North Carolina Wine

Discover the world of North Carolina Wine! This section will provide an overview of all that the state has to offer in Wine, Cider, and Mead. You’ll find detailed information about the American Viticulture Associations (AVAs) within the state, and you’ll also find detailed guides of things to do while your visiting one of the 185+ tasting rooms in the state.

Mar

2024

A Quick Trip to Hendersonville

One of our favorite North Carolina Wine regions to visit is the area just south of Asheville surrounding Hendersonville, NC. There you’ll find 7 unique wineries and vineyards each with a distinctive setting. This region also hosts an American Viticulture Area known as the Crest of the Blue Ridge, Henderson County. We recently had the opportunity to make a quick visit to Hendersonville back in February 2024. The team at Visit Hendersonville arranged our visit. Our recent trip had us visiting four of the seven vineyards, staying in a cozy farmhouse rental, and enjoying dinner in downtown Hendersonville.

Downtown Hendersonville, Credit Sam Dean

Hendersonville is an easy drive from most cities within North Carolina. With the exception of the coast, you’re looking at about 2 hours for Charlotte or Winston-Salem and Greensboro, and up to 4 hours from the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. It’s also an easy trip for out of state visitors, starting at just 1 hour from Greenville, South Carolina, 2 hours from Knoxville, Tennessee, and about 4 hours from Roanoke, Virginia.

When we arrived in Hendersonville, we had ample time before our check in, so we decided to stop in at Sawyer Springs Vineyard. This was our first time at Sawyer Springs and it was a great stop. At the time of this post, they offer a table side wine tasting or a wine flight to explore on your own. We decided on the wine tasting. They specialize in small batch wines that are crafted from fun or unusual grape varietals that you don’t find very easily.

Check in time was approaching so we made our way to the farmhouse rental where we stayed for the night. The Wallace House was originally built in the 1800s and completely renovated in 2019. This five bedroom and two bath house sleeps 12 people and is an excellent location for your next visit. The Wallace house is on the vineyard and orchard property of Saint Paul Farms which produces wines for Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards and ciders for Appalachian Ridge Artisan Ciders.

After checking in to the Wallace House, we met with Alan Ward of Saint Paul Farms to interview him for our March 2024 episode of Cork Talk! Alan talked to us about his family’s history in the area, why he got interested in growing grapes and apples, and all that he’s doing to try and improve the quality of North Carolina Wine and North Carolina Cider. After wrapping up the interview, we walked over to the tasting room for a quick wine tasting before dinner. We didn’t get a chance to visit the cider tasting room, but we’ve been in the past. It’s always fun and worth a trip!

Welcome to Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards

We wrapped up our tasting and made the quick drive into downtown to enjoy dinner at Postero Restaurant on North Main Street. Postero specializes in well crafted New American Cuisine fusing different cultures, local ingredients, and a love for food that makes this restaurant a must. While you’re in their dining room, take a look around in the corners and be sure to look up. You might just find one of the 20+ dinosaur figurines that are hidden throughout the building. This tradition started out as a small prank with and quickly ballooned into a feature of the restaurant.

After dinner we made our way back to the Wallace House (stopping for a quick ice cream at the Celtic Creamery). When we got back, we enjoyed the peace and quiet and tucked in for the evening.

Saturday brought with it another fun day of wine tastings. We started at Burntshirt Vineyards, only 4 minutes from our farmhouse at Saint Paul Farms. There we started with an interview for our May 2024 episode of Cork Talk with VP of Operations, Jeff Plack. Jeff talked us through the history and property at Burntshirt Vineyards and explained how he got into the wine business. Right after that, we enjoyed lunch at the on-site restaurant and wine bar, the Vintners Table. They offer thoughtful menu of food selections from small plates to larger sandwiches and entrees. If you’re not interested in food, you can still enjoy a tasting flight or wine by the glass or bottle. It’s a great setting to enjoy some wine and food and just relax.

Inside the Vintners Table at Burntshirt Vineyards

After finishing up our official tour, we had a little time before we needed to head back home, so we stopped in for a tasting at Marked Tree Vineyards. Marked Tree is only 7 minutes from Burntshirt Vineyards so we figured since we were in the neighborhood we needed to stop by. There we enjoyed an excellent tasting with lovely mountain views.

We wish we could have stayed longer and visited the other vineyards in the area, but we had to make it back home to check in on our cat Sami. Plus this way we have another excuse to make it back to Hendersonville very soon.

Below are some wine highlights from the vineyards we visited:

Wellington from Sawyer Springs – This Malvasia Bianca was light and delicate with floral notes and a grassy undertone all supported by bright and clean acids.

Centennial Farm Heritage from Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards – This Riesling has pear and lemon zest with that classic delicate petrol note. It was nicely balanced between citrus and mineral rich notes.

Vidal Blanc from Burntshirt Vineyards – This is a great wine that sits nicely between a Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. It is grassy with lemon and lime zest with ample acids.

Reserve Chardonnel from Marked Tree Vineyards – This is a great alternative to a chardonnay. It is deep and golden with juicy acids and a toasty oak profile. It is super smooth with an overall note of vanilla and apples.

Special thanks to:

Alan Ward at Saint Paul Farms
Jeff Plack at Burntshirt Vineyards
Hailey at Marked Tree Vineyards
Becca at Postero
Leah Hughes King, Craig Distl, and Michelle Owens at Visit Hendersonville

Sponsored by Visit Hendersonville, https://visithendersonvillenc.org

Feb

2023

Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night – NC Wine Month 2023

We hosted our first ever Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Nights in 2020 to celebrate our local wine industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We continued with another in 2021 and 2022 to kickoff North Carolina Wine Month. So, in 2023, continue to support the industry and to kickoff off North Carolina Wine Month, we’re hosting another Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night. Join us on Saturday, May 6, 2023, to celebrate our local wine industry and all that we love about North Carolina Wine.

So how can you participate?

Select a bottle of North Carolina Wine, Mead, or Cider.
Open it on the evening of May 6, 2023.
Take a picture and post on social media.
Share why you chose that bottle, who you shared it with, and more.
Tag the winery, vineyard, meadery, or cidery and tag us too @NCWineGuys.
And use #NCWineNight and #NCWineMonth on your posts!

Wineries and vineyards across the state are planning special events and promotions.

And be sure to share our Facebook Event with your friends and family!

And don’t forget to share your love of North Carolina Wine during all of May using hashtags #NCWine and #NCWineMonth!

Cheers!

Apr

2022

Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night – NC Wine Month 2022 Kickoff

We hosted our first ever Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Nights in 2020 to celebrate our local wine industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We continued with another in 2021 to kickoff North Carolina Wine Month. So, in 2022, continue to support the industry and to kickoff off North Carolina Wine Month, we’re hosting another Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night. Join us on Sunday, May 1, 2022, to celebrate our local wine industry and all that we love about North Carolina Wine.

So how can you participate?

Select a bottle of North Carolina Wine, Mead, or Cider.
Open it on the evening of May 1, 2022.
Take a picture and post on social media.
Share why you chose that bottle, who you shared it with, and more.
Tag the winery, vineyard, meadery, or cidery and tag us too @NCWineGuys.
And use #NCWineNight and #NCWineMonth on your posts!

Wineries and vineyards across the state are planning special events and promotions.

And be sure to share our Facebook Event with your friends and family!

And don’t forget to share your love of North Carolina Wine during all of May using hashtags #NCWine and #NCWineMonth!

Cheers!

Jan

2022

In the Wine Light – American Viticultural Areas

American Viticultural Areas in North Carolina

In the Wine Light we’re revisiting our series on American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) with a particular focus on the six AVAs in North Carolina. Over the next few months, we’ll dive into each of these six North Carolina AVAs. We’ll also look at the seventh proposed AVA that’s pending approval.

