This episode features Sofia Lilly of Overmountain Vineyards in Tryon, North Carolina! We visited Sofia at the vineyard on a sunny day in October. Their extensive patio and spread out seating allowed us to record this episode while observing social distancing practices.
Sofia talks to us about how Overmountain Vineyards started as a small family farm and still continues to live up to that standard. Over the years, many things have changed. The biggest change of all came in 2014 when Sofia decided to make the family business her career.
With more focus on the vineyard and the wines, they were able to put a greater emphasis on quality. For a before and after photo of the same grapes, check out the cover photo for this episode. Since then, quality has improved and so has their following.
At Overmountain Vineyards, they embrace the cultural fusion that makes up both sides of the family blending Lita’s Cuban heritage with Frank’s Irish background. Everything they do is a reflection of who they are.
Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back! This time Jesse and Jessica talk to us about some of the things that are added to wine to improve the quality and make it ready for drinking. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
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If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!
This episode was made possible in part by a grant from the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council. For more information, please visit https://www.ncwine.org/
In this episode, we sit down with Ken Gulaian and Kari Heerdt of Round Peak Vineyards in Mt Airy, North Carolina! Ken and Kari moved to North Carolina in 2008. Before landing in North Carolina, they lived in California which is where they fell in love with wineries and vineyards in some of California’s most well known regions.
They purchased Round Peak Vineyards shortly after moving. They continued maintain the existing vineyard which focuses on French and Italian varietals. Soon after opening, they noticed an opportunity to release a second line of wines, and Skull Camp was born. This quickly branched out into a brewery and smokehouse restaurant.
As a result, they offer a very well rounded profile sure to meet the palate of any customer. No matter what location you visit, you’re sure to find that each establishment embraces the feeling of being relaxing, casual, and fun.
Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back! This time Jesse and Jessica talk to us about some of the things that are added to wine to improve the quality and make it ready for drinking. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
Closing Content
If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!
This episode was made possible in part by a grant from the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council. For more information, please visit https://www.ncwine.org/
In this episode, we interview Shruthi Dhoopati and Jeff Frisbee of Addison Farms Vineyards in Leicester, NC. Jeff tells us about the history of the vineyard and how it started out as farmland for his grandparents. After raising tobacco and cattle, Jeff decided that a good way to preserve the family farm would be to plant grapes.
In 2009, he planted his first grapes with subsequent plantings every year until 2013. Now his vineyard contains nearly 6 acres of vines and 5 key varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Petit Manseng, and Sangiovese.
Shruthi tells us about some of the difficulties with managing vines in Western North Carolina and how she’s embracing more traditional vine pruning techniques to bring out different characteristics in the wines. She is excited to see how quickly the quality of the fruit and wine is improving in the state and is hopeful that more people are seeing this, too.
Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back! This time Jesse and Jessica talk to us about wine faults and how you can spot them. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!
This episode was made possible in part by a grant from the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council. For more information, please visit https://www.ncwine.org/
We’re celebrating North Carolina Grape Month with a special episode featuring two grape experts. We interview Dr. Sara Spayd and Dr Mark Hoffman of North Carolina State University (Go Pack!).
Mark and Sara both specialize in growing and researching grapes. At NC State, they hold the title of State Viticulturist. They’re responsible for conducting research on grape growing in the state, coordinating Agriculture Extension activities, and promoting the grape industry throughout the state.
Over the years, their primary goal has been to provide support to the grape growing industry. They identify research opportunities to adapt grape growing to our unique climate here in North Carolina.
One of the surprising topics of this conversation is just how little we know about the science of growing muscadine grapes. Sara and Mark discuss their interests and what they hope can be on the horizon. As you can tell by the length of this episode, we had a lot to talk about and we still had plenty to discuss. We’ll have them back to continue the conversation on future episodes.
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Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back! This time Jesse and Jessica explain the three types of flavors and what goes into creating the perfect sip. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!
This episode is made possible in part by a grant from the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council. For more information, please visit https://www.ncwine.org/
This episode takes us to Trinity, North Carolina where we recorded with Leslie Zimmerman and Christie Otranto of Zimmerman Vineyards! The vineyard and tasting room sit on a portion of the 140 acre homestead that Leslie purchased back in the late 1980s.
Over the years, there have been many things to overcome. Leslie has focused on her three passions: her love of teaching, her family, and the vineyard. All three come together at the vineyard in surprising ways.
You can definitely see it through her unique partnerships with local businesses, restaurants, artists, and musicians. All events at the vineyard create a great experience for visitors highlighting all that the local area has to offer. Leslie recognizes that what she does with wine is the same as what visual artists do in their medium and what musicians do in theirs.
Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back! This time Jesse and Jessica explore the array of bottle sizes and alternative packaging. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!
Leslie’s Thoughts
Through the years, I have recognized the connection between this business and the arts. Doing what I do in the world of wine is the same as what visual artists do in their medium and what musicians do in theirs. We all create something new and unique. Not only do I recognize this common thread between these mediums but honor it by hosting a string of top-shelf local songwriters to share their work and a bottle of wine with customers and fans. It’s a perfect blend really!
