South Carolina's Upstate & Midlands Wine Country — From the Blue Ridge Foothills to the Fall Line

Drive north from Columbia on Interstate 26 and the landscape changes gradually but unmistakably. The flat, sandy soils of the Midlands give way to rolling red clay hills. The longleaf pine forests thin and the hardwoods thicken. The rivers run faster and clearer. By the time you reach Greenville, the Blue Ridge escarpment fills the western horizon — a wall of granite and forest rising abruptly from the Piedmont plain, its ridgelines catching the afternoon clouds. You are in the Upstate now, and the wine country begins here.

South Carolina's Upstate and Midlands regions are not the first places most wine lovers think of when they consider American wine. The state's wine identity, to the extent it has one in the national conversation, is anchored in the Lowcountry — the Muscadine tradition of the sea islands, the tasting rooms of Wadmalaw Island, the wine bars of Charleston's French Quarter. The inland regions are less known, less visited, and less written about.

But the wine being made in the Upstate and Midlands is more interesting than its low profile suggests. The Blue Ridge foothills of Oconee, Pickens, and Anderson counties offer vineyard sites of genuine quality — elevations high enough to moderate the summer heat, granite and clay soils with excellent drainage, and a growing season long enough to ripen a meaningful range of varieties. The Piedmont counties stretching south toward Columbia have their own character: red clay soils, a warmer and more humid climate, and a Muscadine tradition that connects the modern wine industry to the deep agricultural history of the South Carolina interior.

Together, the Upstate and Midlands form a wine region that is still in the early stages of defining itself — a place where the relationship between the land and the wine is being worked out in real time, and where the most interesting discoveries are still ahead.

The Upstate and Midlands of South Carolina encompass two geologically and climatically distinct terroirs, each with its own implications for viticulture.

The Upstate region — roughly the northwestern quarter of South Carolina, bounded by the Blue Ridge to the north and west and the Piedmont plain to the south and east — is defined by the transition from the ancient metamorphic rocks of the Appalachian highlands to the granite and gneiss of the Piedmont. The terrain is rolling to hilly, with elevations ranging from about 800 feet in the lower Piedmont to over 3,500 feet at Sassafras Mountain — the highest point in South Carolina — in Pickens County.

The soils of the Upstate are predominantly clay-rich, derived from the weathering of the underlying granite and metamorphic rock. The Cecil series — a deep, well-drained red clay loam that is the signature soil of the southern Piedmont — dominates the vineyard sites of the region, providing good drainage, moderate fertility, and the mineral character that reflects the ancient geology of the Appalachian basement. At the higher elevations near the Blue Ridge escarpment, the soils become thinner and stonier, with more exposed granite and a character closer to the mountain soils of the north Georgia Blue Ridge than to the deeper clays of the lower Piedmont.

The climate of the Upstate is warm and humid — warmer than the north Georgia mountains to the west, but meaningfully cooler than the Lowcountry to the south and east. The Blue Ridge escarpment creates a natural barrier that moderates the summer heat in the foothills, and the elevation of the higher vineyard sites provides additional cooling. Diurnal temperature swings of fifteen to twenty degrees Fahrenheit are common at the better-elevated sites, preserving the natural acidity and aromatic complexity that make wine interesting.

The growing season in the Upstate runs from approximately April through October — long enough to ripen a broad range of varieties, including some of the more demanding vinifera grapes that struggle in the hotter, more humid conditions of the Lowcountry. The summer humidity creates disease pressure from powdery mildew and black rot, but the better-drained, better-ventilated sites on the Piedmont ridges and foothills manage this pressure more effectively than the flat, humid terrain of the coastal plain.

The Midlands region — the broad swath of South Carolina between the Upstate and the Lowcountry, centered on the state capital of Columbia — occupies the transition zone between the Piedmont and the coastal plain. The Fall Line — the geological boundary where the hard crystalline rocks of the Piedmont meet the softer sedimentary rocks of the coastal plain — runs roughly through Columbia, and the soils and topography change noticeably on either side of it.

North and west of the Fall Line, the Midlands Piedmont has the red clay soils and rolling terrain that characterize the broader Piedmont region. South and east of the Fall Line, the soils become sandier and the terrain flatter — the beginning of the coastal plain that extends all the way to the Atlantic. The wine culture of the Midlands reflects this duality: Piedmont producers working with clay soils and a cooler, more variable climate; coastal plain producers working with sandy soils and the warmer, more humid conditions that favor Muscadine and disease-resistant hybrid varieties.

