Welcome to Cellar! This is our archive of old content, posts, and reviews from over the years. They may not fit our current content structure, but we didn’t want to just delete them.
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!
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.
Our group with Kirsty Harmon at Blenheim Vineyards
We recently had the pleasure of traveling to Charlottesville, VA. We met up with fellow bloggers, wine tourists, and oenophiles, Brian and Dax Yost. Brian and Dax are known for Wine Tourist Magazine. Brian also writes The Virginia Grape wine blog. Both are big advocates for East Coast wines.
Brian was able to arrange some tours for us. We started with a visit to Blenheim Vineyards. We had the pleasure of meeting Blenheim’s winemaker and General Operations Manager, Kirsty Harmon. Kirsty is a respected Virginia winemaker. She describes her wine style as fruit forward and approachable.
Blenheim does have a famous owner. Singer Dave Matthews who has ties the Charlottesville area owns Blenheim. Dave and Kirsty have an agreement. She sticks to the wine and he sticks to the music. Dave does provide artwork for some of Blenheim’s wine labels. Otherwise, Kirsty has pretty much free reign to create the wine she wants.
Blenheim is unique in that all of its wines come in bottles with screw caps rather than the traditional corks. Some folks turn their noses up to screw cap wine, but it has a much lower failure rate than traditional corks.
A view of Blenheim’s Vineyards from the back deck
Blenheim is a 30 acre estate with 17.5 acres under vine. They produce around 8,000 cases of wine a year.
Kirsty picks her grapes for acidity rather than sugar. This is typically between 21 and 22 Brix. She also makes picking decisions by tasting the grapes.
No wine is overly oaked. Ten months or so is about all a particular wine might spend in oak. Kirsty uses a combination of French, American, and Hungarian barrels.
Grapes are harvested by hand. They’re also sorted by hand. A sorting table is used to find the best berries for wine making. The 3 ton bladder press is used to press the juice from the grapes. Kirsty using punch downs during fermentation. The winery sits just below the tasting room. Glass enclosures allow for a bird’s eye view of the activity of the winery.
Tanks in the Winery at Blenheim Vineyards
Kirsty let us taste a number of wines from the 2016 and 2017 harvests. Stand outs were the 2017 Albariño and 2016 Painted White.
The Albariño was whole cluster pressed, fermented and then filtered. It had notes of peach and pear. The nose was soft and floral.
The Painted White whose label features a painting by Dave Matthews is a blend of 59% Sauvignon Blanc, 31% Viognier, and 10% Chardonnay. It spent 10 months in predominately French oak. It had notes of peach and honey with just a touch of oak. The finish was crisp and clean.
We highly recommend a trip to Blenheim anytime you’re in the Charlottesville area. They’re always one our of favorite stops.
Thanks to Kirsty for taking the time to show us around and taste some great wines! We look forward to visiting again soon!
We recently hosted a wine tasting with friends. Late last year McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks released two Pétillant Naturel wines for the first time. We had heard of Pét Nats, as they’re sometimes called, but we had never tasted one before. Curious and big fans of McRitchie, we purchased a bottle of each and decided to share them with friends.
When we purchased these wines, we were advised to store them upright and serve them very well chilled. We were also advised to be very careful when opening these wines and to have something to catch any wine that might come rushing out.
We reached out to McRitchie for more technical information about the wines. The Petit Manseng was harvested at 26° Brix on September 7, 2017. The Petit Verdot was harvested at 21° Brix on September 27, 2017. In both cases, the grapes were whole cluster pressed, settled and racked with no filtration or added carbon dioxide. Both were bottled with residual sugar. The Petit Verdot had skin contact but there was no barrel aging. Both wines are off dry to dry with high acidity. The Petit Manseng is a bit higher in acidity at 8 grams/Liter vs 7.8 grams/Liter for the Petit Verdot. Thirty-three cases of the Petit Manseng were produced. While forty-five cases of the Petit Verdot were produced. The Petit Manseng was bottled on September 30, 2017. The Petit Verdot was a little later on October 10, 2017. Both wines were released on November 18, 2017. We’ll cover tasting notes later in this post.
So, just how are Pét Nats made? These wines are naturally sparkling. The wine is bottled before the primary fermentation has finished. Unlike méthode champenoise, no additional yeasts or sugars are added. Since fermentation is still on-going, carbon dioxide is produced by the sugars that remain. This method is referred to as méthode ancestrale or ancient method. It produces a more simple sparkling wine that isn’t filtered. Thus the wine is usually cloudy. Pét Nats are also usually bottled with a cap rather than a cork.
Pét Nats are believed to have originated in southern France. Monks in the early 16th Century near Limoux are thought to be first producers of these type wines. (Source – Vine Pair)
Not having tasted these wines before, we also reached out to Patricia McRitchie for suggestions on pairings. She suggested pairing the Petit Manseng with salty or creamy foods. For the Petit Verdot, she suggested anything that you might pair with a Nouveau or Sparkling Rosé such as charcuterie, turkey, dishes with a little heat, or foods with a some creaminess or nuttiness. We settled on creamy artichoke dip and brie with the Petit Manseng and spicy cured sausage with the Petit Verdot.
Now for our tasting notes, we really did enjoy both of these and have since purchased replacement bottles to enjoy them again. Both were funky and interesting and a delight to drink.
2017 Petit Manseng Pétillant Naturel
The nose was yeasty but was unmistakably Petit Manseng. The palate was also yeasty along with tangy. There was a light pineapple and grapefruit undertone.
The character was wild. It paired nicely with the creamy artichoke dip, but with brie, it was a match made in heaven! This wine tasted better with food than without.
The wine was definitely cloudy as you can see from the picture. The color reminded us of pineapple juice.
Sean McRitchie provided his tasting notes too. Sean says the flavor profile is honey and acid. It reminds him of Mountain Dew. The texture is rich with fun bubbles. The acid balance contributes to a general rich fruit dimension.
2017 Petit Verdot Pétillant Naturel
This wine’s nose was light strawberry. It was dry and sour. Some said it reminded them of a sour beer. The palate was funky and gave more strawberry flavors.
It paired nicely with the cured sausage, but it was even better without food.
This wine was also cloudy. The color was pink but nearly red. There was much more sediment with this one than the Petit Manseng.
Sean McRitchie says this wine has a flavor profile of sour candy and bright cherry. It’s foamy with high acid. There is some yeast grit as the lees are stirred. This is a fun wine that is good with an intense cheese.
