NC winery vows to rebuild after ‘devastating’ fire burns it down

A winery is vowing to rebuild after its main building burned down Sunday morning.

The WoodMill Winery — located in Lincoln County about an hour northwest of Charlotte — caught fire around 8 a.m., according to the Union Volunteer Fire Department. Once firefighters arrived, large flames and black smoke were visible.

It took nearly two and a half hours for 40 firefighters from five fire departments across the county to extinguish the flames, the department said in a statement. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation by the Lincoln County Fire Marshal’s office.

The Lincoln County Emergency Management department was also called out to address a large amount of wine runoff from the wine manufacturing and storage that was in the burned structure, the statement said.

WoodMill Winery — donned “A Winery with Heart” — officially opened its doors in 2006. Aside from selling wine, the location is a popular wedding venue.

The winery’s owner, Larry Cagle Jr., described the fire as a devastating loss but encouraged supporters to follow social media as they begin the rebuilding process and for updates on when wine will be available again.

“Despite this setback, our Cross, our flag and our faith remain strong,” his Facebook statement read.

Cagle said he did not want to be interviewed until after the investigation was over.