The climate of the Midlands is warmer and more humid than the Upstate, with summer temperatures regularly exceeding 95°F in Columbia and the surrounding area. The heat and humidity create significant challenges for vinifera viticulture, but they are well-suited to the Muscadine varieties that have been grown in the South Carolina interior for centuries, and to the newer generation of heat-tolerant hybrid varieties that are expanding the range of what is possible in the region's vineyards.

The geological story of the South Carolina Upstate and Midlands is one of the most complex in the eastern United States — a record of ancient mountain-building events, continental collisions, and hundreds of millions of years of erosion that has produced the diverse mosaic of rock types and soil series that underlies the region's wine country.

The oldest rocks in the region are the metamorphic gneisses and schists of the Inner Piedmont belt — rocks that were formed deep in the roots of the ancient Appalachian mountains during the Taconic and Acadian orogenies, roughly 450 to 375 million years ago. These rocks, exposed by hundreds of millions of years of erosion, form the basement of the Upstate wine country and contribute the mineral character — particularly the iron, magnesium, and trace elements — that distinguishes the region's soils from those of the coastal plain.

The granite intrusions that punctuate the Upstate landscape — including the granite of Sassafras Mountain and the surrounding Blue Ridge foothills — were emplaced during the Alleghanian orogeny, roughly 300 million years ago, when the African and North American plates collided to form the supercontinent Pangaea. The weathering of these granite bodies has produced the sandy, well-drained soils of the higher Upstate vineyard sites — soils that are lower in clay content and higher in silica than the deeper Cecil clays of the lower Piedmont, and that produce wines with a lighter body and a more pronounced mineral character.

The red color of the Piedmont soils — one of the most distinctive visual features of the South Carolina interior — is the product of iron oxide minerals, particularly hematite and goethite, that have accumulated in the soil profile over millions of years of weathering. The iron-rich Cecil and Pacolet soil series that dominate the Upstate vineyard sites are among the most distinctive in the eastern United States, and their influence on the character of the wines grown in them is real and measurable.

The grape varieties grown in the South Carolina Upstate and Midlands reflect the dual character of the region — a mix of vinifera varieties that perform well in the cooler, better-drained Upstate sites, hybrid varieties that bridge the gap between vinifera quality and Southern climate tolerance, and native Muscadine varieties that have been part of the South Carolina agricultural tradition for centuries.

Cabernet Franc is the most successful red vinifera variety in the Upstate, performing well at the higher-elevation sites in Oconee, Pickens, and Anderson counties where the cooler nights and better drainage reduce disease pressure and preserve the variety's characteristic aromatic precision. The best Upstate Cabernet Francs have a freshness and a mineral quality that reflects the granite and clay soils of the foothills — red currant, dried herbs, and a savory, earthy character that distinguishes them from the riper, more extracted examples grown in warmer climates.

Merlot is widely grown across the Upstate and upper Midlands, producing wines that range from soft and approachable at the lower-elevation sites to more structured and complex at the better-drained foothills locations. The variety's adaptability to a range of soil types and its relatively early ripening make it one of the most reliable red varieties in the region, and several Upstate producers have made it the centerpiece of their red wine programs.

Viognier leads the white vinifera program in the Upstate, as it does across much of the American South. The variety's aromatic intensity — peach, apricot, honeysuckle, and a distinctive floral lift — is well-suited to the warm growing conditions of the Piedmont, and the best Upstate examples have a richness and a complexity that makes them genuinely compelling. At the higher-elevation sites near the Blue Ridge foothills, Viognier takes on a freshness and a mineral quality that the variety does not always achieve in warmer climates.

Chardonnay is produced by several Upstate wineries in a style that reflects the warm growing conditions of the region — fuller-bodied and richer than the mountain Chardonnays of the north Georgia Blue Ridge, but with enough acidity and structure to be genuinely food-friendly. The best examples are aged in a combination of French oak and stainless steel, preserving the fruit character of the variety while adding the complexity that oak aging provides.

