Duplin Winery at 50: The celebration begins with 1976 Reserve
In 2026, Duplin Winery reaches its golden jubilee, a monumental 50 years of crafting sweet memories and turning America’s native grapes into a national treasure. This celebration isn't just a look back; it is your invitation to taste a journey defined by grit and grace. Through five limited-edition reserve wines, we are sharing our story one bottle at a time, each released quarterly to honor a different chapter of Duplin’s heritage. Be the first to know about more jubilee specials. Sign up the 50th Anniversary Newsletter.
Chapter 1: The Roots of a Legend
1976 Reserve begins the Duplin 50th Anniversary Wine Series. This premier white, arriving February 5, 2026, honors the year of our beginnings and the centuries-old lineage of the grapes that started it all for American winemaking.
Crafted from the finest Scuppernong grapes, descendants of North Carolina’s more than 400-year-old historic mother vine on Roanoke Island, 1976 Reserve is a limited-edition wine that yields a uniquely sweet essence balanced by fruit and acidity.
We chose a scuppernong wine to kick-off Duplin’s 50th because it was among the first wines offered when our doors opened and because the grape’s story stretches far back in time.
America's grape
Early explorers were awed by wild Muscadine grapes they saw tangled along the shores of what are now the Carolinas. These were the first areas where grapes were seen growing in the wild.
“So full of grapes as the very beating and surge of the sea overflowed them.”
— Captains Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe, 1584
Scuppernong grapes, a unique variety of those wild muscadines, primarily grow in North Carolina. Native peoples originally honored the fruit as "askuponong," meaning "place of the sweet bay tree." Historians believe they planted the mother vine that still stands on Roanoke Island, North Carolina, and is believed to be the oldest cultivated grape vine in America.
The first American wines produced from Scuppernong grapes, won awards in Paris and counted Thomas Jefferson among fans. Scuppernongs even went into America’s first commercially produced “champagne.”
By 1840, North Carolina was the nation’s largest wine producer. However, Prohibition decimated the industry in 1920, leaving it mostly dormant for decades — until two brothers decided to take a risk.
Hope in a Mason jar
In the early 1970s, Dave Fussell Sr. and Dan Fussell planted a vineyard in Rose Hill, North Carolina, hoping to sell grapes to support their families. When wholesale prices unexpectedly crashed and financial ruin loomed, the men made a daring pivot.
With no formal winemaker training, Dan and David headed to the local hardware store for Mason jars, determined to revive the historic muscadine wines of their home state.
“We did everything by hand, from stomping grapes to licking labels.
It was years and years of hard work and struggles.”
—Dave Fussell Jr., son of David Fussell Sr.
That tenacity paid off. Supported by their father, Daniel "Big D" Fussell, the brothers incorporated Duplin Winery on August 18, 1976. Within a decade, Duplin won national and international awards, and production hit 40,000 cases.
Crisis and courage
Success wasn't a straight line. In the early 1980s, a "double whammy" hit the fledgling winery: America's taste shifted from sweet wines like those Duplin produced to dry wines, and North Carolina wineires lost a critical tax break. Duplin was forced to sell wine at 25 cents a gallon just to make payroll.
“The bank takes our house, farm, and valuables — but not the winery. Nobody wants it.”
— Jonathan Fussell, son of David Fussell Sr.
The Fussell family held tight to its strong faith in God, believing that they would be met with a blessing. That moment arrived in the mid-1990s when national news reports highlighted a landmark discovery: Muscadine grape skins and seeds contain extraordinary levels of healthful antioxidants. Sales boomed! The wines even caught the eye of lifestyle icon Martha Stewart. A new era of expansion began that would lead the winery to its greatest heights.
Taste the history
1976 Reserve is more than a bottle of wine; it is a tribute to that spirit of grit and grace that has guided Duplin since the beginning. With its rich, traditional lusciousness and distinctive finish, 1976 is the perfect companion for a hearty family meal.
Pair it with comfort dishes like fall-apart-tender roast beef, smoked pork chops, or jalapeno mac & cheese. For special celebrations, pour 1976 Reserve with deviled eggs, bacon-wrapped pecans, and Carolina blue-crab cakes. Scuppernong works with special party cakes or homey desserts like homemade pound cake with poached peaches or pears and whipped cream.
Don't miss Chapter 2
As we raise a glass to the last 50 years, we invite you to be part of the next piece of our story. Stay tuned for Chapter Two coming in May, where we introduce the second wine in the Duplin 50th Anniversary Series that explores explosive growth that far exceeded our founders' wildest dreams.
