NCWinerider

50 Wineries and Counting!

2010-07-28T09:05:00.014-04:00

Over the past weekend, I visited my 50th North Carolina winery! I have actually been to at least two more if I count one I visited several years ago that has since closed and a tasting room in Yadkinville that included wines from two wineries not listed in Discover North Carolina Wines: 2010 Guide and Map to North Carolina Wineries (available at participating wineries and http://www.visitncwine.com/): Surry Cellars (a winery run by students in the viticulture and enology programs at Surry Community College(http://ncviticulturecenter.com/about/surry_cellars.html) and River De Vine Winery(http://www.allamericanwineries.com/nc/yvwt/). The latest list on http://www.visitncwine.com/ boasts 96 wineries. Of those 96, I have visited 50! One of my goals on this blog is to profile each winery I visit. While this process is a bit slow and I am adding posts about winery visits, I have included links to all of the wineries I have visited in the list of links.

The last three wineries on the way to this milestone on my ultimate journey to try to visit all 96 (and probably more than that as wineries continue to open) included two storefront wineries in Wilmington and one located in an historic inn and restaurant outside of Warsaw.

Noni Bacca Winery (http://www.nbwinery.com/) is located in Wilmington. The winemaker at Noni Bacca uses grapes from all over the world to make his wines. He does not use any North Carolina grapes, but is still part of the overall wine industry in the state. The other winery in Wilmington is Lumina Winery(http://www.luminawine.com/) . Like Noni Bacca, it is located in a shopping center on the outskirts of the city. The winemaker at Lumina does not grow his grapes, but does purchase some from various areas in North Carolina. The winery's logo features an historic building that existed until the 1970s on Wrightsville Beach. Both of these wineries also sell home wine-making and beer-brewing supplies. They offer tastings and wines by the glass and a chance to escape the summer heat for a bit during a beach or Wilmington vacation.

The third winery I visited over the weekend is the winery at The Country Squire Inn and Restaurant (http://www.countrysquireinn.com/) in Warsaw. This historic establishment attracts customers to their obscure location with their intriguing (dark wood, tartan plaid, suits of armor, tables suspended by chains, and documented paranormal events) atmosphere. They have a small inn with rooms and a large steakhouse style restaurant. We stopped by at an "off" time, so we did not dine. However, we were greeted warmly and escorted to the tasting room. We tried some very nice wines of various types (vinifera, fruit, muscadine). The wine maker at The Country Squire keeps with the "Highland" theme on the wine labels, but buys a large percent of the grapes from North Carolina vineyards. The tasting room host even gave us a tour of the restaurant and inn. She told us that she has been around this inn since she was a child. Some parts of the building date to the 1700s. I purchased a bottle of Chardonnay and am intrigued enough to go back in the future to eat dinner or even stay (if I decide I won't be too jumpy thinking about the ghosts). Even if you can't take time to eat, The Country Squire is a nice stop on the way back across the state from the coast.

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! The NCWinerider's Official NC Winery Count: 50 Enjoy the NCwineride!

The Wonder of Wolfe Wines

2010-07-27T12:12:00.014-04:00

A recent Sunday afternoon in the Piedmont of North Carolina led me to Wolfe Wines (http://www.wolfewines.com/) near the community of Snow Camp. Though I will try almost any type of wine, I am not usually a huge fan of fruit wines. The code in the 2010 Guide and Map to North Carolina Wineries (if you don't have a copy, pick one up at a winery or order one at http://www.visitncwine.com/) indicated that Wolfe has some vinifera wines as well as muscadine and fruit wines. I was not prepared for the delicious surprise that awaited me at Wolfe Wines!

First of all, the place is nice! Floyd, Nina, and Ricky have built a nice tasting room with a great porch and have an attractive outdoor space for events. The people are very friendly and even treated my tired, hot kids well!

Now for the wine! We started by telling Floyd that we mostly drink dry wines, but are willing to try whatever he is making. We tried several nice wines made from vinifera and muscadine grapes. Then, came the best part--the fruit wines. Yes, you read that correctly. The fruit wines at Wolfe are really something special. Do not expect the usual very sweet concoctions made from apples, berries--or even syrup in the flavor of less native fruits. Wolfe has dry, semi-dry, and sweet versions of several of their fruit wines. The dry blackberry proved to be the favorite, but the others were very nice as well. These are not necessarily dessert wines. While pairing some of them with sweeter fare sounds great, they also go well with more savory foods. My husband and I purchased a bottle of dry blackberry wine to bring home. We enjoyed it with some special cheese and crackers. My husband is now somewhat obsessed with Wolfe's blackberry wine and has talked of ordering some or making a special trip over to Snow Camp to get some more--and possibly some of the dry raspberry too! This is an amazing occurrence. My husband NEVER really likes a fruit wine and sometimes will not even try the fruit varieties at a tasting. The fact that he likes--shall I say really likes--Wolfe's wines is a testament to the quality and uniqueness of the product!
We look forward to a return visit to Wolfe soon!! Check out Wolfe and the other wineries in Alamance and Chatham counties and the Haw River AVA!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! The NCWinerider's Official NC Winery Count: 50
Enjoy the NCwineride!

