HISTORY & HEALTH | bennett-vineyards

Our History

          Bennett Estate Vineyards is part of a wine making history that runs deep in eastern NC. Wine making in NC peaked before the Civil War with 25 small wineries spread across the state. By 1840, NC was the largest wine producing state in the Union. NC continued to be the number one producing state until the Civil War (1861-1863). Shortly after the Civil War ended, NC regained its prior position in the field. This continued until the Era of Prohibition (1919-1933). After Prohibition, NC never regained the wine producing leadership.
          Decades after the Prohibition, R. O. Godley discovered that the sandy soil of the Wiley T. Bennett Plantation located on Durham Creek south of Edward, NC once harvested grapes to make wine. Godley also found complementary reports and testaments praising the wine crafted from these grapes. These publicized observations became widespread and stimulated interest of local wine connoisseurs.
         By 1992, no vineyard was currently producing the traditional homemade scuppernong and muscadine wines. Hence, the Bennett Estate Vineyard’s 1840 original recipes were followed to make a modern version of that same homemade wine. After much critique from local traditional wine vintners, Bennett Estate Vineyards succeeded in developing wines that would impress their fore fathers. This praise convinced the proprietors of Bennett Estate Vineyards to produce a variety of homemade wines for all to enjoy.

Bennett Estate Vineyards is proud of their success in restoring the lost and forgotten art of North Carolinian wine. We invite you to come enjoy our wine and taste a significant part of American history.

Owners of the Estate and Vineyard

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Health Benefits

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         It has been recently discovered that muscadine and scuppernong grapes, grown only in southeastern United States, are one of the world’s best natural sources of the powerful antioxidant RESVERATROL. This antioxidant is identified as the substance in French wines that is responsible for the “French Paradox”. RESVERATROL in French wines allows the French to consume substantial amounts of animal and vegetable fats without suffering from cardiovascular problems associated with such a diet in the United States.
          Studies conducted by Campbell University found that wines made from our native muscadine and scuppernong grapes have up to seven times the amounts of RESVERATROL found in French wines. Botanists believe that these high levels of RESVERATROL are developed as a defense mechanism by our grapes because of the stresses placed upon the vines by the hot, humid climate of the southeastern United States.
          The National Institutes of Health is funding continuing experiments of the effects of RESVERATROL on cancer. Laboratory results of experiments conducted by the School of Pharmacy of the University of Chicago indicate that RESVERATROL interferes with cancer formation at three different states in the development of cancer.
          All of the wines produced by Bennett Estate Vineyards are made from muscadine and scuppernong grapes grown in our vineyards located between the Neuse and the Pamlico Rivers. Bennett estate Vineyards is the only estate bottler of wine in North Carolina. Our production methods are designed to present to our customers the very best product produced by the most natural processes.
         Please visit ncmuscadine.org further information about the health benefits of our wine or by viewing http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs085