{"id":1953,"date":"2017-07-27T12:08:59","date_gmt":"2017-07-27T16:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/?p=1953"},"modified":"2024-08-25T20:34:24","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T00:34:24","slug":"june-2017-visit-leicester-nc-wineries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/june-2017-visit-leicester-nc-wineries\/","title":{"rendered":"June, 2017 Visit &#8211; Leicester, NC Wineries\/Vineyards"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We continue a look back at our mid-June wine visit to the Hendersonville \/ Asheville area. \u00a0Day Two took us northwest of Asheville to Leicester, NC. \u00a0Leicester is about 30 minutes from downtown Asheville. \u00a0It&#8217;s an easy and beautiful drive. \u00a0Located in Leicester are\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fontainevineyards.com\">Fontaine Vineyards<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.addisonfarms.net\">Addison Farms Vineyard<\/a>.<!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Fontaine Vineyards<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_1961\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1961\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1961\" src=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-View-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-View-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-View-150x113.jpg 150w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-View-632x474.jpg 632w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-View-536x402.jpg 536w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-View.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1961\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stunning View at Fontaine Vineyards<\/p><\/div>\n<p>After several wrong turns, we made it to Fontaine Vineyards. \u00a0This was our first visit! \u00a0Google was a bit confused that morning and had us on a wrong road. \u00a0We were glad to finally see the main entrance. \u00a0As we drove up and around the vineyard we were awestruck by the view. \u00a0Mountains were all around. \u00a0The vineyard was small and quaint.<\/p>\n<h3>Tasting<\/h3>\n<p>Jackie, co-owner with her husband Michel, quickly greeted us upon our arrival. \u00a0She gave us a quick overview of their story. \u00a0Fontaine is focused on growing European grapes (mostly French) and making small allotments of wine. \u00a0They also cater to those looking to get married and function several times a month as a wedding venue particularly in the warmer months.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1960\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1960\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1960\" src=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-TasteVin-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-TasteVin-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-TasteVin-113x150.jpg 113w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-TasteVin-414x552.jpg 414w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-TasteVin-354x472.jpg 354w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-TasteVin.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1960\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tastevin used for Tastings at Fontaine Vineyards<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The tastings are done inside the wine cellar. \u00a0You won&#8217;t find a tasting glass here though. \u00a0Instead, Jackie presented us with a metal Tastevin from which to drink. \u00a0A tastevin is a metal saucer like cup. \u00a0Created by Burgundian winemakers to enable them to judge a wine for clarity and color in a dim wine cellar, the tastevin certainly made for a unique tasting experience.<\/p>\n<p>We tasted the following wines:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>2016 Merlot &#8211; Dark cherry and plum greeted you on the nose and carried through to the palate. \u00a0This wine was somewhat jammy yet quite tannic. \u00a0We left with a bottle of this.<\/li>\n<li>2015 Cabernet Sauvignon &#8211; Soft cherry and black currant describe this wine well. \u00a0It also had some woodiness on the palate.<\/li>\n<li>2015 Riesling &#8211; A floral nose gave way to a fruity palate and just a touch of sweetness. \u00a0Soft and delicate also come to mind when describing this wine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Cr\u00eapes<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_1958\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1958\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1958\" src=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-Crepe-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-Crepe-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-Crepe-113x150.jpg 113w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-Crepe-414x552.jpg 414w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-Crepe-354x472.jpg 354w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Fontaine-Crepe.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1958\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ham &amp; Cheese Cr\u00eape at Fontaine Vineyards<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Jackie and Michel make cr\u00eapes for their guests. \u00a0You can choose from savory or sweet. \u00a0We went the savory route and had a delicious ham and cheese cr\u00eape while seated on the patio. \u00a0The cr\u00eape was just as you would hope to find from a native French cook. \u00a0Jackie gladly poured us a glass of the yet to be release Pinot Noir Ros\u00e9. \u00a0It turned out to be our favorite wine. \u00a0 The nose smelled of overripe strawberries while watermelon predominated the palate. \u00a0Sadly, we couldn&#8217;t take any with us.<\/p>\n<p>As we finished out our glass, Jackie pointed out that in the distance you could see Addison Farms and clearly a storm headed that way. \u00a0We wrapped up our visit in hopes of making it to Addison Farms before the storm did.<\/p>\n<h2>Addison Farms Vineyard<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_1955\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1955\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1955\" src=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Sign-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Sign-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Sign-113x150.jpg 113w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Sign-414x552.jpg 414w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Sign-354x472.jpg 354w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Sign.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1955\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Addison Farms Road Sign<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Addison Farms is only about five minutes away from Fontaine. \u00a0However, we did not beat the storm. \u00a0Luckily, the rain was not heavy, so we ventured inside.<\/p>\n<h3>Tasting<\/h3>\n<p>We began our tasting with a couple of unique wines from\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.alchemyherbalwine.com\">Alchemy Herbal Wine<\/a>. \u00a0These wines are meads made with honey, herbs, and spices. \u00a0Griffin Abee, the meadmaker, works with the fine folks at Addison Farms. \u00a0We encourage you to try these refreshing and unique wines!