Wine Competitions and Marketing!

Marked Tree Vineyard – Flat Rock, NC

The tasting room sits at an elevation of 2300’ and built squarely on The Eastern Continental Divide. Offering picturesque mountain views in each direction, with Mount Pisgah to the South and Mount Tryon the North, partners Tim and Lance have designed their tasting room to fully accentuate those incredibly gorgeous mountain views.

What is behind the name “Marked Tree Vineyard.” A marked tree is a guide, a system used by Native Americans and early explorers to mark a path.

This passage from the Marked Tree Vineyard website better explains the name and overall vibe ....a marked tree is about finding your path. Marked Tree is a point along the road, a moment to reflect, a marker in life.

The estate spreads fifty acres and blooms with seven acres under vine. Seven varietals are grown, each chosen with full consideration of the Crest of the Blue Ridge growing conditions. The Pisgah Vineyard planted in 2016 consist of Cabernet Franc, and Lemburger in the upper plot, plus Vidal Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, and Chardonel in the lower block. The Northern side Sandy Ridge Vineyard is planted with Muscat, Petit Verdot, a smaller block of Cabernet Franc.

The current tasting consist five whites and one rosé. A Chardonel, Oak Chardonel, Grüner Veltliner, Vidal Blanc, and a sweeter blend Otto, fermented in stainless steel.

Chloe Rosé is 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% Lemburger which winemaker Justin Taylor produced in saignée style. We enjoyed a refreshing bottle of the dry Chloe Rosé on our recent visit.

Hummingbird is a Vidal Blanc after dinner wine.

Sweet Ellie Mae Rosé is a soon to be released semi-sweet blend of the Cabernet Franc rosé.

The four red wines are single varietal Cabernet Franc and a Petit Verdot. Blends are Watershed, a dry oaked blend of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and Ghost House Red, an unoaked blend.

Plans are to plant a third vineyard along the winding drive leading to the tasting room. Tim said they expect to plant Merlot and possibly Petit Manseng.

First bottling was in 2019 and encouraged by their winemaker, the 2018 Vidal Blanc and 2018 Chardonel were entered in the 2020 NC Fine Wines competition. Lance and Tim were thrilled to win two bronze medals with these young wines. No doubt as these vines mature, there’s going to be many gold medals won by Marked Tree Vineyard!

Marked Tree Vineyard is the newest winery in the Crest of the Blue Ridge, Henderson County AVA. However, there is no doubt owners Tim and Lance are firmly rooted. Their vision has transformed this beautiful land into a serene wine destination offering fine wine and post card picturesque views. We encourage you to follow your path to Marked Tree Vineyard.

We were fortunate to be present for two milestone events of Marked Tree Vineyard. We were present at their first bottling in 2019, and we visited the tasting room the Sunday of their first weekend open to the public. In Tim and Lance we have found two charming, humble, and passionate winery and vineyard owners. We encourage everyone to visit and welcome them to our #NCWine family.

Marked Tree Vineyard tasting room is open Thursday 11-5, Friday 11-6, Saturday 11-6, Sunday 12-5, and Monday 11-5.

Address is 623 Deep Gap Road, Flat Rock, North Carolina.

Tell them Winery Escapades sent you.

Chloe Rosé – Marked Tree Vineyards

Our wine tonight is the Chloe Rosé from Marked Tree Vineyards in Flat Rock, North Carolina.

Vintage 2018

Estate grown blend of 90% Cab Franc and 10% Lemburger.

Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County AVA.

Produced in the Saignee style.

Light salmon in color.

Off dry and light. Strikingly refreshing.

Nose of stone fruits with subtle tones of red currant, strawberry, basil, and soft minerals, showing a bright acidity with flavor notes of blood orange, ripe apple, red plum, watermelon, and honeydew melons.

Fruit grown in their Upper Pisgah block planted in 2015. So for young fruit this produced a nice rosè.

12.5% ABV.

$23 a bottle.

Winemaker: Justin Taylor

We visited Marked Tree Vineyards On their opening weekend, which was Memorial Day weekend 2020.

We enjoyed a bottle of this Rosé on our visit and of course brought a bottle home. Blow are a few pictures from our visit.

