On a recent trip to the North Carolina mountains, we stopped by Banner Elk Winery, North Carolina’s only mountain winery, and chatted with Dick Wolfe, owner, winemaker and former Appalachian State University professor. We also visited North Carolina’s, and probably the east coast’s, highest elevation vineyard at 4900 feet. Banner Elk grows French and Italian hybrid grapes that have been successfully grown at higher elevations in Europe. We will be reviewing some of their wines in the upcoming months.

Watch our interview with Rick Bakas of Napa Valley’s St Supery Vineyards and Winery who was in North Carolina for a series of wine tastings. He shares some of his thoughts about wineries using social media. Follow Rick on Twitter @RickBakas and the winery at @StSupery.

On a recent trip to Shelton Vineyards, we spoke with George Denka, President of Shelton Vineyards about the history of the vineyard and winery, the types of grapes they grow, the winometer and other North Carolina wines.

While at the Yadkin Valley Grape Festival, Jeff sat down with Bobby Todd, President of the Yadkin County Economic Development Partnership. He talked about the changes the wine industry brought to the rural counties of northwest North Carolina as farmers replaced tobacco with grapes.