The NCWinerider is back and has been on the move!

2010-07-06T14:31:00.007-04:00

After a several-month hiatus, the NCWinerider is back. Though I have been absent from the blog for a while, I have not stopped in my pursuit of the goal of visiting all of the North Carolina wineries. As of today, I have visited 46 of the wineries listed on http://www.visitncwine.com/ and visited the tasting room for Surry Cellars (the retail spot for wine produced by students in the programs at Surry Community College) and a winery called River De Vine (both not listed on http://www.visitncwine.com/). I should be able to pass 50 by the end of the summer! In the coming weeks, look for some more blog posts as I profile individual wineries and share some tips and experiences to consider when taking in the NC wineries and their surrounding areas. I always say that one of the best aspects of visiting wineries is the experience of going down the roads I would not otherwise travel!

I posted a while back about "goal 88", my goal to visit all 88 wineries in North Carolina. I seem to be chasing a moving target! The new goal is to visit all 96 wineries in North Carolina--I understand that number is still on the rise! I plan to enjoy the "wineride!"

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! The NCWinerider's Official NC Winery Count: 46

Junius Lindsey-Beautiful Vineyards!

2009-11-09T13:34:00.011-05:00

A short ride from the Lexington area, Junius Lindsey Vineyards welcomes visitors with an open-air tasting room, some nice wines, and some of the most beautiful vineyards around! Talk about drinking the fruit of the land! The wine makers at Junius Lindsey grow all of their grapes and, though they make just a few wines, they obviously pay attention to the quality. Even on a warm day, the fans and shade of the open-air tasting room (more like a porch) are comfortable and inviting. With these lush grapevines, it would be a shame to go inside and not see them! Junius Lindsey is definitely worth a stop on a North Carolina wine road trip!

My winery visits have been on hold during a busy fall. However, come back soon as I catch up on some posts about some wineries I have visited. I hope to add some new stops soon! Meanwhile, I will reflect on a couple of NC wine stops on the way to visit family last Thanksgiving!

Welcome to Weathervane Winery

2009-09-20T15:18:00.007-04:00

Near the small community of Welcome, not too far from Lexington, North Carolina, I found another NC Winestop. As always, the search for a North Carolina winery using the North Carolina Wine Guide and a map is part of the adventure. The search for Weathervane Winery (http://www.weathervanewinery.com/) took me down a pleasant country road. I found the winery and wished the day were a bit cooler so that I could better enjoy the pretty setting. The tasting room was welcoming (appropriate for Welcome). We tasted some wines and browsed the tasting room to look at some of the wine-related merchandise. The vines around Weathervane are young, so the wine maker and owner buys grapes from some other places right now. He uses weather terms in the names of the wines as a reference to his meteorology degree from the University of North Carolina. Weathervane is a good winery stop to make after a visit to Childress and on the way to Junius Lindsey (check back for the next post). These three wineries make a nice little trail to tour in several hours. Add a stop for some Lexington Barbecue and make a day of it!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! NC Winery Count: 30

Childress Vineyards

2009-08-30T13:37:00.015-04:00

An easy stop after a visit to Lexington (http://www.lexingtonnc.net/), Childress Vineyards (http://www.childressvineyards.com/home.asp) boasts a nationally recognized tasting room and some nice vineyards. The rows of grapes are labeled so visitors can see which types of grapes are on the vines. The people at Childress support the state's wine industry by sharing facilities and bottling equipment with other local wineries and vineyards.

They even have a Holiday Inn Express (http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/) on site for people who want to make a weekend out of wine tasting. There are some other nearby wineries, so Childress can make a good home base for an NC wine road trip.

Check out Mike Helsabeck's gallery and North Carolina wine shop (http://www.mikehelsabeck.com/) in The Shoppes at Vineyards Crossing (on the Childress property). See Mike's artwork (and that of other local artists) and taste a few North Carolina wines. He features different ones each day as well as some of his own wines. On weekends, he brings in wine makers from other North Carolina wineries to do free tastings. He is quite knowledgeable about North Carolina wines and has a huge selection of wines from all over the state.