But we’ll start with what is an AVA. The Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is the government agency charged with approving and designating new AVAs. Per their website:

An American Viticultural Area, or AVA, is a specific type of appellation of origin used on wine labels. An AVA is a delimited grape-growing region with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown. Using an AVA designation on a wine label allows vintners to describe more accurately the origin of their wines to consumers and helps consumers identify wines they may purchase.

So, an AVA is a designated grape-growing region within the United States that has specific geographic features or a unique climate that distinguishes it from other grape growing regions. Our AVAs are similar to appellation designations in France (AOC/AOP) and Italy (DOC/DOCG) although not as stringent. For example, American AVAs don’t restrict what grapes can be grown in a given AVA .

An AVA designation allows winemakers to taut the unique terroir of a particular region. Some AVAs come with a level of prestige allowing wines to claim higher selling prices. A wine with an AVA designation must be made of at least 85% of the grapes in the wine having been grown within the AVA.

According to the TTB’s website, to establish a new AVA, you must have these three things:

A proposed name, as well as evidence showing that the name is currently used to describe the region of the proposed AVA.
A description of the geographic and/or climatic features that distinguish the proposed AVA from the surrounding regions and have an effect on how grapes are grown, along with evidence to support your claims of these distinctive features.
A written description of the proposed AVA boundary and the appropriate U.S.G.S topographic maps with the boundary drawn on it.

The petition undergoes a lengthy review and approval process sometimes taking years.

What would you like to know about AVAs in North Carolina? Leave us a comment.

#InTheWineLight #NCWine #AVA

Sep

2021

Reds Through the Years at Zimmerman Vineyards

We recently attended the “Reds Through the Years” event at Zimmerman Vineyards in Trinity, North Carolina. The theme for the evening was Bordeaux, tannins, and vintage wines.

Zimmerman opened on June 1, 2007 and has been producing top quality wines ever since. Wines are made offsite at Childress Vineyards by Winemaker Mark Frizolowski from fruit grown in the estate vineyard. You can learn more about Zimmerman Vineyards in our episode of Cork Talk featuring owner Leslie Zimmerman and Christie Otranto.

Terrace at Zimmerman Vineyards with views of the Uwharrie Mountains

We had visited Zimmerman several times in the past and have always enjoyed our visits, the beautiful grounds, and the wine. This particular event was our first visit since the pandemic began. We arrived on a comfortably cool fall evening. Tables were set under the permanent tent with plenty of room to spread out.

Cabernet Franc and Merlot

2007 Cabernet Franc and 2010 Merlot from Zimmerman Vineyards

We began with the tasting of the 2007 Cabernet Franc and the 2010 Merlot. The Cabernet Franc was produced with secondary fruit only due to a freeze that happened after initial budbreak where primary buds were lost. Paired with dried cherries, this wine is still holding its own. It showed stewed cherries and figs with a hint of leather on the nose. The palate gave notes of cherry and tobacco with medium tannins. Next up was the Merlot which showed a leathery nose. The fig flavors on the palate paired nicely with dried brown figs. The tannins were grippy but not overpowering. Of the two, the Cabernet Franc was the favorite.

Morpheus – Heir of Hypnos

Treats paired with Morpheus, Heir of Hypnos

Tasting notes for Morpheus, Heir of Hypnos from Zimmerman Vineyards’ Website

Next, we moved on to a small food plate with cheese and crackers, an olive medley, and paninos. These treats were paired with Zimmerman Vineyards’ newest red wine Morpheus – Heir of Hypnos. The new wine is stellar. A non-vintaged Bordeaux style blend that is NOT oaked, proved to be a hit. This wine showed violets and red cherry on the nose with a hint of pepper. The palate burst with fresh red fruits with an underlying note of darker fruits. This would be a perfect wine for your Thanksgiving table!

Cabernet Sauvignon

2005, 2006, & 2007 Cabernet Sauvignons at Zimmerman Vineyards

Next up on the tasting list was Cabernet Sauvignon. There were three Cabs to taste 2005 – the first commercial vintage, 2006, and 2007. The 2005 did show its age but was still very drinkable. With caramel, black cherry, and fig on the nose, the palate gave more of the same. The 2006 was more fresh and had more classic Cab notes. With black fruits and a hint of spice, the tannins were firm but not overly bold. Inky dark, the 2007 proved to be the favorite of the vintage wines we tasted. With soft black cherry, blackberry, and smooth tannins, it paired beautifully with a chocolate truffle.

Yummy way to close out the evening at Zimmerman Vineyards

We ended this wonderful evening with the tomato soup, a delightful roast beef crostini set off with caramelized onions, and classic pumpkin roll for dessert. Thanks to Leslie for inviting us and our table mates for wonderful conversation.

If you haven’t visited Zimmerman Vineyards, we highly recommend a visit.

Mar

2021

Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night – NC Wine Month 2021 Kickoff

We hosted our first ever Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Nights in 2020 to celebrate our local wine industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic. While the pandemic is still affecting all of our daily lives, things are slowly improving.

To continue to support the industry and to kickoff off North Carolina Wine Month, we’re hosting another Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night. So, join us on Saturday, May 1, 2021, to celebrate our local wine industry and all that we love about North Carolina Wine.

So how can you particpate?

Select a bottle of North Carolina Wine, Mead, or Cider.
Open it on the evening of May 1, 2021.
Take a picture and post on social media.
Share why you chose that bottle, who you shared it with, and more.
Tag the winery, vineyard, meadery, or cidery and tag us too @NCWineGuys.
And use #NCWineNight and #NCWineMonth on your posts!

Wineries and vineyards across the state are planning special events and promotions. Head to our post about NC Wine Month for more information.

And be sure to share our Facebook Event with your friends and family!

And don’t forget to share your love of North Carolina Wine during all of May using hashtags #NCWine and #NCWineMonth!

Cheers!

Aug

2020

NC Muscadines Delight the Taste Buds

August is now North Carolina Grape Month. To celebrate, the North Carolina Muscadine Association recently hosted a virtual tasting of muscadine grapes and wine with local media, bloggers, and social media influencers. We were fortunate enough to take part on the second day of this event.

The Mothervine on Roanoke Island in Manteo, NC

Native Grape

Muscadines are the indigenous grape variety of the southeast. The oldest known cultivated grape vine in the United States is a scuppernong vine on Roanoke Island in Manteo known as The Mothervine. Scuppernong is a muscadine variety that’s also the state fruit of North Carolina.

The association sent a package that contained seven different muscadine grapes varieties along with a bottle of muscadine wine. The grapes included fresh market as well as wine grapes. Fresh market grapes are grown for eating. Wine grapes are obviously grown for wine. Fresh market grapes tend to be sweeter and less acidic than wine grapes.

Grape Tasting

The tasting was led by Kristen Baughman Taber of Tabletop Media Group and Debby Wechsler, Executive Secretary of the Muscadine Association. Debby walked us through the proper way to eat a muscadine grape. You place the stem scar facing your mouth. Then you squeeze or bite the grape. Next, you decide to chew the skins and seeds or spit them out.

We then tasted through five fresh market grapes. Three were white/bronze grapes: Triumph, Tara, and Hall. Two were red grapes: Supreme and Lane. These fresh market grapes had been sourced from Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level, NC. While all had a common grapey flavor, there were subtle differences particularly when chewing with the skins.

We finished by tasting the two main muscadine wine grapes, Carlos, a white/bronze grape, and Noble, a black/red grape. Carlos is the most widely planted muscadine variety in North Carolina. Both grapes have smaller berries than any of the fresh market varieties we tasted. The wine grapes came from LuMil Vineyard in Elizabethtown, NC.

