126-530: Yadkin Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) expanding across seven counties of northwestern North Carolina encompassing approximately 1,416,600 acres (2,213 sq mi) in the Yadkin River Valley. The appellation includes all of Wilkes , Surry , and Yadkin counties, and portions of Davie , Davidson , Forsyth , and Stokes counties. It was recognized on February 7, 2003, by
252-637: A depositional basin (ocean/sea). Geological evidence indicates at least three complete tectonic cycles , the last of which involved a collision and later separation of the Euro African Plate with the North American Plate . This produced a mountain range approximating the present day Andes Mountains of South America and eventually resulted in the creation of the Atlantic Ocean and the present-day plate positions. During
378-523: A dry state in 1908, and coupled with the onset of Prohibition , ended wine-making in North Carolina. Repeal in 1933, followed by the passage of laws by the North Carolina legislature in 1935 permitted wine-making, but it was several decades after World War II before North Carolina's wine industry would show significant growth. After Prohibition, tobacco became the Valley’s cash crop throughout
504-484: A British warship that had been vigorously enforcing unpopular trade regulations, in what became known as the Gaspee Affair . The affair was investigated for possible treason, but no action was taken. In 1773, private letters were published in which Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson claimed that the colonists could not enjoy all English liberties, and in which Lieutenant Governor Andrew Oliver called for
630-548: A boycott on imports of all British merchandise . American spokesmen such as Samuel Adams, James Otis, John Hancock, John Dickinson, Thomas Paine, and many others, rejected aristocracy and propounded " republicanism " as the political philosophy that was best suited to American conditions. The Parliament at Westminster saw itself as the supreme lawmaking authority throughout the Empire and thus entitled to levy any tax without colonial approval or even consultation. They argued that
756-487: A couple of the hot spots that re-crystallized rock are the granites of Mount Airy and Stone Mountain , North Carolina. The weathering of these Piedmont rocks has produced soils with chemical and physical properties that are very amenable to the viticulture industry. These soils and the climate of the Yadkin Valley viticultural area cover a spectrum that is equal to most vineyards of Europe and California . After
882-650: A distance of approximately 50 mi (80 km) before bending to the east between the northeast end of the Brushy Mountains and Pilot Mountain . At the Surry, Yadkin, and Forsyth County corner, the Yadkin turns southward and ends at its crossing of Interstate 85 , the southern boundary about six miles northwest of Salisbury, North Carolina . South of Interstate 85, the river becomes a series of three lakes: High Rock , Badin , and Tillery . Beyond Lake Tillery,
1008-464: A frost-free season lasting from April 22 to October 15. This is a growing season of 176 days and is two to four weeks longer than the region to the west. The frost-free/growing season in the viticultural area is similar to the area immediately to the south. In contrast, the regions to the east-southeast have a frost-free and growing season four to six weeks longer than the viticultural area. Yadkin Valley has more moderate temperatures and precipitation than
1134-479: A large military and naval force: Convinced that the Revolution was the work of a full few miscreants who had rallied an armed rabble to their cause, they expected that the revolutionaries would be intimidated .... Then the vast majority of Americans, who were loyal but cowed by the terroristic tactics ... would rise up, kick out the rebels, and restore loyal government in each colony. Washington forced
1260-832: A meeting with representatives from Congress to negotiate an end to hostilities. A delegation including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin met British admiral Richard Howe on Staten Island in New York Harbor on September 11 in what became known as the Staten Island Peace Conference . Howe demanded that the Americans retract the Declaration of Independence , which they refused to do, and negotiations ended. The British then seized New York City and nearly captured Washington's army. They made
1386-517: A much larger force. As Benjamin Franklin wrote to Joseph Priestley in October 1775: Britain, at the expense of three millions, has killed 150 Yankees this campaign, which is £20,000 a head ... During the same time, 60,000 children have been born in America. From these data his mathematical head will easily calculate the time and expense necessary to kill us all. In the winter of 1775,
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#17327804426851512-488: A period of three hundred million years, following the build up of this original Appalachian Mountain system, the forces of weather and erosion have likely removed thousands of meters of rock with the resulting Piedmont and Blue Ridge surfaces of today. Evidence of three erosional cycles is represented by present day mountain peaks, e.g., Mount Mitchell in North Carolina and Mount Rogers in Virginia . These peaks represent
1638-556: A state-of-the-art 30,000 case winery. There are currently two additional wineries under construction in the viticultural area, and the Yadkin Valley Wine Grower’s Cooperative was recently incorporated. In 1999, Surry Community College began offering continuing education viticulture courses. Spurred on by the tremendous interest in grape growing, the College initiated a two-year viticulture program, which began in
1764-864: A story featuring Yadkin Valley wineries in October 2021. Southern Living Magazine also featured North Carolina's viticulture industry and Yadkin Valley wineries in November 2007. The Yadkin Valley Wine Festival is traditionally held the third Saturday in May at the Municipal Park in Elkin . The Yadkin Valley Grape Festival is held the third Saturday in October in Yadkinville . Prior to 2005, these wineries also participated in
1890-805: A structure of shared sovereignty during prosecution of the Revolutionary War and facilitating international relations and alliances. The Articles were fully ratified on March 1, 1781. At that point, the Continental Congress was dissolved and a new government of the United States in Congress Assembled took its place the following day, on March 2, 1782, with Samuel Huntington leading the Congress as presiding officer. According to British historian Jeremy Black ,
2016-474: A vehicle for deliberation and collective action. During secret debates, conservative Joseph Galloway proposed the creation of a colonial Parliament that would be able to approve or disapprove acts of the British Parliament, but his idea was tabled in a vote of 6 to 5 and was subsequently removed from the record. Congress called for a boycott beginning on December 1, 1774, of all British goods; it
