Organic marketing: How one winery makes it happen in North Carolina

As reported by this blog, organic agriculture – especially among wineries – is becoming increasingly popular and a very successful marketing tool. But as hard as it is to produce quality organic products in any climate – even with more hardy plants such as roots and greens – grapes are very picky and fickle, creating optimal growing conditions which don’t normally exist in North Carolina.

But, according to the Winston-Salem Journal, Clyde and Pat Colwell have managed to develop organic products very successfully at their winery, Carolina Heritage Vineyard and Winery.

By selecting a grassy area behind an old railroad station about 1,000 feet above sea level, the Colwell’s created their 35-acre farm that isn’t too humid and has good air flow. While the property was originally overridden with brambles, the duo cleared it out by hand, being sure to maintain an organic process.

The Colwell’s have harvested 12.5 acres thus far, and just planted an additional 10 acres with five new hybrids of grape varieties – a tactic that allows them to create grapes more suitable to the humid climate. The winery annually produces more cases each year, putting out 1,500 this year.

“The Colwells have done a great thing by showing other potential growers that it is possible to produce organic wine in North Carolina,” David Bower, an viticulture professor at the Surry Community College, told the source.

While, at this point, the Colwell’s only market their wines as being “made with organic ingredients” rather than purely “organic,” the winery does plan to soon produce purely organic wines as more of their property becomes suitable for this type of production.

As the Colwell’s plan to offer organic wines and have earned a few awards for their current stable of varietals, it may benefit them to use both these traits as marketing tactics. By using a Primera LX900 color label printer to do so, the Colwells can ensure that their wines separate themselves from the competition on the shelves of retailers across North Carolina.