MOUNT AIRY, N.C. — If someone asked you to name an industry that fared well through the pandemic most would say pharmaceutical companies or maybe companies that make protective gear like masks. But I'll bet you wouldn't have said...wineries. Believe it or not, they are thriving. At least in the Yadkin Valley region.
"We have grown our number of wineries on the Yadkin Valley Wine Trail to 20 with the last 4 or 5 opening right in the middle of the pandemic," said tourism director Jessica Roberts, "And one of the reasons is their individual stories. Each one has a great story behind it. Some came from old tobacco farms and some were started by families that have long histories in the area."
Another factor is the fact that wineries take a lot of space by nature which makes them an easy fit to social distance.