Wine Competitions and Marketing!

2020 in Our Rearview Mirror!

What could we say about 2020 that hasn’t been said? It’s just time now to put 2020 in our rearview mirror.

To do that, let us take one final look back.

In prepping for this blog, I arranged 100+ pictures. Well that’s not happening! lol. So we’ll just hit a few highlights!

The year started with reserved excitement. We dropped our youngest son off at Camp Lejeune…after enjoying a few days with him on his all too short leave.

We then preceded to wine our way back across the great state of North Carolina. 🍷🍷

We first stopped at Huffman Vineyards in Richlands and then made out to Duplin Winery in Rose Hill. Our first visit to both.

Duplin Winery is the largest Muscadine winery in the country and North Carolina’s oldest operating winery.

Another curiosity downtown Rose Hill is the World’s Largest Frying Pan. I know right! Who knew? And why?

Next visit was to The Country Squire Winery. Here we would have dinner and find our accommodations for the night. The restaurant is right out of some medieval movie set….honestly just difficult to describe. Dinner was good though.

The Inn, well it’s an old classic roadside inn and rooms, while clean, remain decorated in 70’s glory! The Winery offers several fruit infused vinifera blends and a fun whimsical gift shop. We just had to bring home the ceramic painting hanging in the picture below. It’s now proudly hanging in our living room.

Next we made our way towards Raleigh with several stops in between. One highlight was stopping at Hinnant Family Vineyards and Winery. Hinnant is the largest Muscadine Vineyard in North Carolina.

We highly recommend the Electric Pelican. Thanks to our friends Kimberly and Ryan for recommending this one to us. It’s a blend of Noble and Blanc du Bois.

2020 excitingly gave the opening of one of our new local favorites, Marked Tree Vineyard in Flat Rock.

Plus the Grand Opening of South Bend Winery in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Wandering Bard Meadery opened their new taproom at Hampton Station in Greenville, South Carolina.

The 2020 Palmetto Wine Competition had to be postponed from May to August. We were thrilled to be able to hold the judging at Carter’s Steak and Seafood close to our Boiling Springs home.

So blessed for great sponsors, Bristow Beverage Law and The VinoWine App, whose financial and operational support allowed for us travel the state and personally deliver medals to each award winning winery.

We held the first medal presentation at Fat Ass Heifer Cidery in Campobello.

Enoree River Winery in Newberry wins big!

Old Rock Quarry Winery in Enoree wins 14 medals!

Elevation 966 Winery in Greenville wins multiple awards plus a double gold!

Island Winery on Hilton Head Island has won a medal for every Palmetto Wine Competition entry they’ve submitted for three years running! Tough to beat 100%!

And our Best in Show, the Mead with Wild Blueberry form Bee-Town Mead and Cider in Bluffton!

We were fortunate in March just before everything shut down, to get away to North Georgia for a short anniversary celebration. we were thrilled to have Kaya Vineyards winemaker KJ Bell give us a private tour and barrel tasting.

Then of course everything shut down. We were forced into Facebook live meetings with our friends. We had to entertain ourselves right!

Luckily restrictions eased and we were able to reach a huge milestone! We visited our number one hundred and fifty North Carolina winery! Number 150 was Pilot Mountain Vineyards in the Yadkin Valley AVA.

Let’s finish this up with a few of our favorite wines from 2020!

We were blown away by the 2019 Barbera from Overmountain Vineyards in Tryon.

Double Gold award winning Petite Sirah from CityScape Winery.

The new Bordeaux style blend of Loco LuLu at Parker-Binns Vineyard.

We could continue with pictures and notes and so forth, but we really want to look forward to a new year with renewed hope and promise.

We are looking forward to a New Year that hopefully will allow for our local wineries being able to host indoor events and wine club pick-up parties. Where all will once again feel comfortable visiting and enjoying a glass while sitting around the fire pit. Seriously, just imagine the ambiance and taking in that view found around the fire pit at Mountain Brook Vineyards! Fun times await!!

Here’s to 2021! May we all be blessed with a new beginning. So onward we strive.

Cheers! 🍷🍷

Rosé Blend – Leftie Wine

Our wine tonight is the Final Frontier Rosé Blend from Leftie Wine Company.

Light salmon in color.

Red blend that undergoes a secondary fermentation with peach juice.

Expressive nose of peach schnapps, bing cherries, apricots, coconut, and buttery.

Fruity on the tongue, expressive notes of freshly sliced peaches, vanilla beans, cashews, and finishing buttery and dry.

12% ABV

$9 a bottle.

Produced in California.

We purchased this bottle as it was a special offer on Ibotta. Click here to earn real cash on wine and beer (and grocery) purchases with Ibotta. (Affiliate Link)

WineryEscapades scores 84 points on 100 point scale.

Reserve Merlot – Red Rock Winery

Our wine tonight is the Reserve Merlot from Red Rock Winery.

