When Burke County went dry in the late 1940s, it looked like the end for Bernard’s Waldensian Style Wines. Even though wine making was an important tradition for the immigrants who came to Valdese, after fleeing religious persecution. In the conservative era of the 1950/60s, a commercial winery was too much for the rest of Burke. For decades, Bernard’s operation went silent.
Ask any wine connoisseur and they will tell you, a glass of wine offers important benefits. It clears the palette for tastebuds to better enjoy food. A component of wine, resveratrol is a health benefit to drinkers. Some folks even think Scuppernong grapes have healing power (might be the resveratrol).
But the resurrection of the brand came from an unlikely source. As mentioned week’s earlier, Kathryn’s Cheese House had become a center for folks with wine tastes that went beyond the grocery store. It didn’t take long for the Weaver family’s interest in a storied wine making operation, just miles from their restaurant and shoppe, to create a rebirth. Before the Bernard building went up in flames, some artifacts from the winery found their way to a mini-museum, set up at Kathryn’s. Barrels from Mellie Bernard’s open vat system (made of virgin redwood) were a part of the display. Then came the idea to produce bottles using the Bernard recipe.
In partnership with Duplin Winery in the eastern part of North Carolina and under the name of Waldensian Style Wines, a new version emerged, though the lady on the bottle was still holding a rose. The brand passed to Mellie’s son, also known as Mellie. He later sold to expert vintner Eddie Zimmerman, who along with wife Brenda, bought the rights and expanded the historic line.
Eddie Zimmerman spent years learning the process of making wine for the Valdese Winery before it shut down in 2019. Now, he and Brenda produce wines for a variety of tastes that carry on the work begun by the Bernard family, some 90 years earlier. Available at festivals throughout the area, the Zimmermans carry on the tradition of making wine, though they don’t use straw any more.
Brenda even discovered a new way to enjoy wine and cool down from the summer heat, all at the same time. Brenda’s Bellini is an “iced cocktail that is lower in alcohol but more robust in flavor.” It has turned out to be a festival-goer favorite.
The tradition continues. Andrew Zimmerman, son of Eddie and Brenda, has crafted a Waldensian Style Wine that he markets through his wine shop in Durham. It’s called DrinkABull. Check it out at his website, drinkabull.com/waldensian.
Oh, and if you want to see the wine barrels that were part of Kathryn’s winemaking museum, you can actually sit in one. Next time, you have a meal at Amos Howard’s Restaurant in Longview, ask to be seated in one. They are very popular.
From dry counties to social districts, consuming wine has come a long way. You can make your wine selection at waldensian.com. Remember, when you imbibe, you are not just enjoying a glass of wine with all its benefits. You are drinking a piece of history.
Photo: An original open vat wine barrels that are now seating at Amos Howards and the label for Brenda’s Bellini.