2142-643: A wine is labeled with an AVA, at least 85% of the grapes that make up the wine must have been grown in the AVA, and the wine must be fully finished within the state where the AVA is located. The boundaries of AVAs are defined by the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), a component of the United States Department of the Treasury . The TTB defines AVAs at the request of wineries and other petitioners . Prior to
2268-401: A wine to be labeled with a state or county appellation, at least 75% of the grapes used to make the wine must have been grown within the boundary of the appellation, and the wine must be fully finished within the state in which the appellation is located. Some states have more stringent rules, such as California , which requires 100% of the grapes used to make the wine be from California and that
2394-486: Is not always the case. See map on the right showing the outline of the Paso Robles AVA , California's largest in total area, and the eleven distinct AVAs contained within it. In 2018, the second session of the 115th Congress recognized the contribution of American Viticultural Areas to the economy. The Blunt-Merkley Resolution passed unanimously. It noted that an AVA allows vintners to describe more accurately
2520-605: Is that the Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont are in a cycle where uplift is exceeding erosion by about 100 feet per 1,000,000 years for the Appalachian system of today. The highly complex rocks of the present day Blue Ridge and Piedmont provinces represent a core area that has been present and re- crystallized and re- metamorphosed through several of these mountain building cycles to produce the complex schists , gneisses and igneous rocks of today. Relics of
2646-536: Is tremendously complex and involves plate tectonics ( continental drift , continental collisions , subduction zones, intercontinental deformations) and the whole spectrum of uplifting and erosional wearing down for the entire mountain building cycle. Each of these cycles required several hundred million years during which the ongoing uplift and erosional wearing down processes were constantly active. The erosional cycle gradually reduces land surfaces from mountains to relatively level surfaces, gently sloping toward
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#17327804426852772-834: Is well suited for growing grapes while the adjacent zones are not as favorable for growing vinifera grapes. For example, the Columbia Valley viticultural area in Washington State is also located in Zone 7a. The viticultural area is in Zone 7a of the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. The Yadkin Valley is located in the warm temperate latitude between 36′00″ and 36′30″ N. This is an area well suited to growing vinifera grapes while latitudes below 35′00″ are not suited to vinifera grape growing, according to Gordon S. Howell and Timothy K Mansfield’s article, "Microclimate and
2898-572: The Blue Ridge Mountains near Boone, North Carolina , but did not find a satisfactory site for settlement. The Moravians followed the Yadkin River east, finally reaching the three forks of Muddy Creek, a tributary of the Yadkin River. It was here that they made the first settlements in what are now Forsyth and Stokes Counties . The settlements were Bethabara , established in 1753, and Bethania , established in 1759. Bethabara
3024-859: The Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. In 1772, anti-tax demonstrators in Rhode Island destroyed the Royal Navy customs schooner Gaspee . On December 16, 1773, activists disguised as Indians instigated the Boston Tea Party and dumped chests of tea owned by the British East India Company into Boston Harbor . London closed Boston Harbor and enacted a series of punitive laws , which effectively ended self-government in Massachusetts. In late 1774, 12 of
3150-698: The British Empire was a constitutional monarchy with sovereignty in the King-in-Parliament . Aristocrats inherited seats in the House of Lords , while the gentry and merchants controlled the elected House of Commons . The king ruled through cabinet ministers who depended on majority support in the Commons to govern effectively. British subjects on both sides of the Atlantic proudly claimed
3276-621: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) , Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Patricia McRitchie of McRitchie Associates, LLC, on behalf of Shelton Vineyards , Inc., Dobson, North Carolina , to establish the initial viticultural area within the State of North Carolina, to be known as "Yadkin Valley." At the time, there were over 30 growers cultivating approximately 350 acres (142 ha) and three bonded wineries with at least two others under construction. In 2008, Swan Creek
3402-589: The Cole Ranch AVA in Mendocino County , California, at only 60 acres (24 ha). The Augusta AVA , which occupies the area around the town of Augusta, Missouri , was the first recognized AVA, gaining the status on June 20, 1980. There are currently 276 AVAs spread across 34 states, with over half (154) in California. An AVA may be located within one or more larger AVAs. For example,
3528-478: The Declaration of Independence , which embodied the political philosophies of liberalism and republicanism , rejected monarchy and aristocracy , and famously proclaimed that " all men are created equal ". The fighting continued for five years, now known as the Revolutionary War . During that time, the kingdoms of France and Spain entered as allies of the United States. The decisive victory came in
3654-523: The Declaration of Independence , which was drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson and presented by the Committee of Five , which had been charged with its development. The Congress struck several provisions of Jefferson's draft, and then adopted it unanimously on July 4. The Declaration embodied the political philosophies of liberalism and republicanism , rejected monarchy and aristocracy , and famously proclaimed that " all men are created equal ". With
3780-715: The English Empire , and they formed part of the British Empire after the union of England and Scotland in 1707. The development of a unique American identity can be traced to the English Civil War (1642–1651) and its aftermath. The Puritan colonies of New England supported the Commonwealth government responsible for the execution of King Charles I . After the Stuart Restoration of 1660, Massachusetts did not recognize Charles II as
3906-602: The Great Lakes . About 60,000 Loyalists migrated to other British territories in Canada and elsewhere, but the great majority remained in the United States. With its victory in the American Revolution, the United States became the first constitutional republic in world history founded on the consent of the governed and the rule of law . The Thirteen Colonies were established in the 17th century as part of
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4032-676: The Hat Act of 1732, and the Iron Act of 1750. Colonial reactions to these policies were mixed. The Molasses Act of 1733 placed a duty of six pence per gallon upon foreign molasses imported into the colonies. This act was particularly egregious to the New England colonists, who protested it as taxation without representation. The act increased the smuggling of foreign molasses, and the British government ceased enforcement efforts after
