Grove Winery and Vineyard
When asked to think of wine country, central North Carolina doesn't always race to the forefront. But according to some, it should.
Grove Winery and Vineyards, located right across the Guilford County line at 7360 Brooks Bridge Road in Gibsonville, uses its proximity to the Haw River to grow mineral-rich grapes and produce a variety of wines, said Grove General Manger John Gladstone.
"We're not typical because of our variety of mineral selection and microclimate," he said. "We have a nice breeze going through here."
Grove has 11 different varieties of grapes, all handpicked, de-stemmed, crushed and aged on the farm. Once the wine has aged in metal tins or oak barrels, it is bottled on site.
White wines usually age anywhere between four to 18 months and red wines age between 12 to 36 months. Depending on the popularity of the wine, the tins can hold anywhere from 200 to 6,000 liters.
According to Gladstone, the entire process is as efficient as possible.
"The trend overall is to be more green and sustainable," he said. "You don't have to go far and you can have less of an impact."
The vineyard not only focuses on sustainability at the farm, but also in the surrounding community, Gladstone said. There are several vineyards in the area that come together once a year to clean the parts of Haw River closest to their property.
"There is real beauty in the river," he said. "And the river has gotten so much better."
Grove has eight staff members at the winery and several volunteers who help with harvesting grapes. Once volunteers pick the fruit, they can sip a glass of wine outside on the patio or by Lake Chardonnay.
Several of the products in the winery are from local businesses in North Carolina and Virginia, and there are several wines where everything from the grape to the bottle is made in North Carolina, Gladstone said.
"We are asking people to support a local business, so we try to support all of our local businesses," he said.
The vineyard has hosted several Elon University functions, including graduation parties, Gladstone said. If students bring a home football ticket stub to the vineyard during the same weekend the game was played, they are offered a free wine tasting. Regardless of students' previous knowledge of wine, they will still be able to have an enjoyable experience, he said.
"We want them to come back and to feel comfortable," he said. "We want friends and family to enjoy themselves. We are a very welcoming staff that love what we do and we want to put that into the guest."
Updated October 13, 2010