent finding that the Muscadine is the Healthiest Grape ever tested has new and exciting possibilities for marketing.
	2007 Promotion The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services have combined efforts with the North Carolina Muscadine Grape Association to promote the North Carolina Muscadine Grape for the 2007 harvest season. A media kit was distributed to North Carolina Newspapers and specialty publicatons in hopes that muscadines would be featured. The materials that were included are available for download, click here.... The ongoing efforts of "Got to Be NC" includes marketing the Muscadine grape - - from pick your own to bottled wine and health products, the NC Muscadine Industry is rapidly becoming a thriving industry. Click here to listen to the NCDA radio spot.. "The Exotic Muscadine!" (WFVL and WQSM Fayetteville Sept. 17th - 21st) Click here to listen to the NCDA radio spot... "It's Muscadine Time!" (WBAV in Charlotte/Gastonia/Rock Hill Sept. 24th - 28th) Click here to view the NCDA TV ad... (WNCT Greenville/New Bern/Washington Sept. 17th - 24th)