We look forward to opening our second bottles of these wines. McRitchie still has a few bottles left, so if you’re interested, you should hurry to the tasting room and pick them up. They sell for $25 each. Hopefully there will be new vintages coming out later this year from the 2018 harvest!
Prior to the first ever #NCWine Bloggers Summit, Thomas Salley of Raffaldini Vineyards offered to host a behind the scenes tour and tasting for bloggers who were attending the event. We graciously accepted Thomas’ offer. This led to additional tastings that day in the Swan Creek AVA.
Our Raffaldini tour began on a cold Sunday morning at Raffaldini’s winery. There was a bit of snow on the ground from the night before. The mountains of the Blue Ridge were covered in snow.
Thomas walked us through some of the history of the estate.
The site was an abandoned farm and was one of around 60 sites looked at by the Raffaldini family during their search for vineyard land.
The data collected from scouting the land was used in the case for the creation of the Swan Creek AVA.
The estate includes 120 acres with about 36 currently under vine.
Over 30 different varieties have been planted over the year.
The current estate grapes are Vermentino, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Petit Verdot and Nero D’Avola.
Small Drying Room
Large Drying Room
Racks used for Drying Fruit
It was appropriate that our tour began outside of the Fruttaio Grande. Raffaldini’s is known for the Appassimento process for drying fruit to concentrate flavors. This leads to more complex and structured wines.
The racks used for drying were self made and each holds about 5 pounds of grapes. The grapes are laid in a single layer. The room is pre-heated to 85 Degrees with about 20% humidity. Four to five days of drying removes about 30% of water from the fruit. In a typical year, around half of the harvest is dried. Raffaldini is one of the largest winery dryer of fruit in the US.
Large Tanks Inside the Winery
Raffaldini also uses a sorting table to sort the fruit harvested. This helps remove green berry and other undesirable items.
Production at Raffaldini is around 6500 cases per year.
Large Oak Fermenter
Raffaldini is one of the first wineries in the state to us a large oak fermenter. Currently grapes/juice spend about 30 days in the fermenter before moving to a barrel. Eventually this will change as barrels are phased out for the more cost effective oak fermenter.
Large Barrel Room
Smaller Barrel Room
After all of this information, it was time to taste wine! The first sample was the base wine for Raffaldini’s upcoming sparkling wine, Auguri (Cheers/Best Wishes in Italian). This wine will be made in the traditional method, but it will use encapsulated yeast yeast during the second fermentation. This means the traditional riddling method will not be required. This wine is set to be released in August, 2018.
We then moved to the barrel room. We first visiting the larger room and then moved to a second room to finish our tastings. We sampled 2017 Sagrantino with a bit of Nero D’Avola which had big gripping tannins. Next was a co-fermented 2017 Petit Verdot and Montepulciano which was inky and dark as well as tannic. Finally, we tasting a 2017 appassimento Petit Verdot. It was stunning already! Dark fig, cocoa and tart blueberry were the flavors.
Bottling Line
We ended the winery portion of the visit with a look at the bottling line. Then we moved to the villa. We made a quick visit out to the edge of the vineyard for a discussion of growing degree days and soil types. Growing degree days is a measure that predicts when fruit will be ripe. Raffaldini practices leaf pulling after bloom to provide as much sunlight for the grapes as possible. This is common throughout bunch grape growers in the state. Finally, we took a look at rocks in the vineyard. The soil consists of schist mica and granite with a loam topsoil. This is ideal for grape growing.
We concluded our visit with a private lunch and a tasting of current releases in the upstairs of the villa. We want to thank Thomas and the whole Raffaldini team for hosting our group and providing this in depth tour and tasting. It was much appreciated!
Be sure to go visit Raffaldini and see for yourself!
Networking at Lunch during the First #NCWine Bloggers Summit
On Saturday, March 24, 2018, we held the first ever #NCWine Bloggers Summit at Hanover Park Vineyard. Around 30 folks attended. This included bloggers, winery owners / representatives and wine industry folks. It was a great day of discussion, networking and excitement.
In reflecting back on the summit, we have a few takeaways what we would like to share. Here they are:
We should haven’t have waited until 2018 to hold this event for the first time. – Many wineries know bloggers exist, but often they don’t completely understand how we can help. We as bloggers had not had a chance to collaborate and make connections in person. This event was invaluable for this.
We should hold the next summit on a Monday. – While most bloggers have day jobs and work on Mondays, we would have better participation from wineries if we did not hold the summit on the weekend. Look for next year’s date soon so folks can plan.
Sunday Wine Tours for bloggers need to be a staple of the event. Thomas Salley at Raffaldini Vineyards offered to host a tour for bloggers following the summit. This spiraled into an whole afternoon of visits in the Swan Creek AVA. We want to thank Thomas for this idea and for his hospitality. We also want to thank Hailey Klepcyk at Piccione Vineyards for hosting us for a tasting. We ended the day with a joint tasting at Laurel Gray Vineyards hosted by Benny and Kim Myers. We would like to thank Benny and Kim along with Chuck and Jamey Johnson of Shadow Springs Vineyard and Windsor Run Cellars and Charles King of Dobbins Creek Vineyards for sharing their wines with us!
We need other bloggers to present content. – We did a lot of talking this year. Next year, we would like to break that up and have other bloggers present content. Look for a call for content a few months before the next summit.
A panel discussion would be a great way to break up the day. – A panel could provide unique opportunities for conservation and the sharing of ideas. This could include wineries, bloggers and industry insiders.
Wineries should utilize bloggers more. We are influencers with followers who can impact a winery’s business. – Wineries can engage bloggers to help to tell their stories and to assist with sharing events on social media. Many bloggers are also open to volunteer opportunities to learn more about wine. Also, bloggers are open to attending events and/or receiving story ideas. Just reach out! Finally, wineries can share our content to their followers as long as it is consistent with their brand. If it isn’t, please tell us.
We should make a larger effort to invite bloggers from other states. – After the summit posts got shared through social media and several folks commented how that want to be included in the next event. This will be a great way to expand North Carolina Wine‘s reach.
We need a few sponsors for next year’s event. – To control costs for attendees and/or allow for new options, funding from sponsors would be helpful.
We need an official press release about the event. – A press release could be used by local media to inform their consumers of the event. It would also be a great way to get press for any sponsors for next year.
We want to thank our fellow bloggers who participated:
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.
We recently returned from the 2017 Wine Bloggers Conference held in Santa Rosa, CA. Santa Rosa is located in Sonoma County. Parts of Santa Rosa were directly impacted by the October, 2017 Wildfires. Yes, we saw fire damage. We heard stories from panelist who were directly impacted by the wildfires. Yes, there is recovery in progress. However, taken as a whole, the wine industry survived pretty much in tack.
