Mark Friszolowski

Winemaker and General Manager, Childress Vineyards

Mark Friszolowski is the general manager and winemaker of Childress Vineyards located in Lexington, NC at the gateway to the Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area. Mark oversees the 45,000 square-foot winery operations and 100 acres of vineyards.

A native of Long Island, Mark is from an area that transformed from traditional potato farming to wine country. In competitions from New York to California, Mark’s wines have won more than 400 awards, many double gold and gold for varietals including Merlot, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Meritage blends as well as specialty dessert wines. His wines were twice named to the 50 Best Wines of the World. In the first year of operation of Childress Vineyards, Mark’s wines won 17 gold medals.

Mark has garnered a world-class reputation for his knowledge in the wine industry and his sophisticated palate. He is past president of the North Carolina Winegrower’s Association and a member of the board of the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council. Mark is often asked to serve as a judge at prestigious wine shows, as a guest lecturer around the world at technical seminars such as the International Terroir Symposium, and to teach winemaking and viticulture at such renowned institutions as The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He has also taught courses on viticulture and oenology at Davidson County Community College in Lexington. An avid runner, reader, and former intercollegiate windsurfing champion, Mark is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army National Guard Reserves and was involved in the initial clean-up process at the World Trade Center following 9/11.

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