Non-vintage

Vinted by Red Rock Winery in Modesto, California.

We’ve found notes though without confirmation of less than five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Sirah blended in.

Inky purple in color with a soft purple rim.

Nose of red plum, strawberry, raspberry, cherry, and soft vanilla and herbal tones.

Medium bodied, medium acidity, medium-high alcohol drinking smooth with soft tannins.

Medium pronounced flavor notes of black plum, blackberry, raspberry, and hints of cherry with a delicate oak and vanilla finish.

13.7% ABV

This is a very approachable Merlot of California.

We paired with Italian at favorite local Italian restaurant.

Merlot – Textbook Napa Valley

Our wine tonight is the 2018 Merlot from Textbook Vineyards in Napa Valley, California.

Vintage 2018

Napa Valley AVA.

80% Merlot 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Decanted 30 minutes.

Deep purple in color with a think light purple rim.

Expressive bouquet of black cherry on the nose, with hints of dark roasted coffee, oak, and vanilla.

Full bodied and structured with ample tannins.

Complex on the palate with black cherry, plum, blackberry and baking spices, with oak, licorice, and vanilla highlighting the mid-palate, finishing with a mild peppery tone and soft leather.

13.6% ABV

Vintners Jonathan and Susan Pey.

Winery Escapades score of 89 points.

Barbara – Overmountain Vineyards

Our wine tonight is the 2019 Barbera from Overmountain Vineyards in the Tryon Foothills of North Carolina.

Vintage 2019

This Barbera fruit harvested from a neighboring vineyard.

Barbera is a red grape originally from the Piedmont region of Italy. A region that in many ways closely resembles the Piedmont foothills region of Tryon. We seldom stumble across Barbera in our travels across the Southeastern U.S.A., however it seems to grow well in the foothills regions producing high quality wines.

Winemakers Frank and Sophia Lily.

Dark ruby in color with a light pinkish rim.

Decanted 30 minutes.

Intense and expressive nose of cherries, vanilla, toffee, and subtle oak.

Medium bodied with soft tannins and bright acidity.

Flavor notes of red berries, expressive of cherries, hints of blackberries, toasted oats, with black plum, and a lingering smokey finish expressing hints of dark chocolate and distant cigar.

13.5% ABV.

This is such a pleasurable drinking wine.

2019 was an excellent growing season in the region and that is immensely expressed in this young Barbera.

We’d expect it to bottle age well for 3-5 years.

Winery Escapades score of 91 points.

This 2019 Barbera is undoubtedly in our opinion one of the better wines grown and produced in North Carolina that we have yet the pleasure to enjoy.

We will cellar a bottle and look forward to uncorking again in 3-5 years.

Christmas Red – Biltmore Wine

Our Christmas night wine is the Biltmore Christmas Red.

Vintage 2020

Blend of California grown Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.

Dark ruby in color with long cascading legs.

Nose of plum, blackberry jam, pepper, and nutmeg.

Medium bodied with soft tannins and balanced acidity.

Semi-sweet with notes of fresh fig, cherry cola, vanilla, and nutmeg fading to mild butterscotch finish.

It’s a light easy drinking red wine that will pair well with those after dinner Christmas Snikerdoodle cookies.

13.5% ABV

Label artwork by Denise Nelson of North Carolina celebrates the beauty of the large fireplace in the library decorated in all it’s Christmas glory.

Merry Christmas from Dennis and Jenni of WineryEscapades.Com

Turner Family Traditional Egg Nog Recipe

Christmas Day egg nog is a long tradition in my family and I excitedly, and stubbornly continue this tradition every year. In honor of said tradition, here I share our simple yet delectable single serving recipe.

Egg Nog can be purchased at your local grocery store. We recommend Southern Comfort brand. What is egg nog? It is more or less a sweetened concoction of milk and whipped eggs. I know right? Yum! Well as you likely know, tradition calls for our egg nog to be seasonally fortified.

We will Blend with a shot of dark or spiced rum. You don’t want to use top shelf yet certainly use a quality rum. This year we excitingly are blending with the Spiced Rum from Hilton Head Distillery.

We also need a half shot of Cognac. Cognac is a high quality brandy distilled in the Cognac region of France. We prefer Hennessy Very Special Cognac.

Also needed is vanilla extract (please don’t use vanilla flavoring), cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.

We also like a half shot of Santa’s Little Helper chocolate and peppermint liqueur from Twelve 33 Distillery in Little River, S.C.

We recommend blending in a large stemless wine glass.

1. Pour one shot (one once) of spiced rum.

2. One half shot (half once) of Cognac.

3. One quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract.

4. Pour six to eight ounces of Southern Comfort egg nog. Dependent on how strong you prefer.

5. Stir.

6. Top with one half shot of Santa’s Little Helper or chocolate liqueur of your liking.

6. Add a dash of cinnamon!

7. Add a pinch of nutmeg!

Serve chilled!