On the way to Childress Vineyards, don't forget to check out some Lexington barbecue. There are a lot of great restaurants featuring this local treat. The Barbecue Center (http://www.barbecuecenter.com/) has tasty barbecue, kids meals, sweet treats, etc. for reasonable prices!

North Carolina Winery Count Increases to 30!

2009-08-12T09:02:00.010-04:00

I have added two more North Carolina Wineries to my list of wineries I have visited! Last weekend, I traveled through the Piedmont to check out three more NC Wine Stops (and taste some local, Lexington barbecue). One stop was a return visit to a winery I saw a few years ago, but the other two were new to me. For the next several posts, I will write about a big-time operation, a "Welcome" winery, and some beautiful vineyards!

Come back soon to read about Childress Vineyards (http://www.childressvineyards.com/home.asp), Weathervane Winery (http://www.weathervanewinery.com/), and Junius Lindsay Vineyard (http://www.juniuslindsay.com/)!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! NC Winery Count: 30

Zimmerman Vineyards--This Rock has Made it up the Hill

2009-08-06T14:44:00.012-04:00

Just a few miles off I-85 in Randolph County, Zimmerman Vineyards (http://zimmermanvineyards.net/) rewards visitors in search of North Carolina wineries with a beautiful setting, some Greek mythology, and quality wines!

The Zimmerman's vineyards are on land the family originally saw as just a home. Leslie Zimmerman was happy to show us a photo album showing the journey the family made to turn the land into the wonderful vineyard and North Carolina winery it is now. This is a family-run winery and a family home. Visitors feel welcomed as they would in someone's home. The part that makes this visit different from any other visit to a home is the wonderful wines. Zimmerman Vineyards offers several wines. Each one is obviously carefully crafted. One of my favorites came with a brief lesson about a story from Greek mythology. Zimmerman's Sisyphus wine is what they call a "Bordeaux Blend." It is quite good. The winery's website explains the Sisyphus connection, "Zimmerman Vineyards wine labels depict an image, sketched by Leslie Zimmerman, of Sisyphus, the Greek mythological King of Corinth, who was forever condemned to pushing a great boulder uphill. Norm likens his experiences to those of Sisyphus with one exception, that his efforts have been goal-driven and have led him to the realization of a dream" (http://zimmermanvineyards.net/zimwinelist.htm). They carry this connection outside with the bar made from a big rock. They even hosted a party to celebrate Sisyphus getting the rock up the hill. So, take a short journey off I-85 at exit 106 and experience the gracious hospitality and special wines of Zimmerman Vineyards.

Old Stone Winery-An I-85 Travel Break Worth Taking!

2009-08-03T13:04:00.008-04:00

When traveling on I-85 from the Triangle to Charlotte, make a quick (or not so quick) NC wine stop on exit 76 to check out Old Stone Winery (http://www.osvwinery.com/index.html) just outside Salisbury. A few short miles off the exit, the winery is right there on the road. Don't be fooled by the store front (next to a hair salon) that is different from many other North Carolina winery locations nestled in rolling hills or with views of mountains or countryside. Just go inside for one of the most fun and informative tastings at a North Carolina winery!

At Old Stone Winery, customers can taste 19 wines for a fee of $3.00 that includes a glass to keep! The winery makes wine with the historic muscadine grape as well as more traditional wines with other grapes. The muscadines are grown on 18 acres behind the winery building. While the owners of Old Stone Winery do purchase the non-muscadine grapes from another vineyard, it is only a few miles down the road. They try to keep it as local as possible and use mostly Rowan County grapes. The owner (who poured for our tasting) said that they are getting ready to make a purchase of some Norton grapes from a vineyard in the Yadkin Valley, but the goal is local and definitely ALL NC! The wine making process goes on right behind the tasting room. The tanks are visible through a glass. If you don't have time to go and are curious about the wine making process, the Old Stone Winery has a nice video on the website showing the process from beginning to end.

The tasting was enjoyable! My kids got some nice grape juice, so they were happy too. The 19 wines I tasted were of many varieties, but were all quite good. The chardonnay we tasted first was outstanding! A special cabernet savignon was also a standout! They have something for everyone and something at several price points. Their sweet wines are acclaimed and their dry selections are of great quality. I know I will want to stop by again in December (they are on the way to visit my family in South Carolina) to try the holiday wine! I highly recommend Old Stone Winery.

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! Next stop: Zimmerman Vineyards. My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! NC Winery Count: 28

Owl's Eye Vineyards: Great Logo, Great Views, Great Wine!