We do not often post about wines from outside of North Carolina, but occasionally we do make an exception. We were contacted by Sue Tipton, the owner and winemaker of Acquiesce Winery in Lodi, California. She asked us if we would like to sample two of her favorite wines accompanied by two exceptional food pairings. We figured it has been a while since our last visit, so why not take up the offer. The wines in this package were the 2018 Bourboulenc and the 2018 Clairette Blanche. Read on for more about Acquiesce Winery and our thoughts on the wine and food pairings.
Acquiesce
We first heard of Acquiesce Winery when we attended the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference (now called the Wine Media Conference). At the conference, people highly recommended we make it a point to stop at Acquiesce Winery before we left Lodi. On the last day of the conference, we packed up our things, typed Acquiesce Winery in Google Maps and drove out for our visit. We were so happy we did.
Acquiesce Winery is unique among Lodi wineries. When you think of Lodi, you typically think of Zinfandel or other reds. However, Sue Tipton draws her inspiration from elsewhere. She initially fell in love with the white wines of French Rhone, and her wine offerings reflect just that. Instead of Zins and Cabs, you will find Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Viognier, and a rose made from Grenache (the lone red grape grown just for rose).
When we visited Acquiesce Winery for the first time, we were hooked. We are huge fans of Rhone style wines and Sue does an excellent job of bringing a taste of the Rhone to Lodi. The wines that Sue sent are two varietals that are very uncommon to most wine drinkers. The Bourboulenc and the Clairette Blanche are most found in the Southern Rhone however the combined acreage is right around 10,000 acres.
2018 Bourboulenc
Acquiesce is the first winery in the US to release a single varietal wine. The aromas were perfumed and fragrant highlighting apricots and delicate white flowers. Flavors were lively with candied apricots up front. The mid-palate moved to a rich mineral complexity with tangerine peel and citrus oils coming through. It finished on a long drawn out note. Sue recommended we pair this wine with the tuna pate. When we did, the bright citrus of the wine cut through the richness of the pate. Paired together, the pate elongated the palate and accentuated the flavors even more. Overall an excellent pairing.
2018 Clairette Blanche
Another rarity in the wine world, this single varietal wine is like the Bourboulenc yet uniquely different. The nose was still perfumed but it was not as floral. Grapefruit and lemongrass came through with hints of white peach. The flavors were much leaner, relying on bigger mineral presence with good acidity. White peaches did come through in the flavors with a refreshing finish that was slightly herbal. Sue recommended we pair this wine with the Spanish anchovy olives. The meaty olives were a great foil to the bright wine. The little salty bites accented the fruits in the wine and left you wanting another sip.
Whenever we are in the region, we will always put Acquiesce Winery on our schedule. The wines are fantastic, and Sue is great at telling her story and creating a wonderful experience. Cheers!
In this episode, we interview Max Lloyd of Grove Winery in Gibsonville, NC. Max originally started a vineyard up in Virginia back in 1995. His family has been growing gapes and making wine for generations, so he was more than happy to carry on the tradition.
Max wanted to expand his vineyards, but there were several factors in selecting his site. Eventually he landed on the primary vineyard site at Grove Winery and planted his first grapes in 2002.
This location is nicely situated in the Haw River AVA, tucked along side a bend in the Haw River. Situated a bit further east than most of the other vineyard locations, the Haw River sees a longer growing season and allows for different conditions that other AVAs in the state.
Grove Winery offers something for everyone with a range of wines to suit all palates. Max feels that his vineyard sites showcase east coast wines. His Malbec and Nebbiolo are two wines that stand out, but the others also highlight the best of the Haw River.
Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back! This time Jesse and Jessica explore the depths of white wine and tells us why we should or shouldn’t oak our wines. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!
In this episode, we’re featuring Shelton Vineyards! Mandy Houser, Chip Shelton, and Ethan Brown join us in our second virtual recording episode.
Mandy and Chip take us back to the early beginnings of Shelton Vineyards, all the way back to 1999. Brothers Charlie and Ed Shelton came up with the idea of getting back to their roots in Dobson, NC. After talking with consultants, the brothers were sure that they could successfully plant a vineyard and make some quality wines.
Shelton Vineyards has certainly made an impact on the wine industry in the state. They were the driving force behind starting the Yadkin Valley AVA, the first in North Carolina as well as the Viticulture and Enology program at Surry Community College.
With 10 grape varietals planted and over 20 wines, Shelton Vineyards has something for every taste. Even though they’ve grown over the years, they are still family run and everyone who works there is treated as part of the family.
Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back. This time Jesse and Jessica dive in to the ever popular Rose wines. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!
This episode features Elizabeth Anne Dover of Dover Vineyards! We took a slightly different approach to recording this episode as we’re still observing social distancing. Elizabeth Anne talks to us about her 7 acres of grapes and 6 acres of produce.
Since starting her endeavor in 2009, she has put the passion of farming and producing outstanding wine at the forefront of what she does. As a modern millennial, she enjoys taking something and creating something completely different. That interest is what fuels her creativity in the winery and keep her moving forward.
