Orange County will soon have its first winery on a blueberry farm

Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm may soon expand to include Orange County’s first winery, Botanist and Barrel.

Siblings Kether and Lyndon Smith are part-owners of Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm, and they said farming has been in the family for generations.

“When we were kids, we would go pick blueberries in Pennsylvania,” Kether said. “That was like our favorite family thing, we would have this rustic vacation and the blueberries were this integral part. We just can’t escape blueberries, so this was just kind of meant to be.”

Although it runs in the family, Kether Smith hadn’t intended to become a farmer.

“All these people were like ‘Did you want to be a blueberry farmer?’ I was like no, it never crossed my mind,” she said. “It’s not anything I ever thought about, but it just feels so right. I just can’t imagine not doing it.”

After buying Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm, the siblings soon decided to start a winery, but their plans have hit a few problems along the way.

The farm experienced two late freezes in April which prematurely ended its harvesting season. To keep development running, the siblings started a Kickstarter to accept donations for winery equipment and renovations.

They have currently raised $12,750 toward their $20,000 goal.

The winery will hopefully open on July 4, 2017, the Smith siblings said.

Kether and Lyndon Smith have special plans for the winery and intend for it to be different from traditional wineries.

“Some (wine sellers) show up, and they’re like this is the wine I made,” Lyndon Smith said.

“This is the best thing on earth and you will like it. This is the finished thing and this is the end-all-be-all, and it always bothered me because people like what they like.”

“Why would you want someone to drink anything other than what they want to drink?”

Botanist and Barrel wants to make it possible for visitors to find a wine that suits their tastes best by allowing them to blend wines. While there is an emphasis on blending wines, each wine is also intended to be able to stand on its own.

“The perfect wine is the wine you like,” Lyndon said.

Kether Smith said the winery’s vision includes featuring other local products including cheese, jam, ice cream, tea and other blueberry products.

The winery is also intended to be family-friendly with plans for non-alcoholic beverages for children. They hope to make the winery a destination that offers something for everyone.

The prospect of a winery in Orange County resonated with people who live nearby.

“I think that it’s great. I think we need more local wine and the local aspect of it is also important,” said Shaan Hassan, a Carrboro resident.

Carrboro resident Chris Marthinson also said he was happy about the possible development.

“There’s a distillery right there, another brewery down there, a brewery out in Carrboro, so why not a winery?” he said.

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