Wine series: Take a trip to Medoc Mountain

State park land was once home to winery, more

MEDOC MOUNTAIN, N.C. – Now wait a minute.
This is Halifax County, N.C., the home of Roanoke Rapids and Scotland Neck, and, all around, the land looks flat – rolling hills, at best.
But what’s this – a mountain?
“That’s typically the first question – ‘Where is the mountain?’ ” said Joseph Shimel, the superintendent of Halifax County’s Medoc Mountain State Park.
Indeed, Shimel said, many visitors show up here, many miles east of Raleigh, looking for more than a molehill.
They want a mountain, Shimel said – just like the park sign says.
What they find is the park’s namesake, a ridge protruding about 325 feet above sea level. It’s made of granite – a hard rock that does not erode easily.
“It is not a mountain,” said Christina Gordon, the eco-heritage tourism manager for Halifax County. “But it is a remnant of an ancient mountain range.”
What’s more, there is no higher point of land between here and the Atlantic Ocean.

WINE HISTORY
Before it was a state park, the land along the boundaries Medoc Mountain State Park was the site of an early North Carolina vineyard owned by Sidney Weller in the 1840s.
At that time, Weller produced an acclaimed wine called “Weller’s Halifax,” and visitors to Weller’s Vineyards could pay 50 cents to have a picnic, eat all the grapes they wanted and be entertained by singers.
Weller helped develop the American system of grape culture and winemaking. For one, he grew hybrids of native scuppernongs, rather than using imported grapes.
Following Weller’s death in 1854, the Garrett family acquired the land and bestowed the “Mecoc” moniker on the mountain, giving it that name for the Bordeaux region of France – an area famous for its vineyards.
The Garretts also continued to grow grapes – on as much as 85 acres, making Medoc Mountain’s one of the largest vineyards east of the Rocky Mountains.
Prohibition would later drain the winemaking business, however, and, in later years, grapes were grown simply to produce juice.

ON THE MOUNTAIN
Pronunciations vary. Some call the mountain “mee-dough” while others call it “Mee-dock” or “Med-eck.”
You can hike to the top of Medoc Mountain. Still, for anyone who lives in the mountains, a climb here will seem more like a hike up a hill.
Species not prevalent in the piedmont, such as chestnut oak and mountain laurel, line the Summit Loop Trail, leading to the peak, said park ranger Ed Wilkerson.
“It mimics a mountain habitat,” Wilkerson said.
The mountain was the site of a Boy Scout camp in the 1920s. Years later, Medoc Mountain was made into a state park in the 1970s.

‘FUN CHALLENGE’
Besides hiking, canoeing for a couple of miles along the narrow path of Little Fishing Creek is popular, Wilkerson said.
“The creek averages about 5 feet deep,” Wilkerson said. “So it’s a person-friendly creek.”
Majestically, trees droop over forested banks caked with moss and shaggy grass. The creek harbors sunfish, largemouth bass, chain pickerel – and the rare Carolina mudpuppy, a large aquatic salamander.
Little Fishing Creek runs mostly flat – except for one small chute and a tiny set of riffles.
Still, any canoe trip will require stopping to move around logs and fallen branches.
“It presents a fun challenge,” said Annette Liggett-Lineberger, a recent visitor from Greensboro, N.C. “It’s enough to keep you interested. And it’s a beautiful area.”

IF YOU GO
What: Medoc Mountain State Park
Where: 1541 Medoc State Park Road, Hollister, N.C., in Halifax County, near Roanoke Rapids and I-95.
Details: Year-round hiking; camping; canoe trips available, May 1 through Sept. 30. Fish for bass or bluegill on Little Fishing Creek.
Info: (252) 586-6588 or (800) 522-4282