Napa and Sonoma are open for business. Most vineyards saw little to no damage. So, if you’re able, go visit. Help revive the tourist economy on which these areas depend.
Below are some images we took during our trip. They show a beautiful region that’s still extremely picturesque. We have a new found respect for this region and its wines. We look forward to enjoying the wines we purchased and visiting again in the future!
Vineyards along US 101 Near Healdsburg in Sonoma County
Beautiful fall colors in a vineyard near Healdsburg in Sonoma County
Vineyards near Geyserville in Sonoma County
Another vineyard near Geyserville in Sonoma County
Red foliage on vines near Healdsburg and Alexander Valley in Sonoma County
Vineyard near Calistoga in Napa County
Vineyard on the approach to PlumpJack Winery near Oakville in Napa County
Vineyard near Windsor in Sonoma County
Head trained vines in the Alexander Valley near Healdsburg in Sonoma County
Front gate at Miner Family Wines near Oakville in Napa County
Vines with grapes still hanging near Calistoga in Napa County
Hill Family Estate tasting room in downtown Yountville in Napa County
Stewart Cellars Tasting Lodge in Downtown Yountville in Napa County
PlumpJack Winery Tasting Room near Oakville in Napa County
Vineyard on a beautiful November day in Napa County
Vineyard in the Stag’s Leap District of Napa County
Charred Trees look down on an untouched vineyard in the Stag’s Leap District of Napa County
Napa Town Center in Downtown Napa
Beautiful Mountains heading over Atlas Peak in Napa County
On Friday night of the 2017 Wine Bloggers Conference, we decided to take part in a wine dinner excursion at Thomas George Estates in Healdsburg. Thomas George is located in the Russian River Valley AVA of Sonoma County. They were founded in 2008 and focus on small production vineyard designated Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
We loaded on our bus and headed out. After a twenty plus minute drive in the darkness which included a wrong turn by the driver and a trip across a one lane bridge over the Russian River, we made it up the hill to Thomas George Estates. As we arrive the tasting room was on one side and the wine cave was on the other. Dinner was being served in the wine cave.
Cave Entrance at Thomas George Estates
Reception
Immediately upon entering the wine cave, we were greeted with glasses of the 2014 Brut Blanc de Blancs, Starr Ridge Vineyard, Cooper Block. The grapes for this wine were sourced from the Russian River Valley AVA. Starr Ridge Vineyard is located a few miles to the east of the winery. To accompany the sparkling wine, we were served house-made cured meats from the Black Pig Meat Company. The Black Pig is meat company owned by the evening’s chef, Duskie Estes. Duskie is co-owner of Zazu Kitchen + Farm with John Stewart. Duskie has also appeared as a judge on Guy’s Grocery Games on the Food Network. In addition to the meats, there were roasted vegetables, spreads, and crostini.
Table is set for dinner inside the Cave at Thomas George Estates
First Course
After reception, we took our seats at the long table. The first course was a roasted Brussel sprouts salad. The salad included bacon from the Black Pig, Asian pears, Marcona Almonds, aged sherry vinegar, and Capriago from Bohemian Creamy. The paired wine was the 2015 Chardonnay from Sons & Daughters Vineyard. This vineyard is located at the border of the Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill AVAs. This unoaked wine was aged sur lie with no malolactic fermentation.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts Salad
Entrée
The featured wine for the entrée course was the 2014 Pinot Noir from Baker Ridge Vineyard. This vineyard is on the winery site. Duck is, of course, a perfect pairing with Pinot Noir. This Star Anise Liberty Duck also included Cracklin’ Pork Belly with black rice, estate grown pomegranate and watercress. This was perfectly paired!
Cracklin’ Pork Belly & Star Anise Liberty Duck
Dessert
We were allowed some time to finish our Pinot Noir after dinner before dessert was presented. Dessert was a Quince and Apple Tartin with Bourbon Gelato. The 2012 Late Harvest Viognier from the Baby Block of Baker Ridge Vineyard was the wine of choice. The grapes for this wine are always hand harvested by the staff at Thomas George estates. This block is closest to the driveway leading to the winery. It was a beautiful wine!
Backyard Quince & Apple Tartin with Bourbon Gelato
Following dinner, Chef Duskie Estes came out to introduce herself and talk about her meal. She’s quite the accomplished chef including appearances on Iron Chef and a 2001 James Beard Award.
We made a few purchases and loaded the bus to head back to the hotel. If you’re ever in the Russian River Valley, be sure to go check out the Zazu Kitchen and Thomas George Estates!
Since we were returning to California for the 2017 Wine Bloggers Conference, we decided to allow for some time in Lodi again. We emailed Sue Tipton, the owner of Acquiesce, to see if she would be willing to let us come in for a tasting. Acquiesce is normally closed on Wednesdays, but Sue graciously agreed.
Arrival
We arrived just before 11am. Before going in we took a look around the vineyards closest to the road. Below are some of the pictures we took. Sue grows only Rhône Valley white varietals and Grenache for making rosé. This is because Sue only makes white wines and a rosé. She ripped out Zinfandel, Lodi’s signature grape, to plant these Rhône Valley grapes! Also, Sue is small production. She opens for the year in March and is usually sold out of the previous year’s vintage by early to mid-November. Sue is now closed for the season and will reopen in March, 2018.
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Tasting
After checking out the vineyard and snapping pictures, we headed inside. Sue was already behind the bar waiting for us to arrive. We exchanged greetings. Then Sue proceeded with the tasting. Here are out notes:
2016 Grenache Blanc – This wine had notes of green apple, apricot, and lime on the nose. On the palate, it had a crisp, minerally undertone with good apricot fruit. The finish was slightly minerally too. Sue paired this with a thyme cracker which provided perfect balance with the wine.
2016 Belle Blanc – A blend of 45% Grenache Blanc, 45% Roussanne, and 10% Viognier, light pear showed on the nose. Mildly ripe pear with some light mineral notes showed on the palate. Sue paired this wine with a manchego with a violet flower confit. This brought out the mineral notes in the wine along with a lightly floral undertone.
2016 Roussanne – A nose of honey and pineapple lead to a palate also of honey and pear.
2016 Viognier – This wine presented a floral peach note on the nose. Peach and apricot predominated on the palate along with a slight mineral undertone. Its pairing was a Moroccan spiced cracker with a mango chutney.
2016 Grenache Rosé – Picked at 22.5 Brix and whole cluster pressed, this showed light strawberry on the nose. Watermelon and lime showed on the palate.
