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City Council votes to allow more Charlotte wineries

New wineries and cideries could soon open up in Charlotte thanks to a local petition.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- New wineries and cideries could soon open up in Charlotte thanks to a local petition.

The Charlotte City Council voted in favor Monday night to allow placement of wineries and cideries in the same urban and industrial zoning as breweries in the Queen City.

The petition would also add the identical conditions for wineries that currently exist for breweries.

Brian Beauchemin, found and head cider maker for GoodRoad CiderWorks, said it took a long time to get his business up and running since his cidery is actually classified as a winery.

“It took us two years to find this property, and it’s because we were restricted to an industrial use zoning,” Beauchemin said.

The business moved into a building on Southside Drive close to other breweries and distilleries.

Beauchemin said business has been great in its first year, but it took longer than expected to find the perfect spot due to the zoning restrictions against wineries.

“It’s time for the wineries, cideries to be treated like the breweries and have a fair shake in the marketplace,” Beauchemin said.

Breweries really started buzzing in Charlotte in 2013. New zoning ordinances at the time allowed breweries to pop up in urban and industrial areas, making it easier for customers to enjoy a local beer.

“I think it gives us a chance to support our local economy, as well as a good gathering place for people,” said Don Flick, a patron of breweries.

The zoning ordinances allowed the breweries to flourish, with the Charlotte area now playing host to dozens. The breweries could then move into spots such as South End that have spots zoned for mix use.

Even with so many breweries in the Charlotte market, customers like Flick said there’s still room for some variety.

“Not everyone is a fan of beer,” Flick said. “you know, it’d be good to have an outlet for wine, in addition to beer.”

GoodRoad CiderWorks said it doesn’t plan to move anytime soon, even if the zoning amendment passes, but Beauchemin said it would be good to have the option for the future.

“It’s a great time to be doing cider, mead, and wine in general,” Beauchemin said.

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