Over the years, she’s learned to chill out real fast. There’s no way to control every aspect of farming, so she works hard to control what she can and roll with everything else that out of her control.
Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back again. Jesse and Jessica talk about the nuances of making red wine and tell us their go-to red wine. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
This episode features Pat and Clyde Colwell of Carolina Heritage Vineyard & Winery! Pat and Clyde both ended up in North Carolina for work. When they met they soon started looking for land for a vineyard. Clyde had a lifelong desire to have his own vineyard and Pat was all in as long as they could farm it organically and sustainably.
Organic and sustainable have been two driving forces behind everything Carolina Heritage stands for. Pat has taken to thinking like nature in order to come up with solutions to common vineyard issues.
With 12 acres of grapes, organic farming would seem to be a daunting task. But being a student of nature, Pat decided early on to plant native and hybrid grapes that would be better suited for our climate.
Starting the vineyard and winery was an exercise intended to help them grow as individuals and become a part of nature. Being lifelong learners, they have adapted well and adjusted to what nature throws at them.
Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back again. This time, Jesse and Jessica talk about the many different American Viticulture Areas (AVAs) of North Carolina. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!
This episode features Michael Zimmerman of Junius Lindsay Vineyards! We talk with Michael about why he’s growing grapes and how he first conceived of the idea. As he tells it, he has a love for old world wines which came from his time in the Foreign Service. He was fortunate enough to make several visits to France and tour around the wine regions of the country. His heart landed in the Rhone region and he still looks to them for inspiration.
After his time in the Foreign Service, he came back to his family farmland. With a little influence from other vineyards in the area, he decided to bring life back to the farm and plant grapes. He’s expanded his vineyard since the original 2 acres of Viognier, but he is still firmly rooted in Rhone traditions and only grows those varietals.
Michael recognizes there are two people in the winemaking business, the winemaker and the wine grower. Michael focuses on growing the best possible fruit so that the wines reflect the vineyard. In the best years the wines really shine and make it all worth while. After all, Michael is following in the footsteps of great Rhone winemakers which is a great sense of pride.
Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back. Jesse and Jessica tell us about how we can get the most out of our tastings with a simple 5-step method. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!
This episode features Sean and Patricia McRitchie of McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks! This family business has deep roots in the wine industry on the west coast. After settling in North Carolina, Sean and Patricia decided to continue their tradition and immediately became an integral part of the North Carolina wine industry.
Sean and Patricia talk about how they integrate family into everything they do. From having their children name certain blends to training their son Asher to be a future winemaker, family is in everything they do.
Plan a visit to taste through their still and sparkling wines as well as their “First in Cider” cider blends made from heirloom apple varietals.
This episode also features our first “Wine Class with the Wine Mouths” segment. Join us as we chat with Jesse and Jessica to talk through an intro to common winemaking terms.
If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.
We also have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more! Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up.
For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.
This episode features the team from Elkin Creek Vineyard in Elkin, North Carolina! We met up with Louis and Carrie Jeroslow and Jennifer and Nick White one evening. In our discussion we listened as the two couples told us how they first discovered Elkin Creek Vineyard.
It started at Jennifer and Nick’s wedding and a dream was soon formed. It wasn’t long after that the stars aligned and that dream became reality. The two couples left their day jobs in Las Vegas to pursue a shared dream. Together they’ve shaped the vineyard into a retreat that is secluded but not isolated, a place where you can spend time reconnecting with what really matters.
We hope you enjoy this episode. If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review and share with a friend. If you’re looking for other ways to contribute, you should check out our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/corktalk
In our next season we’ll be adding exclusive content to Patreon with several levels of perks. Please take a look and if you can help support our mission we greatly appreciate your contributions.
This episode features Ben and Becky Starr of Starrlight Mead in Pittsboro, NC! Ben and Becky caught the mead making bug after falling in love with it at a Renaissance faire. For the past 8 years, Ben and Becky have been building up their business and refining their mead making skills.
They like meads with big bold flavors and surprising flavor combinations. Visit the brand new Mead Hall and you’ll find the expected off-dry traditional and semi-sweet to flavors more exotic like a Kickin’ Cranberry Orange (perfect for the holiday table and Ben’s favorite) and other fruit and herb infused meads.
If you liked this episode, please leave us a rating and review. If you really liked this episode, please share it with a friend. You can find all episodes of Cork Talk on our show page: NC Wine Guys Present: Cork Talk!
In this episode we sit down with John Wright of Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg, NC. Growing grapes on the coast may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Currituck and the Outer Banks, but Sanctuary Vineyards is proving that you can grow European style grapes and make some top quality wine.
John talks about how this really is a labor of love. He is constantly pouring time and energy back into the vines. He treats each vine with careful attention and it clearly shows in the final product. John really enjoys experimenting and is enjoys listening to the environment to learn what really grows well and produces the best wine possible.
We hope you enjoy this episode. If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to leave us a rating and review!
In this episode, we sit down with Diane Currier of Honeygirl Meadery in Durham, NC! Diane was turned on to mead making in her early days as a home brewer. She talks about her surreal experience of walking through a fireweed meadow and then hours later tasting a mead made from that specific type of honey.
