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Winery Escapade – Weekend 45

Friday evening we had the pleasure of dining in Tryon, N.C. at an old favorite. The Caro-Mi Dining Room offers family style servings of Southern comfort food in a rustic cabin along the banks of the Pacolet River. The Caro-Mi does not serve alcohol, however brown bagging is allowed with a small service fee. So don’t hesitate to bring a bottle of your favorite local wine. I could perhaps pen an entire post about the Caro-Mi, but why not just go partake in this incredible dining experience for yourself. Keep in mind though, reservations are highly recommended.

Saturday our plan was to visit a couple which we had yet to get to. First stop is one we previously planned to visit, but ran short of time. Little River Winery is a beautiful historic property which also doubles as Summer Duck Farm. Owned by John Georgius, surrounding land acquisitions have expanded the farm to nearly 1400 acres.

The Greek revival style historic home, built in the early 1870’s, sits stately above the entrance driveway and vineyards.

Some of the wines offered which we most enjoyed included a German Riesling, and the silver medal wining Big Johns Red, a bold medium bodied blend with the Crawdad Creek label. Two different Cabernet blends, the silver medal winning Synergy which is 100% estate grown and the Infusion blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Island Breeze, a pineapple wine is also bottled under the Crawdad Creek label. We brought a bottle of the Riesling and the Big John’s Red home to add to our collection.

We left the winery and decided to stop at Town Creek Indian Mound state historic site. The site was incredibly interesting, informative, and fun.

We headed back towards Ablemerle and our final stop of the day, Stony Mountain Vineyards.

The winery sits atop Stony Mountain, part of the Uwharrie Mountain range. The winery offers incredible views from their tasting room and a small deck. The view looks out over the vineyard and valley below and upon a neighboring mountain. We were able to watch deer playing and grazing just below the vineyard. You can see the deer in the below pictures.

Winemaker Ken Furr owns the winery with his wife Marie whom we were fortunate to speak with. Daughter Laura poured our tasting, and we also met son Devron. Devron explained that their Chardonnay is extra crisp, so they like to describe it as more of a ChardonnHEY! European reds and whites are offered, and the winery is making some good fruit wines. The view is awesome and we look forward to getting back one day and taking a tour of the entire property. We enjoyed a bottle of Strawberry at the winery, and brought a bottle of the Songbird Blush home with us.

Sunday our super talented friend Alex Davis was playing at Owls Eye Vineyard. We are saddened that the winery is closing at the end of this month, yet we just couldn’t past the opportunity to see Alex perform. As his website states, Alex certainly isn’t your average piano bar man. Alex is a fellow alum of the University of South Carolina, and one the nicest individuals we know. He plays at wineries up and down the East Coast and certainly has began to build a following. We are thrilled to announce that Alex has agreed to write a guest blog for us. Look for it soon, and check out his Website for upcoming shows and to listen to his original music.

Another weekend Escapade comes to close. One note I want to pass on, as of this weekend Jenni and I have visited a total of 95 North Carolina wineries. We’re looking for recommendations as to which one should be number 100. Hoping to make a big deal out that special visit. Happy Weekend Wining!

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Winery Escapade – Weekend 44

Saturday Jenni and I headed toward the North Carolina Yadkin Valley AVA to revisit a couple of wineries which we had previously really enjoyed.

First stop the alluring French inspired Roaring River Vineyards in Traphill. The winery offer a diverse selection of wine, plus beer on tap. Chez Josephine’s, the onsite bistro offers small sandwich and charcuterie plates. We enjoyed a bottle of the Traminette on the porch patio while relaxing to the soothing sound of the rapids of the Roaring River.

The winery offers several cabins available for overnight accommodations plus an event venue. The cabins offer a real rustic elegance.

The scenery along the river is simply spectacular. We were fortunate to be given a tour by owner Tom Silvey.

The blog on their website is a very interesting read. Detailing owners Tom and Josephine Silvey’s planning and development of the vineyard and winery. Time to get going so we procured a bottle of the Traminette and the Viognier to take home with with us.