4158-623: The Hessian and British armies at Trenton and Princeton , thereby regaining control of most of New Jersey. The victories gave an important boost to Patriots at a time when morale was flagging, and they have become iconic events of the war. In September 1777, in anticipation of a coordinated attack by the British Army on the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia, the Continental Congress was forced to depart Philadelphia temporarily for Baltimore , where they continued deliberations. In 1777,
4284-489: The North Carolina Wine Festival . The Budbreak Wine and Craft Beer Festival is usually held in downtown Mount Airy on the first Saturday in May. 36°22′30″N 80°56′34″W / 36.37512612°N 80.94291411°W / 36.37512612; -80.94291411 American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area ( AVA ) is a designated wine grape -growing region in
4410-520: The Olive Branch Petition in which they attempted to come to an accord with King George. The king, however, issued a Proclamation of Rebellion which declared that the states were "in rebellion" and the members of Congress were traitors. The Battle of Bunker Hill followed on June 17, 1775. It was a British victory—but at a great cost: about 1,000 British casualties from a garrison of about 6,000, as compared to 500 American casualties from
4536-659: The Royal Proclamation of 1763 , designating the territory between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River as an Indian Reserve closed to white settlement. The Proclamation failed to stop westward migration while angering settlers, fur traders, and land speculators in the Thirteen Colonies. George Grenville became prime minister in 1763, and "the need for money played a part in every important decision made by Grenville regarding
4662-660: The Santa Clara Valley AVA and Livermore Valley AVA are located within the boundaries of the San Francisco Bay AVA , which is itself located within the Central Coast AVA . In such cases, the wine may be labeled with any of the relevant AVAs, but winemakers generally label wines with the most specific AVA allowed for each wine. Smaller AVAs are often perceived to be associated with smaller production and higher quality wines, though this
4788-545: The Stamp Act Congress ; its "Declaration of Rights and Grievances" argued that taxation without representation violated their rights as Englishmen . In 1767, tensions flared again following the British Parliament's passage of the Townshend Acts . In an effort to quell the mounting rebellion, King George III deployed troops to Boston . A local confrontation resulted in the troops killing protesters in
4914-468: The Tea Act lowering the price of taxed tea exported to the colonies, to help the British East India Company undersell smuggled untaxed Dutch tea. Special consignees were appointed to sell the tea to bypass colonial merchants. The act was opposed by those who resisted the taxes and also by smugglers who stood to lose business. In every colony demonstrators warned merchants not to bring in tea that included
5040-611: The Thirteen Colonies which peaked when colonists initiated an ultimately successful war for independence against the Kingdom of Great Britain . Leaders of the American Revolution were colonial separatist leaders who originally sought more autonomy as British subjects, but later assembled to support the Revolutionary War, which ended British colonial rule over the colonies, establishing their independence as
5166-574: The United States of America in July 1776. Discontent with colonial rule began shortly after the defeat of France in the French and Indian War in 1763. Although the colonies had fought and supported the war, Parliament imposed new taxes to compensate for wartime costs and turned control of the colonies' western lands over to the British officials in Montreal . Representatives from several colonies convened
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5292-422: The United States , providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know about the geographic pedigree of their wines, as wines from a particular area can possess distinctive characteristics. Consumers often seek out wines from specific AVAs, and certain wines of particular pedigrees can claim premium prices and loyal customers. If
5418-571: The Yadkin Valley . Native American settlements date back to approximately 500 B.C. The viticultural area has been known as the Yadkin Valley since pre-colonial times. What is now Yadkin County was home to the Tutelo and Cheraw Indian tribes . The first known written use of the name Yadkin was in 1674 in the writing of an early trader, Abraham Wood , whose English scouts passed through
5544-512: The climate , soil , and pests of the region. Additionally, Surry Community College , located in Dobson, served as a valuable community resource for the growing industry by offering certificate and degree programs in viticulture and enology . In 2005, Davidson County Community College formed a partnership with Surry Community College for the delivery of the viticulture and enology program/certifications in Davidson and Davie counties. In 2002, Charlie and Ed Shelton of Shelton Vineyards petitioned
5670-432: The 1740s. On the other hand, certain merchants and local industries benefitted from the restrictions on foreign competition. The limits on foreign-built ships greatly benefitted the colonial shipbuilding industry, particularly in New England. Some argue that the economic impact was minimal on the colonists, but the political friction that the acts triggered was more serious, as the merchants most directly affected were also
5796-410: The 19th and 20th centuries until prohibition . At that time, the industry, centered in the eastern part of the State, was based on Muscadine wine. One of the first modern major plantings of vinifera grapes in North Carolina occurred in 1972, when Jack Kroustalis established Westbend Vineyards, located in the Yadkin Valley. According to "Carolina Wine Country," "[t]he vines flourished in the rich soil of
5922-605: The 20th Century. However, the predominance of tobacco growing in the northwest piedmont of North Carolina waned by the '90s. In its place was an increased interest in grape growing, which was rooted in pre-colonial North Carolina’s history. The first cultivated wine grape in the United States was grown in North Carolina where the first recorded account of the Scuppernong grape is found in the logbook of explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano . He wrote in 1524, "Many vines growing naturally there [in North Carolina] that would no doubt yield excellent wines." North Carolina's wine industry thrived in
6048-434: The ATF to recognize Yadkin Valley as an AVA, allowing winemakers to bottle wines with label indicating it was sourced from the Yadkin Valley. In 2005, the area's viticulture industry grew to 14 wineries and 400 acres (162 ha) of vineyards in the region. By 2013, there was 38 wineries operating in the Yadkin Valley. As of 2024, there are nearly 50 wineries resident in the appellation. Decanter Magazine published
