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 →
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An Evening with the Winemaker: a Barrel Tasting at RayLen Vineyards
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.
Sanctuary Vineyards: Making #NCWine in the Outer Banks
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 →
Spring Wine Dinner at Raffaldini Vineyards
It was a perfect spring day, bright and sunny with moderate temperatures. It was the perfect day to visit Raffaldini Vineyards for their spring wine dinner. Sticking with the Four Seasons theme, Raffaldini Vineyards offers a wine tasting dinner four times a year, each pairing with the season. This past weekend, they celebrated spring with four courses both inside and out, paired with four wines that show what it means to be “Chianti in the Carolinas”.
Holiday Dinner at Hanover Park
Another weekend, another wine dinner. This time we had the pleasure of attending the annual holiday dinner at Hanover Park Vineyard. Each December, Hanover Park throws a holiday celebration for its wine club members as a thank you for their loyalty and for always being there to support the winery.
Flint Hill Vineyards Autumn Wine Dinner
This past weekend, we had the pleasure of attending the Autumn Wine Dinner at Flint Hill Vineyards. There are several reasons why you should consider going to events like these. Not only do they offer a unique experience of the winery after hours, they also give you the opportunity to see what the winemaker feels would be a good pairing for their wines. This dinner didn’t disappoint on either expectation.
Burntshirt Vineyards
Western North Carolina is surely one of the most picturesque regions of the state. The Blue Ridge Mountains tower over the western part of the state creating an isolated feel that is truly relaxing. One of the many benefits of the mountains is that it also creates a unique climate that sees moderately short winters with long summers. The summer days are hot, but the evenings are cooler making this a great area to grow wine grapes. Burntshirt Vineyards is one of the few that are taking advantage of this unique area. We recently received an invitation to visit the vineyard and winery to take a detailed look at their process and taste their offerings.
Fair Game Beverage Company
Tucked away just outside Pittsboro, NC is a great little distillery that is making fortified wines and spirits. The name of the place is Fair Game Beverage Company. We made a visit during their Spirit Release party. We’re talking distilled spirits here, not the metaphysical spirits. Chris Jude, the head distiller, gave us a detailed tasting of his fortified wines. Also as part of the festivities, we tasted the two new spirits which were incredibly fresh and unique.
Honeygirl Meadery
Before I knew about artisan mead, my mind always imagined a dark sweet drink that people in the middle ages drank in their local pub or in a grand hall. This may well be what many people think of when you mention mead. However, mead is making a come back. Nowadays mead can range from super sweet to bone dry with flavors galore. In our modern world of gluten-sensative diets, mead provides a great alternative to beer. For those who enjoy wine, mead is essentially a wine of a different flavor. We’re fortunate in North Carolina as we have several meaderies throughout the state. One of the newest is Honeygirl Meadery in Durham, North Carolina.
Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard and Winery
In North Carolina there are a number of wineries that are also considered century farms. Baker Buffalo Creek is fortunate enough to be on that short list.
Junius Lindsay Vineyard
Set in the middle of their vineyard is the tasting room for Junius Lindsay. The open air tasting room allows visitors to feel like they really are out in the vineyard enjoying a glass of wine. One of the main perks of this tasting room is that there is often a nice breeze that will come across the grapes and will fill the area with the subtle sweet smell of ripening fruit.
Michael Zimmerman is the proprietor of the vineyard. His estate wines are made in the Northern Rhône style meaning they are full of vibrant flavors and have a certain complexity to them that make for an enjoyable wine. The nine acres under vine allow for Michael to run a smaller scale vineyard and really focus on the quality of his wines over the mass quantities some larger wineries produce.