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LEXINGTON, NC - November 13, 2009 – When NASCAR team owner Richard Childress opened his North Carolina winery in 2004, he never imagined the amount of success that his winery would encounter in five short years. While many may have questioned Childress’ decision to locate his winery in North Carolina, no one could persuade him to do otherwise. Those people, however, must not have known that when Richard Childress sets a goal, he not only accomplishes it - he conquers it.
Over the past five years, Childress Vineyards has thrived. The building is bustling seven days a week with visitors who are touring the facility or tasting their wines. There is also an Italian-style Bistro on-site where guests can have a pizza that pairs perfectly with their glass of Syrah. Weddings are held here on a weekly basis, and the gift shop is a wine lover’s dream. While some may have thought that North Carolina and wine were an odd pairing, Childress ignored them, and it’s clearly paying off.
The location of the winery in Lexington, North Carolina actually lent itself to another spark of ingenuity on Childress’ part. Before the winery came along, Lexington’s primary “claim to fame” was its barbecue. Childress found a unique way to combine the two with the creation of Fine Swine Wine – a wine that Childress Vineyards Winemaker Mark Friszolowski created specifically for pairing with Lexington-style barbecue. The wine has a different label each year designed by local artist Bob Timberlake and is only available the day of Lexington’s Annual Barbecue Festival. Last month, Fine Swine Wine fans began lining up at 7 a.m. to be the first to receive a bottle of their own.
At the time that Richard Childress announced his plans to open a winery in North Carolina, there were only 25 registered wineries in the state. Today, more than 90 wineries call North Carolina home, and more are added to the list every year. “I like to think that we have been a part of the industry’s overall growth,” Childress commented. “It was my dream to be able to produce world-class wines in my home state, and I hope that my story has played a part in encouraging others to do the same.”
So, as Childress now finds himself in the middle of a booming industry, the challenge is no longer to establish his winery, as his wines have already won more than 500 awards, including 100 gold and double-gold medals. Instead, Childress is focused on finessing the wines that he currently produces.
“We do not want to become satisfied,” Childress stated. “Yes, we have enjoyed much success in the past five years, but I want to make sure that we are continuously improving. We have to make sure that we are always progressing and that we are consistently providing our customers with the best experience possible.”
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