Childress wines make into China

Some of the grapes being harvested at Childress Vineyards could end up in wine bottles served in restaurants in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.

While a lot of local furniture and textile manufacturing has moved to Asia, Davidson County's largest winery is actually exporting its products to China and, soon, South Korea.

"About 10 percent of our sales now go to China," said Mark Friszolowski, winemaker at Childress Vineyards, on Wednesday morning as loads of just-picked pinot gris grapes were unloaded at the crush pad in back of the winery.

Friszolowski said the winery began selling wine to China in 2006, starting in Hong Kong and now spreading to Shanghai and Beijing with South Korea to follow. He said talks have begun with distributors in Japan.