Listen to her tell her story about how she got started, where she finds inspiration, and how she continually makes a connection back to the ever essential honey bee. Enjoy!
If you liked this episode, please leave us a rating or a review. Every bit helps spread the podcast to new listeners.
This conversation takes us to plēb Urban Winery in Asheville, NC to celebrate their 1st anniversary party! Learn about what it means to truly be an urban winery and make wine more accessible to the masses. From featuring grapes that grow well, to being more sustainable, plēb is certainly breaking into the Asheville scene and embracing #NCWine.
This episode features Chuck and Jamey Johnson of Shadow Springs Vineyard and Windsor Run Cellars. We discuss how the they traded in the 8 to 5 corporate job for something they’re more passionate about. Having two wineries that are just over a half mile apart provides many conveniences but also several challenges. They view the wineries as being alter egos of each other. Windsor Run Cellars is a bit more adventurous and likes to experiment with fun flavors and innovative beverages. Shadow Springs Vineyard walks on the more serious side but they still know how to have fun as well.
One thing that comes across in this conversation is how passionate Chuck and Jamey are about the wine industry here in North Carolina. When they were first getting started, the industry helped them to get their winery up and running. Now that they’ve been in the business for almost 15 years, they’re looking for ways to “give back” to the industry to help others along the same path. In many ways they’re still pioneers in the industry, but they’ve definitely left their mark and are looking for ways to contribute more.
Bonus Episode! Banner Elk Winery & Villa is a mainstay of the High Country of North Carolina. No matter the season, this winery is always a popular destination. The wines are delicious, the sangrias are a hit in the summer, and who doesn’t love s’mores. Escape the heat and head to the mountains for a visit!
Laurel Gray Vineyards is located in the Swan Creek AVA, part of the Yadkin Vally in North Carolina. Listen to the story of Kim and Benny Myers about how they transform Benny’s family farm into a vineyard. Years of hard work have gone into building the vineyard and winery, and they certainly have a loyal following.
We sit with Charles and Ann Edwards of Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyards on a warm spring evening. Listen as they tell us how a family farm transitioned from moonshine to dairy, and is now producing excellent wines. We recorded this episode outside because there’s nothing better than relaxing under the shade trees when you visit.
This episode we chat with Jay Raffaldini from Raffaldini Vineyards. We discuss how Jay discovered his property and has put a lot of effort into bringing a bit of Chianti to North Carolina. Jay wants his visitors to relax and enjoy what he calls the exhale moment because as he says, “Life is meant to be slow.”
As a special treat, we bring you the panel discussion from the 2019 #NCWine Blogger Summit held on March 25th, 2019. On the panel we interviewed four winemakers about some of the challenges of making wine in North Carolina. We hope you enjoy this special bonus episode!
Episode 4 takes us to Silver Fork Winery & Vineyards. We sit with owners Jennifer and Ed talking about their love of wine and how they are making Silver Fork part of their authentic lifestyle. They traded in the corporate life for one that’s at the pace of wine.
Our third episode of Cork Talk brings us to Piccione Vineyards. We chat with Bill and Hailey about why Bill decided to start a vineyard here in North Carolina, how he caught the wine bug, and how Hailey has made her way through the industry and joined the Piccione team.
Episode two finds us sitting down with Michael and Amy Helton of Hanover Park Vineyard. Michael and Amy truly are pioneers in the North Carolina wine industry having planted the first vineyard in Yadkin County. We talk about things they’ve learned over the years and how it influences their wines.
Join us for our first episode! We sit down with Diana & Chuck from Jones von Drehle Vineyards. Diana and Chuck discuss how they discovered a prime vineyard location in Thurmond, North Carolina. Learn how they work hard to socialize their brand and expand into restaurants and wine stores across the state. We talk about wine club events, driving more than 1 million miles in the pursuit of wine, and the future holds for Jones von Drehle and North Carolina Wine.
We’re excited to announce that we’re starting a podcast! We’re calling it Cork Talk. We’ll be meeting with important people in the wine industry starting with our home state of North Carolina.
We’ll be meeting with vineyard owners, wine makers, fellow bloggers, and other important people in the industry. This is our introductory episode where we kick off our idea and get you ready for what’s to come.
Sound interesting? Here are a few things you can do to help:
Subscribe – Go to your favorite podcast app and click the subscribe button. You’ll get instant notifications when we post a new episode.
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To start off our NC Wine Month celebrations, we decided to make a trip out to vineyards in far western North Carolina. How far west? Well, at one of the vineyards, you can see Tennessee and Georgia as well as North Carolina. That’s right, we made a trip out to the wineries out in Murphy, Andrews, and a surprise visit to Robbinsville.
Making our way to Murphy, NC
The Vineyard at Nottely River Vineyards
From our home base in Mooresville, our first stop at Nottley River Vineyards in Murphy, NC was about 4 hours away. We took off early, made a quick stop for lunch, and made it to Nottley River Vineyards not too long after they opened. There was already a good crowd there when we drove in, so we made our way to the tasting bar. After the formal tasting, Steve took us out to the crush pad and gave us a sneak peek of the 2016 releases (which was a stellar year). Most of these will be ready in Spring 2019, so we’ll be making a return visit for sure.
