A Culinary Institute of America alum, Katherine Counce knew her world wines after studying with wine experts like Kevin Zraly and Michael Weiss in New York and with chef George Blanc in France. She got a closer look at the local scene in 2004 when she and her husband Scott Counce opened the Merry Wine Market in Black Mountain.

Common misconceptions about wine: That cheap wine is not good. Also, that organic wine is not good, and that wine is kind of a snobby topic.

What are your views on North Carolina wines? Local wines are getting better and better. “The vines are getting older, they‘re yielding more superior grapes and people are really pouring money into making some very nice wines.” Some local favorites include South Creek, in Nebo, North Carolina, near Lake James, and Rockhouse Vineyards in Tryon. Rockhouse owner Lee Griffin says the last two summers of drought have actually been good for North Carolina wineries.

Do you think North Carolina wines have lacked sophistication in the past?
Yes and no. It’s still an up-and-coming business… “One thing that’s happening is more wineries now are planting vitis vinifera grapes—old classical wine-making grapes. Before, they relied on grapes that have always been here, indigenous North American grapes like muscadine.”

Which grapes grow well in our climate?
Cabernet franc, an old grape primarily from Bordeaux in France’s Loire Valley. “It tends to need a drippy, wet winter.” Also, Viognier, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.