Fat Ass Heifer Cidery – Campobello, South Carolina

Yes, that is not a typo. Yes, this is a Cidery! Yes, We bought the t-shirt! Rancher John Macomson bought the 51 acre property about 10 years ago. Known as Catlow Creek Ranch, John is raising miniature Hereford, Lowline, and Agnus cows. One well-conditioned yet rambunctious heifer was giving John frustrating trouble not wanting to move from one pasture to another, so she was affectionately dubbed “Fat Ass Heifer.”

John owns an IT company which he runs from his office building on the property. He and his lovely wife run the tasting room for the Cidery from the back of this office. Opened for business in 2017, John has aggressive plans for the future growth and development of his award winning Fat Ass Heifer Cidery.

Starting as a home brew enthusiast, he has studied and mastered his craft the past few years. Procuring freshly harvested and pressed apples from a local South Carolina orchard, this Campobello (Spartanburg County) Cidery is keeping it local!

Open Saturdays, July 4th, and Labor Day.

Our tasting consisted of six ciders and one muscadine wine.

Lowline Dirty Heifer – A traditional cider, semi-dry and naturally carbonated.

Hops – Pitched with dry hops to emulate a classic IPA.

Mellow Hereford – Semi-sweet traditional cider.

Cranberry Mead – Cranberry apple cider back sweetened with fresh apple cider and a hint of honey blood orange mead (honey wine).

Ginger Blueberry – Semi-Sweet with a delicate aroma and rich flavor notes of ginger, lightly back sweetened with fresh apple cider and blueberry.

Mango Lemon – Semi-Sweet with a tropical nose and flavors of mango and lemon.

Muscadine Wine – Semi-Sweet white muscadine wine.

Our visit wasn’t complete without a tour of the property and orchard. John has planted close to four acres of cider apples. The orchard is a work in progress at about two years young, so just a couple more years before they are harvesting fruit from the estate orchard. Until then, John with continue to supplement with local South Carolina grown fruit. The orchard property offers some panoramic views of the distant mountains, and John is continuing the arduous task of clearing the property.

John shares his knowledge of the orchard!

John has restored and renovated a hundred plus year old farmhouse on the front end of the ranch property. Behind the farmhouse are several original barns and sheds and two old growth crabapple trees elegantly spreading about the back yard. The scenic Blue Ridge mountains are visible in postcard worthy views from the yard of the old farmhouse. Eventually, plans are to host barbecues and other events at this historic picturesque site.

I can not stress enough how incredibly fun was our day of tasting and touring at Fat Ass Heifer Cidery. John and his family are charismatically charming and hospitable, and their passion for cider is delightfully on display.

We give our highest recommendation and strongly encourage you to spend a Saturday visiting the Fat Ass Heifer Cidery. Besides, you know you want the t-shirt!

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Palmetto Signature Wines 2019

As we gear up once again our planning for the 2020 Palmetto Wine Competition, I was looking over the results from 2019. The Palmetto Signature Wines make up a half case of the highest scoring wines produced entirely from South Carolina fruit and honestly these six were an exceptional collection.

Six Palmetto Signature Wines awarded to the highest scoring wines produced entirely from 100% South Carolina grown fruit. This award is presented in addition to any medal awarded.

1. Dry White Muscadine – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer 2. Carlos – Enoree River Winery, Newberry. 3. Dark Corner Dessert – Wellborn Winery, Travelers Rest 4. Piedmont Peach – Wellborn Winery, Travelers Rest 5. Blackberry Wine – Lazy Bear Winery, Easley 6. Elderberry Honey Wine – Island Winery, Hilton Head Island

The Dry White Muscadine from CityScape Winery in Pelzer leads off our Half Case of Palmetto Signature Wines 2019. Dry White Muscadine also won the award for Best Estate Wine. Produced of Carlos Muscadine this wine is expressively aromatic on the nose, dry and crisp on the palate.

Carlos from Enoree River Winery in Newberry is produced of estate grown fruit. This is an incredibly impressive representation of a Carlos Muscadine wine delivering a crisp delicious fruit forward palate.

Wellborn Winery in TR placed two, yes two wines of the six Palmetto Signature Wines. The Dark Corner Dessert wine offers a deep nose expressive of fig and jam with sultry fruit notes on the palate. The Piedmont Peach is another one of the state’s incredible fruit wines with a complex yet beautifully balanced flavor profile.