6174-418: The American Revolution (see Salutary neglect ) . During the French and Indian War (1754–1763), the British government fielded 45,000 soldiers, half British Regulars and half colonial volunteers. The colonies also contributed money to the war effort; however, two-fifths of this spending was reimbursed by the British government. Great Britain defeated France and acquired that nation's territory east of
6300-410: The Americans invaded northeastern Quebec under generals Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery , expecting to rally sympathetic colonists there. The attack was a failure; many Americans were killed, captured, or died of smallpox. In March 1776, aided by the fortification of Dorchester Heights with cannons recently captured at Fort Ticonderoga , the Continental Army led by George Washington forced
6426-402: The Braddock series in the mesic area and the Masada, Hiwassee, and Wickham series in the thermic area. These soils all have clayey or fine- loamy subsoils with good internal structure and moderate permeability. They are mostly very deep and well drained. These soils are acidic and have low natural fertility, requiring a well-structured fertility plan. The soil series that formed in residuum from
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#17327804426856552-407: The British had significant advantages, including a highly trained army, the world's largest navy, and an efficient system of public finance that could easily fund the war. However, they seriously misunderstood the depth of support for the American Patriot position, misinterpreting the situation as merely a large-scale riot. The British government believed that they could overawe the Americans by sending
6678-468: The British out of Boston in the spring of 1776, and neither the British nor the Loyalists controlled any significant areas. The British, however, were amassing forces at their naval base at Halifax, Nova Scotia . They returned in force in July 1776, landing in New York and defeating Washington's Continental Army in August at the Battle of Brooklyn . This gave the British control of New York City and its strategic harbor . Following that victory, they requested
6804-399: The British sent Burgoyne's invasion force from Canada south to New York to seal off New England. Their aim was to isolate New England, which the British perceived as the primary source of agitation. Rather than move north to support Burgoyne, the British army in New York City went to Philadelphia in a major case of mis-coordination, capturing it from Washington. The invasion army under Burgoyne
6930-403: The British to evacuate Boston . The revolutionaries now fully controlled all thirteen colonies and were ready to declare independence. There still were many Loyalists, but they were no longer in control anywhere by July 1776, and all of the Royal officials had fled. Following the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, the Patriots had control of Massachusetts outside Boston 's city limits, and
7056-448: The British to deploy troops to Boston. A Boston town meeting declared that no obedience was due to parliamentary laws and called for the convening of a convention. A convention assembled but only issued a mild protest before dissolving itself. In January 1769, Parliament responded to the unrest by reactivating the Treason Act 1543 which called for subjects outside the realm to face trials for treason in England. The governor of Massachusetts
7182-558: The Crown nullified their colonial charters in response. In 1686, James finalized these efforts by consolidating the separate New England colonies along with New York and New Jersey into the Dominion of New England . Edmund Andros was appointed royal governor and tasked with governing the new Dominion under his direct rule . Colonial assemblies and town meetings were restricted, new taxes were levied, and rights were abridged. Dominion rule triggered bitter resentment throughout New England. When James tried to rule without Parliament ,
7308-416: The English aristocracy removed him from power in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This was followed by the 1689 Boston revolt , which overthrew Dominion rule. Colonial governments reasserted their control after the revolt. The new monarchs, William and Mary , granted new charters to the individual New England colonies, and local democratic self-government was restored. After the Glorious Revolution,
7434-419: The English. Grenville believed that the colonies should help pay the troop costs. In 1764 Parliament passed the Sugar Act , decreasing the existing customs duties on sugar and molasses but providing stricter measures of enforcement and collection. That same year, Grenville proposed direct taxes on the colonies to raise revenue, but he delayed action to see whether the colonies would propose some way to raise
7560-423: The Grapevine: Site Selection for Vineyards (A Review)," in "Vinifera Wine Growers Journal," Fall 1977, 373. The rocks and subsequent soils of the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Physiographic Provinces of the viticultural area have origins extending back to the early formation of the earth’s continental landmasses. Some rocks of the subject area have been dated to approximately 1.8 billion years old. The geologic history
7686-582: The Loyalists suddenly found themselves on the defensive with no protection from the British army. In each of the Thirteen Colonies, American patriots overthrew their existing governments, closed courts, and drove out British colonial officials. They held elected conventions and established their own legislatures , which existed outside any legal parameters established by the British. New constitutions were drawn up in each state to supersede royal charters. They proclaimed that they were now states , no longer colonies . On January 5, 1776, New Hampshire ratified
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#17327804426857812-418: The Mississippi River. In early 1763, the Bute ministry decided to permanently garrison 10,000 soldiers in North America. This would allow approximately 1,500 politically well-connected British Army officers to remain on active duty with full pay (stationing a standing army in Great Britain during peacetime was politically unacceptable). A standing army would provide defense against Native Americans in
7938-660: The TTB regulations (27 C.F.R. § 9.12) prescribes the standards for petitions for the establishment or modification of AVAs. Petitions to establish an AVA must include the following: Once a petition is accepted as complete, the TTB may choose to seek public input on the proposal and at its sole discretion may approve the proposed AVA. Before the AVA system, wine appellations of origin in the United States were designated based on state or county boundaries. All of these appellations were grandfathered into federal regulations and may appear on wine labels as designated places of origin in lieu of an AVA, such as Sonoma County . In order for
8064-408: The TTB's creation in 2003, the Treasury’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) received and handled petitions for viticultural areas, wine production and labeling. Section 4.25(e)(2) of the regulations (27 C.F.R. § 4.25(e)(2)) outlines the procedure for proposing an AVA and provides that any interested party may petition the TTB to establish a grape-growing region as an AVA. Section 9.12 of