We headed back toward Yadkinville to visit Brandon Hills Vineyard. This winery first established in 2005, closed up for awhile. Purchased by Larry Müller, the tasting room was completely remodeled and the winery is back open for business. Brandon Hills has an excellent White Merlot which we were more than excited to try again. Larry is great fun to visit with and we expect him to enjoy much future success. The view from the porch overlooking the vineyard is fabulous.

We couldn’t resist bringing a bottle of the White Merlot home, and also the gold medal winning Amoretto Amore.

Sunday we drove over to see our friends Charles and Anne at Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyards just outside of Shelby. They were hosting a 75th birthday party for a young lady and thereby quite busy. We got a glass of wine and relaxed in the back barn where we made some nice new friends.

Just couldn’t leave without picking up another bottle of the CD Baker 2016 Cab Sauv Aged in Bourbon Barrels. Read our blog review about this bold wine.
With that another weekend escapade comes to a close. Happy Weekend Wining!

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Favorite Vineyard, Winery, and Wine Photographs

Thought it’d be cool to share some of our favorite pictures in one blog post.

Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyards – Shelby NC

Brandon Hills Vineyards -Yadkinville, NC

Roaring River Vineyards – Traphill, NC

Wine under full moon over the OBX – Photo by Alan Rogers

Goat Yoga – Cats Paw Winery – Rock Hill, SC

Sisters – Russian Chapel Hills Winery – Green Creek, NC

Callaboose Cellars – Andrews, NC

Sunday at Parker-Binns Vineyards

Sundown at Parker-Binns Vineyards

Relaxing by the lake shore – Old Home Place Vineyards near Lexington, NC

Wally with harvest at Silk Hope Winery

Zimmerman Vineyards

Flight of Cider at Windy Hill Orchard and Cidery

CityScape Winery in Pelzer, SC

CeNita Vineyards in Georgia

Owls Eye Vineyards in Shelby, NC

Relaxing out back at Callaboose Cellars

Hummingbird at MountainBrook Vineyards

Cabo Winery downtown Concord, NC

Firepit at Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyards

Sunset Sippin at Burntshirt Vineyards

Wine Slushies at Eagle Fork Vineyards

View of 3 States- North Carolina, Georgia, & Tennessee from Nottely River Valley Vineyards

Old farm truck st Junius Lindsay Vineyard

Old mill at Elkin Creek Vineyards

View of mountains at Fontaine Vineyards

Will continue to update as we explore more wineries. Have one to add. Send to us at WineryEscapades@gmail.com

Happy Weekend Wining!

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South Carolina Winery Reference

As native South Carolinian’s, we set out here to provide a reference for each operating destination vineyard and winery in the state. Our research has uncovered 18 operating wineries and 2 cideries and 2 Meaderies.

Majority of South Carolina offers a challenge to grow the common European vinifera varieties, yet some offerings can be found. Many unique offerings of muscadine, native, French-American hybrids, and some excellent fruit wines, meads, and hard ciders are certainly produced.

We encourage as you travel into and through South Carolina, stop and enjoy some of the excellent wines and destination vineyards in the Palmetto state. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. If you’re local, you will find your local winery a great place to spend a relaxing day with family and/or friends.

First we’ll take a look at the operating wineries with estate vineyards.

1. CityScape Winery – Pelzer (Greenville County)

A small rural boutique winery south of Greenville, operating since 2007 ish. The current owners bought the winery just five years ago. Growing Carlos, Noble, Spanish Black, and Blanc du Bois on site. Josh and Deb, owners and winemakers, also import grapes from other prominent wine regions. The wineries mascot, is the adorable Pinot the Pig. You can often find him tethered outside the tasting room sporting his super hero costume.

CityScape will be opening a brand new 10,000 square foot tasting room in early 2022.

Location: 589 Dunklin Bridge Rd.

Recommendation: Müller Two-Goats (Müller-Thurgau)

2. Victoria Valley Vineyards – Cleveland

Mountain vineyard and winery styled after a French chateau, offering a bistro with enchanting views of the mountains overlooking their vineyards. Growing several varieties of vinifera wines, which can be enjoyed with lunch from their gorgeous open air terrace.