Blanc du Bois — the University of Florida hybrid that has become the most important white variety for producers working in the hot, humid conditions of the American South — is grown by several Midlands producers, where its disease resistance and its ability to retain acidity in hot conditions make it the most reliable white variety for the coastal plain sites. The wines it produces have a crisp, citrusy character and a floral aromatics that are genuinely appealing, and they pair naturally with the barbecue, fried chicken, and fresh vegetables that define the South Carolina Midlands table.

Chambourcin — the French-American hybrid widely grown in the eastern United States — performs well across the Upstate and Midlands, producing wines with a medium body, dark fruit character, and a clean, food-friendly finish. Several producers use Chambourcin as the backbone of their red blends, where its structure and deep color contribute to wines of genuine complexity.

Traminette — the Cornell-developed hybrid with Gewürztraminer lineage — has found a home in several Upstate vineyards, where its disease resistance and its aromatic intensity make it one of the most interesting white varieties in the region. The best Upstate Traminettes have a lychee and rose petal character that rivals the best examples from the north Georgia mountains, with a freshness and a food-friendliness that makes them natural companions to the spicy, complex flavors of South Carolina cuisine.

Muscadine — the native Vitis rotundifolia that is the foundation of the Southern wine tradition — is grown across the Midlands and lower Upstate, where the warm, humid conditions that challenge vinifera viticulture are ideal for the thick-skinned native grape. The Carlos, Noble, and Scuppernong varieties that dominate the Midlands Muscadine program produce wines that range from sweet and fruity to dry and structured, and the best examples have a depth and a cultural resonance that connects them to the deep history of winemaking in the South Carolina interior.

Montmorenci Vineyards is one of the most historically significant wine estates in South Carolina — a family property in Aiken County, on the Piedmont side of the Fall Line, that has been producing wine from estate-grown grapes since the early 1990s. The winery takes its name from the historic Montmorenci plantation that once occupied the property, and it has built a wine program that is as rooted in the character of the South Carolina Piedmont as any in the state.

The vineyard sits on the red clay soils of the Aiken Plateau — a broad, gently rolling upland that occupies the transition zone between the Piedmont and the coastal plain — at an elevation of about 500 feet. The soils are well-drained and moderately fertile, with the iron-rich character that is the signature of the southern Piedmont, and the climate is warm enough to ripen a broad range of varieties while remaining cool enough at night to preserve the natural acidity that gives the wines their structure.

The wine program at Montmorenci covers a range of varieties, with particular strength in the red lineup. The Cabernet Franc is the flagship wine — aromatic, savory, and structured, with the red currant and dried herb character that the variety shows at its best in warm Piedmont conditions. The Merlot is soft and approachable, with a dark plum and cherry character and a clean, food-friendly finish. The Viognier is consistently well-made, with the peach and honeysuckle aromatics that make the variety so distinctive in the South Carolina climate.

Montmorenci is also one of the few South Carolina producers to work seriously with Chambourcin, producing a structured, food-friendly red that has developed a devoted following among serious wine drinkers in the Aiken area. The winery's tasting room — a converted historic building on the plantation property — is one of the most atmospheric in the state, and the combination of history, landscape, and wine makes a visit to Montmorenci one of the most distinctive wine experiences in the South Carolina interior.

Stonewall Creek Vineyards is located in Spartanburg County, in the rolling Piedmont hills between Spartanburg and the North Carolina border, at an elevation of approximately 900 feet. The winery is a small family operation that has built a devoted following in the Upstate for its honest, food-friendly wines and its commitment to expressing the specific character of its Piedmont site.

The vineyard is planted on the red clay soils of the Spartanburg Piedmont, with a south-facing orientation that maximizes sun exposure and promotes even ripening. The wine program focuses on the varieties that perform best in the Upstate climate: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Viognier, and Traminette, with a range of blends that showcase the complementary qualities of the Piedmont-grown fruit.

The Traminette at Stonewall Creek is one of the most distinctive wines in the Upstate lineup — intensely aromatic, with the lychee and rose petal character that makes the variety so recognizable, balanced by a freshness and a mineral quality that reflects the clay soils of the Spartanburg Piedmont. It is a wine that rewards the curious drinker who approaches it without preconceptions, and it has become one of the most talked-about whites in the South Carolina wine community.

The tasting room at Stonewall Creek is welcoming and unpretentious — a family operation in the truest sense, where the owners are often pouring the wines themselves and the conversation is as much about the land and the growing season as about the wines in the glass.