2009-08-02T14:52:00.007-04:00

On a back road near Shelby, North Carolina, I found Owl's Eye Vineyards (http://www.owlseyevineyard.com/). The views from this very nice tasting room, grounds, and winery are spectacular! The long driveway just adds to the anticipation of a nice wine tasting experience. Visitors who make the trip off the main road will not be disappointed!

We were warmly greeted and treated to a tasting of some very good wines. These wines are mostly dry, traditional wines. They were very good. The influence of Sean McRitchie who consults and helps make the wine at Owls' Eye will not surprise anyone who is familiar with McRitchie's own Yadkin Valley winery (http://www.mcritchiewine.com/index.html) and his work with the whole industry in North Carolina.

Owl's Eye has the whole package. The wines are tasty, the facility is versatile and pleasant, the scenery is beautiful, and the logo on the glasses, bottles, and other items is eye-catching and memorable.

The winery hosts special events for area residents and also private parties. The $5.00 tasting fee includes a special glass (different from others I have collected). They even waive the tasting fee for customers who buy at least two bottles of wine! The day we stopped by was hot, but on a cooler afternoon, a picnic outside with a bottle of Owl's Eye wine would be fun. I recommend a stop at Owl's Eye and hope to stop by there again soon!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! Next stop: Old Stone Winery in Salisbury. My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! NC Winery Count: 28

Winery Count Increases! Wineries from A-Z!

2009-07-29T15:00:00.006-04:00

Over last weekend, I increased the number of North Carolina wineries I have visited by three! My NC Winery count is now at 28!

Come back soon to learn about some more great wineries! Two are even easily accessible off I-85! My last post covered the first winery on the alphabetical list. Sunday, I visited the last on the list. Zimmerman Vineyards was a last-minute stop for me, but was a wonderful setting with exceptional wines! A few miles off I-85, it is a nice break on the trip from The Triangle to Charlotte! Another great I-85 stop is the surprising and fun Old Stone Winery (think 19 great wines to taste!). A bit off the path, Owl's Eye Vineyards in Shelby delivers stunning views and great wines. Over the next few days, I will give details of my visits to these three special North Carolina wineries!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! NC Winery Count: 28

Agritourism in Wake County: Adams Vineyards

2009-07-24T10:28:00.008-04:00

In yesterday's post, I wrote about my recent back roads trip home from Charleston. Of course, I found some NC Wine stops to make along the way. The first was the lovely Cypress Bend Vineyards (http://www.cypressbendvineyards.com/) in Wagram. Next, I saw J. Wesley Vineyards (http://www.jwesleyvineyards.com/) in Cumberland County listed on the NC Wine Guide. I double checked the hours to make sure they were open on Sunday. We followed the directions and found the winery. The vineyards look young, but I figured they must be buying grapes for now and working toward having their own grapes. When I walked to the door of the tasting room, I was very disappointed to see that the hours listed on the door indicated that the winery is closed on Sunday. This was different information than what is listed in the 2009 NC Wine Guide and on the J. Wesley web site. Here is the lesson to learn: call the winery before taking off on a journey to make sure that the hours have not changed. I will make another stop by J. Wesley in the future to see what they have to offer. Meanwhile, it was pretty much on our way on the back road trip home.

The next stop made up for this disappointment! We were cutting it close on time, but we decided we could make it to Adams Vineyards (http://www.adamsvineyards.com/) in Wake County (www.wakegov.com/visitors). I do advise calling the winery if the directions seem confusing. We needed a bit of help to make the connections to find it. When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by the owner and wine maker. The wine maker and his wife were very hospitable and gave our kids some homemade grape juice my daughter said was the "yummiest" she had ever had.

While the winery has only been open for a little while, Mr. Adams has been making wine for over 40 years. He always made it for himself and family and friends. He learned to make it from his parents while growing up in the house we saw from the tasting room where he still lives and uses as the picture on his bottle labels. He explained that it is legal to make wine in certain small amounts for one's own use and share with family and friends. He decided to start making it officially and to open the winery to sell the wine. All of the wine made at Adams uses the muscadine grape. The Adams told us about some of the health benefits of the grape and the many varieties muscadines (http://www.ncmuscadine.org/). I felt connected to the land in that (as I explained in yesterday's post) this is North Carolina's historic grape and the wine maker has experience and knowledge passed down to him from previous generations. As I left, I saw the sign designating Adams Vineyards as a North Carolina Century Farm (http://www.ncagr.gov/paffairs/century/history.htm). North Carolina's agricultural heritage is important both for preserving past traditions in the state and supporting today's economy. Remember, grape growing is farming! Wine is a North Carolina agricultural product! We saw the event room and the small, but nice collection of merchandise and had a nice visit at Adams. The tasting fee is $8.00 with a glass to keep. We enjoyed several nice wines. We brought home a dry white that we drank with some grilled chicken a few days later!