Winery
After we finished the tasting, Sue took us out to the winery. A fairly new building, it was filled with several tanks of various sizes. But unlike most wineries, there were no barrels. Sue’s wines are only done is stainless steel. She had a few more things for us to taste.
2017 Picpoul Blanc – We tasted this straight from the tank. While not the finished product, this will be a great wine. It was highly acidic with notes of pineapple and pear.
2017 Bourboulenc – Sue said we were some of the first folks in the country to taste an American grown Bourboulenc. Again, this wine will be great. It had notes of pear with some light pineapple in the background. Sue has the only known planting of this grape in the US.
2017 Clairette Blanche – A floral nose along with notes of pear showed on the nose. There was more pear on the palate along with some herbal notes. Again, it was an interesting wine.
We look forward to tasting these wines again in their finished state.
We headed back to the tasting room and selected wines for shipping home to us. We thanked Sue for taking the time to host us, and we know we’ll be back to see her. If you’re ever in Lodi, you should do the same!
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.
On Tuesday, August 29, 2017, the first ever North Carolina Wine and Grape Month kickoff event was held at The Pavilion at Childress Vineyards in Lexington. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper was on hand to sign the official Wine and Grape Month proclamation designating September as North Carolina Wine and Grape Month. Below are some photos from that day. We hope this event becomes an annual celebration of North Carolina Wine! Continue reading →
May is North Carolina Wine and Grape month! It was proclaimed by Gov. Cooper to celebrate the wine and grape industry’s contributions to our state. With a $1.7 Billion economic impact, 525 grape growers and more than 180 wineries, this industry is vital to our state. It deserves to be celebrated! Continue reading →
The North Carolina State Fair is held every October at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. Each year as part of the State Fair, a wine competition is also held. There are two categories. One is the Commercial Category. The other is the Amateur Category. Changes have been made to competition. Let’s talk about the Commercial Category specifically! Continue reading →
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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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? Well, we have some suggestions!
Ham – Ham is a classic main course for any holiday. Riesling is a classic pairing with any ham. We recommend the new 2015 Estate Grown Dry Riesling from Dobbins Creek Vineyards (http://dobbinscreekvineyards.com). This wine is the signature white at Dobbins Creek. It is one of the best in the state for Riesling. The nose has notes of pear and honey. It is classic Riesling. The palate continues with pear and honey before moving to a slight mineral note. The finish is crisp. The acidity is pleasing. You will not be disappointed with this pairing!
Turkey – Roast turkey is versatile. You can pair with a white wine or a lighter red wine.
For a white wine, pairing we recommend the 2014 Traminette from Misty Creek Vineyards (http://mistycreekwines.com). Traminette is typically very floral with a nice spicy finish. This traminette is just that. The nose is almost perfumey. The palate has melon and good fruit. There are those hints of spice that you would expect as well.
For a red wine, we recommend the 2014 Cabernet Franc from Divine Llama Vineyards (http://www.divinellamavineyards.com). This wine has a nose of cherry and vanilla that carries through to the palate. There a good oaky note as well. It would be perfect with Cranberry Sauce!
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 2012 Chambourcin from Dover Vineyards (http://www.thefarmatdovervineyards.com). This wine is made in same style as a New Zealand Pinot Noir. The nose has dark fruits with hints of spice. The palate is light cherry and hints of vanilla. The acidity of this wine is the perfect balance to the fattiness of duck.
Roast Beef – Roast beef is another holiday classic. Of course, this calls for a hearty red wine! We recommend 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mountain Brook Vineyards (http://www.mountainbrookvineyards.com). The nose is herbaceous with notes of cherries. This wine is big and bold with fruity notes along with hints of vanilla. It is perfect with roast beef or any red meat.
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. These wines are classically earthy. The recommended pairing of the 2013 Mourvèdre from Hanover Park Vineyard (http://www.hanoverparkwines.com) is just that! From the nose to the palate, there is an earthy quality throughout. There are also notes of cherry. This wine is velvety, but light. It is perfect with lamb, mushrooms or manchego cheese!
Roasted Vegetables – We don’t want all of our pairings to be wine and meat. Vegetables should be a big part of any holiday table. Some of our favorites are roasted carrots, parsnips, celery root, garlic, onion, sweet potato and/or butter number squash. This calls for a full-bodied white wine. We suggest the 2014 Barrel Aged Chardonnay from Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard & Winery (http://www.bakerbuffalocreek.com). The nose gives nice notes of oak with hints of butter. The butter carries through to the palate with notes of apples and pears as well. It also pairs well with any winter squash soup!
Palate Cleanser – Sometimes, it’s good to take a break from heavy food and cleanse the palate. A classic palate cleanser is lemon granita, but that can a lot of work. Continuously taking the granita out of the freezer, scraping the crystals with a fork, returning it to the freezer and the repeating the process for hours. Why not go with an easier route? We recommend chilling a bottle of Vino Limone from Elkin Creek Vineyards (http://www.elkincreekvineyard.com) in your freezer. Take it out and give your guests a small serving to cleanse their palates. Or use this wine as dessert itself. It’s lemon wine fortified with brandy. The nose has notes of charred lemons. The palate is tart lemon with a slight sweetness. The lemon allows it to maintain a nice acidity. It’s perfect to cleanse the palate or just enjoy with dessert!
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 Midnight Run from Windsor Run Cellars (http://windsorrun.com). This wine is made from Chambourcin and Petit Verdot and then fortified. There are notes of chocolate on the nose. The palate is warming with notes of cocoa and dark fruit. It’s the perfect way to end any holiday celebration!
Let us know your thoughts on these pairings! We’d love to hear what you think and what pairings you’ve come up on your own. For other food and North Carolina wine pairings, please see an earlier article on our blog. You can find it here: http://ncwineguys.com/index.php/food-pairings-with-north-carolina-wines/.
Whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year, may it be merry, bright and filled with North Carolina wine!
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.
We made it through the rest of the conference. The sessions were good, but the networking and connection with fellow bloggers and the Lodi wine community were invaluable. We’re so thankful for the experiences we had.
With the conference over, we decided to head out and explore a bit more of the wine scene in Lodi. We also wanted to pick up wine to ship back to North Carolina. We first needed food, so we walked to downtown Lodi and grabbed a Panini at Wine Social (http://www.lodiwinesocial.com). After that we walked back and got in our rental car and headed out to gather wine and explore.
