The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association recently completed its seventh annual wine competition and honored Cypress Bend Vineyards with a Best in Category for its NV Tomorrow wine.

"This is an incredible honor for us," says Tina Smith, who owns and runs the Wagram vineyard with her husband, Dan, on land that has been in his family for generations. "This competition presents wines from up and down the East Coast. It is truly the best of the best of the East Coast."

The competition saw 118 wineries participate from 11 states. In all, 564 wines were judged. In the end, the 19 judges selected Cypress Bend Vineyards' NV Tomorrow wine as the premier bottle in the sweet white hybrid-native American-muscadine, a news release said.

Often referred to as America's first grape, the muscadine grape and wine are most conducive to the Southeastern United States and the Eastern Seaboard. There are more than 1,000 acres of grapes in North Carolina alone.

"Winning an award is an honor unto itself," Smith said. "This award was particularly gratifying because of the number of wineries involved, but also because of the honor to go in front of Congress and accept our medals.

"It is a recognition from the industry of the quality of our product and a recognition from Congress of the importance of the wine industry to our economy and local tourism."

Also last fall, Cypress Bend Vineyards retook the N.C. Muscadine Cup for best muscadine wine in the state with its McNeill white muscadine wine during the 12th annual N.C. State Fair Wine Competition, held recently in Raleigh.

The Vineyard also won the award in 2009 for its "Campbell" entry, one of the vineyards most popular red wines.

The panel of professional judges evaluated more than 444 wines before handing out the awards, including 26 gold and 28 double gold(for unanimous selections), and the grand prize of the Muscadine Cup for best in show for the North Carolina native grape.

In addition to the grand prize (and double gold) for its McNeill wine, Cypress Bend Vineyards also won "double golds" for its Campbell red and Livy white wines.

Despite the continued awards bestowed upon the winery, its proprietors continue to be a bit taken aback.

"We started out, and continue to pride ourselves on being a small, family-owned vineyard," Dan Smith said. "We were recently honored in Washington, D.C. for winning a best in show award for a competition involving vineyards up and down the East Coast - and now to recapture the NC Muscadine Cup - wow!"

Cypress Bend Vineyards is at 21904 Riverton Road in Wagram. In addition to the 35 acres of vines, the vineyard features a tasting room and a "veranda" - a sprawling patio with casual market umbrella-toped tables where guest congregate. The veranda is also a favorite venue for Jazzy Fridays, which features live jazz every other week, and other special events throughout the year.

The vineyard is open seven days a week for tastings and tours and is available for weddings and special events.

More information is available by visiting www.cypressbendvineyards.com or calling (910) 369-0411.