Our Tasting at Nottley River Vineyards
The Tasting Room at Nottley River Vineyards
Our Visit in Andrews, NC
The FernCrest Tasting Room
Next up was FernCrest Winery in Andrews, NC. This was our first visit to FernCrest and we had a great time. Co-owner Jan Olson guided us through our tasting. They have a small vineyard of their own, but also buy fruit from across the state and elsewhere. One interesting fact is that each of their wines are named after a different fern, and each label has a drawing of that fern. The white wines we tasted had a great acidity and will be perfect with some early fall foods.
Calaboose Cellars
Calaboose Cellars is just a few blocks away from FernCrest. This winery is officially the state’s smallest self-contained winery, measuring in at about 300 square feet for the whole operation. They focus on producing small batch wines that are very well crafted and fruit forward. Judy conducted our tasting and we were happy to see all the new wines on the list.
Mead in the Mountains
The Tasting Room at Wehrloom Honey
After we finished up, we decided to head back to our hotel. On the way, we made a last minute decision to head to new-to-us meadery, Wehrloom Honey in Robbinsville, NC. This unexpected stop turned out to be a great visit. Wehrloom is an active farm with hundreds of beehives. Honey from these hives is used to make their meads along with the other honey products they offer in their shop. We went through a quick tasting at their tasting bar and went on a walking tour of the farm. If you stop by, be sure to take a quick hike up the hill and see massive land tortoise that’s in with the goats and chickens. He’s a lively thing.
Goats at Wehrloom Honey
The Tortoise at Wehrloom
Read on for tasting notes of the wines at each of the locations we visited. If you find yourself out in far Western North Carolina, we highly recommend a visit to each of these wineries.
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Our Tasting Notes
Nottley River Valley Vineyards
Standard Tasting
2014 Seyval Blanc – This wine went through partial malolactic fermentation. It had a mellow nose of stone fruits. The palate was rich in minerals with a flinty finish.
2015 Chardonnay – This Chardonnay is Chablis style meaning all stainless steel and no oak. Green apple, fresh acids and a nice overall fruit profile were present on this wine.
Dry Rose – A blend of Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Watermelon and red fruits came through on the nose. Nice acids, mild strawberry and a rounder profile were present on the palate.
2015 War Woman Red – This blend of both Cabernets had an herbaceous nose. The flavors were light with strong acids and slightly twiggy tannins.
2015 Chardonell – This off-dry wine was filled with big yellow apples, nice acids and a mildly sweet profile.
2015 Riesling – This semi-sweet Riesling had a floral nose mixed with apricots and wet stones. Overall fruit forward and well rounded.
Pre-Release Tastings
2016 Oaked Chardonnel – Aged in Hungarian oak, this wine had a very nice oak presence. Grapey acids came through on the palate with excellent fruit character.
2016 Chardonnay – Aged in Hungarian and American oak, toasty vanilla clearly came through on the aroma. No malolactic fermentation means this wine has great green apple notes with crisp acids.
2016 Cabernet Franc – This wine had a classic cabernet franc nose with light pepper gracing the aroma. Green and White peper came through on the finish and were supported by a bright cherry profile.
2017 Seyval Blanc – This bubbly wine was nice and effervescent. The nose was slightly slightly foxy with wile grape flavors balanced by a nice acidity.
FernCrest Winery
Royal White (Vidal Blanc) – This wine had a nice floral nose with subtle white fruits. The flavors were nice and acidic with an overall pleasing profile.
Southern Lady White (Chardonnel) – The nose was of lemon cream. The flavors were bright with citrus lemon and very zesty.
Mountain Holly Red (Bordeaux Blend) – The nose was of tomato jam and figs. Red fruits came through on the palate with gentle tannins.
Mountainwood Red (Cynthiana) – The color on this wine was incredibly dark. Baking spices and dark fruits came through on the nose. Big acids came through on the palate with a smooth overall profile.
Fiddlehead Red – This slightly sweet red blend had a great fruit forward profile.
Black Lady – This dessert wine of blackberry and blueberry was nicely balanced. It was only mildly sweet with a great fruity profile.
Calaboose Cellars
2017 Seyval Blanc – Pleasing apricot and mild fruits came through on this mildly sweet white wine.
2017 Norton – This was dark and inky. Having gone through malolactic fermentation, it imparted a jammy flavor with a slightly acidic profile. Not yet released.
2017 Chambourcin – This wine had a classic Chambourcin profile with light baking spices. Being off-dry, it highlighted the red fruit flavors with an overall smooth profile.
Sparkling Niagara – The grapey nose was unmistakably Niagara grapes. The flavors were not too sweet with a nice fruity balance.
2017 Catawba – Fresh acids and a great grapey profile made this wine very easy to drink.
Revinoors Red – This wine made from the Sunbelt grape is brightly colored with an overall foxy profile.
Wehrloom
Dry County Dry – This mead was very herbaceous with a nice and mellow overall profile.
