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Duplin Winery, Rose Hill, N.C.

Most of the grapes processed at Duplin Winery are bought from contract growers. This is one of the few small vineyards the Fussell family owns and manages alongside the winery.

In 2008, Duplin Winery bought 2,000 acres worth of grapes from 43 contract growers in nine states. By October, most grapes have been picked and juiced as the wine-making season rolls to an end. These three remain.

Nowadays, most grapes are shipped in molded, one-piece plastic crates. One farmer packed his offering in old-world wooden crates. 'This what is what we used to use when I was a kid,' Jonathan Fussell said. 'I was shocked when I saw these things come in.'

Jonathan Fussell sifts through rice husks used in the wine making process. The husks are mixed with grapes before they're poured into the juicer to create friction, ensuring each grape is crushed.

From left, Corey Rose and Leslie Knowles work to clean 'The Popper.' Once the cylindrical tank is filled with grapes, the hatch is sealed and a giant balloon mounted in the center inflates, crushing the grapes against the steel wall and forcing the juice out. The tank — fully loaded with 20 tons of grapes — yields 3,000 gallons of juice per press.

Leslie Knowles dodges a spray of cleaning solution as he washes out the winery's massive juicing machine after the last load of grapes for the day have passed through.

These tanks hold a variety of fully fermented white wines waiting to be bottled, each with a capacity of 15,000 gallons.

Duplin Winery has over 1,000,000 gallons of storage capacity, but they don't hold any wine more than one season.

Wilmer Flores stacks finished bottles on a shipping palette.

Two employees work to package cases of wine as they flow off the assembly line. From grapes to packages, Duplin Winery can process 4,600 bottles per hour.

The winery is constantly growing. In 2007, the Fussells spent $2.4 million on a massive expansion. In 2008, they added a $700,000 upgrade.

David Fussell Sr., left, is brewing up a private selection of red wine. Jonathan Fussell says even though his father is officially retired, it's tough to keep him out of the business.

David Fussell Sr. sips his blend of wine drained straight from the grapes. 'This is the way we experiment and make new stuff,' he says. 'And it's going to turnout great.'

Draining wine from hand-crushed grapes. 'We really don't make the wine: The Lord does it,' David Fussell Sr. said. 'All we do is put it in a tank and capture it.

At Duplin, red wines are typically fermented for about five weeks, while white wines are allowed to sit between nine to twelve weeks. 'This is sort of like eating bread before it's baked,' David Fussell Sr. said.

In The Bistro, a winery-owned restaurant and gift shop, informal cement floors are a reminder of the winery's early years, when the entire production process was housed in the same building. The Fussells proudly proclaim their Christian faith to any and all who come to visit.

Before that, The Bistro was a barn on the Fussell family's farm.

Lauren Eade, right, host a wine tasting session at Duplin Winery.

David Fussell Sr. sits down to talk business with a distributor hoping to sell Duplin wine in Nigeria.

The cycle continues.