The first part of our vacation has come to a close. While we were making our way up to the American Wine Society Annual Conference, we decided to visit the Charlottesville area wineries and breweries. All things considered, the first part of the week have been a welcome relaxing getaway. We discovered several new favorite spots and will be making plans to rerun in the near future.
It’s that time of year again where we take a few days off and enjoy a wine adventure. This year, we’ll be attending the American Wine Society annual conference in Tysons Corner Virginia.
While we’re headed north, we’ll be stopping at several Virginia wineries, breweries, and ciderworks along the way. With a stop in Charlottesville early in the week, we’ll be in a great spot that has a variety of options.
Keep checking back here for more updates. You can also follow our trip on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Twitter: @NCWineGuys
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This past weekend was the grand opening for Piccione Vineyards. The newest vineyard in Wilkes county is keeping it close to their Italian neighbors (Raffaldini Vineyards, that is). Established in 2010, Dr. Bill Piccione of Chicago decided to embrace the red clay terrain and plant primarily Italian varietals. With 16 acres under vine and plenty of room to expand, Piccione Vineyards has helped expand the Little Italy of the Appalachian foothills.
It’s a wrap! North Carolina Wine and Grape Month is now over! We had a great month filled with NC wine. Here’s the list of what we had:
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. Although we did invite a friend, we didn’t get a confirmation. So instead of letting a Sunday go to waste, we continued on ourselves.
This past weekend was the wine pick up for Raffaldini Vineyards. Over the past seven years, Raffaldini has grown a loyal following. This is due not only to the great wine that they produce, but also because owner and winemaker Jay Raffaldini shows such passion for what he does. Twice a year, Jay and his team holds a wine pick up party for his wine club members. At each pick up there are six bottles of wine, a sampling of new releases paired with authentic Italian food, and a short info session about the happenings at the winery and what’s next.
We’re headed off to Salute! The North Carolina Wine Celebration in downtown Winston-Salem. We’ll be posting updates and pictures throughout the day as time allows. Check back often and we hope to see you there!
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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. Today we were joined by our friend Susan.
Western North Carolina is surely one of the most picturesque regions of the state. The Blue Ridge Mountains tower over the western part of the state creating an isolated feel that is truly relaxing. One of the many benefits of the mountains is that it also creates a unique climate that sees moderately short winters with long summers. The summer days are hot, but the evenings are cooler making this a great area to grow wine grapes. Burntshirt Vineyards is one of the few that are taking advantage of this unique area. We recently received an invitation to visit the vineyard and winery to take a detailed look at their process and taste their offerings.
Day four brought us to the close of our journey in
Virginia. As we made our way back down the highway from Northern
Virginia through the Appalachian Mountains in the Shenandoah
Valley, we decided to make a few last stops. Although we didn’t
stop at many wineries, we were still able to make it to three.
All three are great locations and you should plan a visit
if you’re in the area. Our first stop was Cave Ridge Vineyard.
There we were presented with two tasting options. We
could either taste the standard offering, or we could extend the
tasting and enjoy their port-style and dessert wines. Being port
lovers, we naturally decided to try it all. On the standard
tasting, there were a few wines that stood out. One of our
favorites was the 2013 Viognier. This particular wine was barrel
aged, which gave it a nice oaky nose and flavor with a drop of
vanilla. Also notable was the 2013 Riesling. This French style
Riesling was slightly carbonated, giving it a crisp and dry body.
There was a bit of acidity to the wine that gave it a nice firm
backbone. The port-style wines were tasty as well. They offered a
red made from Chambourcin and a white made of Viognier. Both were
quite tasty and complex with the red showing toasty butterscotch
and the white being smooth and tropical. Our next stop
was just down the road at the Winery at Kindred
Pointe Still slightly young, this winery is
doing well. They offer a wine tasting as well as a cider tasting.
