Reps. Foxx and Taylor Secures Funding to Create Jobs in North Carolina’s Growing Viticulture Industry

WASHINGTON, DC – Western North Carolina Representatives Charles Taylor and Virginia Foxx have secured $1 million to help create jobs in agriculture and other aspects of North Carolina’s rapidly growing wine industry. Funding for the project is part of the fiscal year 2006 Science, State, Justice, Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Conference report that was passed the House of Representatives this week. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation soon.

The funding will be used to create the Appalachian Enology and Viticulture Services Center which will be located at Appalachian State University in Boone. The center will consist of laboratories and training facilities dedicated to providing the expanding wine industry in North Carolina with training, quality monitoring, marketing assistance, and site-specific analytical services. The winemaking industry in North Carolina consists of 350 vineyards and 42 wineries on over 1500 acres. The number of wineries has more than doubled since 1999. The economic impact of this growing production will be in excess of $1 billion in the state of North Carolina in the near future. This proposal seeks to establish a facility to aid commercial ventures in all aspects of production from harvest to sale of the final product.

“My goal in securing these funds is to create new jobs for all of Western North Carolina,” said Rep. Taylor.  “The winemaking business has grown so fast that grape growers are not able to keep up with the demand, so the industry is forced to turn to other states to buy grapes. These funds could be a tremendous incentive to some of our tobacco farmers who are looking for alternative crops. I believe this program will be the catalyst to create a lot of new jobs statewide.”

Kenneth E. Peacock, Chancellor of Appalachian State University said “Appalachian is excited to be a partner with the state’s growing wine industry. And we are grateful to U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx’s and U.S. Rep. Taylor’s support of these efforts. I am particularly proud of the faculty who have helped drive this initiative on our campus. Through this grant, we will establish the Appalachian State Wine Services Laboratory that will provide quality control testing and other analytical services to the region’s wineries, research and service in support of the future growth of North Carolina's winegrowing community."

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