This Blackberry Wine is just one of the amazing fruit wines produced at Lazy Bear Winery in Easley. We’ve tasted many Blackberry wines and honestly would match this one against any other….true to it’s blackberry profile and masterfully balanced.

The Elderberry Honey Wine from Island Winery in Hilton Head Island is a masterful representation of a mead fermented to more of a wine style. Mead is a honey wine though sometimes can be to a lower ABV to drink more like a beer, that’s not the case here. This honey wine is exceptional with the elderberry blending beautifully into the honey flavor profile.

The Palmetto Wine Competition seeks to promote the commercially licensed wineries of South Carolina. The quality of these award winning Palmetto Signature Wines speaks volumes towards the impressive quality of the vineyards and winemaking in South Carolina. We hope you’ll visit one of these award winning wineries and ask to try the Palmetto Signature Wines!

Cheers, Dennis and Jenni Turner – Organizers of The Palmetto Wine Competition!

Carolina Rosé Sangria

Anytime is Sangria Time!

Ingredients:

1 bottle (750 ml) semi-dry or semi-sweet rosé wine.

We recommend CityScape Winery Raspberry White Zin or Parker-Binns Loco Lulu Rosé!

1/4 cup Red Bordner’s Barrell Buddies Groovy Rum.

2 quarts Orange Juice.

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup farm local raspberries (or juice)

3/4 cup farm local blueberries.

1 1/2 cups quartered farm local strawberries.

1 orange sliced into rings.

1 lemon slices into rings.

1 1/2 cups Club Soda.

In a large pitcher dissolve sugar in juice and add rum.

Next, pour in your bottle of wine and add your sliced fruit. Stir to combine and submerge the fruit into the liquid.

Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved and liquids mixed well.

I like to chill my sangria overnight to let the fruit really do its job of flavoring the wine, but several hours should do the trick if you’re short on time.

Before serving, top your pitcher off with club soda or top individual glasses as you serve them to prevent the soda from going flat.

Garnish with mint.

Palmetto Chocolate Mudslide

Mixing and Ingredients:

Add 1 oz. Dixie Southern Vodka (adjust to taste) from Grain and Barrel Spirits in North Charleston.

Add 2-3 oz. Chocolate Thunder Moonshine by Copperhead Mountain Distillery in Travelers Rest. (Adjust to taste)

Then Stir gently!

Add 2 oz. Carolina Cream from Six and Twenty Distillery in Piedmont. Don’t skimp here!!

If preferable, tone down with a splash of Happy Cow chocolate milk. Happy Cow Creamery in Pelzer.

Top with dark chocolate shavings and marshmallows. (optional)

Support Drink Local!

Missing Our Winery Escapades!

This is not political! This is simply how we’re feeling right now in the moment. We greatly miss our wine outings, meeting our friends, and attending the many fun social events at our favorite wineries.

We’re dreaming of our next trip to North Georgia and the Dahlonega Plateau AVA.

Anxiously awaiting new wine club pick-up parties at Mountain Brook Vineyards

Ready to sip some wine while exploring for antiques at Lake James Cellars!

Feeling a need to get back up to Northern Virginia and hang out with Mike from the VinoWine app.

Ready to put this camper on the highway towards the Yadkin Valley!

Drooling over Sunday Funday and Friday Sunset parties at Parker-Binns Vineyard.

In dire need of a visit to Biltmore Winery!

Oh man we miss this peacock at Catawba Farms Winery and Vineyard.

…and this pig at CityScape Winery!

…and these llamas at Divine Llama Vineyards.

Ready for a Winecation at Lu Mil Vineyards!’

Savoring a taste of these wine slushies from Eagle Mountain Vineyards.

Taste from tiny solo cups at Cartersville Country Winery.

Truth be told this could go on forever. We’re mostly just missing hanging out with our friends.

And Ready for the Palmetto Wine Competition

Our hope is that you all remain safe and healthy, and that soon we see you at one of our favorite local wineries! A huge celebration is coming, and we’re boiling over in anticipation!

Cheers! 🍷🍷

Open That Bottle Night of South Carolina Wine

Watch the video here!: https://www.facebook.com/WineryEscapadesDotCom/videos/670153776880552/

Join us Friday evening May 8th at 7pm to celebrate Open That Bottle Night of South Carolina Wine.

We will go live on our WineryEscapades Facebook page to discuss South Carolina destination wineries and locally crafted wines!