As we left Adams Vineyards, we saw Porter Farms and Nursery (http://www.porterfarmsandnursery.com/) across the road. We decided to stop for some fresh produce. Again, we were not disappointed. The produce was beautiful! We even enjoyed some homemade ice cream. I know I will go back to Porter Farms whenever I pass exit 312 on I-40 (just five miles off the exit) and will probably make a stop at Adams too! I left the Willow Spring area full of pride in our state's agricultural products!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! NC Winery Count: 25

Cypress Bend Vineyards--Backroads Treat

2009-07-23T13:54:00.010-04:00

On the way home from a recent trip to Charleston, we decided to take the back roads and stay off the interstate. Of course, I made a point to check the wine guide to see if we could make any NC wine stops on the way! Lucky for me, I saw three opportunities to check out some North Carolina wineries on the way home. A quick stop to pick up a South Carolina map to add to my North Carolina map started us on our way. Before exiting the Palmetto State, we lucked up on a yummy and economical Sunday buffet at Sandy Oceans BBQ outside of Bennettsville. This was a great way to fill up on some good home cooking (a big hit with the whole family) before heading to our first winery stop, Cypress Bend Vineyards (http://www.cypressbendvineyards.com/eyards.com/) in Wagram, North Carolina.

As I always mention, I love a trip down an obscure back road that leads to a great surprise with a nice tasting room and some interesting wine. The journey to Cypress Bend certainly delivered on this experience! Named for and decorated in reference to canoe trips down the Lumber River, the building, grounds, and tasting room are an appealing retreat on a warm day. A canoe motif and natural materials decorate the rustic, yet elegant building. There are plenty of tables to enjoy a glass of wine and the gift shop is particularly well stocked with nice wine accessories and other pretty items. The grounds are beautiful and a semi-permanent tent outside is set up for the many events hosted by Cypress Bend Vineyards. The staff people were very friendly and accommodating of us and our kids. We started our tasting with a few wines made with "traditional" and "conventional" grapes purchased from vineyards in the Yadkin Valley. The wine maker wanted to make some of these wines even though these grapes don't grow well in Wagram.

After these wines, we tasted some wines made with the historic muscadine grape. Anyone who has taken a tour of a North Carolina winery knows that the wine industry in North Carolina is actually quite old and the grape used in the early days was the muscadine. There are actually many types of muscadines. Check out the web site for the North Carolina Muscadine Grape Association (http://www.ncmuscadine.org/). These grapes are praised for their health benefits too. They typically make for much sweeter wine than other "wine" grapes. There are many who prefer this style of wine and there are several wineries in North Carolina devoted solely to muscadine wines. Most North Carolina wineries have at least one muscadine wine on their lists. I will profile some of the other muscadine wineries in some later posts.

Now, back to Cypress Bend. I have tasted a good bit of the muscadine wine in the state; however, Cypress Bend is doing some very interesting and different muscadine wine. They make some of the only dry muscadine wine around. It is definitely worth tasting, even for the dry wine drinker. When I mentioned that I had seen Cypress Bend wines in Total Wine in Raleigh, I learned that the buyer for Total Wine (http://www.totalwine.com/) visited Cypress Bend and liked the wine so much, he started carrying it in the stores. Check it out! The variety of tastes here is fun and the wine is very good. There is a small tasting fee and a souvenir glass. Cypress Bend is definitely worth a stop! When the weather is a bit cooler, bring a picnic and enjoy sitting outside. In the summer, enjoy the cool elegance of the lovely tasting room and gift shop!

My next post will cover the rest of the wine trail home from Charleston. Look for a post soon about Adams Vineyards in Wake County and a missed opportunity at J. Wesley Vineyards near Fayetteville.

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina!
Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! NC Winery Count: 25

Goal 88!!!

2009-07-14T13:09:00.006-04:00

There are now 88 wineries in North Carolina, according to the Visit NC Wine website (http://www.visitncwine.com/). My goal is to see all of them. I am off to a pretty good start; however, I do need to do a repeat visit to some of them because it has been a few years since my visit. Check out my list of links to the websites of the wineries I have visited. I will keep a running count as part of each post. I will profile all of the wineries I have visited recently enough to do a fair post. As I return to the others, I will profile them too. I am excited about this journey!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina!

Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! NC Winery Count: 25

Chatham County North Carolina Wineries

2009-07-14T10:35:00.006-04:00

One of my favorite reasons for visiting North Carolina wineries is that the journey takes me down roads I would never otherwise travel. The back roads of North Carolina are full of beautiful natural wonders and interesting history lessons! On a recent weekend day trip to Chatham County, I saw some of both and tasted some nice North Carolina wines! When you head to Chatham County, check your map and select one of several scenic routes to get there. Be ready for pretty countryside, small towns with unique personalities, scattered artists, natural foods, etc. I enjoyed my visits to both Chatham County wineries: Silk Hope Winery and Horizon Cellars. These two places are very different from each other, but both offer something special.

The road to Silk Hope Winery is certainly one of those roads I would not have traveled otherwise. What I found at the end of that journey was a wonderful surprise. Silk Hope has been around since 2000 and is a family-run farm winery. The view is wonderful and the setting adds to the feeling of tasting the land! This winery reminds us that grape-growing and wine making involve farming! They don't have a gift shop, but they are open for tastings and greet guests warmly. The guests will be well-rewarded with some interesting and very good wines! Our favorite was the Red Roots. They make a number of wines and obviously take the technical part of wine making seriously. Check out the descriptions of their wines on their website at http://www.silkhopewinery.com/. They allow picnics and will even let people use their grill with some prior notice. Be sure to read the interesting story of Silk Hope on the backs of their bottles. Their wines are even available at several local retail stores. This is definitely a winery I want to visit again. I look forward to seeing what interesting North Carolina wines the people at Silk Hope come up with next.

After leaving Silk Hope Winery, I made my way to Horizon Cellars, the other winery in Chatham County. Horizon is definitely worth a visit too. They boast an attractive and comfortable tasting room and nicely stocked gift shop. They have a pretty setting with vineyard views. The day I visited, they were putting the finishing touches on a new deck. This area is available for picnics and relaxing with a glass of wine. They do not sell food, but this is a great place to bring some snacks or a picnic. My daughter even got to do a picture in a coloring book while my husband and I tasted Horizon's very nice wines. As always, I appreciate the kid-friendly wine tasting experiences! Check out their website at http://www.horizoncellars.com/. Their site has a nice section of links to all of the wineries in the Piedmont. There is a tasting fee that includes a glass. Horizon does events and will also do custom labels. Read about this service on the website. I look forward to a return visit to see the finished deck and enjoy sitting out there with a glass of North Carolina wine.

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country!

My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! Count coming soon!

Good Press for Raffaldini!

2009-07-10T08:57:00.009-04:00

It seems that President Obama included Raffaldini's Vermintino in a gift to the Italian president. Here is WRAL's article: http://www.wral.com/news/local/noteworthy/story/5539271/. A fellow blogger includes the story too, http://visitnorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2009/07/raffaldini-wine-becomes-presidential.html.

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina!
Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country!

My next post will be about Chatham County wineries!

My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! Count coming soon!

Westbend--Still one of the Best

2009-07-08T09:28:00.008-04:00

Recently on the way back from a weekend in Virginia, I stopped by Westbend Vineyards in Lewisville, North Carolina (not far outside Winston Salem). This was my second visit to this winery. However, the first visit was several years ago. The place is lovely with a large expanse of nice green grass, pretty vineyards, and an attractive building with a shady pergola. The facilities were nice on my first visit, but have been improved since then. The tasting room and gift shop are very nice and well-stocked. We enjoyed our tasting of some new wines as well as some old favorites. One nice thing about Westbend is that their wines are available in some retail stores throughout the state. I have seen them in some grocery stores in the Triangle. The wine industry in North Carolina is growing and many wineries are relatively new. Westbend has been a going concern for quite some time. This experience shows in their wines and in their facilities. On the Sunday we stopped by, they were finishing the cleanup from an event the night before. Check the Westbend Vineyards website (http://www.westbendvineyards.com/)for other upcoming events, especially if you live nearby. Westbend is a pleasant place to take a picnic and enjoy some of their good wines! We were the only customers early on that Sunday afternoon and our kids loved running around the grassy area outside. I know we will return to this quality winery!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina!

Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country!

Have you been to Raffaldini?