Location: 1360 S. Saluda Rd.

Recommendation: White Merlot

3. Enoree River Winery – Newberry

Open 11 years now and still going strong, this vineyard and winery sits just off Interstate 26 about 30 miles Northwest of Columbia. Growing Carlos and Noble, plus Herbemont and Lenoir on site, offers several handcrafted blends and fruit wines along with several seasonal wines available. The winery offers a spacious tasting room and a beautiful deck overlooking the vineyards, perfect for relaxing with a bottle of good wine.

Location: 1650 Dusty Rd.

Recommendation: Seasonal Fruit Wines

4. Mercer House Estate Winery – Lexington

The Winery at Mercer House is a rural craft estate winery. Many muscadine and blends are offered, along with a few very unique wines. Try the very unique Blueberry Jalapeño wine.

Location: 397 Walter Rawl Rd.

Recommendation: Apple Pie

5. Deep Water Vineyard -Wadmalar Island

Charleston area’s only Vineyard and Winery, originally Irvin – House Vineyard. Nestled among the live oaks just outside of Charleston.

Location: 6775 Bears Bluff Rd.

Recommendation: Magnolia

6. Wellborn Winery – Travelers Rest

This Winery in the Woods is growing French-American Hybrid varietals and sourcing other fruit from local South Carolina Farms. A Small tasting room is complimented with a beautiful scenic outdoor patio and seating spread about the yard. A small AirBnB house overlooking the vineyards is available for overnight accommodations.

Location: 254 Mush Creek Road

Recommendation: Rustic Red

7. Hyman Vineyards – Florence

Not a destination winery, a working vineyard which doesn’t support a tasting room. Their wines are sold at local farmers markets.

Location: Pee Dee Farmers Market, Florence

Recommendation: Southern Sunrise

8. Lazy Bear Winery – Easley

International award winning small winery focusing on fruit and berry wines produced from estate grown and local farm sourced fruit. Lazy Bear is also producing several award winning meads.

Location: 644 Hester Store Rd.

Recommendation: Peach Berry Medley or Plum

9. Cartersville Country Winery – Timmonsville

Working Vineyard and Winery and wedding venue located just off the intersection of Interstate 26 and Interstate 95 near Florence. Growing muscadine with twenty acres under vine and also producing real fruit wines. Overnight accommodations and full camper hookups available. No joke, winemaker is named Carlos Noble.

Location: 571 Lamar Hwy.

10. Bowman Vineyards -Round O

Family owned Muscadine vineyard and winery since 2004. Open only each Saturday Bowman wines can also be purchased at their farm store in Augusta Hwy just outside of Walterboro.

Note: La Belle Amie Vineyard and Winery – Little River

Technically not a winery though a working vineyard, tasting room, and gift shop serving the Grand Strand area. The vineyard is popular among the millions of visitors each year to the Myrtle Beach and surrounding Grand Strand area.

Location: 1120 St. Joseph Rd.

Recommendation: Cabana Boy “Just Peachy”

The wineries listed below are operating without support of their own vineyard. Each is unique in it’s own way and provide a destination to relax and enjoy some good wine.

11. Cats Paw Winery – Rock Hill

Small craft winery nestled on farm land just Southeast of Charlotte.

Location: 1567 Fayrene Rd., Rock Hill

Recommendation: Strawberry Sensation

12. Old Rock Quarry Winery -Enoree

Small rural craft winery in Spartanburg county located just off Interstate 26. Offering a diverse selection of semi-dry and sweet fruit infused wines. Described to be reminiscent of visiting your neighbors, whom just happen to make good homemade wine.

Location: 629 Old Rock Quarry Rd., Enoree

Recommendation: Snap Apple Sassy

The following three are urban wineries in the Myrtle Beach Grand Strand area. All three are in high tourist shopping venues.

13. Carolina Vineyards Winery – Myrtle Beach

Location: Barefoot Landing, N. Myrtle

Recommendation: Bare-Foot Blush

14. Boardwalk Winery – Myrtle Beach

Location: Broadway at the Beach

Recommendation: Wine Slushie

Coastal Carolina Winery operates tasting rooms in Myrtle Beach and Pawley’s Island, however the wine is produced in North Carolina.