We decided we’d head east a bit. We needed to see some gently rolling hills after days of flat land. Our first stop was Bokisch Vineyards (http://www.bokischvineyards.com). Bokisch specializes in Spanish varietals. They were tasting three of their Albariños side by side. Each was unique. We were really impressed by all of them. We moved on a few reds and then finished with our favorite wine, the 2014 Tizona Late Harvest Graciano. It was delightful with notes of dried cherry and spice!
Next on our list was Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards (http://www.acquiescevineyards.com). We just had to stop in here as we’re big fans of Rhône Valley style wines. Acquiesce did not disappoint! They only do white wines and a rosé made from Grenache. It was a perfect day for cool, crisp wine! We loved them all, but our favorite was the full bodied 2015 Roussanne. Its nose was apricots, almond and pear with a palate of pear and honey and a mineral-like finish. We also enjoyed a few freshly picked Viognier grapes and some freshly pressed Viognier juice! It was another unique experience in Lodi wine country!
The next stop was The Lucas Winery (http://www.lucaswinery.com). We had visited here on Thursday, but we need to pick up some wine. Sara greeted us again and offered us a small taste of the 2014 Chardonnay. It was perfect! We also shared with Sara and Mitra Lucas that Wine Enthusiast had shared Jameson Fink’s (Wine Enthusiast’s Senior Digital Editor) post on their 2001 Chardonnay. We tasted it during Live Blogging on Friday of the conference. They were delighted. Mitra was kind enough to offer us a bottle of that Chardonnay. We can’t wait to try it again! We made our purchases and moved along.
2001 Chardonnay from The Lucas Winery
We decided with the heat we should drop off our wines at the hotel before heading to our next stop, Harney Lane Winery (http://harneylane.com). Our favorites from this stop were the 2015 Albariño and the 2013 Petite Sirah.
We ended our day at McCay Cellars (http://www.mccaycellars.com). We had the fortune of sitting at one of the McCay tables at the Saturday night dinner at the conference. Linda McCay was at our table. Her husband Mike McCay (also the winemaker) was at the other table. Given the wines we had sampled the night before, we were interested in seeing the rest of the lineup and to purchase wine to ship back to North Carolina. Our favorite was the 2013 Cinsaut. This Cinsaut was made from grapes that came from vines that were planted in 1886. We certainly can’t find that in North Carolina!
We ended Sunday night early. We had more plans for Monday.
We started our day on Monday at Michael David Winery (http://www.mccaycellars.com). We were familiar with their wines as their flagship brands (7 Deadly Zins, Petite Petit & Freakshow) are readily available in North Carolina. We were very interested in seeing what else that had to offer. We also wanted to grab a bottle of the 2013 Inkblot Cabernet Franc. We had tasted it on Saturday during the live blogging event.
After we finished at Michael David, we head back to Van Ruiten Family Winery (https://www.vrwinery.com). We just had to get some of their wines to ship back to NC. Akaylia greeted us in the tasting room and took us through all the reserves wines. We had some of them during the Friday night dinner, but it was good to see the rest of the lineup. Our favorite was the 2012 Reserve Ancient Vine Carignane. It was woody and earthy on the nose with notes of cherry jam on the palate.
Talk then turned to the tree in the parking lot. Akaylia walked us outside and had us try to guess what kind of tree it was. We weren’t successful with our guesses. It turns out that it a California Cork Oak, a real cork tree! It was super cool!
Cork tree up close!
During our tasting Bill came in to greet us. He took us back to the crush pad where Chardonnay was being pressed. We also got to taste a few grapes!
Chardonnay heading to the press!
We finished our tasted, selected our purchased and head out to Livermore Valley. We found a few good wines in that area and would love to explore there again. However, it didn’t compare to the experience we had in Lodi.
Lodi, thank you! You were warm and welcoming! It was an experience like none other. We will always remember you fondly and hope to visit again soon!
The Wine Bloggers Conference had a full agenda. We focused on preparing for the actual conference sessions. We knew exactly what sessions we would attend. However, we realized on Thursday that we had not paid enough attention to the details about the Friday Night excursions. Thankfully, we were tipped off about that and looked at it in more detail.
The Friday evening excursions are a Wine Bloggers Conference tradition. The Lodi excursions were unique though. The excursion groups were smaller than past excursion and they were top secret! The only thing we knew was the name of our excursion, Dutch Crush. You see, you “signed up” by selecting a ribbon with an excursion name. Some of the names were “Gone with the Wine”, “She’s a Brix House”, “99 Bottles of Wine”, just to name a few. We had no idea what winery was associated with each. All we knew is that we would be whisked away to a winery for an evening of wine and food.
We all gathered by our sign – Dutch Crush!
The conference sessions ended at 4pm on Friday. We were told to head outside and find our group. It was there that we learned from Billy, our chauffeur, that we were headed to Van Ruiten Family Winery (https://www.vrwinery.com), his family’s winery. We piled in the van (Mercedes Benz no less) and headed over to the winery. We were greeted by Billy’s mom and dad, Bill and Angie along with Angie’s brothers, John & Jim, John (Winemaker), Bill (President) Rustin (Sales Manager), Akaylia (Tasting Room), and Elyse (Tasting Room). I’m sure we’ve missed someone though. We do apologize. The patio was set up for appetizers and a refreshing glass of 2015 Pinot Grigio. It was hot, and we were thirsty. The Pinot Grigio hit the spot!
Appetizers were ready when we arrived!
We all grabbed a glass and headed out on our tour led by John the winemaker. We visited the barrel room, the lab, the crush pad and stopped by the big tanks which were filled with recently pressed pinot grigio from the 2016 harvest. The yeast was about to be pumped in the tank. It was cool to see the yeast. It looked like bread dough. We ended out tour with a look at the bottling line.
Yeast ready to go!
Following the tour of the winery, we loaded back up in the van. We were headed to the vineyard. Chardonnay was being harvested. We were going to get to ride a harvester! How cool is that? Turns out it’s not that cool, but that’s only because it was still blazing hot out. It was also dusty, but the experience itself was amazing. We don’t see many machine harvesters in North Carolina. We may not have the chance again. One of the best things was being able to see the vineyard from on high. It made the expanse of the vineyards in the Lodi area really hit home. Acre upon acre upon acre of vines is not something we see in North Carolina either. We’re certainly grateful to have had this experience!
The view from atop the harvester!
We climbed back in the van to return to the winery for dinner. We were greeted with a glass of the 2015 Reserve Double Barrel Chardonnay. It was perfect timing! We were thirsty again. This Chardonnay certainly hit the spot! We soon took our seats at the table. Each table had at least one Van Ruiten family member (We also met Bill and Angie’s daughter, Mia) and at least one winery staff person. It was a great way to get to know the team. We were fortunate to have a seat at Bill and Angie’s table along with Bill (President) and Christine of girlsgogrape.com! It was a fun table! We especially loved hearing all the stories from Angie about her mom and dad, John Sr. and Ann. You could see the love on her face as she was telling the stories. You got a sense of what a remarkable couple they were. It was very moving.
