Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Shelton Vineyards Hosts Special Event

Iconic North Carolina winery hosts wine writers and media.


 

Shelton Style And Quality Wines Impress

Story by Dave Nershi, CSW  -   Photos by Corrie Huggins

Eastern wineries have long labored in the shadows of their West Coast counterparts. We get it. As much as we appreciate bottles from Napa, there are stellar wineries on the other coast, right under our noses. One such gem is Shelton Vineyards, one of the largest vineyards on the East Coast. It’s located in North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley and shares a growing season and climate similar to the best wine-growing regions of Europe.


Shelton recently threw open the doors to the winery and tasting room during a special event for wine bloggers, writers, and influencers. The event featured a dine-around throughout the winery. We wound our way from the crush pad to the tank room and the barrel cave before ending in the tasting room. All the while we enjoyed selected wines crafted by winemaker Ethan Brown with tasty small dishes by Executive Chef Mark Thrower.


The winery was founded by brothers Charlie and Ed Shelton in 1999. Today, a wide range of grapes are grown on the Shelton estate, which has more than 400 acres. Varieties include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, Tannat, Petit Verdot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Petit Manseng.

The wine and food pairings were:

Crush Pad: Sauvignon Blanc & Joyce Farm’s Chicken Napa cabbage roll with lemon and basil

Work Room: Cabernet Sauvignon & Slivered peppered “Naked” duck breast, cherry-cab gastrique, Farro salad

Tank Room: Tannat & Lamb lollipop, Danish blue stuffed Castelvetrano olives, roasted tomato coulis

Barrel Cave: Sparkling Riesling & Poached shrimp on Lavosh, honey-lime mascarpone, pickled golden beet, pepper jelly

The food pairings were delicious. Chef Mark oversees the on-site restaurant, the Harvest Grill. We’ve dined at the grill on several occasions and were dazzled each time. My favorite pairing was the lamb lollipop with their smashing Tannat. Of special interest is the sparkling program. Still in its infancy, it’s making some nice strides. We finished the formal program in the cool barrel cave with a toast of sparkling Riesling.


Many thanks to Summer Baruth, Shelton marketing director, for putting together all the wonderful pieces, and to my blogging friends and colleagues. Shelton is a destination winery in North Carolina’s wine county that should be on your next itinerary.



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