Swan Creek AVA

Best of Cork Talk: Laurel Gray Vineyards (take 2!)

Best of Cork Talk: Laurel Gray Vineyards (take 2!)

This month it’s another Best of Cork Talk episode featuring Kim and Benny Myers from Laurel Gray Vineyards in Hamptonville, NC!

We interviewed Kim and Benny back in 2019 and featured the episode Dreams Don’t Work Unless You Do in July of that year. Fast forward 5 years and a lot has changed! There have been major additions to the tasting room with expanded seating under their veranda, updates in the winery with new equipment, and don’t forget about the wines! Over the years, producing quality wine has been a focus and it continues to improve year after year.

If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.

This episode was made possible in part by a grant from the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council. For more information, please visit https://www.ncwine.org

P.S. If you saw an earlier episode pop up in your feed, this one corrected the audio issue from the previous episode!

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Best of Cork Talk: Shadow Springs Vineyard & Windsor Run Cellars

Best of Cork Talk: Shadow Springs Vineyard & Windsor Run Cellars

This month it’s another Best of Cork Talk episode featuring Chuck and Jamey Johnson from Shadow Springs Vineyard & Windsor Run Cellars in Hamptonville, NC!

We first interviewed Chuck and Jamey back in 2019 and released their episode in August of that year. We had a chance to catch up with them recently and that update is at the end of the episode where they tell us about the improvements they’ve made over the past five years. The passion they have for the industry is still very much what makes them who they are. Listen on for more details and see for your self just how passionate they are.

If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.

This episode was made possible in part by a grant from the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council. For more information, please visit https://www.ncwine.org

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Elevating Wine – Dynamis Estate Wines

Elevating Wine – Dynamis Estate Wines

Welcome to Season 5 of Cork Talk! In this episode, we talk with Mat Worrell and Katy Kidd the winemakers at Dynamis Estate Wines in Jonesville, NC! At Dynamis Estate Wines, you’ll find an elevated wine tasting experience in pursuit of defining a premium brand for North Carolina Wine. Mat and Katy talk to us about how this is a winemaker driven experience and how they’re continuing to push their brand even further.

Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back. In this season, Jesse and Jessica will talk to us about the history of wine. Their first segment covers winemaking in the BC era. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.

Closing Content

If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.

Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!

This episode was made possible in part by a grant from the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council. For more information, please visit https://www.ncwine.org/

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In the Wine Light – Swan Creek AVA

In the Wine Light – Swan Creek AVA

AVAs for North Carolina

American Viticultural Areas in North Carolina

In the Wine Light we continue our series on American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in North Carolina.  Our focus in this post is the second oldest and only AVA to overlap another AVA in North Carolina, the Swan Creek AVA.

Raffaldini Vineyards - Ronda, NC

Raffaldini Vineyards – Ronda, NC

The petition for creating the Swan Creek AVA originated from Raffaldini Vineyards on behalf of the original Vineyards of the Swan Creek trade association.  The Swan Creek name was chosen because the community in the center of the AVA is known as Swan Creek.  Also, East and West Swan Creeks run north from the Brushy Mountains and form Swan Creek which empties into the Yadkin River three miles west of Jonesville.

Merlot growing at Shadow Springs Vineyard - Hamptonville, NC

Merlot growing at Shadow Springs Vineyard – Hamptonville, NC

After the Civil War, farming become a primary focus of the area which continues today.  At the time of the petition in 2006, there were three wineries and 75 acres of vineyard within the proposed AVA’s boundaries.

Budbreak at Laurel Gray Vineyards - Hamptonville, NC

Budbreak at Laurel Gray Vineyards – Hamptonville, NC

Today, the Swan Creek AVA is home many more acres of vineyards with seven tasting rooms.  More tasting rooms, vineyards, and wineries will be opening within the next few years.  Currently, the Swan Creek AVA has the most dense concentration of vineyards and wineries in North Carolina.

View of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Piccione Vineyards - Ronda, NC

View of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Piccione Vineyards – Ronda, NC

Quick Facts

Name:  Swan Creek

Petitioner:  Raffaldini Vineyards on behalf of the original Vineyards of Swan Creek Association

Effective Date:  May 27, 2008

Acres:  96,000

Counties within boundaries:  Portions of Wilkes, Yadkin, and Iredell

Overlap with Yadkin Valley:  The northern 60% of the Swan Creek AVA is also a part of the Yadkin Valley AVA.  The lower 40% is outside of the boundaries of the Yadkin Valley.