Home Sweet Home – This mead was made from sourwood honey. It had a nice nose, slightly sour, with a fantastic honey profile.
Black “Bear”ry – This mildly fruity mead was less sweet than the sourwood, but still had a great herbaceous profile .
Pretty in Peach – With a name that implies sweetness, this mead was surprisingly tart with clean peach flavors and a nice overall profile.
By now the fact we like to share our experiences with older vintages of NC Wine should come as no surprise to anyone. Whenever a winery is advertising a special library tasting or a vertical event, we try our hardest to attend. Most recently we had an opportunity to attend a special library tasting at Junius Lindsay Vineyards. Owner Michael Zimmerman has decided to share some of his library collection of past vintages. When we saw the announcement that his first library tasting would be his Triomphe blend, we jumped on the chance to reserve our spots.
2017 has been another great year for NC Wine. As we look back at the year, we reflect on some of the highlights of the year as well as what we’re looking forward to in 2018.
Looking Back
If we go back three harvests to the 2015 vintage, our notes promised it would be a season for the record books. Fast forward two years and you find that several wineries already released their 2015 vintages. White wines of this vintage are selling out, but in general are fresh and crisp with brilliant fruit. 2015 reds are still drinking young but show great potential. Continue reading →
So it’s been just over a month since we were out in California for the 2017 Wine Bloggers Conference. Once again we had a great time and learned much about being better bloggers and how we can better understand our place in the wine industry. Here’s a list of 9 things I learned while at this year’s conference.
The live blogging for day 2 will be starting in just a few minutes. Like we did yesterday, we’ll be posting about the wines that are poured at our table. Check in soon for more details.
1000 Stories 2015 Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel – This is the flagship wine for the winery. Bourbon and vanilla come through predominantly on the nose. The finish is smokey and charred with a healthy dose of spice on the mid-palate. This particular batch is number 35. Each batch will be different from batch to batch.
Paradise Ridge 2015 Pinot Noir – Cherry and vanilla on the nose are light and airy. The flavors are cherry and a nice oak. Ample fruit is present throughout. This Pinot Noir is slightly lower in alcohol at just over 13%. A very nice sample.
Gracianna 2015 Reserve Pinot Noir – This vintage is the third Pinot Noir made by the winery. The nose is light with subtle cherry, leather and vanilla. There is a very nice spice that comes through on finish. Overall a very nice example of Pinot Noir.
Missouri Wine pouring the Stone Hill Winery 2015 Norton – One of the 135 wineries in the state, this wine is incredibly dark. Aged in a combination of American, French, and Hungarian oak. Blueberries and baking spices come through on the nose. Fresh and fruity flavors come through on the front and mid-palate. The finish is tannic and broad sweeping.
Theopolis Vineyards 2015 Petite Sirah – This vineyard specializes in Petite Sirah and the 2015 doesn’t disappoint. The nose is fresh and bursting with dark berries and a nice vanilla. Big red fruits and berries come through on the flavors. The tannins are bold and grippy right now, but with more time it will transform into a supple profile.
Donelan Wines 2013 Cuvée Moriah – This wine is a Grenache based wine with a splash of Syrah added in. This ode to chateauneuf is lighter in color than some of the previous wines, but it doesn’t lack in flavor. It starts with a nice dried fruit with secondary characteristics of dried herbs and an earthy mid-palate. The finish has a nice tannin balance. Definitely a wine with character.
The Hilt Wines 2015 Pinot Noir – The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard that is just 13 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Coffee and cocoa come through on the nose. Ample red fruit flavors and a juicy mid-palate make this a mouthwatering wine that is easy drinking and approachable. And for the price point of $45, it is definitely enjoyable.
Wagner Family of Wine 2015 Conundrum Red – This wine is Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is dark and the nose is straightforward with vanilla and dried fruit. Dark fruits and vanilla come through as the predominant flavors. Mild tannins come through and have a slightly fruit-sweet finish.
Cliff Lede Vineyards 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon – This Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the first we have had during this live blogging session. The nose is slightly floral (violets) with a mild cooling effect. The flavors are big and tannins bold. Cedar cigar box and a dark charred fruit finish are very present on this wine. Overall a very well balanced wine.
Planeta Wines La Segreta Nero D’Avola – This wine of Sicily is fruit forward and juicy. Aged completely in stainless steel, this wine is very fresh. It would be very food friendly and is quite approachable. Bottle price roughly $15.
Live blogging is set to being here soon. We’ll be using this page to document the different wines we taste throughout the event. Check back frequently!
Antica 2015 Block A26 – This Chardonnay is only available in the winery. It is nicely oaked with ripe apples on the nose. The finish is toasty with a nice vibrant profile.
Hanna 2016 Sauvignon Blanc – The nose is zippy and citrusy. The flavors are very nice with a touch of green apple, a hint of grassy mid-palate. The winemaker has learned the nuances of this grape and tamed the wild nature into something that sings in the glass.
Leto Cellars 2014 Chardonnay – The nose is more pronounced and is moving into a more mature profile. The fruit was picked at the peak of freshness to get the best taste. Minimal interaction after picking helped to express the varietal characteristics in the wine. The flavors are broad sweeping and pleasing. A great family story to accompany a great wine.