We opted for the wine tasting and were eager for the first pour. On
the menu were two Chardonnays. The first was bright and
acidic with a hint of oak and a mellow buttery flavor. The second
was more traditional with a bigger oak nose and a creamy and nutty
flavor. Our favorite was the 2013 Malbec. This light red had cherry
and vanilla on the nose. It was slightly jammy with a red currant
finish. The light tannins were vibrant and playful and lingered for
only a minute before finishing cleanly. Our last stop of
the day was a bit farther down the highway in Staunton,
Virginia. Ox Eye
Vineyards Ox Eye Vineyards is one stop we will
always try to make whenever we’re in the area. Their new releases
are coming soon, but their current offerings are at also great. The
2013 Dry Riesling is ripe with a honey nose and has really mellowed
out since the last time we tasted it (just last year). It has a
good balance of acids and honeysuckle with a light citrus finish.
Their 2012 Pinot Noir was mild and jammy with a hint of
strawberries and black cherries. Finally their 2012 Cabernet Franc
had a rich nose with a delicate spice on the mid-palate. With each
sip, the spices continued to build until it faded into a long and
lingering finish.
Day three brought us to familiar wineries once again. These were the wineries that we marked on our “go back to” list. We were in the northern part of Virginia with Winchester as our base. All of the wineries were within an hour drive from Winchester and if you were to drive the whole circuit without stopping, it would only take about three hours. We made our way to a fair number of wineries. Below are the notes of our journey. The next time you’re in the area, you should make it a point to check out these great wineries.
Day two brought us to five wineries before ending up at our final destination. We started in the Charlottesville area and made our way northward. After our second stop, we quickly found oursves in the middle of the mountains with no cellphone service in sight. The only saving grace for communication with the outside world was the free wifi that the wineries offered.
The view from Moss Vineyards.
Stop number two was just around the corner from our first stop. Grace Estate Winery had just opened their new tasting room the day before we arrived, and it is coming along nicely. The furniture should be arriving within the next week or two, but they have wine and glasses so that’s enough to keep the tasting room running. They had six wines up for tasting. We particularly enjoyed the 2012 Cabernet Franc which had about 10% Petit Verdot blended in. The finished product is a dark red wine with a good tannic structure. There is a nice pepper flavor on the mid-palate and it finishes almost sweet with a hint of caramel.
Stop number three took us slightly off the beaten path. Mountfair Vineyards produces red blends and caters to a dedicated group of followers. Their current offerings are the 2013 Epiphany and the 2013 Complicated. The Epiphany is a Cabernet Franc blend that is light and even with an ample display of dark fruits. The Complicated is a Petit Verdot blend that is dark in color and flavors with notes of cherries and spices. In addition to their own wines, they offer a great selection of wines and ciders from smaller producers who don’t always have tasting rooms. One of the ciders that we enjoyed was the Potters Farmhouse Dry. It was bright and fruity with a crisp finish. The concept here is great and the setting ales you feel like you’re tucked away in the mountains (because you are!).
Stop number four was around the base of the mountain and further into the heart of the cell phone dead zone. Glass House Winery is so named because of the large glass conservatory that is onsite. The owners are not only winemakers, but they are also a certified chocolatier and a conservatory enthusiast. They pair the dessert wine with a handcrafted espresso chocolate that melts in the mouth. Our favorites here were the 2013 C-villian (Chambourcin) and the 2013 One Lane Bridge (Lemberger). The Chambourcin was fruity with a light pepper spice. The Lemberger was dark and fruity with hits of clove and cinnamon. After the tasting, we hopped on the wifi for a quick second and then we were back on our way.
Our final stop for the day was at Moss Vineyards. Although this winery is truely off the beaten path, down a winding gravel road and up a mountainside, it’s worth the visit. We had a few favorites that we sampled. The 2013 Viognier had a nose of lightly toasted honey with a big honeysuckle flavor. The 2012 Vino Rosso was soft and smooth with a tomato jam nose and a smokey finish. Our overall favorite was likely the 2010 Achitectura. This red blend was immensely dark in color with a rich nose and a well developed flavor. It was full in body and had a great complex flavor that lingered in the mouth for a good long while.
All of the wineries we visited on day two were part of the Monticello Wine Trail on a smaller trail called the The Appellation Trail. For more details and to plan a visit, head to the trail’s website or click the wineries above to go directly to their sites.
We’re back on the road again, this time heading to the wineries in northern Virginia. On the way we stopped in Charlottesville to visit a few new locations.