The menu!
In addition to the great conversion, we got to experience a variety of the Van Ruiten wines. Some of the standouts were the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2013 Cab-Shiraz Blend. Of course, there was also great food to go along with those wines. Each course paired perfectly with the selected wines. The highlight for us was the homemade Dutch cookies (made by Angie) that were paired with the Late Harvest Viognier.
Van Ruiten Family Pictures hang in their tasting room.
After dessert, more wines and conversation were shared. Hugs and thank yous followed. We left feeling part of the Van Ruiten family and grateful that we’d been lucky enough to share the evening with them!
Our wonderful hosts!
If you’re ever in Lodi, please go visit them! We know we’ll be back!
We just got back from our first Wine Bloggers Conference. This year’s conference was held in Lodi, CA. It was our first time visiting this part of the Golden State. We really weren’t sure what to expect not only from the conference but also from the Lodi area itself. Boy! Were we pleasantly surprised! Lodi knocked our socks off! Ok, to be honest, most days we didn’t wear socks. It was hot. Regardless, it was an amazing experience!
We arrived on the Wednesday before the conference. We wanted to have time to explore the area. After we checked in to the hotel, we ventured out to downtown Lodi. We stopped in at Lodi Wine Cellars (http://www.lodiwinecellars.com ) for a quick tasting. The wines were good, but there were no standouts. After that we decided it was time to eat. We were a bit jetlagged given the 3 hour time difference. We stopped by Lodi Beer Company (http://www.lodibeercompany.com ). The food was delicious. The beer was great too. After dinner and a beer, we walked around downtown Lodi a bit more before heading back to the hotel and going to bed early.
Downtown Lodi, CA
Since we went to bed so early the night before, we were up early on Thursday. We had breakfast and had to kill time before wineries opened. Thursday was our tasting day. We decided to go out on our own rather than join one of the organized excursions. We like to be able to be flexible and just go with our gut. We also often ask locals where to go for food and drink. We are rarely disappointed with the suggestions we have received.
Our first stop was Oak Ridge Winery (http://www.oakridgewinery.com). They opened at 10am, so it seemed like a good place to start. The stand out wine there was the 2013 Moss Roxx Ancient Vine Zinfandel. The vines that produced the grapes for this wine are over 100 years old. The wine was jammy with hints of vanilla and a smooth finish. It was exactly what you would expect from a Lodi Zinfandel.
Next we headed to Lodi Vinters (http://www.lodivintners.com). Our favorite wine here was another zinfandel. This one was the 2012 Reserve Concrete Zinfandel. This wine comes from 105 year old vines. It’s partially fermented in concrete tanks that have been in production for over 75 years. The wine was full of dark plum and vanilla. It was fantastic!
We didn’t know a lot about Lodi wine before our visit. We did know Klinker Brick (http://www.klinkerbrickwinery.com) though. It was our next stop. We loved all the wines we tasted there. There were a few new ones for us. One was the 2015 Albariño. The other was the 2015 Rosé which was a blend of Carignane, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache. The stand out new wine for us was the 2013 Farrah Syrah Grand Reserve. Aged for 23 months in French oak, this wine comes from only 2 rows of the Syrah vineyard. We had the pleasure of meeting Farrah, the namesake of the Farrah Syrahs, during the Live Red Wine Blogging session!
Klinker Brick Winery
After lunch at Fiori’s Butcher Shoppe and Deli (http://www.fiorisdeli.com) – it was so good we went back again on Saturday – we met up with another blogger, Heather of 10K Bottles (https://10kbottles.com/blog/) for the afternoon. Our first stop was Lange Twins Family Winery & Vineyards (http://www.langetwins.com). The standout there was the 2014 Winery Exclusive Nero d’Avola. This wine presented cherry flavors with hints of cocoa.
Lange Twins Family Winery & Vineyards
Next we headed to Oak Farm Vineyards (http://www.oakfarmvineyards.com ). We were struck by the beauty of the tasting room. It had a modern, lodging feel. It was also here, that Heather, Matt and I realized something special was in store for us on the Friday night excursions (more on that in another post.) The standout wine from our tasting was the 2014 Barbera. It was aged in oak and gave both a nose and palate of cherry and warm vanilla. While there we met the owner, Dan Panella, and the winemaker, Chad Joseph. They took us on a tour of the winery and spent time answering our questions and chatting. We appreciated their time and how warmly we were welcomed. This was a theme all through Lodi.
Fireplace in Oak Farm Vineyards Tasting Room
We ended out tasting adventure on Thursday at The Lucas Winery (http://www.lucaswinery.com ). Heather had received a recommendation to check them out. We’re so glad she did. Lucas is one of the original five wineries in Lodi. They produce only straight varietal wines. We were quickly greeted in the tasting room by Sara. She was such a pleasure! The tasting included wine in the tasting room, a short walk out the back door to taste zinfandel from the vine, wine in the barrel room and finally Late Harvest Zinfandel paired with freshly baked brownies. We ended on a high note!
The Lucas Winery
Thursday evening we headed back downtown for dinner. We also wanted to check out the farmers market. It’s a weekly staple during late spring through summer. Wow! This was more like a festival than a farmers market. There were all kinds of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers and baked goods along with food trucks, live music, a beer garden and wine tastings! Lodi does their farmers market right! We were super jealous that we don’t have something quite like that here in North Carolina!
Our first full day in Lodi confirmed what we first experienced Wednesday night. Lodi is a special place. We would find more about just how special on the following day. We’ll have more on that in another post! Stay tuned!
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:
Shopping for wine can be a fun if you know what you want. On the other hand, it can also be a daunting experience. Unless you’re in the business, sometimes those wine labels can be confusing. We’re here to help. We’re going to take a look at how to read an American wine label. European wine labels are a different animal for a different time. We’ll look at labels for wine made right here in the USA. In particular, we’ll look specifically at a North Carolina wine label.
Label standards in the US are regulated by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Bureau (TTB). The regulations are defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Per their website, the TTB works to ensure that alcoholic beverages sold in the US are properly described on their containers. The TTB goes on to state that they review over 100,000 labels and advertisements each your to ensure that they comply with Federal regulations. You can find more information at the TTB’s site. It was used for most of the information in this article. Here is a link: https://www.ttb.gov/pdf/brochures/p51901.pdf.