Acumen Wine 2016 Sauvignon Blanc – 80% stainless steel and 20% new oak fermentation give this a slightly tropical banana nose. The flavors are mellow. Pears and grapefruit come through toward the end and into the finish.
William Hill Estate 2015 Chardonnay – Vanilla and butter come through big time on the nose. They have one of the most iconic views in the Napa Valley. It is buttery in flavor and has a nice balance of oak and fruit. The flavors are very soft and supple and has a really nice character. An excellent value for the $17 price point.
Dancing Coyote Wines 2016 Grüner Veltliner – A refreshing break from Chardonnay, this wine is fresh and crisp. The flavors are of fresh melon and creamed lemon. The acidity is fresh and leaves the mouth with a clean finish. Additional flavors of white peach with a slightly herbaceous note also come through.
Anaba Wines 2015 Turbine White – This Rhône style white is mostly Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and Roussanne (with a dash of other common Rhône whites). The nose is flinty and slightly smoky. The flavors are vibrant and vivid. Tangerine and citrus come through on the mid-palate and the finish is nice minerally. This is another great refreshing break. Delicious!
Paradise Ridge 2016 Sauvignon Blanc – This limited production Sauvignon Blanc is 100% stainless steel. The wine itself is crisp and bright. There’s nice citrus and a light mineral flavor. The mid-palate is mildly tropical with a nice acid balance. It’s easy going and very enjoyable. Despite a loss of their winery and tasting room buildings, the vines were spared in the recent fires. Luckily they had a good supply off-site in a bonded facility that is still available for sale. Definitely one to check out.
Breathless Wines Blanc de Noirs – 99% Pinot Noir and 1% Pinot Meunier make this quite interesting. The nose is bretty and yeasty. The flavors are a bit heavy on the biscuit with a dark subtle undertone. Fruit flavors come through as well, leaning toward strawberry and a hint of kumquat.
Vanderpump 2016 Rosé – This Cotes de Provence may seem a little out of place here in Santa Rosa, but good wine knows no bounds. The flavors are a classic Provence rosé. A nice way to finish out the live blogging round for the day.
Our final feature in our series of lesser known grapes is a spotlight on Vermentino. As with our other spotlight features, you can find some great examples right here in North Carolina in the Swan Creek AVA. We go into some detail about the grape itself and review six vintages from two North Carolina wineries.
Continuing with our series of bringing lesser known grapes into the spotlight, we take a deeper look at Petit Manseng. This small cluster and small berry grape make a very interesting wine that most people have never heard of. This grape has great potential here in North Carolina and there are already a few vineyards who have jumped on the Petit Manseng bandwagon. One of which is Jones von Drehle Vineyards & Winery in the Yadkin Valley.
May has 31 days. And with that many days, there are plenty of opportunities to drink some great North Carolina Wine. We did just that. The weather also was quite amazing, so we ended up taking a few weekends and visiting some wineries we haven’t been able to get to in a while. Also, toward the end of the month, we celebrated a milestone birthday in the only way we know how, with wine!
Check out our featured NC Wines on our Instagram feed and be sure to leave us your feedback!
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Let’s take a minute to talk about two lesser known wine grapes, one red and one white. If you easily get fatigued from Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, these will be two varietals you need to try. The grapes in the spotlight are Roussanne and Petite Sirah. Both grapes are capable of producing a robust wine that can offer a welcome alternative to the more popular choices.
April showers bring May flowers. The onset of spring has the vineyards starting up their growing season. We made it out and about to a few wineries this month and ended up featuring around 20 wines. We’ve already got a few plans for next month so stay tuned on social media for what we’ll be up to.
In the meantime, check out our featured NC Wines on our Instagram feed and be sure to leave us your feedback!
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In like a lion and out like a lamb, they say. March has come to a close and with it starts the growing season in the vineyards. The vines are starting to wake up and bud break is eminently upon us (for better or worse). Midway through the month, we were lucky enough to attend the Showcase of Fine North Carolina Wines. This showcase featured the twelve winning wines in the NC Fine Wines competition. More details on that in our post soling soon.
Check out our featured NC Wines on our Instagram feed and be sure to leave us your feedback!
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In mid-March, the North Carolina Fine Wines Competition took to the road and held its first showcase event. The showcase had on display all 12 of the winning wines from North Carolina. This first showcase was at the Duke mansion in Charlotte. The doors opened and the crowds made their way in to pick up their Riedel glass and make their way through the tasting sheet. Continue reading →
A short month, yet a good month for North Carolina wine. Two important wine “holidays” also took place; National Drink Wine Day (February 18, we had the Petite Sirah from Junius Lindsay) and Open that Bottle Night (February 25 we opened the2007 Merlot from McRitchie). In total for the month, we had 15 fantastic NC Wines (with a short break at the beginning of the month).
Check out our featured NC Wines on our Instagram feed and be sure to leave us your feedback!
