Winery, ASU see a grape

opportunity for local farmers
By Frank Ruggiero
ruggiero@wataugademocrat.com

They heard it on the grapevine.

More and more High Country farmers are turning to the grape as a cash crop, as more and more vendors are selling North Carolina wines.

It’s a lesson in agriculture and economics, and a lesson that Dick Wolfe, vintner and co-owner of Banner Elk Winery, is all too willing to teach.

Wolfe and Norm Oches, director of Appalachian State University’s mountain and steep slope viticulture program, are hosting a grape-growing workshop Saturday, March 1, at Banner Elk Winery.

The workshop will offer instruction on proper pruning techniques for grape vines, and, for those new to grape-growing, a lecture by Wolfe on grape varieties that grow well in the area’s elevation and what sort of wines can be expected from them. Vineyard layout and costs associated with planting a vineyard will also be discussed.

The program begins at 10 a.m., and, during the course, Banner Elk Winery will treat all attendees to lunch and wine-tasting. The wine tasted will, of course, come from locally grown grapes.

Interestingly enough, the climate in the High Country is similar to that of prominent wine making regions in Europe, as both Wolfe and Oches can attest. Oches noted that 4 percent of Europe – approximately 275,000 acres – is situated at high elevations.

“And that’s what we’re trying to do – grow some of the varieties they’ve got there and see if we’re successful,” said Oches, adding that the program’s mission is to help people grow grapes at mountain elevations and on steep slopes.

Steep slopes can be ideal locations for growing vines, he continued. When grapes are grown on steep slopes, vines are not shading each other, and there is generally more breezeway and less humidity, reducing the need for pesticides.

The difficulty, though, is with access, since tractors cannot traverse some of the region’s steeper slopes.

The program is relatively new to ASU, having started in May 2007. Prior to that, Oches designed and installed 16 vineyards in North Carolina and southern Virginia, and he currently serves as vice president of the N.C. Wine Growers Association.

“And if you’re looking at growing in the mountains, Dick is the man to work with,” Oches said.

Wolfe, who is oftentimes referred to as “Johnny Grapeseed,” also owns Wolf Creek Vineyards in Abingdon, Va. In 2001, he approached Appalachian State University’s chancellor at the time, Dr. Frank Borkowski, to discuss the possibility of establishing a center of applied science, as well as offering the opportunity to teach farmers how to grow and harvest grapes instead of tobacco, with a winery playing a major role in the process.

Borkowski agreed, and the center was established with Wolfe at the helm. Wolfe and area businessman Angelo Acceturro teamed up to establish Banner Elk Winery, which continues to purchase grapes from local farmers to produce its award-winning wines. And though Wolfe no longer works for the university, he continues to work with it, and education is still a priority.

“We need more grapes and more farmers planting grapes,” he said, “because our wine production and sales are really pushing us.”

Over Presidents Day weekend, the winery sold 20 cases of wine. Also, Banner Elk Winery signed a distribution with Dionysus Wine Distributors, which will market the locally grown wine throughout the state.

Banner Elk wine can already be found in area restaurants, including the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center and the Peddler.

High Country wine also stands to benefit from the area’s tourism-based economy. Wolfe described winery visitors as “sophisticated tourists,” most already sharing a love for wine. For those less familiar with the libation, Wolfe works the front line, so to speak, manning the wine bar and offering educational wine-tastings.

“When people leave this winery, I want them to be able to identify these types of wines,” Wolfe said.

This could prove particularly true for the upcoming workshop. The workshop will be held Saturday, March 1, at 10 a.m. at Banner Elk Winery, located at 60 Deer Run Lane (just off Gualtney Road) in Banner Elk. For more information, call (828) 260-1790 or (828) 898-9099, or visit www.bannerelkwinery.com on the Web.