The basic parts of an American wine label are:
Brand Name – This is the name used to market the wine.
Vintage Date
This is the year in which the fruit used in the wine was harvested.
If state or county is used as an appellation of origin, then 85% of the fruit in the wine must have been harvested in the vintage year.
If a viticulture area is used, then 95% of the fruit in the wine must have been harvested in that vintage year.
Estate Bottled
This is used when 100% of the fruit came from a vineyard owned or controlled by the winery.
The winery also must have processed the wine in its entirety at the winery.
Varietal Designation
This is the name of the grape variety that comprises at least 75% of the wine.
If this designation is used, then an appellation of origin is required. This means that the 75% must have all come from the appellation of origin.
The above rules only apply to vitis vinifera grapes (Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, etc). For vitus labrusca grapes (Concord, Catawba, Niagara, etc), the requirement is only 51%.
Other Designations
As the varietal designation is not required, other designations may be used.
These include Red Wine, White Wine, Rosé Wine, Table Wine (< 14% Alcohol) or Dessert Wine (> 14% Alcohol).
Appellation of Origin – This can be the state, county or geographic region in which 75% of the fruit in the wine was grown.
Viticulture Area
This is the American Viticulture Area (AVA) in which 85% of the fruit in the wine was grown.
An AVA is a designated wine grape growing area within the US so designated for its distinctive geographic features.
Name & Address
This is the name and address of the bottler of the wine.
The designation of “Produced” can be added to designate that at least 75% of the wine was fermented at the address listed.
The designation of “Vinted” can be added to designate that the wine was cellared at the address listed.
Alcohol Content
This is the alcohol by volume of the wine.
Wine that is between 7% and 14% alcohol can be labeled as “Light Wine” or “Table Wine”.
Net Content
This is the net content of wine in the container in metric units.
Wine can be bottled in 50ml, 100ml, 187ml, 350ml, 500ml, 750ml, 1L, 1.5L or 3L sizes.
Bottling greater than 3L is allowed at even liters only.
Health Warning Statement – This is required on all beverages at 0.5% alcohol or greater.
Declaration of Sulfites
This is required on any wines that might be sold across state lines where the wine contains 10 or more parts per million of sulfur dioxide.
It is not required for wines only sold within a single state.
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!
We’re back at it for day number two. This time we’ll be enjoying an assortment of red wines. The setup is the same; several tables filled with bloggers with a winery bringing their wines to the table. We’ll have 5 minutes per wine and we’ll be posting our reviews here. You can also find our reviews on Twitter, so check back between 3:30 and 4:30 Pacific Time for more info!
—the tastings—
Cultivar Winery – 2013 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
Posted: August 13, 2016 at 7:30 pm
Entry level Napa blend. Dark color, even to the edge of the glass. Classic Napa nose, red fruits, a touch of herbs. Big, bold, fruity, almost chewy. High alcohol on the finish, very hot. Yet still maintains a fruity balance.
Klinkerbrick – 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon
Posted: at 7:24 pm
A first release of this varietal. Deep and even in color and quite expressive on the nose. A cooling first sip reveals a very nice fruit profile with soft tannins. It’s still youthful, so it’ll be interesting to see what it does in the years to come.
Peirano Estate Vineyard – 2013 The Other
Posted: at 7:19 pm
A red blend mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Rich color, not deep but still bright. Classic nose of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot notes, big cherry with hints of vanilla and oak. Fruity flavor, very vibrant with a well balanced oak mid-palate. An excellent value (12.99 average retail).
Michael David Winery – 2013 Inkblot Cabernet Franc
Posted: at 7:13 pm
A smokey nose with a touch of dried black cherries. Fresh black cherries start out on the front, then move into a mineral rich, almost flinty, finish. Vanilla is present on the mid-palate as well, then fades quickly before the finish.
Prie Winery – 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon
Posted: at 7:09 pm
A complex nose, earthy and hints of sage and possibly thyme lingering around. Cooling on the first sip. Dried fruits throughout with a bit of a lighter body than the other wines tasted so far. Another refreshing change from the heavier cabs just a bit more to the north.
Lange Twins Vineyard – 2014 Nero D’Avola
Posted: at 7:04 pm
Earthy nose, almost a little nutty. Big fruit forward profile. Tannins and oak are well balanced with a delicate herbal undertone. Light cassis on the finish; a different wine than the others in the lineup.
Harney Lane Winery – 2013 Zinfandel
Posted: at 6:59 pm
Garnet in color, even color distribution. Clean youthful nose, dried red fruits, maybe a touch of spice. Big fruit flavors, distinctive. Hints of herbal mid-palate and a bit more savory. Nice oaky finish, long with a drying end.
Posted: at 6:55 pm OZV: A full juicy nose, hints of vanilla and a woody backbone. Big fruit forward flavors, leaning on black fruits and well ripened blueberries. Cabernet Sauvignon: lighter in color, very dependable. Classic cab nose, red fruits with an oaky balance. Bigger fruit with a lighter finish. A nice Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon.
Abundance Winery – 2013 Carignane & Copius Red
Posted: at 6:51 pm Carignane: Medium purple color with a slight pink on the outer rim. Bold caramel and a hint of plums. Copius red: 50/50 Carignane Cabernet a bit more smokey with a bigger fruit mid-palate.
Klinkerbrick Vineyards – 2013 Farrah Syrah
Posted: at 6:43 pm
A single vineyard Syrah poured by none other than Farrah herself! Deeply colored and a light licorice nose with a plum note in the background. The flavors are bold with dark red fruits and dried berries. Big pepper on the finish with a touch of smoke and vanilla.
We’re covering the live wine blogging at the Wine Bloggers Conference 2016. Here’s the set up. We’ll have 5 minutes to hear about a wine, taste it, think on it and then write about it. Here you’ll find a list of the wines with a short write up. Check back from 3-4 (west coast time) as there will be several updates. We’re also posting on social media, so check out the badges at the bottom of the page to find out more.
—the tasting—
The Final Round: Michael David Winery Sauvignon Blanc
Posted: August 12, 2016 at 6:56 pm
The 2015 vintage is what’s in the glass. A pale yellow wine, it is star bright with a clean appearance. The nose is slightly grassy with a clean profile. The flavor is clean with a fresh profile. There is a nice acidity throughout with a nice mineral finish. Candied lemon peel is present in the mid-palate with a nice finish.
d’Art Vineyards 2015 White Barbera
Posted: at 6:51 pm
The wine is brilliant in color, appearing pale yellow. The nose is slightly yeasty with a touch of ripe grape skins. The flavors are big on Apple and pears with a very fresh and fruit forward presentation. The finish is creamy with a very pleasing flavor of honeyed fruit.