Geography:  Elevation ranges from 1000 ft to 2000 ft within the AVA boundaries with the Brushy Mountain being a prominent feature

Climate:  Temperatures and precipitation are slightly cooler and less wet than the rest of the Yadkin Valley partly due to the Brushy Mountains

Soil:  Primarily saprolite, a soft, clay-rich soil derived from weathered felsic (acidic) metamorphic rocks of the Inner Piedmont Belt such as granites, schists, and gneisses

Source:  TTB Website

#InTheWineLight #NCWine #SwanCreek

 

 

Posted by Joe Brock in In the Wine Light, 0 comments
Growing for Future Generations

Growing for Future Generations

In this episode, we sit down with Cynthia and Jim Douthit from Grassy Creek Vineyard and Winery in State Road, North Carolina! Cynthia and Jim are two of the owners of Grassy Creek Vineyard.

They started the business in 2000 and planted their grapes in 2003. This was Jim’s second vineyard. He first planted 10 acres in the Lake Norman area before buying the State Road property. Those two properties were essential in starting off the early days of the winery. They provided a nice selection of wines to begin their journey.

At Grassy Creek Vineyard, there’s a lot to do at any time of year. The expansive property makes use of many of the original buildings which are important parts of the local history. Everything at the property reflects a sense of place and its connection to the local area. When you visit, you feel like you’re stepping back in time.

Wine Class with the Wine Mouths is back. This episode they talk about Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio. For more information about the Wine Mouths, head to https://www.winemouths.com/ or find them on Facebook and Instagram @Winemouths. The Wine Mouths theme was written and performed by Joshua Morris. You can find him at twitter.com/joshtimejosh.

Closing Content

If you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review. It really helps spread the word. Subscribing and sharing with a friend is another great way to support Cork Talk.

Did you know we have a Patreon page that offers Patron Only content, early access to episode, blooper reels, and more? Head to patreon.com/CorkTalk to learn more and sign up!

This episode was made possible in part by a grant from the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council. For more information, please visit https://www.ncwine.org/

Posted by Matt Kemberling in Podcast, 0 comments
From the Board Room & Classroom to the Farm

From the Board Room & Classroom to the Farm

This episode features Chuck and Jamey Johnson of Shadow Springs Vineyard and Windsor Run Cellars.  We discuss how the they traded in the 8 to 5 corporate job for something they’re more passionate about.  Having two wineries that are just over a half mile apart provides many conveniences but also several challenges.  They view the wineries as being alter egos of each other.  Windsor Run Cellars is a bit more adventurous and likes to experiment with fun flavors and innovative beverages.  Shadow Springs Vineyard walks on the more serious side but they still know how to have fun as well.

One thing that comes across in this conversation is how passionate Chuck and Jamey are about the wine industry here in North Carolina.  When they were first getting started, the industry helped them to get their winery up and running.  Now that they’ve been in the business for almost 15 years, they’re looking for ways to “give back” to the industry to help others along the same path.  In many ways they’re still pioneers in the industry, but they’ve definitely left their mark and are looking for ways to contribute more.

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Dreams Don’t Work Unless You Do

Dreams Don’t Work Unless You Do

Laurel Gray Vineyards is located in the Swan Creek AVA, part of the Yadkin Vally in North Carolina.  Listen to the story of Kim and Benny Myers about how they transform Benny’s family farm into a vineyard.  Years of hard work have gone into building the vineyard and winery, and they certainly have a loyal following.  

Posted by Matt Kemberling in Podcast, 2 comments
Cork Talk with Raffaldini Vineyards

Cork Talk with Raffaldini Vineyards

This episode we chat with Jay Raffaldini from Raffaldini Vineyards. We discuss how Jay discovered his property and has put a lot of effort into bringing a bit of Chianti to North Carolina. Jay wants his visitors to relax and enjoy what he calls the exhale moment because as he says, “Life is meant to be slow.”

Posted by Matt Kemberling in Podcast, 5 comments
Cork Talk with Piccione Vineyards

Cork Talk with Piccione Vineyards

Our third episode of Cork Talk brings us to Piccione Vineyards. We chat with Bill and Hailey about why Bill decided to start a vineyard here in North Carolina, how he caught the wine bug, and how Hailey has made her way through the industry and joined the Piccione team.

Posted by Matt Kemberling in Podcast, 6 comments