Windy Hill Orchard and Winery is located in York County, in the rolling Piedmont hills southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina — a location that places it at the northern edge of the South Carolina Upstate wine country, within easy reach of the Charlotte metropolitan area. The winery combines a working apple and peach orchard with a wine program that draws on both the estate fruit and purchased grapes from across the South Carolina Piedmont.

The wine program at Windy Hill covers a broad range of styles, from dry vinifera wines to fruit wines made from the estate's orchard production. The apple wines — made from the estate's heritage apple varieties — are among the most distinctive in the South Carolina wine landscape, with a freshness and a complexity that reflects the quality of the orchard fruit. The peach wine is equally compelling, made from the estate's South Carolina peaches and capturing the character of the state's most celebrated agricultural product.

The vinifera program at Windy Hill focuses on Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Viognier, produced in a style that is accessible and food-friendly. The Cabernet Franc is the most interesting wine in the lineup — aromatic and savory, with the red currant and dried herb character that the variety shows at its best in cool Piedmont conditions.

The tasting room and orchard at Windy Hill are among the most family-friendly wine destinations in the Upstate — a working farm with a welcoming atmosphere that draws visitors from across the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill metropolitan area.

Cellar 4201 is an urban winery in the heart of Greenville's rapidly growing downtown — a production facility and tasting room that sources grapes from across South Carolina and the broader Southeast to produce wines that reflect the character of the region's best vineyard sites. The winery is part of the broader transformation of downtown Greenville into one of the most vibrant small-city food and wine destinations in the American South, and it has played an important role in building awareness and appreciation for South Carolina wine among the city's sophisticated dining public.

The wine program at Cellar 4201 covers a range of varieties and styles, with a particular emphasis on the varieties that perform best in the South Carolina climate. The Viognier is consistently well-made — aromatic and precise, with the peach and honeysuckle character the variety is known for. The Chambourcin is one of the better examples of the variety in South Carolina — structured, food-friendly, and genuinely interesting as a companion to the barbecue and Southern cuisine that define the Greenville table.

Cellar 4201 also produces a range of Muscadine wines that connect the urban winery to the native grape tradition of the South Carolina interior — sweet and dry styles that introduce the Muscadine to a new generation of wine drinkers who may be encountering the variety for the first time.

The tasting room at Cellar 4201 is one of the most stylish in the South Carolina wine landscape — a well-appointed urban space that reflects the energy and sophistication of downtown Greenville, and that serves as a gathering place for the city's growing community of wine enthusiasts.

Keowee Vineyards is located in Oconee County, near the town of Seneca, in the Blue Ridge foothills at the western edge of the South Carolina Upstate. The winery sits on the shores of Lake Keowee — the reservoir created by the Duke Energy hydroelectric system on the Keowee River — at an elevation of approximately 900 feet, with views of the Blue Ridge escarpment to the north and west.

The vineyard is planted on the granite-rich soils of the Oconee County foothills, with a south-facing orientation that maximizes sun exposure and promotes even ripening. The combination of granite soils, cool nights, and the moderating influence of the lake creates growing conditions that are among the best in the South Carolina Upstate, and the wines reflect that quality with a precision and a mineral character that distinguishes them from lower-elevation examples.

The wine program at Keowee focuses on the varieties that perform best in the Blue Ridge foothills climate: Cabernet Franc, Viognier, and Traminette, with a range of blends that showcase the complementary qualities of the foothills-grown fruit. The Cabernet Franc is the flagship wine — intensely aromatic, with a mineral precision that reflects the granite soils and the cool nights of the Oconee County foothills. The Viognier is equally impressive — rich and aromatic, with a freshness and a complexity that reflects the quality of the foothills site.

The tasting room at Keowee Vineyards is one of the most beautifully situated in South Carolina — a lakeside facility with panoramic views of Lake Keowee and the Blue Ridge escarpment, where the setting enhances the wine and the wine enhances the setting.

Duplin Winery — the North Carolina-based Muscadine specialist that is one of the largest wine producers in the American South — has extended its reach into the South Carolina Midlands through retail partnerships and tasting room locations that introduce the Muscadine tradition to a broad audience of South Carolina wine drinkers. The Duplin wines — produced primarily from Carlos, Noble, and Scuppernong grapes grown in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina and South Carolina — represent the most accessible entry point into the Muscadine wine style, and they have played an important role in building awareness of the native grape tradition across the South Carolina interior.