One urban winery can be found on Hilton Head Island.

15. Island Winery – Hilton Head

Location: 12A Cardinal Rd.

Recommendation: Southern Passion

One urban winery can be found in Greenville.

16. Elevation 966 Winery

Urban winery about one mile from downtown near the downtown airport. Really nice outdoor patio for enjoying a nice weather day.

Location: 301 Airport Rd.

Recommendation: Delight

South Carolina‘s Newest Winery

17. South Bend Winery – Greenwood

Nestled on 6 acres of old farm land on the South side of Greenwood. The tasting is a remodeled old farm house. The winery has plenty of of outdoor space and a nice fire pit out back.

A few others of mention.

18. Silver Dew Winery is found on Dafuskie Island near Hilton Head. A very historic and significant winery in South Carolina history.

You may also find of interest…,

Duplin Winery operates a tasting room in North Myrtle Beach, however Duplin is a North Carolina based Vineyard and Winery.

Cideries.

Windy Hill Apple Orchard and Cidery in York is alway busy during the fall Apple harvest season.

Fat Ass Heifer Cidery operates in Campobello, opening each Saturday for tastings. You know you want the t-shirt!

Location: 10125 New Cut Road.

Ships Wheel Hard Cider operates tasting room in North Charleston. Ciders are currently produced in this location.

Location: North Charleston.

Meaderies.

Wandering Bard Meadery just recently opened a taproom in the Greenville’s Hampton Station .

Bee Town Mead and Cider is located in Bluffton near Hilton Head Island.

Eagle Mountain Vineyards Vineyard and boutique winery in Travelers Rest. Eagle Mountain does not produce wine in South Carolina but proudly offers a California wine experience.

As always, use the VinoWine app for details and directions.

Updated 12/31/2021

Weeken Escapde – Week 42 – Smallest Winery in the Country?

Thinking we’d view some Fall foliage, Saturday we headed toward Andrews and Murphy, N.C. This area is part of the Upper Hiwassee Highlands American Viticultural Area. This AVA of the Southern Appalachian Mountains straddles the North Carolina and North Georgia Mountains around the North Carolina – Georgia state line. It is one of the nations newest American Viticultural Area. We have visited several in this area on previous trips, though still a few in North Carolina to partake.

Our first stop was Callaboose Cellars. The winery is located in a 100 year old stone building which was once used as a jailhouse. There remain bars on the front door and side windows. It’s the smallest Winery in the country according to their website. Offering only a few wines, tastings are offered at no charge. Their nearby Vineyard supports over four acres under vine. There is a small porch and a big yard with beautiful mountain views. We took a bottle of the Revinoors Red home with us. This one is extremely unique. Can’t wait to get back this way and spend a little more time just hanging out and enjoying the views.

In quest of visiting a few more in the AVA, we then made our way downtown Andrews to visit Ferncrest Winery. Ferncrest has a small off site vineyard which lies on the crest of a hill and thereby harnesses the power of the sun. This is a true urban winery, perfect for a quick drop in when exploring the town of Andrews and surrounding mountains. We brought a bottle of the Silver medal winning Autumn Rosé home with us, it’s a semi-sweet made from the Cynthiana grape.

We then headed toward Murphy with the intention to visit Valley River ineyards. Except we found this winery closed. After checking their website, I see they are closed for the season and will reopen in March. I did find this cute plant growing in a wine glass on top of a barrel.

Quick to regroup, we headed towards downtown to Cherokee Cellars. This one is another true urban winery. Glad we made it as the owners informed us they are closing up for good as of end of October. We did find several wines we enjoyed and took four bottles home with us. They are pretty much selling everything, so the have a few wine barrels on sale for $150 each. These make great tables.

Sunday we headed up to Overmountain Vineyards in Tryon. We wanted to try the 2016 vintage of Camelia. Camelia is a very light white blend of Chardonnay and Petit Manseng. It’s really crisp with a depth of floral aroma. We enjoyed a bottle on the patio. It was so nice to speak with so many others enjoying a beautiful Fall day. Sophia was really busy but even so took a few minutes to speak with us. The winery Great Danes, Maximus and Shamus, are always up for some attention.