Merry Christmas and Cheers!

Here’s to happy and successful New Year!

Ghost House Red – Marked Tree Vineyard

Our wine tonight is the 2018 Ghost House Red from Marked Tree Vineyard in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Vintage 2018.

AVA – Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County .

Blend of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Brilliant ruby in color with a darker garnet rim.

Nose of red licorice, bing cherries, and caramel.

Light bodied and balanced with delicate notes of black and red fruit gently fading to lingering hints of dark chocolate and toffee.

Similar to a lighter port style wine.

12.5% ABV

Marked Tree Vineyard opened their tasting room early 2020. The vineyard was planted in 2016 at an elevation of 2300 feet. The estate lies directly along the Eastern Continental Divide just outside of Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Tasting room is open 7 days a week.

Where We’ve Wined Local Lately! December 2020

I started thinking that we haven’t shared much lately regarding our local winery escapades. So just where have we wined local lately?

We recently stopped by to visit with our friends at Wellborn Winery in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.

Tony and Debbie opened Wellborn Winery in the Woods back in 2018 and have been well received by the local community. The small estate vineyard is planted with French-American Hybrid varietals and they supplement with fruit from several local growers. The winery features ample outdoor seating.

Our visit came after a pit stop at one of our favorite award winning distilleries Six and Twenty in Piedmont, South Carolina.

We made an weekend winery escapades with our partners in wine up to Childress Vineyards in Lexington, North Carolina. Known as the gateway to the Yadkin Valley AVA. Childress is one the larger and most prominent wineries in North Carolina.

Childress Vineyards proprietor is NASCAR legend Richard Childress, and the well respected Mark Frizolowski serves as winemaker. The winery is expansive with a large gift shop and a celebrated bistro overlooking the back vineyard. Well worth a day trip or even a weekend getaway.

Along the opposite spectrum yet no less enjoyable was our visit to Sawyer Springs Vineyard in the Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County AVA. We met our friends Tom and Nancy at this rural mountain vineyard tasting room. The tasting room is a remodeled hundred plus year old barn.

It’s almost a holiday tradition stopping by Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard in Fallston, North Carolina for a bottle or two of their holiday cranberry wine Merry Berry. Baker Buffalo is a hundred plus year old dairy farm repurposed as a charming vineyard and winery.

We were able to get down to my hometown of Greenwood, South Carolina for the grand opening of South Bend Winery.

We stopped by Overmountain Vineyard recently and enjoyed sitting on their enclosed patio while enjoying the Incredible views of the vineyard and nearby mountains. This 70 acre farm features distinctively produced French style craft wines. A must try is the bold 2019 Barbera!

This is the perfect time of year to sit by a fire table and listen to live music while enjoying award winning wine at Mountain Brook Vineyards. Truthfully though, any season is perfect for a visit to this gorgeous world class family owned winery.

AllIn Red Blend at Mountain Brook Vineyards

Last but without doubt not the least, most Sunday’s you’ll find us at Parker-Binns Vineyard in the Tryon Foothills. Parker-Binns offers live music, great food, gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge mountains, and a laid-back non-pretentious atmosphere rarely found in an award winning winery.

We hope to see you out there enjoying our local craft wineries. We know you’re enjoy the music, food, and friendly environment as much as we do. Be sure to tell us hi and we love to hear from readers of our blogs. Let us frame it for you below!

It’s so much fun enjoying local vineyards and wineries. Follow our adventures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and with by subscribing to our blog.

We recommend planning your winery escapades by downloading and utilizing the VinoWine App!

Chambourcin – Dover Vineyards

Our wine tonight is the Chambourcin from Dover Vineyards in Concord, North Carolina.

Vintage 2019.

Estate grown Chambourcin.

Winemaker Mark Frizolowski.

Decanted 60 minutes.

Deep garnet in color with a lighter rim.

Nose of blackberry jam, cheerwine, black currant reduction, caffè mocha, almond butter, and dried lavender.

Dry and fruity with mild tannins.

A complex flavor profile showing cherries, blackberries, red plums, pomegranate, mocha, and toffee, with a finish of almonds, hazelnuts, vanilla, and lingering earthy tones.

Winery Escapades score of 88 points – Silver Medal.

The Farm at Dover Vineyards is the love of Elizabeth Dover. The farm land, just off the Concord Parkway and near the Charlotte Speedway, has been in the family for generations. The farm is not only a vineyard, but also a vegetable garden. Elizabeth allows her love of the land to guide her farming practices.

The vineyard was planted in 2009 with Chambourcin and Villard Blanc. Dover doesn’t support a tasting room, selling her wines in the farm store. However, Dover is currently hosting Weekends in the Vineyard featuring live music, bonfires, and of course wine. Check their website and social media for dates and details.