Wine Tasting

After the grape tasting, we moved on to our favorite part, the wine tasting. Winemaker Nadia Hetzel of Cypress Bend Vineyards in Wagram, NC led us through a tasting of the off dry muscadine wine, Livy Estate. Livy is 100% Carlos and is a beautiful wine. The nose is similar to a Riesling as well as the palate. It is nicely acidic and a joy to drink.

Muscadine Grape Extract Research

Following the wine tasting, Dr. Patricia Gallagher of Wake Forest University School of Medicine talked to us about the research into the potential health benefits of muscadine grape extract. It’s exciting research and holds great promise in helping those with cancer. To learn more about it, visit this link.

Thanks again to the North Carolina Muscadine Association, Tabletop Media Group, Hinnant Family Vineyards, LuMil Vineyards, and Cypress Bend Vineyards for a great tasting and celebration of North Carolina Grape Month!

Apr

2020

Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night – NC Wine Month 2020 Edition

We hosted our first ever Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night on April 4, 2020 to celebrate our local wine industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The pandemic is still affecting all of our daily lives and the livelihood of the local wine industry. In addition, May is now North Carolina Wine Month. It was previously in September. So, to celebrate we’re hosting a second Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night.

So, join us on Saturday, May 2, 2020 for this special North Carolina Wine Month edition of Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night, we’re celebrating our local wine industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic and celebrating all that we love about North Carolina Wine.

So how can you particpate?

Select a bottle of North Carolina Wine, Mead, or Cider.
Open it on the evening of May 2, 2020.
Take a picture and post on social media.
Share why you chose that bottle, who you shared it with, and more.
Tag the winery, vineyard, meadery, or cidery and tag us too @NCWineGuys.
And use #NCWineNight and #NCWineMonth on your posts!

Also, look for another livestream on our Facebook page on the evening of May 2nd.

If you need to purchase wines, mead, or cider, head to our COVID 19 database to find out how. Many businesses are offering discounts and/or free shipping.

Stay safe during this challenging time!

Cheers!

Mar

2020

Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night

We’re stealing a great idea from our friend, Frank Morgan, in Virginia. Frank, of the Drink What You Like wine blog, is organizing an Open that Bottle of Virginia Wine Night on March 28, 2020. This is a take on the annual Open that Bottle Night first organized in 2000 by two Wall Street Journal columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher. The goal of Open that Bottle Night is finally drink that bottle you’ve been saving.

In addition to supporting Virginia on March 28th, we want to support North Carolina too! So, join us on Saturday, April 4, 2020! With this special Open that Bottle of North Carolina Wine Night, we’re celebrating our local wine industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

So how can you particpate?

Select a bottle of North Carolina Wine, Mead or Cider.
Open it on the evening of April 4, 2020.
Take a picture and post on social media.
Share why you chose that bottle, who you shared it with, and more.
Tag the winery, vineyard, meadery, or cidery and tag us too @NCWineGuys.
And use #NCWineNight on your posts!

If you need to purchase wines, mead, or cider, head to our COVID 19 database to find out how. Many businesses are offering discounts and/or free shipping.

Stay safe during this challenging time!

Cheers!

Nov

2019

Davesté Vineyards Rkatsiteli Vertical Tasting

Davesté Vineyards’ Tasting Room

We recently held a vertical tasting of Rkatsiteli from Davesté Vineyards in Troutman, NC. We first reviewed Davesté’s Rkatsiteli several years ago (Previous Review). Davesté produces the only known single variety Rkatsiteli in North Carolina. It’s become their signature wine.

Davesté opened in September, 2007. The grapes were first planted in 2005. Owners Dave and Ester DeFehr, whose combined first names are the inspiration for the Davesté’s name, first began plans for the vineyard and winery in 2003. Land was purchased in 2004. Today, in addition to Rkatsiteli, Davesté grows Traminette and Chambourcin. Most other fruit is sourced locally within North Carolina with some coming from Virginia and California.

Rkatsiteli grapes nearly ready for harvest at Davesté Vineyards

Rkatsiteli is thought of have originated in the country of Georgia and is believed to be one of oldest vinifera varieties. It’s typically known for producing high acid wines. It’s gaining popularity in the Finger Lakes region of New York and in Virginia.

We inquired how Rkatsiteli does here in North Carolina. Winemaker Leslie Johnson tells us, “In the vineyard, Rkatsiteli is pretty easy to manage. It likes to grow straight up instead of sprawling like a hybrid. The main disease we fight every year is downy mildew for this varietal. We like to harvest these grapes a bit earlier than others to help retain the acidity.”

She added, “In the past, all of our Rkatsiteli has been fermented and aged in stainless steel. With our increased yields in 2019, we currently have some Rkatsiteli aging in French oak barrels to try something new.” We can’t wait to taste a barrel aged Rkasiteli!

We tasted the 2015 – 2018 vintages of Rkatsiteli from Davesté. Here are our notes and information about each wine.

2015

100% Rkatsiteli
12.5% Alcohol
Bronze Medal Winner at the Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Competition
Nose: Pear, lemon rind, and honey
Palate: Bruised pear, preserved lemon rind, pithy
Finish: Medium

2016

100% Rkatsiteli
13.5% Alcohol
Nose: Faint pear and light honey; Delicate and refined
Palate: Fresh pear and zesty lemon
Finish: Medium+
Favorite overall

2017

100% Rkatsiteli
12.8% Alcohol
Double Gold Medal Winner at the Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Competition and Silver Medal Winner at NC State Fair
Nose: Floral, minerally, and honeysuckle
Palate: Minerally with notes of lemon
Finish: Short and tart

2018

100% Rkatsiteli
12.8% Alcohol
Silver Medal Winner at the Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Competition and Double Gold Medal Winner at NC State Fair
Nose: Perfumy, pronounced honeysuckle, sweet pear
Palate: Rose petals, lemon, lime, fresh and vibrant
Finish: Medium+

Davesté suggests pairing their Rkatsiteli with pad Thai, shrimp scampi, or chèvre. We had spinach pie, roasted vegetables with a lemon tahini sauce and various cheeses. Rkatsiteli should do well with most vegetables and seafood.

If you’ve ever in the Troutman / Lake Norman area, stop by and visit Davesté. Their beautiful grounds are the perfect place to relax. In addition to wine, Davesté produces beer and has many live music events throughout the year, but be sure to pick up a bottle of Rkatsiteli while you’re there!

Cheers!

Oct

2019

Jones von Drehle Petit Manseng Revisited

We have been big fans of Petit Manseng since the first time we tasted it at Jones von Drehle Vineyards and Winery some years ago. This small grape can produce a full bodied high alcohol wine. It’s often called the red drinker’s white wine.

We did a Spotlight on Petit Manseng in North Carolina in July, 2017. In that post, we had tasted through the 2013, 2014, and 2015 vintages of Petit Manseng from Jones von Drehle in addition to giving a bit of information about Petit Manseng itself. This time around, we were fortunate enough to add the 2012 vintage, the first vintage, and the 2016 vintage to the mix, so we tasted 2012 – 2016. And we should note, all bottles were purchased for this tasting.

We decided to change things up this time. We did this tasting blind. We also added a wine from the Southwest of France to the mix. This wine was a 2011 iLori Les Jonquilles from Domaine Brana. Made from fruit grown in the Irouleguy appellation, it is a blend of Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng, and Petit Corbu. Bottles were covered in foil by one of us. The other randomly assigned a number. Friends arrived and the tasting began.

We used a chalk board to record feedback on the wines. We discussed the nose, palate, and finish. We tried to guess the year or whether the wine was the French one. We didn’t do so well on the guesses of the vintages, but the last wine was clearly different than the others. This was a big clue that it was not solely Petit Manseng. Interestingly enough, that wine was by far the least favorite of the group. Our impressions of it did improve when we paired it with a savory tomato cobbler.