2009-07-07T09:14:00.007-04:00

When I mentioned that I enjoyed visiting wineries and had visited several in the area, the response was the same: "Have you been to Raffaldini?" More than once, the staff at other wineries recommended a visit to Raffaldini Vineyards. However, I always seemed to be passing that area at the wrong time of day and did not get to check out this beautiful winery--until recently! Wow! What a wonderful place--with wonderful wines! Check them out on the web at http://www.raffaldini.com/. "Chianti in the Carolinas" is their slogan. With surprisingly little imagination, a visit to Raffaldini is an escape to Italy. The building, the mountain views, the terraces with tables, the beautifully landscaped grounds, etc. could almost make me forget to write about the wines, IF the wines were not so good! These are quality wines! The tasting list offers some great food pairing ideas. I came away hungry and ready to prepare a gourmet meal and drink some great wine! There is a $5.00 fee (with a glass to keep) for a tasting. You will not be disappointed! The shop has all of the wines available along with some wine-related items. They have some a la carte food items to purchase if you want something to go with the wine you will want to take to a terrace table to enjoy the view. Their web site says that with 72 hours notice, they will even prepare a box lunch. That sounds like a fun day! It is hard for me to single out a particular wine here; they were all of very high quality. Like some of the other North Carolina wineries, our kids were welcome. They even got some juice pouches and crackers! We were on our way back from another trip when we stopped by, but I look forward to going to Raffaldini again to take in the views, some yummy food, and (of course) the wines!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina!

Check back again soon as I write about some other recent visits to North Carolina wineries!

A Hurdle Mills Surprise!

2009-07-05T12:29:00.016-04:00

Yesterday, I celebrated our country's independence by taking a drive through some beautiful North Carolina countryside, tasting some wine at one of our state's most attractive wineries, and eating a hot dog and milkshake at a cute small-town eatery!

The drive to Rock of Ages Winery from the Triangle took my family through cornfields, rolling hills, and small communities. The people of Caldwell were setting up for a 4th of July parade of tractors, floats, and costumed participants. Just outside the community of Hurdle Mills and past some more fields and farmland, the Rock of Ages Winery stands out and welcomes visitors. The grapes grow in front of a very nice "old world" building with a terrace and patio below both with tables and chairs overlooking a pond and the vines.

When we entered the tasting room, we were warmly greeted. We spent some time browsing the very nicely stocked gift shop while another party finished a tasting. Before we started our tasting, Marie set our children up with their own homemade grape juice (yummy!) and some crackers. They were happy for the whole tasting! When my husband and I began the tasting ($5.00 tasting fee includes a glass), we were treated to some quality wines. We really liked the Chardonnay aged in oak. They have a couple of unique whites too that were good, a Petit Mansang is made with a grape grown in front of the winery. The people at Rock of Ages grow most of their own grapes, but buy some from other North Carolina vineyards since they are still relatively new (all wines are 100% NC! ). The reds were nice too. They offer a couple of Merlots and Syrahs. Their Old World wine is a Chambourcin blend that stands up well to other North Carolina Chambourcins. They have some sweet wines too and do a couple with the historic muscadine grape. A fun novelty wine is their signature Pork and Cork wine that accompanies barbecue made with their Pork and Cork sauce (also available at the shop). They sell some special farm cheeses from Pennsylvania. This is a great place to bring a picnic or just enjoy a glass on the terrace. I feel that we will return! Their beautiful facility is also available for events. Check out the Rock of Ages Winery at http://www.rockofageswinery.com/. If you don't bring your lunch to Rock of Ages, stop in Roxboro at Rob and Larry's Sugar Shack. My whole family enjoyed some hot dogs and great hand-cut fries. The hand dipped milkshake was wonderful! Check out The Sugar Shack on the Roxboro tourism site (http://www.visitroxboronc.com/).

What a great day! Visits to North Carolina wineries always take me down roads I would not otherwise travel. I am always amazed at the varied beauty and unique local flavors of our state!

As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina!

Check back often! Over the next several days, I will write about my other recent visits to North Carolina wineries.

Tips for the Wine Trail

2009-07-02T09:44:00.001-04:00

The following post originally appeared last year on my other blog. I think it is a good introduction to the hobby of winery hopping. Check back soon for more about North Carolina wines and wineries!

