Discovering NC Agriculture is a year-long series focusing on twelve N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Tune in each month to see how an N.C. commodity is grown, harvested, packed for consumer use and more. Learn nutritional value, find fun recipes to try, hear from local chefs who use that product, and other unique commodity facts throughout the series. We look forward to helping you better understand some of our N.C. commodities and how they impact your everyday lives!
Strawberries are used to make many delicious value-added products across our state, including jams, jellies, and wines. Since 2001, Larry Cagle has been producing high-quality wines at Woodmill Winery in Vale. Although they are most famous for their muscadine wines, Woodmill Winery produces a variety of blends and seasonal flavors for customers to enjoy each year, including strawberry wine.
In 2001, Larry Cagle started Woodmill Winery with approximately 100 vines of muscadine grapes. “It takes five years to reap fruit from a vine,” Larry said, “so, the doors of this winery didn’t open until 2006.” From then until now, the winery has grown to over 40 acres with approximately 3,500 vines producing 12 varieties of muscadine grapes! “We experiment each year with new muscadine varieties, some that work out in our favor and some that don’t,” Larry explained. “Today, we harvest twelve varieties, including Ison, Tara, Dixie Red, Nesbit, Carlos, Noble and Scuppernong.” Each of these varieties produce a unique flavor profile that allows Larry and his team to create 49 different wines, including those made with other local fruit products. “We partner with farmers in our area to utilize local blueberries, blackberries and strawberries in season,” Larry said. “After purchasing the fruit from them, we bottle and ferment the wine at our facility.”
Any wine produced at Woodmill Winery, whether muscadine or other, starts with fermentation for seven to ten days. Directly following fermentation, the wine is pumped to get the fruit skins out before it is placed outside in containers for three months. “By placing the wine outside to cure for three months, we decrease the amount of tartaric acid,” Larry said. After three months, the wine is brought in for racking and set aside for six months. Before it is bottled and sold, the wine will be sent through the racking process two more times and aged for three years. “Our process ensures the best quality wines for our customers,” Larry said. From start to finish, the process of planting and harvesting fruit and turning it into wine takes eight years! “People don’t understand how patient we have to be throughout this process, and how the wine can change from year to year,” Larry said. “No year on the farm is the same, meaning no harvest is the same. We get to experiment every year to ensure our customers get to enjoy all their returning favorites, as well as some new ones.”
With nearly 50 varieties of wine, Larry and his team created a process to help customers easily decide which one is right for them. “We are the only winery in the nation that keeps all their customers due to the fact that we create four versions of each wine,” Larry said. “For example, let’s say a customer comes in and really enjoys the Red Muscadine, a sweet red wine. Six months down the road, they may decide that wine is too sweet for them. Instead of going to another type of wine or another winery, we have three other versions (semi-sweet, semi-dry and dry) that they can cycle through from year to year.” Even though all of their wines are delicious, the three best sellers at Woodmill Winery are the Red Muscadine, American Jubilee, and Golden Scuppernong.
Whether you’re after the seasonal strawberry wine or a fresh muscadine wine, products from Woodmill Winery can be purchased at a variety of locations across the state, including on-site at the vineyard, Food Lion, Ingles Markets, Harris Teeter and more. Also be sure to visit the winery for yourself to enjoy a wine tasting, festival, live music, and other fun events! In fact, mark your calendar for the upcoming Strawberry Wine Festival & Vineyard Blessing, taking place on Saturday, May 17th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature local vendors, food, live music, bounce houses, and, of course, strawberry wine. See you there and keep drinking local all year long!