Our group thought wine 1 was young with notes of apricot, citrus, and pineapple. We guessed it might be the 2016 vintage. It turned out to be the 2013. It seems this wine might have a few years to go.

Wine 2 had more notes of pineapple and apricot. We found banana and an herbaceous note along with a hint of minerality. We incorrectly guessed this to be the 2014. It was in fact the 2012. This wine is still showing beautifully.

Wine 3 had a subtle nose. The palate gave us mandarin orange and pineapple. We found the finish was hot. We thought, for that reason, it might be the 2015 which clocked in at 15.6% alcohol. It was in fact the 2016.

We missed numbering wine 4 on the chalk board. This one was different than the others. There was lots of stewed stone fruit notes. Think peaches or nectarines. Someone got a crème brûlée note on the finish. A few thought this might be the French wine, but we weren’t so sure. It turned out to be the 2014.

Wine 5 presented a yeasty note with pear and green apple. It was silky and soft. We thought it might be the 2012. It turned out to be the 2015. We were surprised by this. We didn’t feel it was hot at all which is surprising given that 15.6% alcohol. This one was a definite favorite.

We finally made it to the last wine, #6. This one was clearly different. It was green and seemed old. The finish was astringent. We were pretty sure this was indeed the French wine. And we were right. This was the least favorite of the group.

Once we finished tasting through all the wines, we did the reveals and then enjoyed some food and a bit more of our favorites.

We look forward to exploring more Petit Manseng in the future!

To learn more about Jones von Drehle, check out our first episode of Cork Talk where we sat down with Chuck and Diana Jones.

Cheers!

Apr

2019

Sensoria Food and Wine Festival 2019

We recently were invited to attend the Sensoria Food and Wine Festival. This festival was a one day event to conclude “Sensoria: A Celebration of Literature and the Arts” at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. The food and wine festival was presented by the Piedmont Culinary Guild with sponsorships from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s #GotToBeNC Program and Springer Mountain Farms.

The day featured classes ranging from Riedel glass seminars to turning wine into vinegar to blind tastings just to name a few. Another part of the event was a food and wine pairing. Food from Charlotte area chefs was paired with North Carolina wine!

Here is a slideshow of photos from the event. We appreciate the complimentary tickets for this event!

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This event was a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Dec

2018

North Carolina Wines for Your 2018 Holiday Table

The holidays are here! It’s a time for celebration with family and friends which often means good food and good drink. With a growing industry and higher quality of wines, it is time to consider adding North Carolina wine to your holiday table. But where do you start? What should you pair with classic holiday foods? We’re back this year with some updated suggestions!

Biltmore Estate 2015 Chateau Reserve Blanc de Blancs

Appetizers – Start your holiday meal with an array of appetizers. What pairs best with appetizers? Sparkling wine! Sparkling wine is a versatile wine choice that pairs with just about anything. We suggest the 2015 Château Reserve Blanc de Blancs from Biltmore Estate Winery in Asheville. It’s a beautiful wine full of tropical notes with a yeasty undertone.

McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks 2016 Muscat Blanc

Winter Salad with Oranges – Oranges and spicy greens are perfect this time of year. Add some feta cheese, walnuts and a tangy vinaigrette and you have magic! To further that magic, pair the salad with the 2016 Muscat Blanc from McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks in Thurmond. Made in the Alsatian style this wine is dry with notes of citrus and honeysuckle.

Junius Lindsay Vineyard Viognier

Cypress Bend Vineyards Christina’s Magnolia Estate

Ham – Ham is a classic main course for any holiday. We love ham studded with cloves and topped with pineapple and brown sugar. We have two recommendations.

The first is the 2015 Viognier from Junius Lindsay Vineyard in Welcome. White peach, tropical fruits and a clean, crisp finish pair beautifully with ham.
The second is Christina’s Magnolia Estate from Cypress Bend Vineyards in Wagram. This dry Magnolia wine has a grassy undertone with nice citrus notes.

Overmountain Vineyards King’s Mountain Rosé

Turkey – Roast turkey is versatile. You can pair with a white wine or a lighter red wine, but rosé is the classic pairing. This is especially true if you have your turkey with cranberry sauce. We recommend the 2017 King’s Mountain Rosé from Overmountain Vineyards in Tyron. This wine is bright and crisp with notes of strawberry, watermelon, and lime.

Dover Vineyards 2015 Cabernet Franc

Duck – Ah, duck! It is poultry that has the umph of a steak! Classically you would pair duck with a Pinot Noir. This year we’re going with the 2015 Cabernet Franc from Dover Vineyards in Concord. Spicy and peppery, pair this wine with duck breast seasoned with salt and pepper with an onion marmalade.

Sanctuary Vineyards 2015 Double Barrel

Jones von Drehle Vineyards & Winery 2013 Steel & Stone

Roast Beef – Roast beef is another holiday classic. Of course, this calls for a hearty red wine! We have two best in show winners for you!

The first recommendation is the 2015 Double Barrel from Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg. A blend of Petit Verdot and Tannat, this wine definitely meets the qualifications of a hearty red. It wine was Best in Show at the 2018 NC Fine Wines Competition.
The second recommendation is the 2013 Steel & Stone from Jones von Drehle in Thurmond. This is a blend of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s lush and rich with notes of fig, blueberry, and blackberry and was 2018’s Bunch Grape Wine Best in Show at the NC State Fair.

Laurel Gray Vineyards Barrel Fermented Chardonnay

Seafood Lasagna, Roast Chicken or Roasted Vegetables – Any of these dishes make for a great additions to your holiday table. For pairing with all of these, we recommend the 2015 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay from Laurel Gray Vineyards in Hamptonville. This wine is oaky and buttery yet retains good fruit.

Piccione Vineyards 2014 Sangiovese

Any Tomato Based Dish – Are you having a dish with tomato sauce and maybe a little spice? We recommend the 2014 Sangiovese from Piccione Vineyards in Ronda. This wine has notes of oak, caramel, vanilla, and bright red cherry with balanced acidity.

Lazy Elm Vineyard and Winery 2013 Selfish Port

Chocolate Desserts – Decadent chocolate desserts call for port-style wines. They are perfect with rich chocolate or just by themselves on a cold night. We recommend the 2013 Selfish from Lazy Elm Vineyard and Winery in Mocksville. This fortified wine is made from Cabernet Franc. It’s rich and decadent and pairs perfectly with chocolate!

Parker Binns 2017 Petit Manseng Dessert Wine

Pumpkin, Apple, or Pecan Pie – Fruit or nut pies pair wonderfully with white dessert wines. We recommend the 2017 Late Harvest Petit Manseng from Parker-Binns Vineyard in Mill Spring. This wine is warm and rich with notes of pear. At 18.5% alcohol, a little bit is all you need.

These are our recommendations for 2018. We’d love to hear your recommendations, so leave us a comment!

Happy Holidays!

Oct

2018

#NCWine Bloggers Visit the Tryon Foothills

We had the opportunity to close out North Carolina Wine and Grape Month 2018 with some of our fellow wine bloggers on a tour of three wineries/vineyards in the Tryon Foothills of Polk County. Our transportation was graciously provided by Ryan and Terri Watts of the Van In Black. The Van in Black is THE way to tour wine country. We highly recommend Ryan. He is the ultimate professional and takes great care of his guests.

Now on the the main event, wine tasting with fellow bloggers. Rather than a normal wordy blog, we’re going to let the photos do more of the talking. Some photos were provided by Ryan Watts. Ryan also runs Ryan Watts Photography. We appreciate the use of these photos.

