Discovering NC Agriculture is a social media series focusing on N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Originally started in 2025, this series has been renewed to run for another year! 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!
North Carolina blueberries are used in a variety of ways from cobblers and pies to local wines. Daryl Locklear, owner of Locklear Vineyard and Winery in Maxton, not only grows his own grapes but also purchases fruit from local farmers to produce a variety of wines each year, including a blueberry wine. From the dirt to the jar, products from Locklear Vineyard and Winery truly tell the story of North Carolina agriculture in a bottle.
The Locklear family has always had a strong passion for making wine. In fact, Daryl’s father grew up learning how to make wine from his grandmother using grapes grown in their yard. “That original vine is still alive and producing fruit at our homestead in Maxton,” Daryl said. “My dad learned from my grandmother, and then I learned from him, how to grow grapes and produce wine. It’s been a part of our family history for generations.” In the late 90’s, Daryl and his father decided to take the family hobby of growing vines and producing wine to another level by starting a vineyard. “I did a lot of research and spoke with experts in the industry to learn how to start this business,” he said. “I learned that it’s best to not only have a vineyard, but also a winery where the products can be utilized and sold each year.” The first vines were put in at Locklear Vineyard and Winery in 2003 and their doors opened for business six years later in 2009. From then until now, the vineyard has grown to produce over seven acres of grapes and 100 to 150 cases of wine per week.
Throughout the year, Daryl and his team are busy pruning vines from planting to harvest. “We don’t use fertilizers on our vines, but they do require constant maintenance from the start of the season to harvest,” said Daryl. “Once harvest arrives, typically late September, we bring the grapes inside and start the process of making wine.” Nearly ¾ of the Locklear Vineyard is made up of Carlos grapes, which are a bronze muscadine variety of grape. As with all their wines, when the grapes are brought in from the field they are crushed and set to ferment with their skins for three months. After that time has passed, the juice is pulled out and filtered to sit for another two months before it’s ready to be bottled. “We truly are a dirt to bottle process here, which generates a lot of pride for our family because it isn’t easy,” Daryl said. “It takes a lot of patience and perseverance to produce a high-quality wine that consumers enjoy, so we are proud to be known for that across the state.” In total, Locklear Vineyard and Winery produces twelve products for customers to enjoy, including muscadine wines, fruit wines, ciders and meads.
To produce their blueberry, strawberry, blackberry and peach wines, Daryl works with local farmers across the state to keep the story of our state alive in his products as much as possible. The only fruit he sources from outside North Carolina is peaches, which come from South Carolina. “We require a large amount of peaches to make our wines each year, and unfortunately, that volume isn’t found in our state,” he said. “However, all our other fruit wines are made with products from local farms, like blueberries from Carter’s Farm near White Lake and blackberries from Lineberger’s Farm in Dallas.” During the height of production, Daryl was purchasing anywhere from 20 to 30,000 pounds of blueberries each year for wine making. Recently, he has scaled down to purchase around 10,000 pounds per year. “The process for making our blueberry wine is similar to the process for our muscadine wines,” he said. “We bring the blueberries into the winery, run them through the processor to crush them, add in our yeast and a little sugar, and then set it to ferment with the pulp for about seven days. After that, we pull the juice off and let it set for two to three months before bottling.” All wines at Locklear Vineyard and Winery are around 9% ABV, giving them a sweeter taste and smooth finish.
Products from Locklear Vineyard and Winery can be found at all Food Lion locations across the state as well as various Whole Foods and Walmart locations. Daryl and his team are currently working with the State Farmers Market in Raleigh to establish a retail location there as well. “My goal is to provide customers at the market with a real N.C. Wine experience through tastings,” Daryl said. “We are currently working with market management to make this possible, so keep an eye on our social media pages for updates.” Locklear Vineyard and Winery also offers tours and tastings on-site at the vineyard every Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Bottles can be purchased during your visit.
As a member of our Got to Be NC Program, Daryl is proud to help tell the story of North Carolina agriculture through his products. “It takes a lot of work to get any product from the dirt to the table, whether it be on a plate or in a glass,” he said. “To be a part of this program that helps spread the word about that hard work, as well as the high-quality of the products themselves, is a big honor.” We are so proud of all that Locklear Vineyard and Winery is doing to further the wine industry in our state. Be sure to visit them this summer and try their wines for yourself!