I made my way down toward the winery, and snapped a few pictures. Fortunate for me, owner and winemaker Frank Lilly approached and we were able to speak for a few minutes. Frank studied wine making in the Sonoma Valley, and he and Sophia are trying to emulate a Sonoma-Like experience at Overmountain Vineyards. From the looks of the crowd, and the taste of the wine, I’d say they are doing a darn good job.

Upon leaving, we decided to stop by and see our friend Andrey at Russian Chapel Hill Winery as we know the winery is open until 6pm. We’ve visited and written about RCHW many times, yet it is always nice to visit. The winery just offers a relaxing spot to have a good glass of wine and reflect on the past weekend. We met this pair of sisters who were just enjoying an outing and we enjoyed talking with them about wine and travel and fun. Oh by the way, check out the gelato which is offered at the winery.

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Another Weekend escapade comes to close. Happy weekend wining!

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Weekend Escapades – Week 41 – Bloody Mary Wine?

Saturday we started with a quick stop at CityScape Winery in Pelzer, S.C. We had an alternative motive for the visit, more to come later. We enjoyed a glass of Müller Two-Goats (Müller Thurgau), and chatted with Deb. Pinot the Pig was dressed in his superhero costume and grazing out by the vineyard. We think the world of Josh and Deb and appreciate all the hard work they put into making this small rural South Carolina Winery such a smashing success.

We then headed towards Newberry as Enoree River Vineyards was hosting their annual Harvest Festival. Along with Enoree River Vineyards, three other South Carolina wineries set up tents and offered wine for tasting and purchase. The first tent showcased our good friends from Old Rock Quarry Winery. The line at their tent was long all day. They mentioned at one point that were really concerned about running out of wine.

Second and third tents showcased wine from host Enoree River Vineyards. We love Richard and Laura and for anyone in the Columbia, Lexington, Irmo, Newberry, or Clinton area it is just a quick drive. The winery offers good wine and a beautiful relaxing place to unwind. Their Sunday pack the porch events are always a fun time.

Proverbs 31 Winery set up in the fourth tent. We have never visited this small boutique Winery, only open by appointment. We enjoyed chatting with them and found they are using local South Carolina grown fruit to produce their craft wines. The Watermelon and the Thanksgiving were especially interesting.

Finally, on the end was Mercer House Estate Winery. First, there’s the Bloody Mary wine. Yes, that’s not a typo. Guess what, it’s actually pretty dang good. They also offer a coffee wine, well that one wasn’t too our liking. Nevertheless, every wine offered is fun and unique. The highlight of their offering was the Sagaree 2015 which is billed as the first and oldest wine of America. Located right outside of Lexington, South Carolina, Mercer House is well worth a visit.

Two bands were featured on stage. Opening was the Time Pirates and Alex Davis with his band Passing Worth finished out the day. The weather was good, actually getting a bit warm as the sun shined down bright on the festivities. Several vendors were on-site offering crafts and farm goods. The festival was a big success and seems everyone had a great time. The ladies below were celebrating a birthday and all had matching shirts. I love the people we meet at wineries. Once the festival wound down, we drove to Greenwood and enjoyed wings and beer with an old friend.

Sunday we knew Alex Davis was playing solo at Owls Eye Vineyards so we made the quick drive over to enjoy a bottle and listen. It is always fun to listen to Alex and we certainly enjoy sitting on the patio at Owl’s Eye and enjoying a bottle of their Celebration. Just oh by the way, Owls Eye is running a special during October, 50% off every case of wine.

Another weekend escapade comes to close. Expecting the North Carolina mountain fall foliage to be at peak viewing next weekend, we’ll held up into the mountains and find some wineries along the way. Happy Weekend Wining!

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CD Baker 2015 Cab Sauv Aged in Bourbon Barrels

As Jenni will attest, I’m a self confessed Cab Sauv snob. It is generally my opinion, a Cabernet Sauvignon is either good, or it is not. There seems to me absolutely no in-between. Cab Sauv is known to pair well with steak, or beef in general as a full-bodied red, high in tannins and alcohol content. Therefore easy to conclude, if I’m writing a blog about one, it must be a good one.

Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyards, is located in the small rural farming community of Fallston, just outside of Shelby, North Carolina. A few months back we had visited and Charles was so excited about the Cab Sauv aging in bourbon barrels. Charles and Ann brought a few bottles to the North Carolina Wine Month Kickoff event and we were thrilled to sample a little tasting. I was immediately hooked, and couldn’t wait to get back by the winery to pick up a bottle to take home.
Aged in bourbon barrels for 4 months, this wine is intensely complex. I would suggest allowing the bottle to breathe, it’s full bodied, with color of deep cherry red. The bourbon is robustly noticeable to the nose, with complex aromas of deep caramel and soft notes of vanilla. First taste is rich, dry, & slightly bitter. The caramel tends to linger with bold notes of black cherry along with blackberry fading to a slightly leathery, intense smoky and spicy, peppery finish. Perhaps a bit overwhelming to enjoy without food, this wine is perfect to pair with a grilled New York Strip, Ribeye, Filet Mignon or BBQ.

I often hear from friends, “I’m just not a wine guy.” I always believe that statement at its core is simply a “don’t want to” response, but nevertheless, your excuse is shot. The CD Baker 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Aged in Bourbon Barrels fits the bill. This North Carolina Cab Sauv which retails at $24 a bottle is not only good, it’s uniquely special. Produced in small batches, each bottle is consistent yet in limited quantity. This Cabernet Sauvignon deserves to be in your wine rack or cellar and should be expected to age extremely well.

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Weekend Escapade – Week 40

This past weekend started on Friday when Dennis and I went to Abbeville to go to a play at the Abbeville Opera House and we stayed at the Belmont Inn. Both of these buildings are very quaint and hold a LOT of history. We love staying at the Belmont and can’t wait to return in April to see another play.

The play we saw was Everybody Loves Opal. If you ever get the chance, go see this play! It is funny, cute and in the end has a sweet message for all ages. The cast was amazing! Maryanne Campbell played the title character and did an amazing job! Bradford Winter was played by D. C. Moody. We had seen both of them in Arsenic and Old Lace over a year ago. I have to wonder if D C likes playing the bad boy. JSydney Wells played Gloria Gurlock,, Dave DiGeronimo played Solomon Bozo, the Doctor was played by Bruce Johnston and Office Joe Jankie by Taylor McNair. The entire cast was amazing! We also got to chat with most of the cast at Tinkers Alley Bar which is the bar/restaurant at the Belmont. I so appreciate them letting me invade their group for a little bit!

The remainder of the winter season consists of the following plays and I hope I get to see some of the actors from Everybody Loves Opal in JB (the one Dennis have decided to attend in April).

Coney Island Christmas Dec 1,2,8,9,15 & 16

Vanya, Sonia, Masha & Spike Feb 2,3,9 &10 (We’ve seen this show at another venue & it’s great!)

The Wind in the Willows Mar 9, 10, 11, 16 & 17

J.B Apr 6, 7, 8, 13 & 14

We got up Saturday morning, had breakfast at the hotel and then rambled around downtown Abbeville for a bit. We found a fun little moonshine distillery called Red Barn Likker, and can’t wait to go back & get some of the apple spice mixer and his 70 proof moonshine.

We left there and headed for GA. Our first stop was CeNitaVineyard. Very quaint winery with a great story. The winery used to be a dairy farm. They have a lovely red barn in the back for events. There was a wedding Saturday. They were taking pictures while we were there. Beautiful scenery for a wedding. They had literally just finished harvesting the Chambourcin grapes that morning and we got to sample some of the fresh juice. That was a real treat. All the wines were very nice, but the Buckie Estate Wine and the Rouge Estate Wine were my favorites.