Day 1 took us to five wineries and two breweries.
Our first stop was Lovingston Winery. Located just outside of Lovingston, Virginia this winery provides a quiet escape from the daily hustle and bustle. The winery is a small family run operation. Their tasting room is right in the middle their gravity fed production room. (When I say right in the middle, I mean you climb a half flight of stairs to get to the tasting bar that’s at the same level as the tanks. The experience was quite unique.) The tasting usually consists of six wines, but we also had a sneak peak of two new releases. Here are the notes for the verticals. The 2013 Seyval Blanc offered a bright and crisp profile with a great citrus finish. The 2014 was a bit lighter on the nose settling in the honeysuckle family. The flavor was also more mellow with a bigger mouthfeel. The finish was clean with a great mineral note. The 2013 Petit Manseng was done in more of an off dry style with big tropical flavors and aromas while still keeping a nice acidic finish. The 2014 was a bit different in style, but still slightly sweet. The flavors teetered on smokey with hints of herbs and spices on the nose. Also of note here are the 2013 Pinotage and the 07 Reserve Merlot. Both were full in body and flavor and had a lot to offer.
Stop two was somewhat unexpected and was the result of us looking for lunch. Our food plans changed somewhat last minute (I’m not the best navigator sometimes). So we had to hunt for an alternate. Luckily for us, a new boutique winery just popped up on the way to Charlottesville. Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards is just a quick turn off highway 20 and is worth the slight diversion. They’re tucked away on the side of a hill with an unobstructed view of the blue ridge mountains and all of its little valleys. The setting is gorgeous, the wines are quite good and locavores will love the food as well. Of interest here was the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc done more in the New Zealand style rather than New World. It was grassy and balanced with a nice profile of minerals and fruit. Also worth noting is the 2013 Petit Verdot, a dark leathery wine with hints of spice, smoke and cherries. Stop in, wine, dine, and enjoy the view!
Stop number three was the Virginia Wineworks. The winemaker, Michel Shaps, is regional presence in the Virginia wine making world. He produces wines for several vineyards in the area as well as running a custom crush operation. There were several wine tasting options available. We decided to stay local and go for the Virginia tasting. The wines were all delicious, but we particularly liked the Odette, a white blend that was light and balanced. The unique thing about this wine is that you could almost taste every grape in this wine. It started with an appley Chardonnay, moved into a floral/tropical Viognier which rounded into an acidic Petit Manseng before finishing with a note of Riesling. The winery itself is picking up on a new trend in the industry: growlers and boxes. Many of the wines here are for sale in a 64 oz growler. The Chardonnay also comes in a 3-Liter box. New things on the horizons here, worth keeping an eye on.
Stop four took us to Blenheim Vineyards. The setting is rustic barn meets modern tasting room. They also have hopped onto the growler bandwagon and offer a few of their wines in a larger size. They have two white blends that use a good amount of red grape in them. They didn’t impart any color, but it did add to the flavor and body of the wines. Of interest here was the 2013 Grenache, a GSM blend that was full of pepper and dark fruits. Also worth noting is the 2013 Painted Red, a blend of Petit Verdot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. It was bright and fruity that quickly moved into a smooth and even texture.
Our final winery of the day was Jefferson Vineyards. Conveniently located just outside of Monticello, this winery should be on your list if you’re in the area. The winery itself has been family run for over three generations. Many of the red wines shared similar characteristics of toasted caramel, but each was unique in its own right. Our favorites were the 2012 Petit Verdot which was dark and fruity with a nice toasty finish and also the 2012 Meritage which was smooth and silky with a delicious flavor.
After a long day of winery stops, we headed to our hotel and looked for dinner options. We decided to eat in downtown Charlottesville. But first, we made a quick stop at Champion Brewing Company where we had an overly delicious imperial coffee stout. After our beer flight, we went on to South Street Brewery for some DIY Mac & Cheese and another beer sampler. The kolch and the red IPA were very good and worth searching out.
If you’re thinking about a trip to Charlottesville, the numerous wineries and breweries definitely make it worth it.