The Duplin lineup covers the full range of Muscadine styles, from the sweet, fruity Carlos-based whites that are the most popular with casual wine drinkers to the dry, structured Noble reds that appeal to more serious wine enthusiasts. The best Duplin wines are honest, well-made expressions of the Muscadine variety — not trying to be something they are not, but presenting the native grape in its most appealing form.

Saluda Grade Winery is located in Saluda County, in the Midlands Piedmont between Columbia and the Upstate, at an elevation of approximately 600 feet. The winery takes its name from the historic Saluda Grade — the steep railroad incline that was one of the engineering marvels of the 19th-century American South — and it has built a wine program that reflects the character of the Midlands Piedmont with honesty and ambition.

The vineyard is planted on the red clay soils of the Saluda County Piedmont, with a mix of vinifera and hybrid varieties that reflects the dual character of the Midlands climate. The Chambourcin is the most interesting wine in the lineup — structured, food-friendly, and genuinely complex, with a dark fruit and earthy character that reflects the iron-rich clay soils of the Piedmont. The Viognier is well-made and aromatic, with the peach and honeysuckle character that the variety is known for in the South Carolina climate.

Saluda Grade also produces a range of Muscadine wines that connect the winery to the native grape tradition of the South Carolina interior, and the best examples — particularly the dry Noble — have a depth and a complexity that surprises drinkers who approach them with low expectations.

Rush Creek Vineyards is located in Lexington County, in the Midlands Piedmont southwest of Columbia, at an elevation of approximately 450 feet. The winery is a small family operation that has built a devoted following in the Columbia metropolitan area for its approachable, food-friendly wines and its welcoming tasting room atmosphere.

The wine program at Rush Creek covers a range of varieties, with particular strength in the hybrid lineup. The Blanc du Bois is the most distinctive wine in the white program — crisp, citrusy, and floral, with a freshness and a food-friendliness that makes it a natural companion to the barbecue, fried chicken, and fresh vegetables that define the Midlands table. The Chambourcin is well-made and approachable, with a dark fruit character and a clean finish that makes it one of the most food-friendly reds in the Midlands lineup.

Rush Creek is also known for its fruit wines — peach, blackberry, and strawberry — that draw on the agricultural traditions of the surrounding Lexington County farmland. The peach wine, made from locally grown South Carolina peaches, is a genuine expression of the state's most celebrated agricultural product, and it has developed a devoted following among visitors who appreciate its fresh, clean character.

Greenville has undergone one of the most remarkable urban transformations in the American South over the past two decades — a former textile mill city that has reinvented itself as a destination for food, culture, and outdoor recreation, with a downtown that rivals any small city in the country for the quality and diversity of its restaurants, bars, and cultural institutions.

The wine culture of Greenville reflects that transformation. The city's restaurant scene — built on a foundation of Southern cuisine, international influences, and a commitment to local and regional ingredients — has created a context for wine that is genuinely sophisticated, and the wine bars and wine-focused restaurants of the downtown have developed a real appreciation for South Carolina wine alongside the international selections that dominate their lists.

The Swamp Rabbit Trail — the paved greenway that runs through the heart of Greenville's West End neighborhood and extends into the surrounding countryside — has become one of the most important connectors between the city's food and wine culture and the rural wine country of the surrounding Upstate. Several wineries and wine-related businesses have located along or near the trail, and the combination of outdoor recreation and wine discovery that it enables is one of the most distinctive features of the Greenville wine experience.

The Greenville wine festival circuit — including the Euphoria food and wine festival held each September — has been an important platform for South Carolina wine producers, giving them access to an audience of serious food and wine enthusiasts who might not otherwise seek out the state's wines. The festivals have played a significant role in building awareness and appreciation for Upstate wine among Greenville's sophisticated dining public.

Columbia — the state capital and the largest city in South Carolina — sits at the center of the Midlands wine region, and its wine culture reflects the dual character of the surrounding landscape: a mix of Piedmont producers working with clay soils and a cooler, more variable climate, and coastal plain producers working with sandy soils and the warmer, more humid conditions that favor Muscadine and hybrid varieties.

