Originally from California, Tana Cowin, fell in love with North Carolina and founded Country Water. She was intent on creating an unpretentious, portable wine option that embodied Southern charm and the Carolina lifestyle. She connected with North Carolina fruit growers and wineries and Country Water launched with four varietals, that embody good times, Strawberry's All Get Out, Bless Your Heart Blueberry, Whistler Wetter White, and Roll in the Hey Rose. We caught up with Cowin to find out how it all got started, what she loves about NC and what's on her playlist.
Tell us the backstory of Country Water and how and why it came about.
Funny enough, I got into the wine industry by working in the gourmet catering industry for years. Throughout my time doing that, I grew an appreciation for wines. Eventually, I made my way into the wine industry in California, working internally in various capacities, from sales to marketing. As I started to have a family, we realized we wanted to live elsewhere, so we started travelling in an RV with my family until we settled in North Carolina. I realized how pretentious and cumbersome wine bottles could be during that time frame. I started Country Water to make wine more affordable, accessible, and frankly, MORE FUN! After spending some time in Davie County and a few other parts of the state and learning about how integral North Carolina has been to the wine industry, I was inspired to marry my love for wine and the South by creating a wine with a bit of Southern Charm. North Carolina, with its rich history of winemaking and its diverse agricultural landscape, was the perfect place to start.
What makes Country Water unique, and how is it made?
For starters, we aren't a California or Pacific Northwest wine, which is where most Americans think wine grapes are grown. At Country Water, we believe wine should celebrate the area's agriculture. I love the fruit that North Carolina bears, so we source all of our fruit for Country Water locally throughout the state. We blend several white wines, mainly derived from Vidal Blanc, for our Whistle Whetter White wine. Our All In the Hay Rosé wine is made from Cabernet Franc. What makes our brand extra unique is using out-of-the-box fruits like strawberries and blueberries to make our Strawberry's All Get Out and Bless Your Heart Blueberry wines.
After we source our fruit, we crush our fruits and allow the skins to come into contact with natural yeasts on the fruit's skin. The fruit is then pressed and separated so all solids are removed. From there, we ferment our wines using the natural sugars, which are then naturally converted to carbon dioxide and ethanol. We clarify our wines by removing the proteins that make the wine cloudy, and then we start the blending process for our rosé and white varietals. Our Strawberry's All Get Out and Bless Your Heart Blueberry wines are then carefully canned, preserving the unique flavors and ensuring a convenient, portable wine experience. Once these processes are done, we have our final product.
How has North Carolina shaped both you and the brand?
North Carolina really inspired me to create Country Water. After growing up in the hustle and bustle of California, I realized how friendly and charming North Carolina was. It gave me so much joy to have the sea so close to a mountain range to hike in and many parks and beautiful landscapes to look at and experience. That variety inspired me to create a cute wine you could take anywhere. On top of North Carolina's history of winemaking, I wanted to make a wine that reflected the Southern charm and hospitality that I have grown to love.
Where is your favorite place to sip Country Water?
Definitely at the beach. It's always nice to crack a can open with my toes in the sand and my family having fun along the shoreline.
Three songs on your playlist to sip to?
This is a really tough one!! I'm a music fan and listen to many different artists. An artist I've been listening to a lot lately is Tanner Adell. Her songs "I Hate Texas" and "Buckle Bunny" have been in rotation lately. I love "Wine Country" by Hannah Ellis. And for a fun girl's wine night, "The Girls" by Megan Moroney is always a good standby.
Comentarios