Governor Stein Proclaims Grape Month

Grape Month

2025

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 – 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; there are more than 525 commercial grape growers with a total over 3,360 acres of vineyards with a total value exceeding $570 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 most 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 flourishing across the state again; and

Whereas, there are currently 187 wineries, including the most visited winery in the United States, and many new vineyards and wineries are in the developmental stage; 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; and

Whereas, 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 promotional efforts on our rich diversity of grape and wine products; state wineries and vineyards significantly enhance tourism by providing unique travel destinations, green space, and aesthetic appeal for family events focused on picking and eating fresh grapes;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim August 2025 as “Grape Month” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all citizens.

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-third day of August in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-fifth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.