The Vineyard

Today the 84-acre Laurel Gray Estate is planted with 9.5 acres of rolling vineyards, containing French Vinifera varieties: Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Pinot Gris. The soil is a sandy loam, produced from the weathered rock of one of the continent's oldest mountain ranges, which provides a well-drained foundation on which our vines prosper.

Laurel Gray Vineyards is located within the Swan Creek region of the Yadkin Valley. The climate of the Swan Creek area during the growing season is different than other portions of the Yadkin Valley featuring warm days, cooler nights, and less frequent rains. Benny Myers explains one climatic anomaly: "The rain clouds move in from the west. They reach the Brushy Mountains and break apart. One section follows the Yadkin River to the North and one section moves about 10 miles to the South. Very often we miss out on the rain. When the fruit's ripening that's a good thing".

The vineyard elevation is 1100 feet above sea level at the southern base of a small mountain the owners have dubbed "Scarlet Mountain". Summer winds out of the Southwest dry the vines of early morning dews and temperatures are consistently 3 degrees cooler than locations even 1 mile away. As a result the harvest is later, allowing the fruit more time on the vine to develop complex varietal flavors.

The agricultural, artistic, scientific, and business backgrounds of the Myers are reflected in the vineyard. Vertical shoot positioning and balanced pruning practices are used to create the highest quality fruit. Vigorous shoot thinning and leaf positioning are other common practices to ensure high air flow and sunlight to the berries. During the pruning and growing season, each vine is visited an average of 6 to 8 times. Pruning, thinning, and harvesting are all done by hand to guarantee the highest quality vines and fruit. The philosophy at Laurel Gray is to concentrate the flavors within the berries while keeping the vines in balance for future years in order to consistently produce high quality wines.

Winemaking

Laurel Gray Vineyards produces handcrafted Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Scarlet Mountain (Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend), Sultry (Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend), sweet pink Rose 1773, Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve, and sweet white Nectar. Total production varies from 1500 to 1800 cases depending on the year. The wines are crafted under the direction of our winemaker Kent Smith at our onsite processing facility the Yadkin Valley Wine Company. Kent came to the Yadkin Valley Wine Company in January 2007 from Georgia. "As an enology graduate of Fresno State University we were impressed by Kent's wine knowledge and experienced palate, (notes Kim Myers). He brings to the table a nice blend of science, analytics, and artistry. We feel those qualities are exactly what we need in a winemaker to continue our commitment to quality wines".