A trip to Yadkin Valley

A few friends, my wife and I went to spend several days in Yadkin Valley checking out the vineyards and the wine making.  I went with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.  These folks are making great wine.

The grapes used are pretty much standard vinifera varieties.  Reds included both cabs, petit verdot, merlot, and surprisingly some were growing nebiolo and tempranillo.  Very few hybrids were being grown.  A few vineyards were growing Chambrocine but that was about the extent of hybrids.

Since most of the grapes were vinifera, most of the trellises were VSP type.  I got pics.

neat vineyards, lotsa grapes

The two arms low on the first wire, with two other wires above to support the vines growth

Close up of the pruning and the new growth

Lyre trellises

The owner said that his land was fertile enough for each vine to handle 4 arms instead of 2.  The lyre arrangement supports this in a VSP arrangement

close up of the lyre support system