In all your excitement to start your summer vacation, did you leave your favorite beach bag at home? Do you need a gift for the hostess of your Outer Banks vacation? How about something cute to wear to dinner...
Decades ago, when the barrier islands of the Outer Banks were sparsely populated and largely undeveloped, the first ancestors of the Wright family acquired an old cotton gin and turned it into a market. Here is where the legacy of The Cotton Gin stores began...
A Look at the Brewing, Distilling and Winemaking History of the Outer Banks...
A coastal-area vineyard and winery might be a surprising concept, but once you have visited Sanctuary Vineyards and tasted their award-winning European-style wines, you will discover what a great thing it is...
Sanctuary Vineyards sits on the shores of the Currituck Sound just 10 miles past the Wright Memorial Bridge in Jarvisburg. When you’re staying at the beach, this location makes for the perfect day trip to Outer Banks wine country...
Seven generations ago, a shipwreck brought Jacob Francis Wright to the shores of Duck, North Carolina. Wright bloomed where he was planted, so to speak, and the family farmed and fished in the area for generations. Over time the family added farmland and expanded their business...
Experience the great outdoors any day of the week by visiting Sanctuary Vineyards winery. Owned and operated by the Wright family, the same folks behind The Cotton Gin, this winery put Currituck on the map with its award-winning wines...
It’s hard to imagine that a little over a year ago, a fire engulfed The Cotton Gin’s historic red, farmstead building. With the original store temporarily closed, shoppers sought out The Cotton Gin’s characteristic Vineyard Vines, Southern Tide, Simply Southern Tide, Simply Southern, Pandora...
For more than 60 years, the Cotton Gin has been an Outer Banks icon. Shoppers of every generation love it for the general store eclecticism and the treasure trove of goodies brimming in every room. For the locals and vacationers journeying from the west, the bright red, farmstead shop...
A shopping trip often means hopping between shops, malls and even web pages to find clothes, beachwear, accessories, home decor, books and more. But imagine taking care of it all with time still for a wine tasting, a vineyard stroll, a hang glider ride and the chance to unwind afterward...
Out with the old, in with the new” is a trend often found in the retail world. Nevertheless, each passing year at The Cotton Gin proves that its shoppers can have both. The family-owned business never stops looking for new ways to combine retail, recreation and the surrounding natural resources...
Situated on 25 acres in Currituck County, Sanctuary Vineyards is known for its affordable, award-winning, regionally inspired wines. The Wright family has stewarded this land for seven generations, and they invite visitors and locals alike to experience its delights and its gifts...
“Every year is a different story here at Sanctuary. We mix new adventures and new wines in with what’s already here and popular,” says John Wright, manager of Sanctuary Vineyards. Not only does the vineyard introduce new wines that add to its story, but it also offers a number of story-worthy...
It’s probably not a stretch for you to imagine that you’re on the beach right now, slathered in sunscreen, with one eye on your kids playing in the surf and the other on a book. In fact, maybe that’s exactly where you are, right now…
When it comes to fine wine makers, the Outer Banks may not be the first place that leaps to your mind. But that will change once you sample the amazing wines they’re making over at Sanctuary Vineyards in Currituck. On their 28-acre vineyard they’re growing 14 varietals of grapes...
Have you ever heard the story behind the name of Kill Devil Hills? Legend has it that during the height of piracy on the Outer Banks, ships were losing their cargo to sandbars and marauders on the water, and one day the locals discovered beached barrels of rum...