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Tucked away just outside Pittsboro, NC is a great little distillery that is making fortified wines and spirits. The name of the place is Fair Game Beverage Company. We made a visit during their Spirit Release party. We’re talking distilled spirits here, not the metaphysical spirits. Chris Jude, the head distiller, gave us a detailed tasting of his fortified wines. Also as part of the festivities, we tasted the two new spirits which were incredibly fresh and unique.
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. Today were joined by our friends Susan and Candyce.
On the schedule for today, we have Lazy Elm, Hanover Park Vineyard, and Medaloni Cellars. More updates later on. Check back often!
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. Today were joined by our friend Susan.
Today’s adventure takes us to three wineries in the Yadkin Valley: Ragapple Lassie Vineyards, Divine Llama Vineyards, and Cellar 4201. We’ll be sampling a few new wines and will post the notes as soon as cell service allows.
Keep checking throughout the day for updates!
Today, like most Sunday afternoons, we’re headed out to visit a few wineries. Our destination is part of the WNC Wine Trail, specifically the Tyron area wineries, previously reviewed during NC Wine Month. We’re taking a different approach today as I plan to make live updates (as cell service allows).
Our first stop is Mountain Brook Vineyards where we will be joining up with some friends for a birthday celebration. From there we plan on going to at least two other wineries, possibly three, ending at Parker-Binns Vineyard to relax with hot woodfired pizza.
Keep coming back for more updates!
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.
Continue reading →
Whenever you have an opportunity to sign up for a vintage wine tasting, you should really consider it. Oftentimes when you read about vintage tastings in wine literature, they span decades usually marked by significant events in the history of the sponsoring winery. Here in North Carolina, most of the wineries haven’t been open for decades like you might find in California. One of the only wineries that comes close to this is Hanover Park, which is where our most recent vintage tasting took place.
Well 2014 has come and gone. While it was a good year for wine, 2015 promises to be even better. We have a number of events planned for January alone. One of our New Year Resolutions is to post more reviews more often. We also have a few things planned for the site under the Resources section that we hope people will find useful.
Come back often and keep an eye out for updates on our Facebook page and Twitter feed!
We’re now well into October, so I thought it would be good to recap our September experiences with a quick month in review. The mini challenge we set for the blog has concluded successfully: Review 30 wines (or wineries) in the 30 days of September. NC Wine Month is a time where the wineries and vineyards in the state are recognized for their contributions. Our goal was to feature a wine or winery each day and write-up a little review of the selection we made. In total we reviewed 28 North Carolina Wines and 8 North Carolina Wineries. For a full account of our challenge, click on the NC Wine Month link in the menu above. Continue reading →
To finish up our last wine review of the North Carolina Wine & Grape Month, we decided to finish with one of the oldest grape varietals known to man-kind, Rkatsiteli. The Daveste Rkatsiteli from Davesté Vineyards, is one of only a handful of vineyards in the US that grow and produce a wine from the grape. Rkatsiteli is a grape originating from Georgia (the country, not the state) where it is a fairly common grape. The grape reportedly dates back to 3000 B.C. making it one of the oldest grapes that have been cultivated for wine making purposes. The pale skinned grape produces a white wine ranging from dry to sweet. Some European countries even produce Port, Sherry, and dessert style wines from the same grape. Continue reading →
Tonight’s wine comes from a winery that we’ve already reviewed, but we wanted to review another wine from them as our last one was more of a dessert wine. For dinner we had grilled lamb meat balls, which is what we normally have when we are opening a bottle of Hanover Park Mourvèdre. It is also known as Monastrell and is usually a darker wine with heavy tannins and an earthy complex profile. The wine is common in France, however it is often found in red blends of both French and Spanish origin, usually blended with Grenache and Syrah.
