Local News - December 2003

Son starts winery for father

Family, drink could be good for the heart

By AMY WADSWORTH, Staff Writer

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Lincoln County residents will soon have their first winery, Woodmill Vineyard.

The process has been going on for a number of years. Larry Cagle Jr.’s main motivation in starting a winery has been his father, who had bypass surgery in the late 1980s.

On Cagle’s recent trips to France he noticed the French drink a lot of red wine. Studies show the French have a very low risk of heart disease.

Cagle family has a history of heart problems, leading to his uncle’s death at the age of 40 from a heart attack. Cagle has a second uncle who died of a stroke.

 He thinks he has finally found a way to help the problem, by drinking more red wine, like the French.

The wine he has come to love is made from muscadine grapes. These types of grapes are very good for the body due to a high level of antioxidants, ellagic acid, dietary fiber, no saturated fat and no cholesterol.

Numerous studies show that muscadines may help inhibit the growth of abnormal cells, help reduce muscle and joint pains and help promote cardiovascular health. It also may help slow the aging process.

 “I knew these types of grapes would be good for Dad,” Cagle said.

There will be a selection of three types of wine, Dixie Gold, Terra and Ison. The three types are sweet, semi-sweet and semi-dry.

Cagle already has a vineyard located in Vale.

He does his experiments in his wood shop located in Iron Station with his father, Larry Cagle Sr.

The wood shop is a family business that the Cagle’s have been running together for 15 years. They make custom cabinets.

The goal for the Cagle’s is to be licensed to sell wine by next year. They hope to be selling the wine by 2005. Cagle speculates they will be in full production by 2008.

Once the vineyard is open Cagle will include an antique woodshop for guests to tour through.

There is also the hope to have weddings.

“We want to provide the winery as a meeting place,” he said.

There are only four muscadine wineries in North Carolina and Cagle said he intends to be the fifth.

The purpose of the winery is to improve the health of his father.

 “I love my father, he is my best friend,” he said. “We work in the wood shop together and I want him to work in the winery with me, we always have joint ventures.”

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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