After founding and producing premium Napa Valley wines for over 20 years including the winery that still bears his name Charles Shaw moved to the Piedmont region of North Carolina. There, he discovered a different kind of terroir: the bold, sun-ripened heat of Carolina-grown red and green peppers.
Blending homegrown Cayenne and Tabasco peppers with fresh garlic, kosher salt, and fish sauce, Shaw creates a pepper mash, when fermented, reveals all five core tastes, sweet, salty, savory, sour, and bitter and a long, elegant finish. In 2024, his Ruby Sauce won First Place and the Blue Ribbon at the North Carolina State Fair. Today, Shaw’s Carolina Gourmet brings that same award-winning craftsmanship and Carolina flavor to your table.