8190-489: The Thirteen Colonies (Georgia joined in 1775) sent delegates to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia . It began coordinating Patriot resistance through underground networks of committees . In April 1775 British forces attempted to disarm local militias around Boston and engaged them . On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress responded by authorizing formation of the Continental Army and appointing George Washington as its commander-in-chief. In August
8316-503: The Virginia legislature to propose independence, and he did so on June 7, 1776. On June 11, a committee was created by the Second Continental Congress to draft a document explaining the justifications for separation from Britain. After securing enough votes for passage, independence was voted for on July 2. Gathered at Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia , 56 of the nation's Founding Fathers , representing America's Thirteen Colonies , unanimously adopted and issued to King George III
8442-602: The Yadkin River Valley." In 1988, Kroustalis built the first bonded winery in the Yadkin Valley. Other growers in Yadkin Valley took note of Westbend Vineyard’s success with vinifera grapes and followed suit. By the end of 2000, over 350 acres (142 ha) of grapes were planted in the Yadkin Valley. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture has recognized this area as a "unique and valuable winegrowing region." In 1999, Shelton Vineyards began planting 200 acres (81 ha) of vinifera grapes on land considered perfectly suited to vinifera grape growing. The following year, Shelton opened
8568-420: The Yadkin River’s origin and descent from mountain springs in the Blowing Rock, North Carolina area, it encounters a major structural feature known as the Brevard Shear Zone (fault system), which also defines the Blue Ridge Escarpment in the area, paralleled by the river. At the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, the Yadkin River turns and flows northeastward under the structural control of this shear zone for
8694-440: The Yadkin Valley can also be found in histories of the region during the American Revolution and the Civil War periods. An influx of settlers who farmed the Valley’s rich soil characterized the period immediately after the Civil War. In the mid-19th Century, there were some 25 wineries in North Carolina, with extensive independent vineyards, to such an extent that North Carolina dominated the national market for American wines at
8820-450: The Yadkin Valley is much warmer than the area to the west and northwest and has slightly higher maximum and minimum temperatures than the area to the east. The Yadkin Valley has lower maximum and minimum temperatures than the area to the south. Temperature differences become more pronounced the further south one travels. In addition, as you proceed east past the Greensboro area, the temperatures, both maximum and minimum, become warmer than in
8946-404: The Yadkin Valley, as well as portions of Stokes and Forsyth counties. Davie and Iredell counties were also commonly included. The Yadkin Valley area is in the piedmont and foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains . One of the most recognizable landmarks in the AVA is Pilot Mountain . The hardiness zone is mostly 7b and ranges from 7a to 8a. The surrounding areas are in Zones 6b and 7b. This zone
9072-613: The appearance of Indigenous people, boarded the ships of the East India Company and dumped £10,000 worth of tea from their holds (approximately £636,000 in 2008) into Boston Harbor . Decades later, this event became known as the Boston Tea Party and remains a significant part of American patriotic lore. The British government responded by passing four laws that came to be known as the Intolerable Acts , further darkening colonial opinion towards England. The first
9198-406: The area in 1673. It was used in reference to the indigenous tribes found living along the river known as the Yadkin. The meaning of the word Yadkin, derived from Yattken , or Yattkin , a Siouan Indian word, is unknown. In Siouan terminology it may mean "big tree" or "place of big trees." Subsequently, the name Yadkin was applied to many natural features and man-made structures in the area. In fact,
9324-478: The area is in the thermic temperature regime, which is the 59 to 72 °F (15–22 °C) range. The dominant soil series formed from residuum in the mesic area are Fairview, Clifford, Woolwine, Westfield, Rhodhiss, and Toast soils. The dominant soil series formed from residuum in the thermic area are Pacolet, Cecil, Madison, Appling, and Wedowee soils. There are also some large areas of soils, which formed in old fluvial sediments of high stream terraces. These are
9450-542: The city their main political and military base of operations, holding it until November 1783 . The city became the destination for Loyalist refugees and a focal point of Washington's intelligence network . The British also took New Jersey, pushing the Continental Army into Pennsylvania. Washington crossed the Delaware River back into New Jersey in a surprise attack in late December 1776 and defeated
9576-554: The colonies "in all cases whatsoever". The repeal nonetheless caused widespread celebrations in the colonies. In 1767, the British Parliament passed the Townshend Acts , which placed duties on several staple goods, including paper, glass, and tea, and established a Board of Customs in Boston to more rigorously execute trade regulations. Parliament's goal was not so much to collect revenue but to assert its authority over
9702-516: The colonies exported agricultural products to Britain in return for manufactured goods. They also imported molasses, rum, and sugar from the British West Indies . The British government pursued a policy of mercantilism in order to grow its economic and political power. According to mercantilism, the colonies existed for the mother country's economic benefit, and the colonists' economic needs took second place. In 1651, Parliament passed
9828-681: The colonies were legally British corporations subordinate to the British Parliament. Parliament insisted that the colonists effectively enjoyed a " virtual representation ", as most British people did, since only a small minority of the British population were eligible to elect representatives to Parliament. However, Americans such as James Otis maintained that there was no one in Parliament responsible specifically to any colonial constituency, so they were not "virtually represented" by anyone in Parliament. The Rockingham government came to power in July 1765, and Parliament debated whether to repeal
9954-541: The colonies, acknowledged that he leaked the letters, which led to him being removed from his position. In Boston, Samuel Adams set about creating new Committees of Correspondence , which linked Patriots in all 13 colonies and eventually provided the framework for a rebel government. Virginia, the largest colony, set up its Committee of Correspondence in early 1773, on which Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson served. A total of about 7,000 to 8,000 Patriots served on these Committees; Loyalists were excluded. The committees became