The wine bars and restaurants of the Five Points and Vista neighborhoods — Columbia's most vibrant entertainment districts — feature South Carolina wines alongside a broad selection of domestic and international bottles, and the best of them have developed a genuine appreciation for the wines of the Midlands and Upstate. The University of South Carolina's presence in the city creates a large and enthusiastic audience for wine education and discovery, and several Columbia wine shops and bars have built their reputations on introducing the state's wines to a new generation of wine drinkers.

The South Carolina State Fair — held each October in Columbia — is one of the most important platforms for South Carolina wine producers, with a wine competition that showcases the full range of what the state's wineries are producing. The fair's wine competition has been an important driver of quality improvement across the South Carolina wine industry, and the wines that win medals there represent the best of what the state's producers are achieving.

South Carolina has one of the most distinctive barbecue traditions in the United States — a tradition that is defined not by a single style but by four distinct regional sauces: the mustard-based sauce of the Midlands, the vinegar-and-pepper sauce of the Pee Dee, the heavy tomato sauce of the Upstate, and the light tomato sauce of the coast. Each sauce style creates different pairing challenges and opportunities for the wines of the region.

The mustard-based barbecue of the Midlands — the most distinctive and most South Carolina-specific of the four styles — is one of the most interesting wine pairing challenges in American cuisine. The combination of mustard's acidity and sharpness, the sweetness of the brown sugar and vinegar that balance it, and the richness of the slow-cooked pork creates a flavor profile that demands a wine with enough acidity to cut through the fat, enough fruit to complement the sweetness, and enough structure to stand up to the intensity of the sauce.

The wines of the South Carolina Upstate and Midlands are, in many ways, ideally suited to this challenge. The Chambourcin and Cabernet Franc reds have the acidity and the savory character that complement the mustard sauce. The Blanc du Bois and Viognier whites have the freshness and the aromatic intensity that cut through the richness of the pork. And the dry Muscadine wines — with their earthy, tannic character and their deep connection to the food culture of the South Carolina interior — are perhaps the most natural companions of all to the state's most distinctive culinary tradition.

The South Carolina Upstate and Midlands wine country is spread across a larger geographic area than the Lowcountry wine trail, and a serious exploration of the region requires at least two days and careful planning.

Greenville is the natural base for a visit to the Upstate wine country — a city with excellent accommodations, outstanding restaurants, and easy access to the Blue Ridge foothills wineries of Oconee, Pickens, and Anderson counties. The city is about 100 miles northwest of Columbia and about 150 miles northeast of Atlanta, making it accessible from both directions.

Columbia is the natural base for a visit to the Midlands wine country — a city with a lively food and wine scene and easy access to the Piedmont and coastal plain wineries of Lexington, Saluda, and Aiken counties.

The best time to visit is fall — September through November — when the harvest season brings the vineyards and winemaking facilities to life, and the hardwood forests of the Upstate Piedmont begin their color display. The Euphoria festival in Greenville in September is the most concentrated wine event in the Upstate, and it is an excellent introduction to the full range of South Carolina wine culture.

Spring — April through June — is also beautiful, with the dogwoods and azaleas in bloom across the Piedmont and the vineyards just beginning to show their new growth. The crowds are smaller than in the fall, and the cooler temperatures make for comfortable tasting room visits.

The South Carolina Upstate and Midlands wine industry is young, ambitious, and still in the process of discovering what it can be. The producers working in the Blue Ridge foothills are pushing vinifera varieties into terrain that was considered marginal for wine growing a generation ago, and the results are increasingly compelling. The Midlands producers are finding new ways to work with the native Muscadine tradition and the hybrid varieties that bridge the gap between vinifera quality and Southern climate tolerance.

The wine culture of Greenville and Columbia — two of the fastest-growing cities in the American South — is creating a new audience for South Carolina wine: younger, more adventurous, and more willing to explore the wines of their own state than any previous generation. The restaurants, wine bars, and wine shops of both cities are playing an important role in building that audience, and the producers of the Upstate and Midlands are rising to meet it.

The mustard-yellow fields of the Midlands, the red clay hills of the Piedmont, the granite ridges of the Blue Ridge foothills — this is the landscape that shapes the wines of the South Carolina interior, and it is a landscape that is only beginning to reveal what it can produce. The best wines of the Upstate and Midlands are still ahead, and the producers making them are among the most interesting in the American South.