When you think of collecting wine bottles or finding new vintages and brands to try, you probably first think of France, which is honestly the traditional source of wine. However, vineyards have been popping up all around the world in recent decades, so a lot of wine is coming from other places. Germany makes a good bit of wine, as do countries like New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina.
Inside the United States, the Napa Valley region of California is typically considered the primary source of American wines. However, there is also wine production in other places like Washington state to the north. Having said all this, the West Coast doesn’t have a monopoly on making wine. Several places up and down the East Coast also have vineyards, primarily up and down the Piedmont wine region.
The Piedmont is a geographical plateau extending east from the Appalachian Mountain range, running from Alabama and Georgia up through the Carolinas and into Virginia, which ending parts in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and even New Jersey. Notable Piedmont-region cities include Charlotte, the Triangle area of North Carolina, and Richmond in Virginia. However, quite a bit of agriculture takes place here, and in some states, particularly North Carolina, there are vineyards taking advantage of the soil sloping down from the higher mountains to the west.
The Piedmont Wine Region of the Carolinas and Virginia is home to numerous vineyards producing local wines at decent volumes. Their tastes and price points are competitive enough to stand their ground on the global market, although many of them are sold locally or regionally. They can be popular items to find at farmer’s markets in the area, as people love supporting local agriculture, farming, and other sustainable efforts in both food and beverage. Many bottles are also sold in local grocery stores too for some area flavor.
If you’re in one of these states, it doesn’t take much looking to start uncovering the product lines of these local vineyards. Even if you don’t live around here, you can easily find these products online have them shipped anywhere in the world. Any serious wine aficionado is aware that the final taste and aroma of a wine isn’t just about the grapes or their cultivation, but also the soil and climate conditions they are grown in. The Piedmont region of the Eastern United States has typically mild to moderate weather that’s unique enough to fill your glass with some distinct flavors you have yet to savor.
For that matter, there are enough Piedmont wine region vineyards around to make a whole vacation out of visiting the area. It can be far cheaper to do than squeezing in with the masses in Napa Valley or flying to France. Of course, if you’ve already been there and done that, then you might just be looking for another wine vacation but in someplace that’s new to you. The Carolinas and Virginia certainly make for a diverse vacation. Depending on the time of year, you can head west into the mountains for hiking and skiing or east to the beaches of the Atlantic.
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