10080-555: The colonies. The new taxes were enacted on the belief that Americans only objected to internal taxes and not to external taxes such as custom duties. However, in his widely read pamphlet, Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania , John Dickinson argued against the constitutionality of the acts because their purpose was to raise revenue and not to regulate trade. Colonists responded to the taxes by organizing new boycotts of British goods. These boycotts were less effective, however, as
10206-469: The colonies—and for that matter by the ministries that followed up to 1776." The national debt had grown to £133 million with annual debt payments of £5 million (out of an £8 million annual budget). Stationing troops in North America on a permanent basis would cost another £360,000 a year. On a per capita basis, Americans only paid 1 shilling in taxes to the empire compared to 26 shillings paid by
10332-412: The crowd. They hit 11 people; three civilians died of wounds at the scene of the shooting, and two died shortly after. The event quickly came to be called the Boston Massacre . The soldiers were tried and acquitted (defended by John Adams ), but the widespread descriptions soon began to turn colonial sentiment against the British. This accelerated the downward spiral in the relationship between Britain and
10458-409: The direct payment of colonial officials, which had been paid by local authorities. This would have reduced the influence of colonial representatives over their government. The letters' contents were used as evidence of a systematic plot against American rights, and discredited Hutchinson in the eyes of the people; the colonial Assembly petitioned for his recall. Benjamin Franklin, postmaster general for
10584-587: The fall of 1781, when the combined American and French armies captured an entire British army in the Siege of Yorktown . The defeat led to the collapse of King George's control of Parliament, with a majority now in favor of ending the war on American terms. On September 3, 1783, the British signed the Treaty of Paris giving the United States nearly all the territory east of the Mississippi River and south of
10710-532: The fall of 2000. The program will educate future grape growers to take advantage of the favorable growing environment provided by the Yadkin Valley. In December of 2000, the Golden LEAF Foundation awarded the College over $ 130,000 to support the establishment of a demonstration vineyard and winery for use by students in the program. The reference materials used to prepare this petition consistently included all of Wilkes, Surry, and Yadkin counties in
10836-463: The first in a series of Navigation Acts , which restricted colonial trade with foreign countries. The Thirteen Colonies could trade with the rest of the empire but only ship certain commodities like tobacco to Britain. Any European imports bound for British America had to first pass through an English port and pay customs duties. Other laws regulated colonial industries, such as the Wool Act of 1699 ,
10962-529: The first state constitution. In May 1776, Congress voted to suppress all forms of crown authority, to be replaced by locally created authority. New Jersey , South Carolina , and Virginia created their constitutions before July 4. Rhode Island and Connecticut simply took their existing royal charters and deleted all references to the crown. The new states were all committed to republicanism, with no inherited offices. On May 26, 1776, John Adams wrote James Sullivan from Philadelphia warning against extending
11088-750: The franchise too far: Depend upon it, sir, it is dangerous to open so fruitful a source of controversy and altercation, as would be opened by attempting to alter the qualifications of voters. There will be no end of it. New claims will arise. Women will demand a vote. Lads from twelve to twenty one will think their rights not enough attended to, and every man, who has not a farthing, will demand an equal voice with any other in all acts of state. It tends to confound and destroy all distinctions, and prostrate all ranks, to one common level[.] The resulting constitutions in states, including those of Delaware , Maryland , Massachusetts , New York , and Virginia featured: In Pennsylvania , New Jersey , and New Hampshire ,
11214-693: The goods taxed by the Townshend Acts were widely used. In February 1768, the Assembly of Massachusetts Bay Colony issued a circular letter to the other colonies urging them to coordinate resistance. The governor dissolved the assembly when it refused to rescind the letter. Meanwhile, a riot broke out in Boston in June 1768 over the seizure of the sloop Liberty , owned by John Hancock , for alleged smuggling. Customs officials were forced to flee, prompting
11340-417: The hated new tax. In most instances, the consignees were forced by the Americans to resign and the tea was turned back, but Massachusetts governor Hutchinson refused to allow Boston merchants to give in to pressure. A town meeting in Boston determined that the tea would not be landed, and ignored a demand from the governor to disperse. On December 16, 1773, a group of men, led by Samuel Adams and dressed to evoke
11466-525: The inner Piedmont Belt. The extreme southeastern part of the area is formed from saprolite weathered from igneous intrusive rocks ( granites , gabbros and diorites ) and some gneisses and schists, all of the Charlotte Belt. Most of the viticultural area is in the mesic soil temperature regime, which, at a depth of 20 in (51 cm), has an average annual soil temperature of 47 to 59 °F (8–15 °C). The extreme southeastern part of
11592-594: The issuance of the Declaration of Independence, each colony began operating as independent and sovereign states. The next step was to form a union to facilitate international relations and alliances. On November 5, 1777, the Congress approved the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union and sent it to each state for ratification. The Congress immediately began operating under the Articles' terms, providing
11718-670: The king proclaimed Massachusetts to be in a state of open defiance and rebellion . The Continental Army surrounded Boston, and the British withdrew by sea in March 1776, leaving the Patriots in control in every colony. In July 1776, the Second Continental Congress began to take on the role of governing a new nation . It passed the Lee Resolution for national independence on July 2, and on July 4, 1776, adopted
11844-548: The leaders of the American resistance to British actions, and later largely determined the war effort at the state and local level. When the First Continental Congress decided to boycott British products, the colonial and local Committees took charge, examining merchant records and publishing the names of merchants who attempted to defy the boycott by importing British goods. Meanwhile, Parliament passed
11970-539: The legitimate king for more than a year after his coronation . In King Philip's War (1675–1678), the New England colonies fought a handful of Native American tribes without military assistance from England, thereby contributing to the development of a uniquely American identity separate from that of the British people . In the 1680s, Charles and his brother, James II , attempted to bring New England under direct English control. The colonists fiercely opposed this, and