I want to provide a list of tips for making the most of visits to small, family-run wineries. My husband and I have been visiting wineries for several years. We enjoy these visits for many reasons and would love to share some ideas. If you are new to winery exploration, be ready for a fun (and somewhat addictive) hobby than can be as budget-friendly as you want it to be!
NOT JUST IN CALIFORNIA! Many people are not aware that a number of states have wine industries. For some states, this is a new venture and for others it is one with a rich history. On almost any visit to a North Carolina winery, you will hear the fact that, before Prohibition, North Carolina was one of the country's largest producers of wine. The Finger Lakes region of New York (http://www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com/) provides wonderful, accessible wines, and beautiful views. Virginia has several distinct wine regions. Most people know about Washington and Oregon; however, Ohio, Missouri, and several other states also boast wineries. Wherever you go, be on the lookout for a local winery! Some states, such as North Carolina, Virginia, and New York, post "can't miss" grape signs on interstates and highways.
Since I am focusing primarily on North Carolina and Virginia, I am referring to these growing wine industries in the rest of the post; however, the following tips/observations can apply to visiting wineries anywhere. The goal of the winery owners is certainly to sell wine and visiting wineries can be expensive, if you do not set out to make this a Frugal, Family experience. Keep in mind that "frugal" does not mean "without fun." The focus here is on the total value of the experience and winery "hopping" can be as frugal or extravagant as your current budget allows!
DON'T BE PUT OFF BY TASTING FEES!!! This is a tip that it took us a while to learn. At first, we felt that the free tasting was a better deal. Then we realized that we were more likely to purchase wine we did not really want when we tasted wine for free. Especially in smaller wineries where we may have been the only customers/tasters present, we felt obligated to buy, even if we did not really want that particular wine. Bottle prices in wineries are always more than our usual "frugal" budget for "Two-Buck Chuck" (http://www.traderjoes.com/) or other $6.99 and less wines (Believe me, there are some good ones out there--that's another post...). Sometimes, we are blown away and do splurge on a bottle in a winery, but many times we don't. If you pay a small tasting fee (usually $3.00-5.00), you do not feel as obligated to spend money. Often, a souvenir glass with the winery logo is included in the tasting fee. Some wineries will waive the tasting fee if you do end up purchasing wine. Tasting fee or not, you are not obligated to buy anything you don't want to buy. If you don't want to spring for a whole bottle or don't have a great way to transport it, you can always buy a glass of your favorite or a small souvenir (many wineries have great gift shops).
DON'T BE AFRAID TO LIKE (OR NOT LIKE) THE WINE. You will usually receive a list and a pencil to make notes as you taste. Feel free to pour out wine you don't like. Not everyone likes the same things.
DON'T WORRY IF YOU ARE NOT A WINE EXPERT! The beauty of visiting local wineries, is that you get to learn about wine in a non-intimidating setting. While some wineries specialize in all one type of wine, most have dry and sweeter offerings. Some also have jellies and juices available. Most offer free tours. Though we have taken a number of tours, we don't always take the time to do this. Most are very similar. However, if you are new to visiting wineries, I would recommend a tour or two to understand the process, the difference between oak and stainless steel, etc.
ENJOY THE VIEWS! Many wineries (especially those in Virginia and North Carolina) are in beautiful places. Some have wonderful mountain vistas or pretty farm settings. One of my favorite things about visiting wineries is that it makes us go on roads we would not otherwise travel.
ENJOY THE PEOPLE! Winery owners/operators have come to this industry via many paths. Their stories are often fun to hear. We have met people who have started a winery in retirement from some other profession. Particularly in North Carolina, some are former tobacco farmers who are re-purposing their family land for a new generation with changing views about health and the state's economy. Their stories are as varied as the wines and the landscape.
YES, IT CAN BE KID-FRIENDLY! Again, the views and the rustic, rural settings are fun and educational for children (especially suburban or urban dwellers) to see. Some tasting room staff will provide kids with grape juice. Most have a table where you can set your children up with a snack you bring with you. If your kids are well-behaved, there should be no problems. One of the most kid-friendly winery visits for us was at the Winery at Iron Gate Farms near Mebane, North Carolina (http://www.irongatevineyards.com/). They had coloring books, crayons, and apple cider for kids. Many winemakers are parents and grandparents themselves and love to chat with your kids.
A DESTINATION OR A "BREAK" FROM A LONGER TRIP. Sometimes, visiting a winery (not too far off the interstate) provides a much-needed, serene break from a longer trip (Drivers, just don't taste too much!). Restrooms are usually clean. The outdoor settings allow for some running around. There are almost always picnic tables or some type of outdoor seating.
GET A BROCHURE! Order or pick up a brochure for a state's wineries at the state welcome center. The North Carolina and Virginia guides provide a list of wineries, hours, descriptions, and directions.
HAVE FUN! Open your mind to exploring a new area, tasting something from the land, meeting new people, expanding your wine knowledge, and having some Frugal, Family Fun!

Under Construction

2009-07-01T15:19:00.000-04:00

This blog is under construction! I will be back soon with an updated profile and much more to say about North Carolina wines and wineries!