Open: Year Round
The vineyard is named for my grandfather, Junius Lindsay Zimmerman, who with his bride, Beatrice Estelle Evans, started Zimmerman Farm in 1894.
Lindsay was the proprietor of The Arcadia Mill and farmed, while Beatrice raised five children and taught school. One son, Lee, returned to the homeplace with his new wife, Cornelia Sink, in 1933. A soil scientist with the Soil Conservation Service, my father knew more about this land than anybody before or since.
Since moving back to the homeplace in the 1990's, the goal has been to preserve the farm for future generations. Recognizing the growing interest in wine in North Carolina, we set about to see if such an idea would work for us.
The first two acres were planted in 2004, growing to nine acres two years later. The plan is to plant two more acres next year. The starting vinifera was Viognier, a rare white variety that originated in Condrieu, on France's Northern Rhône River, that traces its heritage back over 2000 years. Later, other varietals were added: Syrah, Petite Sirah (durif), and Roussanne. Next year they will be joined by Grenache Noir.
Our boutique vineyard serves estate-bottled, nationally acclaimed French-style wines. All of the grape varietals are native to the Rhône Valley of Southern France. While we call ourselves "Rhône Rangers," the overriding goal is to produce wine that reflects the unique characteristics of the vineyard's soil and microclimate, very much in the Old World fashion.