12096-672: The mafic intrusive rocks ( gabbros and diorites ), which occur scattered along the extreme southeastern part of the viticultural area, have slightly better natural fertility. However, they have subsoils with mixed mineralogy clays. The Gaston and Mecklenburg series have moderate or moderately slow permeability and are suitable to moderately suitable for viticulture. However, the Enon and Iredell series have high shrink-swell clayey subsoils, which perch water during wet periods and result in less than desirable internal drainage . The less than desirable, high shrink-swell clayey soils are more abundant to
12222-421: The manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors nationwide in 1920. Vineyards were uprooted in favor of tobacco and soybeans which became the cash crops. For decades, the area was a key tobacco-growing region. However, as tobacco farming and cigarette manufacturing in the area declined, some entrepreneurs , including tobacco farmers, transformed the fertile land to viticulture. The native grapes of this region of
12348-489: The most politically active. The British government lacked the resources and information needed to control the colonies. Instead, British officials negotiated and compromised with colonial leaders to gain compliance with imperial policies. The colonies defended themselves with colonial militias , and the British government rarely sent military forces to America before 1755. According to historian Robert Middlekauff , "Americans had become almost completely self-governing" before
12474-530: The oldest leveling cycle. The peaks of Kings Mountain , Pilot Mountain, Sauratown Mountain and the ridges of the Blue Ridge system represent the next erosional cycle. This middle cycle is definitely an older cycle (400,000,000 years) than the present-day Piedmont and Coastal Plain , which represent the third leveling cycle with their gentle sloping surface to the Atlantic Ocean. A current hypothesis
12600-670: The only references to Yadkin as a place name are to places located in North Carolina: the Yadkin Valley , the Yadkin River , Yadkin County , and the towns of Yadkinville and Yadkin College . It is also used to name businesses, schools, and organizations located in the State’s northwestern Piedmont region. The first non-Native settlers, the Moravians , arrived in the Yadkin Valley in the 1740s. They originally scouted land in
12726-412: The origin of their wine, while helping vintners to build and enhance the reputation and value of the wines produced. AVAs also allow consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic to a wine made from grapes grown in an AVA. AVAs also help consumers identify what they purchase. American Revolution The American Revolution was a rebellion and political movement in
12852-460: The province of Massachusetts. A new ministry under Lord North came to power in 1770, and Parliament repealed most of the Townshend duties, except the tax on tea. This temporarily resolved the crisis, and the boycott of British goods largely ceased, with only the more radical patriots such as Samuel Adams continuing to agitate. In June 1772, American patriots, including John Brown , burned
12978-659: The rebels' weapons and arrest their leaders, leading to the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The Patriots assembled a militia 15,000 strong and laid siege to Boston, occupied by 6500 British soldiers. The Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia on June 14, 1775. The congress was divided on the best course of action. They authorized formation of the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander-in-chief, and produced
13104-445: The resulting constitutions embodied: The radical provisions of Pennsylvania 's constitution lasted 14 years. In 1790, conservatives gained power in the state legislature, called a new constitutional convention, and rewrote the constitution. The new constitution substantially reduced universal male suffrage, gave the governor veto power and patronage appointment authority, and added an upper house with substantial wealth qualifications to
13230-540: The revenue themselves. Parliament passed the Stamp Act in March 1765, which imposed direct taxes on the colonies for the first time. All official documents, newspapers, almanacs, and pamphlets were required to have the stamps—even decks of playing cards. The colonists did not object that the taxes were high; they were actually low. They objected to their lack of representation in the Parliament, which gave them no voice concerning legislation that affected them, such as
13356-577: The river is referred to as the Pee Dee and continues from North Carolina into South Carolina and toward the Atlantic Ocean . Data for precipitation, temperature and heat summation were provided by the State Climate Office of North Carolina. The Yadkin Valley has an average rainfall of 46.42 in (1,179.07 mm). The area to the west and northwest receives, on average, more than 68 in (1,700 mm) of rain per year. The area to
13482-416: The south and east of the viticultural area. The Blue Ridge Mountains are to the west and north of the area. The petition contends that these limitations define the Yadkin Valley as a unique viticultural area. Yadkin Valley had a pre-Prohibition wine industry, when North Carolina produced the most wine than any other state in the nation, centered on the native Muscadine vine. The 18th Amendment prohibited
13608-427: The south and east receives, on average, 43.37 in (1,101.60 mm) of rain per year. In general, the Yadkin Valley receives less precipitation than the area to the west and northwest and slightly more than the areas to the south and the east. The Yadkin Valley has average maximum annual temperatures of 69.85 °F (21.03 °C) and average minimum annual temperatures of 44.90 °F (7.17 °C). The area to
13734-534: The southeastern United States include Vitis cordifolia , Vitis labrusca , Vitis aestivalis , Vitis cinerea , and Vitis rotundifolia (muscadine and scuppernong ). Early attempts to grow the European wine grape, Vitis vinifera , in the southeastern United States, including 18th century efforts by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello , Virginia , had mixed success. But in the past two to three decades, viticultural research has helped these grapes to survive
13860-535: The stamp tax or to send an army to enforce it. Benjamin Franklin appeared before them to make the case for repeal, explaining that the colonies had spent heavily in manpower, money, and blood defending the empire, and that further taxes to pay for those wars were unjust and might bring about a rebellion. Parliament agreed and repealed the tax on February 21, 1766, but they insisted in the Declaratory Act of March 1766 that they retained full power to make laws for
13986-573: The surrounding regions. The growing season and frost-dates fall within the optimum range for cultivation of premium vinifera grapes. The soils of the Yadkin Valley viticultural area are formed mainly from residuum (saprolite) weathered from felsic metamorphic rocks ( gneisses , schists , and phyllites ) of the Blue Ridge Geologic Belt and the Smith River Allochothon and from metamorphosed granitic rocks of