Our first stop was Overmountain Vineyards where we had the pleasure of a tasting and tour with Sofia Lilly. Sofia is the one of the winemakers at Overmountain along with her father Frank. Frank stopped by to visit with us as well. Sofia also manages the vineyard and the social media presence for Overmountain. In addition to delicious wine, we also had delicious food from Olive Catering Company.

Tasting with the group
View of the tasting room at Overmountain
Tasting list at Overmountain
Frank stops by as Sofia pours the next wine
Brussel Sprouts from Olive Catering Company
Vines in the background at Overmountain

Our next stop took us to Mountain Brook Vineyards for a tasting with owners Jonathan and Vickie Redgrave and winemaker Liz Pickett. Mountain Brook has just completed extensive expansions to its grounds.

The expanded facilities at Mountain Brook
View of the remodeled tasting house at Mountain Brook
Beautiful New Fountain and Lawn at Mountain Brook
Tasting with Jonathan and Liz at Mountain Brook

We ended the day with Sunday Funday at Parker-Binns Vineyard. Kelly Binns was holding down the fort as owners, Bob Binns and Karen Parker-Binns, were on a well-deserved vacation. In addition to the great wines, we enjoyed wood-fired pizza. And since we were in a for hire vehicle with a designated driver, we did enjoy some Parker-Binns Rosé on the way back home.

Garden at Parker-Binns
Tasting with Kelly at Parker-Binns
Tasting list at Parker-Binns

Thanks to the Wine Mouths, Winery Escapades, and HD Carolina for joining us on this tour. We look forward to our next adventure with our fellow bloggers!

We forgot a take a shot before Winery Escapades left us. Ryan, Terri (HD Carolina), Us (NC Wine Guys), Jessica and Jessica (The Wine Mouths)

Cheers!

May

2018

Sensoria Food and Wine Festival 2018

Below are photos from the event. We hope this event is held again next year! We also appreciate the complimentary tickets for this event!

Charlotte / NC / United States - 4/15/18

From Wine to Vinegar Class – We learned about the science behind how vinegar is made. We also got to taste a variety of wines and vinegars made by the instructor. The fennel vinegar and carrot wine were very interesting!

Wine Line Up / A Blind Tasting – We blind tasted Chardonnays and Cabernet Franc. This lineup included the Jones von Drehle‘s Steel Chardonnay and Dover Vineyards‘ Cabernet Franc!

The highlight of the festival was food and wine pairing featuring Charlotte area chefs and North Carolina wines! Photos below show all over the beautiful and tasty creations!

Our first pairing turned out to be the winner of the votes for best pairing. It featured Chef Greg Collier of the The Yolk in Rock Hill, SC paired with Biltmore Estate. Chef Greg’s cornbread toast, smoked trout and apple salad, meyer lemon hollandaise, and charred strawberry espelette spice was paired with Biltmore’s 2015 North Carolina Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling.

Next up was Chef Chris Coleman of Stoke. His smoked and fried chicken wing with spicy peach and jalapeño chow-chow was paired with Laurel Gray Vineyards‘ 2015 Viognier!

Duck pâté en croûte from Chef David Quintana of dot dot dot was our next bite. This was paired with Shelton Vineyards‘ 2016 Reisling.

Chef Justin Solomon from Foxcroft Wine Company paired cured salmon with celeriac remoulade, fennel chutney and duqqa with Shelton Vineyards‘ 2016 Bin 17 Unoaked Chardonnay.

Surry Cellars‘ debut Albariño was paired with beef heart carpaccio, apricot mustard, pickled green strawberries, beet and petite greens from Chef Matthew Krenz of The Asbury.

Chef Joe Kindred of Kindred was next on our list. His pasta with green garlic, spring greens and lamb was paired with the 2016 Rosé from Dover Vineyards.

Jones von Drehle‘s 2014 Cabernet Franc was our first red. It was paired with rabbit-mushroom bolognese, grits and green garlic from Chef Clark Barlowe of Heirloom.

Chef Bruce Moffett of Stagioni was next up with his prosecro-battered crab-stuffed squash blossom, ramp aioli and red pepper agro-dolce paired with Piccione Vineyards‘ 2014 red blend, L’Ottimo.

Fahrenheit Chef Dave Feimster paired his kalua pork and pickled cabbage slider with RayLen Vineyards‘ 2016 Category 5 red blend.

RayLen was up again with their 2016 Petit Verdot paired with a cherry-smoked chicken thigh croquette with green chili mole, spring asparagus, and aji amarillo from Chef Blake Hartwick of Bonterra Dining and Wine Room.

Last but not least was Childress Vineyards‘ 2012 Finish Line Cabernet Sauvignon port-style wine paired with dark chocolate crémeux, coffee crunch, hibiscus and port gelée from Chef Ashley Boyd of 300 East!

This event was a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Apr

2018

Library Tasting at Junius Lindsay Vineyard

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.

Continue reading →

Feb

2018

McRitchie Winery – Ring of Fire Vertical Tasting

Ah! McRitchie Winery‘s Ring of Fire, a highly regarded red blend in the North Carolina wine world. Some have called it North Carolina’s Octogon. Octogon is the highly acclaimed red blend from Virgina’s Barboursville Vineyards. We’re certainly not going to disagree with that assessment.

Ring of Fire is consistently a great wine. And, that name, an homage to the classic song by Johnny Cash, makes for a memorable wine too. Although, the wine itself doesn’t burn, burn, burn. Well, perhaps, it does burn a memory. A memory of the first North Carolina wine that captured my attention near the time of the first vintage which was in 2006. It’s since become a favorite of Matt’s too. So, when we heard that Sean and Patricia McRitchie were planning a vertical tasting as part of their winery’s 10th Anniversary, we just couldn’t miss it!

Table Setting at Ring of Fire Vertical Tasting

The tasting was limited to about 25 or so people. We were seated at tables throughout the tasting room. The tables were beautifully set. The first wines poured were the 2013, 2012, and 2011. Before we began tasting, Sean and Patricia welcomed us.

Sean and Patricia McRitchie Welcoming Guests

Sean and Patricia thanked us for attending. Patricia apologized for not having their first two vintages, the 2006 and 2007, of Ring of Fire. They never imagined the success of it and didn’t consider keeping a few cases for an event such as this until a few years into making it. Patricia mentioned how proud she was of Sean and his winemaking. Sean talked about the “unique opportunity to taste from one label, from one winery, and from one winemaker.” He told us to expect subtle differences in each vintage. Patricia mentioned that Ring of Fire was the first North Carolina Wine offered by the glass at the storied Grove Park Inn in Asheville and the Umstead Resort in Cary. Sean said he keeps varietals separate until just before bottling. Then he blends them with the goal of making “consistent serious red table wine in a Bordeaux style.”

Tasting Note Sheet at Ring of Fire Vertical

Now, it was time to taste! We began with the 2013 and worked our way backwards. The first round allowed us to taste the 2013, 2012, and 2011. Each was served in a different glass. Later, we were served the 2010, 2009, and 2008.

To continue the similarities with Octogon from Barboursville, Ring of Fire is also predominately Merlot and Cabernet Franc with a bit of Petit Verdot. Only two vintages differ. The 2012 is Merlot, Sangiovese, and Petit Verdot. The 2011 is Merlot, Syrah, and Petit Verdot.

Apricots and Skewers

BBQ, Ring of Fire Meatballs and Shrimp

In addition to the wine, food was served. Some items were intended to pair with the wine. Other items were there to prove a point that some food and wine pairings just don’t work. The first plate consisted of apricots topped with blue cheese, a pecan, and rosemary along with a skewer of tortellini tossed in pesto with artichoke, mozzarella, and basil. The second plate consisted of meatballs made with Ring of Fire, BBQ sandwiches with a mustard sauce and a more traditional sauce along with a few shrimp. Our favorites were the apricots and the BBQ.