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1957\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1957\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1957\" src=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Alchemy-Mead-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Alchemy-Mead-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Alchemy-Mead-113x150.jpg 113w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Alchemy-Mead-414x552.jpg 414w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Alchemy-Mead-354x472.jpg 354w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Alchemy-Mead.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1957\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alchemy Herbal Wine &#8211; Love<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Here are our notes for the herbal wines:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Love &#8211; This mead is made with honey (of course), pomegranate juice, rose petals, ginger, cardamon, vanilla, and damiana. \u00a0A floral nose with hints of ginger and cardamon gave way to a slightly sweet and refreshing palate with just a hint of tartness.<\/li>\n<li>Prosperity &#8211; This mead is made with honey, cinnamon, clove, star anise, nutmeg, and allspice. \u00a0The nose gave spices with a bit of a woodiness and a good smell of honey. \u00a0The palate was tart and woody as well. \u00a0We enjoyed both of these.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We then moved on to Addison Farms&#8217; wines to finish the tasting. \u00a0Here are our notes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>2015 Crown &amp; Plough Ros\u00e9 of Sangiovese &#8211; We loved this wine. \u00a0We came home with a bottle. \u00a0A strawberry nose with strawberry and raspberry on the palate make for a delightful ros\u00e9. \u00a0The palate is also slightly tart with good acidity.<\/li>\n<li>2013 Mischief &#8211; Tempranillo &#8211; Vanilla, leather, cherry, and a touch of caramel show both on the nose and on the palate. \u00a0Pair this with lighter Spanish dishes.<\/li>\n<li>2014 Five Twenty-Nine &#8211; Barbera &#8211; We adore Barbera and this one is one of the best in NC. \u00a0It was part of the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncfinewines.com\">NC Fine Wines Case<\/a>\u00a0for 2017. \u00a0Cocoa and black currant invite you on the nose. \u00a0Warm cherry with more cocoa and black currant carry through on the palate.<\/li>\n<li>2013 Coming Home &#8211; Cabernet Sauvignon &#8211; Notes of pepper and spice show on the nose. \u00a0Tart cherry with some leather present on the palate.<\/li>\n<li>Smokehouse Red &#8211; This is a blend of Chambourcin and Sangiovese. \u00a0Cocoa and cherry scents greet you on the nose. \u00a0The cherry continues on the palate along with vanilla, caramel, and slight hit of smoke.<\/li>\n<li>Gratitude &#8211; This port-style wine is made from Chambourcin. \u00a0Mocha and raspberry are key descriptors here. \u00a0When paired with dark chocolate notes of caramel appear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Tour with Jeff<\/h3>\n<p>Jeff Frisbee, co-owner along with his wife Dianne, arrived in the Tasting Room during our tasting. \u00a0He was supposed to give a tour at 2pm, but the tour folks were no shows. \u00a0Luckily for us, that meant we got the tour with just ourselves and Jeff. \u00a0Also, luckily, the rain had stopped. \u00a0We headed out for a walk to the the winery.<\/p>\n<p>Addison Farms is very much a family operation. \u00a0Jeff and Dianne started this vineyard as a way to preserve Jeff&#8217;s family&#8217;s farm which once belonged to his maternal grandparents. \u00a0The first acre of vines was planted in 2009. \u00a0Another acre and a half was planted in 2010. \u00a0Currently, six acres are under vine. \u00a0Cabernet Sauvignon was the first planted. \u00a0Also, in the vineyard are Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Montepulicano, Petit Verdot, and Petit Manseng. \u00a0In addition, they manage two additional acres in Leicester and purchase fruit from other North Carolina growers.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1956\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1956\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1956\" src=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Vine-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Vine-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Vine-113x150.jpg 113w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Vine-414x552.jpg 414w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Vine-354x472.jpg 354w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farms-Vine.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1956\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vineyards at Addison Farms<\/p><\/div>\n<p>After the visit to the winery where Jeff walked us through crush, we head to the vineyard. \u00a0Jeff strives to make food friendly wines and makes his picking decisions based on acid rather than Brix. He produces around 1000 cases a year. \u00a0The business plan calls for having 10 acres under vine. \u00a0He says Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc are the easiest to deal with in the vineyard.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1954\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1954\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1954\" src=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farm-Barrels-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farm-Barrels-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farm-Barrels-113x150.jpg 113w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farm-Barrels-414x552.jpg 414w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farm-Barrels-354x472.jpg 354w, http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Addison-Farm-Barrels.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1954\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barrels in the Barrel Room at Addison Farms<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We ended our tour in the barrel room which sits under the tasting room. \u00a0The barrel room has space for 50-60 barrels while another 25 or so are in the winery itself.<\/p>\n<p>We finished the tour and returned to the tasting room to make our purchases and say our goodbyes.<\/p>\n<p>The next time you&#8217;re in the Asheville area, be sure to carve out time to visit Leicester and these unique vineyards. \u00a0Tell them we sent you.<\/p>\n<p>You can find details of our day one adventures to <a href=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/june-2017-visit-burntshirt-vineyards\/\">Burntshirt Vineyards<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/june-2017-saint-paul-mountain-vineyards\/\">Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards<\/a>\u00a0on our blog. \u00a0Cheers!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We continue a look back at our mid-June wine visit to the Hendersonville \/ Asheville area. \u00a0Day Two took us northwest of Asheville to Leicester, NC. \u00a0Leicester is about 30 minutes from downtown Asheville. \u00a0It&#8217;s an easy and beautiful drive. \u00a0Located in Leicester are\u00a0Fontaine Vineyards\u00a0and\u00a0Addison Farms Vineyard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1961,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[380],"tags":[289,253,66],"class_list":["post-1953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-north-carolina-wine","tag-vineyards","tag-wine","tag-wine-tasting","has-thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1953"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2203,"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1953\/revisions\/2203"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ncwineguys.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}