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This past week, we had the opportunity to visit RayLen Vineyards and spend an evening with their winemaker, Steve Shepard. The purpose of the evening was to offer a barrel tasting of several samples and to give us a sneak peek at what’s coming in the next few years.
The final month of 2016 has come and gone. As the weather turned cooler, our choices tended to lean more to the red side. As we counted down the days of 20316, we did have a few highlights to the month. A vintage tasting at Hanover Park Vineyards greeted us with a fantastic selection of well aged wines. One of these was truly surprising to see, a 2011 Viognier. Normally white wines are best when drunk within a year or two of the harvest. This particular bottle has seen 5 years in the bottle. As such the flavors were incredibly deep with cream and honey gracing the palate. This was truly one incredible wine.
Also worth noting, we finally made our way to an event where Dover Vineyards was pouring their wines. These small batch wines have a lot to offer. We really enjoyed the 2012 and 2013 vintages of their Chambourcin. Both were full bodied and well balanced. We look forward to getting back and trying more of their wine.
Here’s to looking ahead to 2017 and hoping for another great year of wine. Cheers!
Check out our Instagram feed for a recap of our December selections.
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November always seems like such a whirlwind of a month! Family visits, holiday parties and a few vineyard trips filled up our calendar. Among the highlights we made a visit to two new wineries (Midnight Magdelena Vineyards and the newly re-opened West Bend Vineyards) as well as took part in an impromptu botteling at Hanover Park Vineyards! We’re excited to see what the next month brings with it!
Check out our Instagram feed for a recap of our November selections.
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Half way through November and we remembered we didn’t post our recap of last month! October was one busy month! For us, it involved a trip out to the coast to visit Sanctuary Vineyards. On our return trip, we made a quick stop at the NC State Fair and sampled a few wines from those who were out sampling for the public. It was a tasty month and we are already making progress on our November.
The Outer Banks of the North Carolina coastline have long been a vacationer’s sweet spot. The long, narrow islands of sand and grasses serve as a natural barrier protecting the interior waterways from the harsh currents of the ocean. Just across the Currituck sound in Jarvisburg is something no one would have expected to see — a vineyard, growing European grapes. The vineyard in the spot light is none other than Sanctuary Vineyards. Continue reading →
Yet another wine month has come and gone. This month, we really stepped it up with our wine postings and winery visits. At the end of the month, we co-hosted a #winechat takeover. There were lots of new participants this year and we had a ton of great questions! One thing we noticed is the increased number of #NCWine and #NCWineMonth hashtags! This is great news for keeping our consistent brand strong and getting the word out there about #NCWine.
Read on for a photo roll of our NC Wine Month adventures.
Another late posting, but we’ve been busy during the month of August! July was another hot month, but we found some great wines to keep us cool. We also made our way to another new winery in July! Roaring River Vineyards opened its doors in mid July so we couldn’t resist making a visit. It was so peaceful and serene we didn’t want to leave! We made a few other winery trips during the month and picked up another set of Riedel glasses during a special tasting event at Hanover Park. It was a great way to beat the heat of summer!
Check out our Instagram for a recap of what we had during the month of July:
Well the Wine Bloggers Conference 2016 edition is now over and Lodi, CA can go back to the harvest that is quickly approaching. This year was our first year in attendance. When we arrived in Lodi last week, we weren’t sure what to expect. Sure, we read up on the conference and joined in on the numerous web stream chats from @WineAntics. But still, we were a little unsure what would happen. If you don’t read the rest of this post, you can take away this one piece of info. We absolutely loved this conference and we gained so many valuable insights, that it will now be on our calendar for years to come.
Let me first start out with a quick overview of the conference schedule. The first two days were jam-packed with information sessions, keynote speakers, panel discussions, and live wine blogging (aka speed tasting). Of course, there was plenty of time for meals, mingling, and making valuable contacts in the blogging industry. The final day of the conference was only a half day, but the ratio of insights to time spent sitting was the highest of the entire conference.
I’ll get to a post about the first two days in the next coming days, but I wanted to focus on the last day first. The break out session that day only had two options, so Joe and I decided to divide and conquer. I ended up heading to the session titled “Increasing your Audience and Engagement” presented by husband and wife team @marycressler and @emberandvine. Their award-winning blog Vindulge and their popularity across their social platforms made them ideal presenters for this topic.
There were so many takeaways from this session, that I now have weeks worth of homework ahead of me and I could write post after post about everything they taught me. The point that resonated with me the most was probably this; instead of trying to build an audience of new readers, we need to focus our writing and posts on those who already read our blog. By focusing on our readers we will end up writing better, writing more often, and gain a base of loyal readers. The rest of the popularity equation will eventually unfold after this first key step.
Our Message to You
So here’s to you, our loyal readers. Thank you for sticking with us and for reading each of our posts and reviews. We really appreciate your comments and feedback, so please let us know what else we can do to make it more interesting for you.
We’ll be posting more about the Wine Bloggers Conference in the next coming days, so keep an eye out for more posts. As we continue our journey of taking NC Wine to the next level, we’ll also be making a few improvements on our blog and our social media outlets. Even though we only went to one WBC so far, we feel ready to take on the world. Cheers!