Here are our tasting notes:

2013 – The nose was woody with nice cherry aromas. The palate presented rich cherry and oak with smooth tannins. This wine is still very young.
2012 – An earthy yet softly floral nose led to a lush palate of cherry and oak. We preferred this one over the 2013.
2011 – A floral nose with notes of plum and dried herbs made way to a tannic palate of dark fruits, cedar, and vanilla. The tannins of this vintage surprised us.
2010 – Very old world in style, the nose had notes of spice with dark cherry. The palate gave us dried berries with soft tannins. This was our favorite of the lineup.
2009 – Spice and oak on the nose along with cherry and vanilla on the palate, this vintage really showed the Merlot. There was also good acid. The boldness of this vintage surprised us.
2008 – Sean hinted that one vintage was different. When we got to the 2008, we knew it was this one. The nose was floral and woody with a hint of sawdust. The palate was wild with dark fruits. There was something off. We suspected brettanomoyces.

Sean and Patricia Recap the Event

Following our tasting, Sean and Patricia spoke once more. Sean mentioned that blending is a way to deal with the difficult North Carolina weather. It allows you to control the winemaking a bit and make adjustments as necessary. His winemaking style is that of experiences. He thinks of what will pair with the wine. The desire with Ring of Fire is pair it with a steak from a Chicago steakhouse. Given that, Ring of Fire has more acid than a red blend from Napa making it better accompaniment with food.

Sean also provided his tasting notes. Here are some highlights:

2013 – This vintage is fresh with the most straight forward fruit. It will age very well.
2012 – Sean’s second favorite of the group, this vintage has notes of clay and earth. It reminds him of a terra cotta pot.
2011 – He found this vintage to have aggressive spice with notes of fresh flower. Complex and young with good berry and tannins, he feels this wine will be better in three or more years.
2010 – Sean’s number one standout features red fruits and light earth. Other descriptors are wet clay and stone. The tannins are balanced. This is very old world like.
2009 – Patricia’s favorite features bright fruits with tighter acid and tannins. It’s still excellent.
2008 – This wine still looks young with dark berry color. Cherry and anise are on the nose, but the wine is faulted. Brettanomyces is indeed the issue, but we had several folks who loved it. After this vintage, Sean purchased an ozone machine to clean barrels in the winery to prevent brett in future vintages.

Sean then finished with a few more remarks. He gave a preview of the 2014 Ring of Fire which has been bottled and will be released soon. He says, “I like that a lot.” It meets the Chicago steakhouse criteria. Sean purchases fruit by taste rather than brix. He added that he was pleased with the consistency of the each vintage of Ring of Fire and notes, “I feel like I passed.” He’s pleasantly surprised how well he liked the lineup. We agree!

Sean also mentioned that Patricia makes him keep a library of wines. We thank her for that. They also mentioned that reserve sit-down tastings of library wines might be offered soon! Sign us up!

We thoroughly enjoyed this experience. We thank Sean and Patricia for all they do for North Carolina Wine and Cider and look forward to the next vertical tasting! Go visit them and see for yourself!

Dec

2017

North Carolina Wines for Your 2017 Holiday Table

Off Dry Pear Mead from Starrlight Mead in Pittsboro

Winter Salad with Pears – Pears and spicy greens are perfect this time of year. Add some blue cheese and a tangy vinaigrette and you have magic! To further that magic, pair the salad (pun intended) with the Off Dry Pear Mead from Starrlight Mead in Pittsboro. This mead is made with diluting the honey with fruit juice rather than water. The palate begins with pear moves to honey and finishes with more pear.

Riverton Estate from Cypress Bend Vineyards in Wagram

Carlos in the Buff from Dennis Vineyards in Albemarle

Ham – Ham is a classic main course for any holiday. While Riesling is a classic pairing with any ham, we’re recommending two excellent muscadine wines this year.

The first is the Riverton Estate from Cypress Bend Vineyards in Wagram. This dry Carlos wine is tart yet fruity. It tastes very much like a Riesling with great acidity!
The second is Carlos in the Buff from Dennis Vineyards in Albemarle. Also, Carlos this wine was made with no skin contact. It’s also only lightly sweet also with great acidity and less of the foxy quality often found with muscadine.

Grüner Veltliner from Burntshirt Vineyards in Hendersonville

Chambourcin from Carolina Heritage Vineyard & Winery in Elkin

Turkey – Roast turkey is versatile. You can pair with a white wine or a lighter red wine.

For the white wine, we recommend the 2015 Grüner Veltliner from Burntshirt Vineyards in Hendersonville. This wine is always stellar. It has notes of citrus, apple. and peach. This would match well with turkey and cranberry sauce.
For the red wine, we recommend the 2015 Chambourcin from Carolina Heritage Vineyard & Winery in Elkin. This Chambourcin is lightly oaked with flavors of dark cherry and warm spice. This would also pair well with turkey and cranberry sauce or turkey and gravy.

Provencia from Hanover Park Vineyard in Yadkinville

Duck – Ah, duck! It is poultry that has the umph of a steak! Classically you would pair duck with a Pinot Noir. But, if you can’t find Pinot Noir, Chambourcin is a great substitute! We recommend the 2014 Provencia from Hanover Park Vineyard in Yadkinville. This Chambourcin is a step above. It was so special that it got a special name! It’s smooth and bold with no hybrid bite.

Reserve Syrah from Junius Lindsay Vineyard in Welcome

Lamb – Lamb is one meat where you either love it or hate it. We happen to love it. A classic pairing with lamb is a wine from the Rhône Valley of France. We recommend the 2013 Reserve Syrah from Junius Lindsay Vineyard in Welcome. With warm oak and smooth cherry, this wine is easy drinking with light black pepper notes.

Tannat from Shelton Vineyards in Dobson

Reserve Merlot from Jones von Drehle in Thurmond

Roast Beef – Roast beef is another holiday classic. Of course, this calls for a hearty red wine!

The first recommendation is the 2013 Tannat from Shelton Vineyards in Dobson. This is a big, bold red. Yet it’s also smooth and balanced. It’s perfect for beef or any red meat!
The second recommendation is the 2012 Estate Reserve Selection Merlot from Jones von Drehle in Thurmond. Aged in French oak for forty months, this wine has soft tannins with cherry and cocoa. It also pairs well with duck confit.

South Mountain Vineyard Chardonnay from RayLen Vineyards in Mocksville

Seafood Lasagna, Roast Chicken or Roasted Vegetables – Any of these dishes make for a great additions to your holiday table. For pairing with all of these, we recommend the 2015 South Mountain Vineyard Chardonnay from RayLen Vineyards in Mocksville. Sourced from a vineyard near the South Mountains in Burke County, this wine is barrel fermented. This wine is oaky and buttery yet retains good fruit.

Barbera from Brandon Hills Vineyard in Yadkinville

Any Tomato Based Dish – Having a dish with tomato sauce and maybe a little spice? We recommend the 2010 Barbera from Brandon Hills Vineyard in Yadkinville. This wine is earthy yet with good cherry flavors. It’s very smoothed and well balanced.

Finish Line Dessert Wine from Childress Vineyards in Lexington

Chocolate Desserts – Decadent chocolate desserts call for port-style wines. They are perfect with rich chocolate or just by themselves on a cold night. We recommend the 2012 Finish Line from Childress Vineyards in Lexington. This fortified wine is made from Cabernet Sauvignon. It has strong notes of coffee and cocoa which pair perfectly with chocolate!

These are our recommendations for 2017. We’d love to hear your recommendations, so leave us a comment!

Happy Holidays!

Oct

2017

A Spotlight on Vermentino of the Swan Creek AVA

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.

