Abstract:
The state has a long history of winemaking and at one time was the nation's leader. Now with a Grape Council promoting the wine industry, the state seeks to make a name again as a wine producer. There are fourteen wineries in the state, but three - Biltmore Winery at Asheville, Westbend Vineyards in Lewisville, and Duplin Cellars in Rose Hill - produce 95 percent of the state's wine. Production doubled in the state during the 1990s, rising from 28,954 cases in 1988 to 66,426 cases n 1999.