We will use hashtag #OTBNSC plus #SCWineNight

Please grab your favorite bottle of South Carolina Wine, Mead, or Cider and join in on the fun and post on your social media pages using above referenced hashtags. Tag us @WineryEscapades on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Need to order a bottle or two, click the link below for details on how to order online or for curbside pickup. https://wineryescapades.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/how-to-order-from-south-carolina-wineries/

Join our Facebook group – Support Drink Local South Carolina. https://www.facebook.com/groups/841899742988383/?ref=share

#DiscoverSC #DiscoverSCWine #SCWine #ShareSCLove #TuneInSC #PalmettoState

Wellborn Winery in the Woods – Travelers Rest SC

Wellborn Winery in the Woods is located in Travelers Rest. They are growing approx. 4 acres of French-American Hybrid cultivars. They also source a good bit of fruit from other local South Carolina farmers. The winery has a small intimate tasting room with a beautiful patio and expansive green area sitting. Tony and Deb are excellent host and have a broad selection of award winning wines! Call ahead at (407) 808-4711 to order for curb-side pickup Mon-Thur 3-7 or Fri-Sat 12-7.

How to Order from South Carolina Wineries

In these troubling times, our local wineries are also struggling. We strongly encourage your support of these small family owned businesses by purchasing a few bottles of South Carolina produced wine to enjoy in the comforts of your home. Your support is greatly needed to help these small businesses survive.

We encourage your support and tell them you saw this message on WineryEscapades.Com

We have moved the wineries allowing for online sales to the top of the list, remaining we tried to list in alphabetical order. Please know that others are available for bottles to be purchased direct at the winery with an order called in ahead.

1. Bee-Town Mead and Cider – Bluffton – Call 843-707- 4303. Open normal hours for for bottle sales. Order online Ships most states.

2. Island Winery – Hilton Head – Call ahead 843-842-3141 – Winery open for bottle sales. Order online (ships to most states)

3. CityScape Winery – Pelzer. Phone: 864- 329-0615 for pickup at Winery. Open for curb-side pickups. Order online on CityScapeWinery Website. Ships only in South Carolina.

4. Enoree River Winery – Newberry – Pre-order @ 803-276-2855. Curbside delivery available just ask for this service when you call. All bottles are 10% off on their website at enoreeriverwinery.com. All of their wines are in stock and available for sale. Open for anyone who wants to come by during our normal business hours to purchase their wines in person.

5. Wandering Bard Meadery – Maudlin – Call/Text ahead 864-729-3025. Email order@wanderingbardmeadery.com. Order online @ WanderingBard.Com. (ships most states) or find at local Retailers here.

6. Cartersville Country Winery – Timmonsville (Florence) – Call ahead 843-713-1250 – pickup at Winery or Order Online. Find at local retailers.

7. Boardwalk Winery and Carolina Vineyards Winery – Myrtle Beach – Please call in any order. CVW @ 843-361-9181 or BWW @ 843-712-1944

8. Deep Water Vineyard – Wadmalaw Island (Charleston) – Call ahead 843-559-6867. Winery open normal hours for bottle sales. Purchase at local retailers. Check Website

9. Elevation 966 Winery – Greenville Open normal hours for pickup at winery. Call Ahead 864-349-9538

10. Cats Paw Winery – Rock Hill – Call ahead 803-337- 6622.

11. Mercer House Vineyards – Lexington – Open normal hours for to-go bottle sales. Call orders to 803-957-7102 and pick-up at Winery.

12. Old Rock Quarry Winery – Enoree – Call/text bottle orders to 443-735-1414. Winery open normal hours for to-go bottle sales.

13. Wellborn Winery – Travelers Rest – Call at (407) 808-4711 to order. Come by Mon-Thur 3-7 or Fri-Sat 12-7.

14. Victoria Valley Vineyard – Cleveland– Call ahead 864-878-5307.

15. Bowman Vineyards – Round O ( Walterboro) – Call ahead 843-835-8747.

16. Lazy Bear Winery – Easley – Call ahead @ 864-608-3114 Mon-Sat. for curbside pickup.

Email corrections or additions to Dennis @ WineryEscapades@Gmail.Com

Press inquiries please email WineryEscapades@Gmail.Com

Join our Facebook group ~ Support Drink Local South Carolina. https://www.facebook.com/groups/841899742988383/?ref=share