We left there and headed to Yonah Mountain Vineyards. The venue is lovely and again, there was a wedding going on in their event space. Other than wedding attendees, the winery was very busy on Saturday. They have 17 acres of vine that consist of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, Cab Sav, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

From there we headed to The Cottage Vineyard. Nathan, the son of the owner did our tasting. This 7’ tall man made my 6’3” husband look short! The bear cub on their logo was an actual bear that was on the property at one time. Again, they had several really nice wines, but Dennis & I decided on a bottle of the Baby Doll Legs Rose. We also enjoyed the Southern Sass which is a peach wine and is named for one of the employees that has worked at the winery from the beginning. We sat outside and met some extremely nice people.

Sunday we stayed close to home and went to see Andre at Russian Chapel Hills and enjoyed a bottle of his very nice Mosaic. It was a tad rainy but the porch is covered and wide enough that we got to sit outside and play with the dogs (as usual!).

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NOTE: above blog was actually written by Jenni Turner, only posted by Dennis.

Weekend Escapade -Week 39 2017

Thursday night Jenni and I decided to go to Mountain Brook Vineyards in Tryon for trivia night. Oops! Turns out trivia night is Thursday the following week. We found the winery closed. Luckily for us, we found Owners Dennis and Miriam still at the tasting room shipping wine to out of state customers. After a laugh, We were allowed to purchase a bottle of thier Rosè. We sat and chatted with Dennis and Miriam as we enjoyed our wine. I’ll soon have a new blog post up with a full review of Mountain Brook. It was just wonderful to talk local wineries with them.

Check out these views

Yes, there are horses on site and Jenni can’t leave without showing the horses some love.

Friday night Jenni and I enjoyed a bottle of Barn Owl Red from Owls Eye Vineyard in Shelby, N.C. while relaxing at home on our patio. The weather was perfect for sitting outside. Fall has arrived.

Saturday we headed to Germanton Vineyard and Winery , up above Winston-Salem. Named after the community in which it is located, owners David and Judy Simpson opened way back in 1981. Both David and Judy are cancer survivors by the way. The winery shares a building with their art gallery. David joked that even beyond the fine works of art in the gallery, he and Judy are serious junk collectors.

They have a small organic vineyard on their property just behind the winery, and buy all local grapes and fruit to supplement. Many of their wines have won medals at competitions not only in North Carolina, but also in New York and California. My favorite was the Suana Red which recently won bronze in the Fingers Lakes wine competition. There are many fine works of art to peruse, many with North Carolina themes and several are available for offers. In the gallery are fine art paintings, sculptures, and photographs from some eighty plus different artist. We each had a glass and enjoyed browsing the gallery. The first picture below is a priceless drawing by the owners granddaughter.

Upon leaving, we consulted the Vino Wine app and decided we’d venture further North to Autumn Creek Vineyards.

Autumn Creek Vineyards, located on incredibly beautiful property with thirteen total acres of vines. Planted in the Vineyards are eight varieties, Merlot, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Cab Franc, Chambourchin, Petit Manseng, and Riesling. The tasting room, pavilion, and cabins all have a modern rustic look. The tasting room is surrounded by a beautiful deck overlooking the lake and surrounding Vineyards.

Autumn Creek offers a large rustic pavilion, and a gazebo by the lake perfect for weddings or other events. Rustic cabins nestled in the vineyards are available for overnight stays. A bottle of their wine is included with each nights stay.

As our Sundays are normally reserved for visiting our local favorites, we drove up to Parker-Binns Vineyards. We love Roberto, Karen, and Dee at Parker-Binns. Our joke is, a bottle of wine, dinner, and entertainment for about $20. Each Sunday, the winery has a local musician playing and bakes pizza in their outdoor brick oven. The pizzas are not sold, just cut in small slices and brought around for everyone to share. Just for information, the pizza is really, really good. We ran into some friends, and met a few new ones, all sat around and discussed wine, real estate, and whatever other subjects came up. The people are just fantastic, the environment just relaxing, the views fantastic, music good, the pizza superb, and the wine is the star of the show. Sundays at Parker-Binns make for a really fun afternoon.

These pictures taken as we were leaving were just a perfect way to close out our weekend.

