You can be a vigneron, too

The French Broad Vignerons made their group official last month. They became incorporated prior to judging the Asheville Wine and Food Festival's Amateur Wine Maker Competition. Traditionally, a vigneron both grows grapes and makes wine, combining the roles of a viticulturist (grape cultivator) and an oenologist (wine maker). While some of the French Broad Vignerons are what their title suggests, anyone is welcome to join, says Chuck Blethen, vice president for public relations. The group talks about growing grapes and making wine at its monthly meetings and educational events.

Blethen also owns the Blue Ridge Vineyard and Greenhouse in Marshall and directs the Southern Appalachian Viticulture Institute. He propagates and studies a particular strain of cold-hardy muscadine that grows wild in Western North Carolina, which requires no pesticides and produces high yields. On Sept. 28, he will teach a class entitled “Grow Your Own Wine Vine” at A-B Tech's Small Business Center. In addition to cultivation techniques, the course will cover the variety of value-added products that stem from grapes, of which wine is just one.

For more information about the French Broad Vignerons, contact Blethen at 606-3130 or at blethen@grapesavi.org or read their blog at frenchbroadvignerons.blogspot.com. To learn about “Grow Your Own Wine Vine,” visit www.abtech.edu/ce/registration.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.