The following blog is from NC Wine. Find more information about North Carolina’s vibrant wine industry at www.ncwine.org.
Across our state, from the mountains to the coast, women are working in every facet of wine, cider, and mead production. They are vineyard managers, winemakers, cidermakers, mead makers, marketers, tasting room host, logistics coordinators, compliance experts, and often all of the above, sometimes on the same day.
In North Carolina, many of our producers are family-owned businesses. And as women so often do, they wear every hat: grower, maker, marketer, host. They are the steady hands in the vineyard, the creative force in the cellar, and the welcoming face in the tasting room.
Women are not only participating in our industry, but they are also defining it.
A Different Perspective, A Distinctive Taste
Women frequently approach winegrowing and production with a unique lens often blending heritage with innovation.
They are reviving and championing our native grapes like muscadine; a grape deeply rooted in North Carolina’s agricultural history. At the same time, they are pushing boundaries, experimenting with fermentation techniques, blending styles, and elevating the rapidly growing cider and mead categories.
They are asking:
How can we express our terroir differently?
How can we preserve tradition while innovating for modern consumers?
How do we create beverages that reflect community, sustainability, and hospitality?
Because of their leadership, North Carolina’s beverage landscape is dynamic, diverse, and forward-thinking.
Highlighting Our Producers
Mandy S. Houser
Co-President of Shelton Vineyards
Mandy S. Houser is Co-President of Shelton Vineyards in Dobson, an award-winning winery in the heart of North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley. She is also Co-Owner of The Shelton Companies, a multifaceted, family-owned business that focuses primarily on real estate, hotel operations and investments.
Mandy has a deep passion to give back to the community and to improve the lives of others. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of the Atrium Health Foundation. Also, she is serving on the NC Wine and Grape Council.
Mandy and her husband, Todd, have two daughters, Anna and Shelton. They love spending their free time together traveling, especially snow skiing or having fun at the beach.
As second-generation co-owner of Shelton Vineyards, Mandy Shelton Houser carries forward her family’s legacy with a blend of tradition, innovation, and heartfelt hospitality. She helps guide long-term strategy, strengthen tourism and industry partnerships, and expand the reach of the estate’s wines while honoring the vision that established the winery as a leader in North Carolina.
Sarah Bowman
Viticulture Instructor, Surry Community College
Sarah has been sharing her grape growing knowledge and experience in a straightforward and approachable manner for well over a decade. Since 2018, she has served as a Viticulture Instructor at Surry Community College and The North Caroline Center for Viticulture and Enology, which provides workforce training and industry support for the Southeastern US. Sarah teaches both hands-on and online courses and manages the college’s bonded winery.
Before moving to the heart of North Caroline wine country, Sarah specialized in viticulture at Southern Illinois University, where she receives her M.S. in Horticulture in 2013 and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Agriculture Science. While in the Midwest, she co-managed a commercial vineyard, conducted educational workshops with the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance, provided viticulture consulting services to regional growers, and served as the Illinois State Viticulturist.
If you are ever interested in learning more about grape growing, Sarah teaches the following classes at Surry Community College:
Introduction to Viticulture
Grape Harvest
Grape Pests, Diseases and Disorders
Grape and Wine Science
Vineyard Establishment and Development
Vineyard Operations
Fundamentals of Viticulture and Enology (online)
Wine Tasting (online)
Elizabeth Higley
Winemaker, Windsor Run Cellars
Elizabeth is currently one of the Head Winemakers at Windsor Run Cellars in Hamptonville, North Caroline. Windsor Run Cellers is both an estate-grown winery and distillery as well as a state-of-the-art custom crush facility. She studied Business and Marine Transportation at the State University of New York Maritime College. Several years of international maritime travel ignited her passion for food and wine culture and led her to Surry Community College to earn her degree in Viticulture and Enology in 2017.
After several years as an Assistant Winemaker in North Carolina, she traveled to New York to be a part of the cellar team at Bedell Cellars on Long Island in 2021 where she honed her skills for indigenous yeast fermentation and premium East Coast winemaking.
Now back in North Caroline, she hopes to continue to improve the quality and reputation of NC Wine. In 2023, she helped co-found the North Carolina Winegrowers Collective, a practical research program that funds wineries and vineyards in the state to set up small scall research trials to help better understand our unique challenges on the east coast and how to adapt our techniques and procedures.
In 2025, she was named one of the ‘Imbibe 75: Inspiring people and places that will shape the way we drink in 2025 and beyond’ by Imbibe Magazine.
She has also launched her own wine label, Demarcation Wine Co. under the umbrella of Windsor Run Cellars, to produce innovation, small-batch wines with a community driven focus. Proceeds from bottle sales go to support the Women in Wine Education Scholarship she founded for Surry Community College’s Viticulture and Enology program.
Amy Bess Cook
Founder | Woman-Owned Wineries™
Amy Bess Cook is the founder of Woman-Owned Wineries™, a national platform dedicated to elevating wines produced by women-owned wineries. Through curated events, retail partnerships, and storytelling, she works to create visibility and market access for women in wine, including right here in North Carolina. Her work reminds consumers that when they choose women-owned brands, they are investing in entrepreneurship, leadership, and representation within the industry.
*Photo by Kelly Puleio
Melanie Webber
Educator, consultant, and advocate
Melanie Webber is a respected North Carolin wine educator, consultant, and advocate at MWWine School who has dedicated her career to promoting quality wine and deepening consumer understanding. Through educational programming, tastings, and industry engagement, she elevates awareness of North Carolina wines and helps connect producers with new audiences. Her voice and expertise play an important role in strengthening our state’s wine culture.
When You Support Local, You Support Women
When you purchase directly from a North Carolina winery, cidery, or meadery, you are often supporting women who are: entrepreneurs, mothers, daughters, scientists, artist, and agricultural leaders.
You are strengthening our communities and often directly empowering women who are leading the way.
Here in North Carolina, women aren’t just part of the story. They are shaping what North Caroline tastes like.