Childress Vineyards is a

winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, ...

Lexington, North Carolina Lexington is the county seat of Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 18,931. It is located in central North Carolina, south of Winston-Salem. Major highways include I-85, I-85B, U ...

owned by

NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...

championship team owner Richard Childress. The connection between NASCAR and fine wine is reflected in the labeling of some of the wines produced by Childress, featuring a checkered flag motif.

History of wineries in North Carolina

In the mid-19th Century, there were some 25 wineries in North Carolina, with extensive independent vineyards, to the extent that North Carolina dominated the national market for American wines at the time. The ''

Scuppernong The scuppernong is a large variety of muscadine (''Vitis rotundifolia''), a species of grape native to the Southern United States. It is usually a greenish or bronze color and is similar in appearance and texture to a white grape, but rounder and ...

'' grape was the primary source for North Carolina's 19th Century wine, as it had been for about two centuries. The

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

ended that market dominance, through damage to the industry by loss of manpower and scarce capital, as well as through revocation of winemaking licenses due to regulatory retribution following the war. Wine production began to recover in the decades after the war through the early 20th Century. However, North Carolina voted to become a dry state in 1908 and that decision, coupled with the onset of

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

, ended winemaking in North Carolina. Repeal in 1933, followed by the passage by North Carolina's legislature in 1935 of laws permitting winemaking, began a rebirth, but it was several decades after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

before North Carolina's wine industry would show significant growth.

Origins, Operations and Wine Varietals at Childress Vineyards

While racing at California tracks in the 1970s, Richard Childress spent some of his off-track time at small wineries. He later explored vineyards in the Finger Lakes region in New York, following NASCAR's expansion to Watkins Glen. As he made friends with vineyard owners and winemakers, Childress began to consider starting his own vineyard. By the 1990s, Childress had purchased land, planted vines and by the end of the 90s was having his grapes custom-crushed, making wine to give to friends. Childress Vineyards broke ground in 2003 and the 35,000 square winery commenced operations in 2004. Located in the

Yadkin Valley AVA 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 in the Yadkin River valley. The Yadkin Valley AVA includes all of Wilkes, ...

, an

American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...

, Childress' winemaker is Mark Friszolowski. Childress is part of a broader development of wine-grape growing and vineyards in North Carolina which has been gaining traction in the 21st Century, following a period of rapid growth beginning in the 1980s. Grapes are grown locally on the vineyard grounds, at Childress' home estate, as well as purchased from local growers. Classic European varietals produced include Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier white wines and Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah red wines, sparkling wines and dessert wines. In a nod to historic North American and North Carolina grape varieties, Childress also produces a line of

muscadine ''Vitis rotundifolia'', or muscadine, is a grapevine species native to the southeastern and south-central United States. The growth range extends from Florida to New Jersey coast, and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. It has been extensively ...

(''Vitis rotundifolia'') wines, including a ''Scuppernong'' varietal, produced from a type of muscadine grape. Wines produced from scuppernong harken back to the 17th Century beginning of North Carolina's winemaking tradition. By 2005, the winery was producing 30,000 cases per year and was third largest in terms of production in North Carolina. The vineyards are located at the intersection of

U.S. Route 52 U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows ...

and

U.S. Route 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles (3,743 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 1 ...

in Lexington, North Carolina which is in the

Piedmont Triad The Piedmont Triad (or simply the Triad) is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of North Carolina anchored by three cities: Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Winston-Salem, and H ...

region of North Carolina and its tasting room is open daily. There is also an Italian style Bistro open for lunch. Childress also holds special events including weddings and corporate functions, as well as free entertainment during the spring and fall.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 35.843143, -80.283279, display=title Tourist attractions in Davidson County, North Carolina Wineries in North Carolina Buildings and structures in Davidson County, North Carolina

History of wineries in North Carolina

Origins, Operations and Wine Varietals at Childress Vineyards

See also

References

External links