14112-557: The tax, violating the unwritten English constitution . This grievance was summarized in the slogan "No taxation without representation". Shortly following adoption of the Stamp Act, the Sons of Liberty formed, and began using public demonstrations, boycotts, and threats of violence to ensure that the British tax laws became unenforceable. In Boston , the Sons of Liberty burned the records of
14238-451: The time. The Civil War ended that market dominance, through damage to the industry by loss of manpower and scarce capital, as well as through revocation of wine-making licenses due to regulatory retribution following the war. In the latter part of the 19th century, cotton and tobacco became the Valley’s main crops. Wine production recovered in the decades after the war through the early 20th Century. However, North Carolina voted to become
14364-557: The unicameral legislature. Thomas Paine called it a constitution unworthy of America. In April 1776, the North Carolina Provincial Congress issued the Halifax Resolves explicitly authorizing its delegates to vote for independence. By June, nine Provincial Congresses were ready for independence; Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New York followed. Richard Henry Lee was instructed by
14490-627: The unwritten British constitution , with its guarantees of the rights of Englishmen , protected personal liberty better than any other government. It served as the model for colonial governments . The Crown appointed a royal governor to exercise executive power. Property owners elected a colonial assembly with powers to legislate and levy taxes, but the British government reserved the right to veto colonial legislation. Radical Whig ideology profoundly influenced American political philosophy with its love of liberty and opposition to tyrannical government. With little industry except shipbuilding,
14616-575: The vice admiralty court and looted the home of chief justice Thomas Hutchinson . Several legislatures called for united action, and nine colonies sent delegates to the Stamp Act Congress in New York City in October. Moderates led by John Dickinson drew up a Declaration of Rights and Grievances stating that the colonists were equal to all other British citizens and that taxes passed without representation violated their rights as Englishmen , and Congress emphasized their determination by organizing
14742-819: The viticultural area. Using Amerine and Winkler heat summation definitions, the viticultural area is in climatic Region IV, with 3743 degree-days. The areas to the east are in Region IV. The area to the west-northwest is in Region I, and the area to the south is in Region V (Greensboro, NC is close to Region V). The data for the following analyses are taken from the North Carolina State University Horticulture Information Leaflet "Average Growing Season for Selected North Carolina Locations" (12/96, revised 12/98) by Katharine Perry. The viticultural area enjoys
14868-670: The west and foreign populations in newly acquired territories (the French in Canada and the Spanish in Florida ). In addition, British soldiers could prevent white colonists from instigating conflict with Native Americans and help collect customs duties. Migration beyond the Appalachian Mountains increased after the French threat was removed, and Native Americans launched Pontiac's War (1763–1766) in response. The Grenville ministry issued
14994-496: The west-northwest has an average maximum temperature of 58.6 °F (14.8 °C) and an average minimum annual temperature of 40 °F (4 °C). The area to the east has an average maximum annual temperature of 68.4 °F (20.2 °C) and an average minimum annual temperature of 46 °F (8 °C). The area to the south has an average maximum annual temperature of 71.5 °F (21.9 °C) and an average minimum annual temperature of 48.1 °F (8.9 °C). In summary,
15120-699: The wine be fully finished within the state. Washington requires 95% of the grapes in a Washington wine be grown in Washington, although notably the Columbia Valley AVA , Columbia Gorge AVA , and Walla Walla Valley AVA are shared with Oregon. AVAs vary widely in size, ranging from the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA , at more than 19 million acres (29,900 square miles (77,000 km )) across four states ( Illinois , Iowa , Minnesota , and Wisconsin ), to
15246-455: Was a fortified settlement built to protect early settlers from attacks by Indians who swept down into the Yadkin Valley from the Blue Ridge Mountains during the French and Indian War . Smaller settlements throughout Wilkes, Yadkin and Iredell Counties were made during this period. These early settlers were meticulous recordkeepers and references to the Yadkin Valley can be found in their colonial writings as well as in later sources. References to
15372-495: Was enforced by new local committees authorized by the Congress. It also began coordinating Patriot resistance by militias which existed in every colony and which had gained military experience in the French and Indian War. For the first time, the Patriots were armed and unified against Parliament. King George declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion in February 1775 and the British garrison received orders to seize
15498-485: Was established as the state's 2nd AVA encompassing 96,000 acres (150 sq mi) with 60 percent of the its northern region within the Yadkin Valley viticultural area and the remaining 40 percent extending beyond its southern boundary. The AVA shared its name with the unincorporated community of Swan Creek in Yadkin County. There is rich historical and anthropological evidence of settlement and cultivation in
15624-401: Was instructed to collect evidence of said treason, and the threat caused widespread outrage, though it was not carried out. On March 5, 1770, a large crowd gathered around a group of British soldiers on a Boston street. The crowd grew threatening, throwing snowballs, rocks, and debris at them. One soldier was clubbed and fell. There was no order to fire, but the soldiers panicked and fired into
15750-757: Was the Massachusetts Government Act which altered the Massachusetts charter and restricted town meetings. The second was the Administration of Justice Act which ordered that all British soldiers to be tried were to be arraigned in Britain, not in the colonies. The third was the Boston Port Act , which closed the port of Boston until the British had been compensated for the tea lost in the Boston Tea Party. The fourth
15876-677: Was the Quartering Act of 1774 , which allowed royal governors to house British troops in the homes of citizens without permission of the owner. In response, Massachusetts patriots issued the Suffolk Resolves and formed an alternative shadow government known as the Provincial Congress, which began training militia outside British-occupied Boston. In September 1774, the First Continental Congress convened, consisting of representatives from each colony, to serve as
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