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 →
Tonight’s feature is another Yadkin Valley selection; the 2009 Chatham Hill Cabernet Franc from Chatham Hill Winery. This dark red wine is rich with dark fruit flavors and a nice balance of tannins and smoke. We decided to pair it with a barbecue pork chop, baked sweet potato and corn on the cob. The dark flavors of the wine really complimented the charred sweetness of the pork.
To kick off the NC Wine and Grape month, we decided to start with the Shelton Dry Riesling from Shelton Vineyards. This full bodied white displays characteristics that are typical of a cool-climate Riesling without having to venture to the colder regions of the country. Continue reading →
September is a special month here in North Carolina. Not only is the weather gorgeous, but it is also officially recognized as Wine and Grape month. Almost all of the 100+ North Carolina wineries participate in their own ways, offering delicious wines and a great experience. Trying to do all of the wineries in one month would be an amazing task. It might be doable, however it would take a multitude of planning, a strong determination to do it all, and don’t forget the designated driver (that’s a lot of wine).