NORTH CAROLINA GRAPE MONTH
2024
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, North Carolina is the home of our nation’s first cultivated wine grape, the Scuppernong, known as our state fruit; discovered by Sir Walter Raleigh’s men growing wild on Roanoke Island in 1585, the Scuppernong led North Carolina to become the leading wine-producing state in the United States before prohibition; and
WHEREAS, today, the grape industry continues to be a vital part of the agricultural diversification practiced by many of North Carolina’s farmers, with over 500 commercial grape growers and a total value of over $2.7 million; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina is unique in that every major type of grape – Vitis Vinifera, French American hybrids, Labrusca, and Rotundifolia – is utilized in wine production; these quality products provide North Carolinians and other consumers with a versatile and nutritious commodity; and
WHEREAS, through the cooperation of grape producers, the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council, North Carolina State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, wineries are again flourishing across the state; and
WHEREAS, major studies of health and nutrition indicate that fruits contribute in important ways to the prevention of certain diseases, including cancer and high blood pressure; leading health authorities, including the United States Surgeon General, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society, recommend that Americans eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day for better health; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina grape industry continues to focus its efforts in rich diversity of grape and wine products; state wineries and vineyards significantly enhance tourism by providing unique travel destinations, green space, and aesthetic appeal;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim August, 2024, as “NORTH CAROLINA GRAPE MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.
________________________________________
Roy Cooper
Governor
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twenty-second day of July in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.