Today we traveled to the High Country Wineries of North Carolina to visit three unique wineries, each with stunning vistas and delightful wines. The wineries, Linville Falls Winery, Grandfather Vineyard, and Banner Elk Winery, are located in the western North Carolina mountain area nestled in with the ski resorts and smaller mountain towns. The journey to get there is full of winding roads, steep inclines and fantastic views. Continue reading →
Tonight we decided to open a bottle of something very familiar, the Junius Lindsay Roussanne from Junius Lindsay Vineyard. Roussanne is typically found in many French white blends, especially those produced in the Rhône style. As a straight varietal wine it makes for a unique wine, making it a refreshing option from the run of the mill white wines. Continue reading →
This evening we decided to open another red to enjoy with dinner. We decided to go back to the Cab Franc, this time we selected the 2005 Hutton Vineyards Cabernet Franc. This is one of their first releases as they first planted grapes in 2002. The time in the bottle has allowed the wine to develop into a smooth and velvety wine, full of character and charm while keeping a mild profile.
Tonight we decided to opt for another Yadkin Valley red blend, this time from Brandon Hills Vineyard. The Raptor Red is their premier red blend wine that features a different raptor from vintage to vintage. The current vintage is the 2008 which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Viognier. The story behind the name is one of true adoration for nature. The winery partners with the Carolina Raptor Center and features one of their birds of prey on the bottle. A part of the proceeds goes back to the Raptor Center to help fund a good cause. Continue reading →
Rain, rain go away! But at least it makes the choice of red, white or rosé easier. Tonight we went for the Warrior Red from Cellar 4201 Vineyard. This red doesn’t disappoint. It’s a full-bodied red, but it’s not over the top. The well-balanced nature makes it perfect to pair with food or to enjoy on its own. Continue reading →
It’s cold and raining again today! That means we get to open a bottle of red wine and enjoy a nice warming dinner. Tonight we decided on the award-winning Laurel Gray Cabernet Franc from Laurel Gray Vineyards. This wine received double gold at the NC State Wine Competition and a bronze at the INDY International Wine Competition.
A couple of weekends ago we visited a few of the wineries in the Western North Carolina Wine Trail. Among those wineries is Parker Binns. We’ve reviewed the winery before, but tonight we are going to focus on our dinner accompaniment, the Parker Binns Rosé of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Medaloni Cellars is a small winery on Shallowford Rd in Lewisville, NC. The winery is just outside of Winston-Salem and makes for a nice detour when you’re on the road. Medaloni has around 22 acres of land which is positioned on a very hilly plot, perfect for growing grapes. The wine trail offers visitors a chance to walk around the property and takes you through the vineyard and past some of the cabins they offer for rent. The business concept at Medaloni is simple, offer great quality wine in a relaxed atmosphere. Continue reading →
Ten more days left in our September wine month challenge! Today we took a slightly different approach to our wine. Usually we pair our wines with dinner and go from there. However, we will be eating out this evening to celebrate a friend’s birthday and we were unsure if the restaurant offers North Carolina Wines. To make sure we have our wine of the day covered, we decided to have a small glass of the Carolina Heritage Blueberry Wine from Carolina Heritage Vineyards to help pass the afternoon. Continue reading →
Arrrgh, it is Talk Like a Pirate Day! Although we should have celebrated with rum, we wanted to keep our NC Wine streak going. This evening we decided to keep it in the Yadkin Valley and went for the Stony Knoll Viognier from Stony Knoll Vineyards. This light white wine was a welcome addition to our grilled shrimp dinner.
Perhaps one of the best ways to draw an evening to a close is with a glass of Port. Port Hanover, made by Hanover Park, is one of the few wineries in North Carolina to bottle and sell fortified wines. Continue reading →
Tonight we ate out at a local pizza restaurant, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying some great North Carolina wine. When we got home, we decided to unwind with a bottle of the 2011 Cypress Bend Malbec.
The weather today was horribly uncooperative with major thunderstorms and heavy showers for most of the late afternoon and evening. The solution to bad weather: red wine. Instead of going for a lighter more delicate white, we decided to open a nice red and cook inside (we really didn’t have much choice in the cooking arrangement as grilling was out of the question). Tonight’s wine is the Huffman Fire Side Red from Huffman Vineyards in Richlands, North Carolina. Continue reading →
We’re half way through the month; 15 days down, 15 more to go! To celebrate our half way marker (and to go with dinner) we opened up a bottle of the Olde Mill Silver Pines white wine. This white wine is mostly a Pinot Gris, so we decided to pair it with a stuffed pork chop and roasted potatoes. The flavors balanced nicely off each other and made for a nice light meal. Continue reading →
After visiting two wineries this afternoon, we decided it was time to move on from crackers and settle on an actual dinner to enjoy some North Carolina wine. We made our way home from the south-east part of the Yadkin Valley so we could fix up some sweet potato gnocchi and grilled salmon. The wine we selected for the evening was the 2010 Traminette Divine from Divine Llama.