Continue reading →

Oct

2017

Cypress Bend Vineyards

We recently had to a chance to visit Cypress Bend Vineyards in Wagram, NC. Cypress Bend is located near the Lumber River in Scotland County and opened in 2005. Dan and Tina Smith are the owners. The area is known as Riverton Farm and has been in the family since the early 1800s. They have been featured on North Carolina Weekend and Flavor NC Presents From the Vineyard in North Carolina. Continue reading →

Sep

2017

Grandfather Vineyard & Winery

We recently had the opportunity to visit Grandfather Vineyard & Winery in Banner Elk, NC. It had been a year or more since we had last visited. It was good to taste again, take in the beautiful mountain scenery, and just relax! Continue reading →

Jul

2017

June, 2017 Visit – Leicester, NC Wineries/Vineyards

We continue a look back at our mid-June wine visit to the Hendersonville / Asheville area. Day Two took us northwest of Asheville to Leicester, NC. Leicester is about 30 minutes from downtown Asheville. It’s an easy and beautiful drive. Located in Leicester are Fontaine Vineyards and Addison Farms Vineyard. Continue reading →

Jul

2017

June, 2017 – Visit to Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards

We continue a look back at our mid-June wine visit to the Hendersonville / Asheville area. Our second stop was Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards. Continue reading →

Jul

2017

June, 2017 – Visit to Burntshirt Vineyards

In mid-June, we planned a weekend getaway. We headed to the Hendersonville / Asheville area. The trip allowed us to relax, visit a “new to us” winery, and revisit other wineries in the area. Here are some of the highlights from our visit to Burntshirt Vineyards, our first stop of the weekend. Continue reading →

Jul

2017

A Spotlight on Petit Manseng in North Carolina

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.

Continue reading →

Jul

2016

#NCWine – Our Consistent Brand

Hashtags are all over social media. They’re even in every day conversation. They’re used to identity messages/posts of the same type. But why is that important? How are they “made”? We’re going to explore that bit and help you learn why you need to use them in EVERY social media post.

As we’ve already stated, hashtags are primarily used to make searching for social media posts easier. You can find like posts more quickly. You can find others to follow more quickly. Others can find you more easily. You can join a conversation. Hashtags are often used for “chatting” online. This is particularly true on Twitter. Follow a hashtag, and you can follow a conversation.

Hashtags are also used to denote trending topics on social media. Social media users are often drawn to trending topics. It generates excitement and interest. Plus, it’s free! They are great marketing tools!

So, how do you build a good hashtag? You should start with something that is short and meaningful. This is especially critical on Twitter since there’s a character limit. The hashtag should be easy to read. Its meaning should be easy to discern.

How does all of this apply to North Carolina wine? It’s all about promotion and online presence. It’s about working together and creating a consistent identity for North Carolina wine. It’s all about #NCWine!

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Please use hashtags in ALL of your social media posts.
Please use hashtag #NCWine in ALL of your posts!
- We need a clear, concise standard.
- We need a hashtag that aligns with the standard for other wine regions. No ‘s’ on the end PLEASE!
- We need a consistent brand.
If you’re in an AVA, please use a standard for each AVA. We don’t recommend adding AVA to the end. It’s more characters that really aren’t needed. We suggest the following:
- #YadkinValley
- #HawRiverValley
- #SwanCreek
- #UpperHiwassee
- #AppHighCountry
Create a short and concise hashtag for your brand.
- Use it with every post on every social media outlet.
- Encourage its use in your tasting room, etc.
Other hashtags to consider:
- #GotToBeNC – Consistent brand for products from NC.
- #drinklocal – The local movement is big right now. Capitalize on that!
Other things to consider:
- If it’s a holiday or special event, find a way to post using that hashtag (e.g. #NationalWineDay, #WineWednesday etc.).
- #wine, #winetasting #winedinner are other good hashtags to use if they apply.
- On Twitter, use them anywhere in your post. On Facebook and Instagram, use them (typically) at the end of your post.
- Phrases or sentences should not be turned into hashtags. They’re often difficult to read.
- Case doesn’t matter, but sometimes capitalizing letters can make the hashtag easier to read.

To summarize, please use hashtags in EVERY social media post. And ALWAYS leave room for the #NCWine hashtag.

If you need more advice on hashtags, send us a note. We’re happy to discuss!

Cheers!

Jul

2016

Introduction to North Carolina Wine

This post originally appeared on craftcarolina.com (http://www.craftcarolina.com/2016/07/12/introduction-to-nc-wine-by-the-nc-wine-guys/). It has been modified for posting here.

North Carolina Wine has a long and storied history. We’re home to the oldest cultivated grapevine in the country, the Mothervine as it’s known. Located on Roanoke Island near Manteo, cultivation of this massive scuppernong vine, a variety of muscadine, began around 1584. By the beginning of the 20^th Century, North Carolina led the nation in wine production. Then prohibition happened crushing the wine industry. The wine industry grew very slowly over the next several decades until the mid 2000s when the industry exploded. There are now nearly 200 wineries in the state. They range from the largest commercial winery on the East Coast, Duplin, to the most visited winery in America, Biltmore, to small family run wineries only producing a few hundred cases a year.

North Carolina vineyards produce many of the grapes used by North Carolina wineries. Primarily two species of grapes are used for winemaking in the state. These are the native Vitis rotundifolia which are muscadine varieties and the European Vitis vinifera . The popularly grown muscadine grapes are Carlos, Magnolia and Scuppernong. The popularly grown vinifera varieties are Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Viognier. Hybrid grape varieties are also popular. Those include Chambourcin, Traminette, and Chardonnel.

North Carolina is also home to five American Viticulture Areas (AVAs). AVAs are designated wine grape growing areas within the US so designated for their distinctive geographic features. The boundaries are defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) which is part of the United States Department of the Treasury.

The five AVAs are:

Yadkin Valley – Established in 2003. It is located in Wilkes, Yadkin and Surry Counties along with parts of Davie, Davidson, Forsyth and Stokes Counties.
Swan Creek – Established in 2008. It overlaps the Yadkin Valley AVA in parts of Wilkes and Yadkin Counties. A small part is also located in Northern Iredell County.
Haw River Valley – Established in 2009. It is located in Alamance County and parts of Caswell, Chatham, Guilford, Orange and Rockingham Counties.
Upper Hiwassee Highlands – Established in 2014 and shared with Georgia. It is located in parts of Cherokee and Clay Counties in NC.
Appalachian High Country – Established in 2016 and shared with Virginia and Tennessee. It is located in Ashe, Alleghany, Watauga, and Avery Counties in NC.

A new AVA has been proposed for parts of the Southern Mountains in North Carolina. If approved it will be known as the Crest of the Blue Ridge AVA. It will include Henderson County in North Carolina.

Apr

2016

North Carolina Wine vs the World — a Blind Tasting at RayLen Vineyard

All too often we get the question “is North Carolina wine any good” or “how does North Carolina wine compare to California wine?” Most of the time we encourage people to try North Carolina in for themselves. In reality, this could be a little daunting to some as they may not know where to start. And to answer the question of North Carolina versus California on your own would require you to go out, buy a lot of wine, and sample them side by side. To the average consumer, this may seem a little overboard and quite frankly, a little scary.

How do you know which wines to buy? How can you get a bottle that’s close enough in composition and profile to accurately compare the two wines?

Continue reading →

Feb

2016

What Does Drinking Locally Really Mean?

The locavore movement has exploded over the last few years. Folks are really interested in eating food that is grown and cooked locally. It harkens back to the days when folks grew a lot of the food they ate. With all of this interest in local food, why not local drink? Well, there has been more interest in locally produced beer and now locally produced spirits. Local wine is starting to take off too, but is more difficult to find outside of the local winery. Let’s take a look at wine specifically and talk about what it means to drink local wine.

Drink Local Wine!