Lange Twins Vineyard 2015 Rosé
Posted: at 6:46 pm
This vintage is 100% Sangiovese. The color is a light red-pink, almost toasted salmon in hue. The nose leans more toward strawberry with a green hull background. Bigger strawberry and watermelon flavor today than what we tasted yesterday when we visited the vineyard. The finish is medium with a cherry skin finale.
Bokisch Vineyards 2015 Albariño
Posted: at 6:41 pm
A grassy nose, it reminds me more of Sauvignon Blanc. There’s a hint of something green and herbal hiding in the flavors are very nice. A mild acidity is present on the front, then it moves into a tropical and mild mid-palate. The finish is long with mild intensity of pineapple and sage.
Harney Lane Winery Albariño
Posted: at 6:36 pm
2015 vintage. This wine has a bright tropical nose with a crisp profile. It’s quite clean with a pale yellow-green color. The acidity is bright and up front with an almost prickly sensation on the tongue. The finish is medium intensity with a creamy lemon curd profile. Different than the others we have sampled so far today.
Lucas Winery 2001 Chardonnay
Posted: at 6:31 pm
Bold golden color. Creamy Apple nose with a touch of honey in the background. Full body, very light acids and a creamy finish. A 15 year old Chardonnay that is holding up incredibly well. This wine isn’t ending up in the dump bucket. Quite delicious!
Peirano Estate Vineyards 2014 Chardonnay
Posted: at 6:26 pm
A touch of oak with 50% malolactic fermentation. Medium straw color. Big oaky nose, subtle minerality. Nice and buttery with green apple and yellow apples on the mid-palate. The finish is lingering with subtle acidity on the finish.
Oak Ridge – OZV Rosé
Posted: at 6:21 pm
Old Zinfandel vines. Watermelon pink in color, slightly ruddy. Woody nose, slight hint of fruit in the background. Nice acidity. Hints of strawberries and raspberries. Very refreshing alternative to other heavy zin based rosés. A nice refreshing rosé.
Troon Vineyard – Southern Oregon
Posted: at 6:12 pm
2015 Troon Blue Kabel Longue Carabine
Medium yellow in color, delicate nose with a primary note of white stone fruit. Creamy flavors with a very ripe fruit profile. Almost a little hot on the finish. 43% Marsanne, 27% Viognier, 12% Vermentino, with Riesling, Roussanne and Sauvignon rounding it out. Full flavor, very complex.
Corner 103 – Sonoma Valley
Posted: at 6:05 pm
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Lighter in color, flinty mineral nose. Almost smokey. White peaches and a nice acidity on the palate. The finish is longer than the previous wine, but it has a bit more flavor. Lighter in body, the flavors are a little exotic with tropical flavors and some grapefruit on the mid-palate.
The first weekend in July, we decided to make our way to a few Yadkin Valley wineries. Although we didn’t get to wine each day of the weekend, we were able to make it on Friday and Saturday. Read on for a recap of our visits to Hanover Park Vineyards, Childress Vineyards, Junius Lindsay Vineyards, RayLen Vineyards, and Misty Creek Vineyards.
After an evening of tasting library wines, there’s bound to be a few empty bottles.
Summer is officially here! As the weather heats up, we normally shift to the whites and rosé wines. Normally we would be full force into the North Carolina white wine scene, but slightly cooler weather and some rain toward the middle of the month allowed for a few red wines to slip in our mix. Notable June happenings included our trip to the Finger Lakes, a visit to a West Virginia VIneyard, and a first visit to Shadow Line Vineyards right here in NC.
Summer is almost upon us and the North Carolina wine has never tasted better! May was warm and our selections were a bit heavier on the whites and rosés. But still, each bottle showed what NC can produce and how it really is an exciting place to be for new wines.
Where has the time gone! As we were preparing the What We’ve Been Drinking for May, we realized we never posted April’s recap. April was quite the month. We had a good sampling from around the state. Also worth mentioning, we had the opportunity to travel out to the Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA out near Murphy, NC.
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”.
It’s hard to believe how fast the months go by. March brought with it warmer weather and the beginning of spring. Many of the grapes in the vineyards have already seen bud break and are well on their way to getting ready for their prime growing season.
During March we drank a bit of North Carolina Wine (26 bottles according to our Instagram). Some notable wines included our first wine of the 2015 vintage, the Barrel Chardonnay from Hanover Park, and the new 2014 Grenache from Junius Lindsay. Both were exceptional when we tasted them. We know that these will only improve over time and can’t wait for more!
Check out our feed below for more details on what we had. Cheers!
Sundays are wine adventure days for us. We typically invite a few friends to join us as we expand their horizons of the NC wine scene. Since we haven’t been out wining in several weeks, we decided to go it alone and take our time. Our options were nearly limitless, but we decided on three wineries in the Yadkin Valley and Swan Creek regions. Read on for an account of the day and our tasting notes for each stop.
Another month has come and gone. Even though we got a late start to the month, we still ended up with 11 North Carolina wines! This February marked the first time we participated in Open That Bottle Night! We also had the opportunity to pour three wines for Hanover Park at the Shoppes at Home, Heart and Soul.
We look forward to March and hope it brings with it more NC Wine. Click on the pictures below for more details on our month in wine.
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Tonight we’re taking part in our first Open That Bottle Night. The annual event is dedicated to the old and dusty bottles that happen to stick around after all of these years. The bottle we chose for tonight is the 2008 Childress Malbec from Childress Vineyards. Continue reading →
It’s hard to believe that we’re already one month in to 2016! So far this month, we’ve posted about 16 wines from across the state. Also worth noting was the North Carolina Winegrowers Conference that took place January 22, 23, and 24. This annual meeting of wineries, vineyards, and wine fans in Winston-Salem is a great opportunity to talk wine with the experts. This year we actually had the opportunity to lead a session on how wineries can make the most of their social media outlets. It was a lot of fun and we can’t wait until next year.
Back to the wine. Our January wine summaries are found below. Click on a picture to expand and read more about the wine.
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A quick note: We have taken a short break this past week that will continue into the early part of next week. Never fear, we’ll get to posting soon and will have a great recap when the month is over.
It’s hard to believe that we’re already at the end of 2015. Looking back at the past year, we’ve accomplished quite a bit and drank quite a lot of NC wine — 2015 was pretty big for the NC Wine Guys. As we close out the year, we take a look back at some of the highlights of the year.