Tonight we revisited one of our favorites; the Baker Chardonnay from Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard. We were visiting friends out, so we packed our standby bottle as we knew it would be a crowd pleaser.
Tonight’s wine caused us a bit of a problem. We weren’t sure which glass we should use to fully enjoy this unique wine. I would hesitate to say we are glass “snobs”, but we definitely know that the glass has a major impact on the wine. We ended up going through three different options before finally settling on the fourth (it ended up being the Syrah glass). If you don’t have a Syrah, you shouldn’t worry. The Jones von Drehle Petit Manseng is one wine that will not disappoint, regardless of the glass you use. Continue reading →
Dinner this evening proved an interesting challenge for the wine pairing. On the menu was a honey Sriracha fried chicken with cheddar waffles. This was a somewhat last-minute menu swap, so I was hoping that the Dobbins Creek Rosé would pair nicely. And it did, quite nicely.
One third of the way through! Tonight we opened a bottle of the Elkin Creek Chardonnay from Elkin Creek Vineyard. This Chardonnay is so rich and creamy, I mistakenly thought it was finished in oak and pulled out the wrong glasses for the wine. After quickly reading up on the wine, we realized it was 100% stainless steel (I was shocked, Joe had a lingering suspicion), and we changed glasses. While the wine wasn’t bad out of the oaked Chardonnay glasses, it was remarkably better and the flavors were more concentrated out of the stainless Chardonnay/Viognier glasses. Continue reading →
Tonight’s wine took us by a bit of a surprise. The Silver Fork Merlot can definitely change one’s opinion that the east coast doesn’t produce good Merlot. Normally when you think of Merlot, you imagine a big bold red wine with a complex yet robust profile and distinctive characteristics. Typically, you would be right. This particular bottle of the 2012 Merlot from Silver Fork is anything but “typical”. Continue reading →
Tonight’s feature is the McRitchie Muscat Blanc. It comes from a small winery in the Yadkin Valley, McRitchie Winery and Ciderworks. McRitchie has a small vineyard on property but works with other local farmers to source their grapes for their wide variety of wines. They are a small-scale winery, selling mainly out of their tasting room but they are expanding as their following grows. In addition to wines, they also produce a few ciders made from local apples (and this fall, they will have a pear cider too). Continue reading →
Sundays are a special day in our house. Not only is it the end of the weekend, but it’s also a day where our good friend Susan can join us in our wine adventures. After a quick trip to the local winery nearby, we came back to enjoy a nice dinner out on the patio accompanied by two delicious North Carolina wines; the Native Vines Sauvignon Blanc and the Adagio Vivace. Continue reading →
To celebrate our first weekend of NC Wine and Grape month, we decided to make a trip out to visit a few wineries in the Western North Carolina Wine Trail. While we didn’t visit the wineries in the western part of this trail, we did manage to visit the cluster that was near Tryon, NC. Continue reading →
On a Friday night, one of the first priorities is to relax after a long week of work. Among other things, that means a bottle of wine that is familiar, reliable and oh so good. To fulfill all requirements of a relaxing Friday night, we decided to invite over a few friends, make some black bean and sweet potato quesadillas, and we opened a bottle of the 2006 Misty Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. Continue reading →
Although things were a little rushed today, we were still able to unwind this evening with a delightful wine from Weathervane Winery. Weathervane offers an ample selection of the sweeter wines as well as vinifera. Their wines have a large following and for good reason. Their motto is “wines without the attitude” and they hold true to that image. Tonight we enjoyed the Weathervane Ionosphere. Continue reading →
Continuing with our Yadkin Valley streak, we opened a bottle of the 2012 Raylen Viognier, from Raylen Vineyards. For those not familiar with Viognier, it is a white grape that produces a wine across a wide spectrum ranging from bright and acidic to mellow and tropical. No matter what style Viognier you are having, they will all be very aromatic with notable characteristics. Continue reading →
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.