Local wine is more than just wine produced by a local winery. Truly local wine is wine that is fermented, aged and bottled at a local winery, but it is also wine that is made only from local grapes, fruit, or honey. These grapes should come from vines that are planted in North Carolina soil. The fruit should come from North Carolina trees, bushes, etc. The honey should come from a local bee hive. Let’s be clear, a true North Carolina wine is made from a North Carolina product. This means that wineries that produce wine from grapes, fruit, juice, or honey from California, South America, and/or Europe are NOT making local wine. They’re making wine locally, but it’s not a North Carolina wine and can’t legally be labeled as such. Think about that the next time you visit a local winery. Ask where the grapes, fruit, or honey originated. Look at the label. Is it labeled accurately? Inquire as to why local grapes, fruits, or honey weren’t used. The “North Carolina doesn’t produce quality grapes” line no longer holds water. The same goes for fruit or honey. Drinkers of truly local North Carolina wine know better! Let’s be sure our voices are heard.

We must insist that local wine bars and local restaurants sell locally grown and made North Carolina wine. Farm to Fork restaurants and the like who aspire to serve food made from locally grown ingredients are quite hypocritical if they don’t have locally made wine on their menus. The same would be said for locally made beer and spirits. Let’s do our parts to help promote truly locally made wine. Remember the costumer is always right!

Finally, it’s ok to drink something other than locally made wine. However, let’s be sure we do know the difference between a local wine and not. And be sure that we don’t use the #NCWine and #NCFineWines to promote a wine that’s not truly local. Just remember, drinking locally helps the local economy, which in turn helps you!

Let us know what drinking locally means to you! Cheers!

Feb

2016

Getting the Most Out of Your Wine Tasting Experience

Visiting a winery’s tasting room is one of life’s simple pleasures. Each experience is unique. It’s a great way to experience a variety of wine and find something new to drink. If you’ve never had the experience or if it’s been awhile, here are some suggestions to make the most of your wine tasting experience.

The tasting room at Parker-Binns Vineyard – Photo Courtesy of Karen Parker-Binns

Plan ahead! Check the winery’s hours. You don’t want to arrive within 30 minutes of closing and expect to taste. Most wineries stop tasting 30 minutes before closing. Some require a reservation.
Walk in and take a look around. If there’s line, patiently wait. Determine if you need to prepay for your tasting.
Don’t prematurely judge the experience by the look of the tasting room. We’ve had plenty of great tastings at hole in the wall wineries. The opposite is also true. The most opulent tasting room doesn’t necessarily mean the best wine.
Make your choices. Select a variety of wines. If you like sweet wine, pick at least one dry and vice versa. The same can be said for red vs white.
If a premium tasting is an option, take it. It’s premium for a reason.
Don’t be afraid to ask to taste something that’s not on a list. Often wineries will accommodate special requests.
It’s ok to share with a friend. This is especially true if you’re doing multiple tastings in a day. Most wineries allow this and will even split the amounts between glasses, so you don’t have to share one glass.
It’s ok to pour out wine even if you like it. Again, if you’re driving and/or doing multiple tastings in one day, you need to be able to remember what you’ve been tasting. Otherwise, you might end buying a bottle of wine you’ll hate later.
It’s ok to spit. This is another alternative to sharing and/or pouring out. If you’re not comfortable spitting directly in the dump bucket, ask for a small cup or another glass. Spit in that and then pour into the dump bucket.
This aerates the wine. It helps to open the wine up to its full smelling and tasting potential.
You taste what you smell. Try to pick out at least two distinct smells.
Check out the color, Color will tell you a lot about the health of the wine. You don’t want a red wine that’s got a brown edge. That means it’s likely too old.
Don’t gulp!
Hold the wine in your mouth for at least a second before swallowing or spitting. Do the tastes match the smells? Is there a difference between what you taste initially, the mid palate taste and the finish? Is the finish long or short?
Take notes! You want to be able to remember what you’ve been tasting. This will also help you later if you buy a bottle and want to pair it with food.
Have a cracker between different wines. You need to cleanse your palate. If crackers or other palate cleansers are not readily available, ask for them!
Don’t bring your children. Children are a HUGE distraction in tasting rooms. If they can’t drink the wine, they don’t belong there.
Be considerate of other tasters. Respect their space and their ears. Don’t be too loud.
Wine tasting should not be a way to get drunk! Don’t just gulp the wine. Your taster will not appreciate that and may refuse to serve you if you’re too far gone.
Engage with your taster. Ask questions about the wine. This helps your learn!

These are just a few suggestions to make the most out of your wine tasting experience! Let us know what you think! Cheers!

Feb

2016

American Wine – There’s more than just California!

American Wine has exploded over the last twenty to thirty years. The number of wine regions and wine regions producing quality wine has helped with this explosion, but does the average American wine drinker really know that there are more wine regions than just California? Sadly, it seems not to be the case. For those of us who love drinking local wine, it seems we have some educating to do!

Sure California produces great wine. It also produces nearly 90% of the wine made in American. Grocery store wine aisles, restaurant wine lists and even local wine bars are all full of California wine. California is known for its big, bold reds with high alcohol content. We would argue that these wines are overdone and take away the true essence of grapes when compared to old world wines. For those who don’t know, old world refers to Europe and the Middle East from where wine grapes originated in nature.

There are 32 other wine producing states recognized as having an American Viticulture Area.

Given California’s dominance in producing American wine, how are other wine regions going to breakout? As the saying go, it takes a village! Those of us fortunate enough to live near other American wine regions need to step up our game. We need to get out and visit local wineries. We need to buy local wine. We need to insist that local restaurants, particularly those claiming to represent the local food movement, add local wine to their wine lists! We need to introduce our friends and family to local wine. We need to share our experiences on social media. We need to attend events at local wineries. In addition, when visiting local wineries, we need to make sure that local grapes are being used. If you’re not sure, ask! We need to insist on high quality. If a wine’s not good, say so. Let them know!

So, what wine regions should you look at besides California? We, of course, are partial to North Carolina. Quantity and quality have continued to improve. 2015 was a fantastic growing year across the state. We expect 2015 to be THE vintage in North Carolina. Washington and Oregon should be considered. They account for over 4% of the wine produced in America. Other areas to consider are Missouri, famous for Norton. If you haven’t tried Norton and you like big bold, jammy wines, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Texas is another upcoming and coming wine region going Spanish, Italian and Rhône Valley grapes well. New York with the Finger Lakes and Long Island is producing high quality wines. The Finger Lakes in particular are now regularly reviewed in major wine magazines like Wine Spectator. Finally, Virginia can’t be overlooked. Just like North Carolina, quantity and quality have increased over the last several years. Virginia is producing superb Petit Verdot, Petit Manseng and Viognier just to name a few!

American wine is diverse as our country. Let’s all do our part in helping make sure that diversity is better known. Drink local, explore new wine regions and share those experiences with others! There is more to American wine than California! Get out there and explore!

Dec

2015

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.

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Apr

2015

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.

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Mar

2015

Black Mountain Beer & Cider

This past weekend we took an overnight trip to Asheville. On the way, we decided to stop in Black Mountain. If you’ve never been to this small town, it’s nestled right at the foot of the Black Mountains (part of the Appalachian mountains). It is a quaint town just off I-40 with most of the business district straddling US Highway 70. At first glance, the artistic charm of this town might be seen as the main draw. However, there are a few hidden gems in this town.

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Feb

2015

The Proof is in the Glass: Riedel Wine Glass Tasting

When it comes to drinking wine out of the appropriate glass there are several schools of thought on the subject. Many believe that the glass doesn’t make a terrible amount of difference to the wine tasting experience and when you do use a higher quality glass, it’s really just the perception of having the wine taste better. Still others believe that the wine glass itself can make or break the wine.
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