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N.C. Promotes Wine Tourism WineEast Haw River AVA helps local industry transition from textiles and tobacco to winemaking By Gregory D. McCluney he wine industry in North Carolina, which now has more than 110 wineries, according to WinesVinesDATA, is rapidly becoming a big player in the wine business in the Southeast. A combined effort by state government, re- gional tourism bureaus, winery owners, grapegrowers, chambers of commerce and associations is at- tempting to transform the state from its history of textiles and tobacco production to one of tourism, wine and green industry. T NORTH CAROLINA KY TN WV One of the areas benefitting from these efforts is the Haw River Valley, now home to seven wineries: Grove Winery & Vineyards, The Winery at Iron Gate Farm, Benjamin Vineyards and Winery, SilkHope Winery, Glen- Marie Vineyards and Winery, Wolfe Wines and Starrlight Mead. The Haw River's history of polluted service to textile manufacturing has been cleaned up to the point that visiting tourists from urban centers such as Greensboro paddle along the river and stop for wine tast- ings and lunch on its banks. In March 2009, after three years of waiting, Haw River was named the state's third AVA by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax VA Haw River Valley AVA Yadkin Valley & Swan Creek AVAs SC CAROLINA NORTH Set amid 44 acres of winegrapes, Grove Winery & Vineyards is located about 20 minutes from downtown Greensboro, N.C. PolyMax_Jan11.qxp 12/7/10 2:13 PM Page 1 Marketing 114 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2011