Wine and holidays go hand and hand. Whether is having wine to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s OR celebrating wine itself, it’s important to celebrate with gusto! Below are is our unofficial list of wine holidays that we’ve taken from various sources. Use this as your guide for what to drink and when! Also, be sure to join the conversation on social media by tagging the official wine holiday pages/account. Don’t forget those hashtags too! They’re even more important! Continue reading →
Summer is the perfect time for a picnic! It’s also the perfect time for wine. Why not combine the two for a wonderful afternoon of fun? Just pack your picnic basket and head to any of these wineries (or others in the state). Here are some of our suggestions (in no particular order) for great wine and picnic adventures. 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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The first month of a fresh new year has drawn to a close. January was a good month for NC Wine, too. The annual NC Winegrowers Conference took place in Winston-Salem around half way into the month. We were able to attend both days of the conference this year (no snowstorm got in our way) and the attendance was incredible! Each session was packed and we learned a lot about some of the current issues wine makers and grape growers are facing. Of course, we also presented on the importance of hashtags in social media. Everyone had a great time and we got a ton of good pictures. To see for yourself, head over to Instagram and search for the hashtag #NCWine.
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!
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!
Cheers!
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.
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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!
Downtown Lodi, CA
2021 Update – North Carolina Wine Month is now celebrated in May while North Carolina Grape Month is celebrated in August. There’s now two months to celebrate!
September is North Carolina Wine and Grape month! It was proclaimed by Gov. McCrory to celebrate the wine and grape industry’s contributions to our state. With a $1.7 Billion economic impact, 525 grape growers and 180 wineries, this industry is vital to our state. It deserves to be celebrated!
So, how do you take part? We’re glad you asked! Here are a few of our ideas!
Let us know if you have other ideas! Cheers!
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:
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This post originally was written by us for Craft Carolina. You can find it here: http://www.craftcarolina.com/2016/07/25/how-to-read-a-wine-label-by-the-nc-wine-guys/.
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:
Wine Bottle Label Details
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.
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—
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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—
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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!
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 20th 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:
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.
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”.
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?
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!
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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 →
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!
Food and wine have been enjoyed together throughout the ages. Each enhances the flavors and richness of the other. From holidays and other special occasions to a weeknight meal, food and wine are matches made in heaven.
Some of the NC Wines suggested for Food Pairings
We always pair our wine and food, but sometimes the task is not easy. In an attempt share some of our pairing experiences, here are some suggested food and North Carolina Wine Pairings (in no particular order).
Try some of these and let us know what you think!
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
These are just a few suggestions to make the most out of your wine tasting experience! Let us know what you think! Cheers!
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!
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.
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.
This past weekend, we had the pleasure of attending the Autumn Wine Dinner at Flint Hill Vineyards. There are several reasons why you should consider going to events like these. Not only do they offer a unique experience of the winery after hours, they also give you the opportunity to see what the winemaker feels would be a good pairing for their wines. This dinner didn’t disappoint on either expectation.
The American Wine Society 2015 National Meeting concluded Sunday and a new week has begun. The AWS 2015 conference was the first national meeting we attended. We weren’t sure what to expect but we were pleasantly surprised! The conference started Thursday evening with the first timers reception and the grand showcase of Virginia Wines. The following two days were filled with educational sessions, wine tastings, and a lot of fun.
The first part of our vacation has come to a close. While we were making our way up to the American Wine Society Annual Conference, we decided to visit the Charlottesville area wineries and breweries. All things considered, the first part of the week have been a welcome relaxing getaway. We discovered several new favorite spots and will be making plans to rerun in the near future.
It’s that time of year again where we take a few days off and enjoy a wine adventure. This year, we’ll be attending the American Wine Society annual conference in Tysons Corner Virginia.
While we’re headed north, we’ll be stopping at several Virginia wineries, breweries, and ciderworks along the way. With a stop in Charlottesville early in the week, we’ll be in a great spot that has a variety of options.
Keep checking back here for more updates. You can also follow our trip on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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