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This Weekend’s Escapade (Week 37 of 2017)

We started our weekend with a Friday night visit to Spartoberfest celebration in Spartanburg, S.C. I enjoyed a beer and Jenni a glass of white wine. Saturday we first stopped at Windy Hill Orchard and Cidery in York, S.C. This place was hopping. Singer/guitarist Chris Holder was performing. Families were enjoying picnics. Children were playing in the Orchard. Apple cider donuts were being freshly made. Best of all, The barkeeps were serving hard cider.

Windy Hill Orchard, licensed as a Cidery since 1996, has expanded their selection and production to keep up with a growing demand. We both enjoyed the Gala Peach, though the Hopping Johnny was my favorite. Jenni also enjoyed the Spicy Peach, a seasonal, and the Rusty Gold, an apple cinnamon blend. I mentioned the donuts, these were so good, freshly made on site. The cider bar is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so check their website.

We left and headed towards Lincolnton. The town was hosting its annual Apple festival. We proposed this an excellent reason to venture back to Southern Charm Winery. We really enjoy their Peach wine, aptly named Southern Charm. Jenni and I each enjoyed a glass of the Southern Charm Peach as we perused the gift selection. Just couldn’t leave without taking a bottle home. Fiddler’s Vineyard and Woodmill Winery also had booths set up for the festival. We browsed the craft vendors up and down Main Street until the heat just got too overwhelming.

Several months earlier we had purchased a Groupon for a distillery tour in Charlotte. Click the Groupon link and search for Doc Porters Distillery. I had earlier in the week made us a 5:30 appointment for the guided tour, so we headed towards Charlotte. Andrew Porter, owner/ founder, conducted our tour. He explained the distilling process and shared with us the different grains used in each spirit. The Distillery is making a Vodka, a Gin, and a Bourbon, with a Rye about ready to release. We enjoyed all, my favorite being the Gin which was very floral and smooth. They are also in a collaboration with Sospreso Coffee Roasters of Waxhaw, offering bourbon roasted coffee beans. Gourmet coffee beans roasted in their used bourbon barrels. This is an excellent way for a quick evening outing and is certainly interesting to learn more about the distilling process. Of course tasting the distilled spirits isn’t bad either. We give Doc Potters a strong recommendation. Check out their website.

As Jenni and I left, we realized we weren’t but 40 or so minutes from Monroe. We knew that Hilton Vineyards in Monroe was open late and we had yet to visit this winery. Glad we made this decision, and glad we visited at night. A DJ was spinning tunes and the natives were dancing in the streets. Thomas, one of the owners, graciously poured our tasting. He explained that his father had always grown his own grapes and fruits and used what he grew to home crafted wine. After spending several years living on the coast, his father decided to retire back home to Union County, and make a living by making wine. The vineyard was planted in what was then a dry county, so the winery was opened in neighboring Monroe allowing the sell of their wines. The winery is open until 11pm on Friday and Saturday, and has the feel of a local wine bar. They are growing the larger majority of grapes and fruits used in their wines and all wine sold is made on site. The Malbec was really good, though it is dryer than some others of the region. We also liked the Chardonel Peach and the Apple Riesling. The Mango is their best seller and it is certainly flavorful. We also tasted the “ice wine,” and this one is somewhat unique, just got to try for yourself. I appreciate Hilton staying open late, wish we had planned to spend the night. It would have been nice to sit outside and listen to the music while sipping on a glass of wine. Next time right?

Sunday afternoon we headed over to CityScape Winery in Pelzer, South Carolina, in lower Greenville County. CityScape is long one our favorites and I’ll try to write an updated review soon. Our friends and owners, Josh and Deb Jones, weren’t there, but the staff took good care of us. We sat under the portico outside and enjoyed a bottle of Müller Two-Goats (Müller Thurgau). We also had a taste of their new release of Chocolate Red and it did not disappoint. They posted on Facebook Saturday that their wines are now sold in two local Fresh Markets. Congratulation are in order for this huge accomplishment. We know Josh, Deb, and their staff work extremely hard to make this small winery a big success. Jenni and I certainly missed seeing both and of course Pinot the Pig, but are thrilled to see them grow and look forward to seeing them all next time.

Happy Weekend Wining!

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