Following the Surry County Wine Trail Yields Top North Carolina Wine Discoveries

North Carolina Is becoming a favorite destination for wine and culinary experiences. Join us as our travels explore Yadkin Valley and the outstanding wineries of the Surry County Wine Trail.

Round Peak Vineyards, Mt. Airy

Round Peak Vineyards is the northernmost winery in Yadkin Valley, North Carolina’s acclaimed wine country. Round Peak also holds another distinction as the first winery we visited in North Carolina.

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We were scouting to find a new home and Round Peak was close to the interstate as we travelled to Raleigh. As we walked through the doors, we thought, “If all the wineries in the state are like this, it will be fantastic.” Panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains added to the experience.

Owners Ken Gulaian and Kari Heerdt strive to make the winery a relaxing retreat. Indeed, sitting on the covered porch and looking out at the manicured vines is quite a peaceful experience. It’s certainly a change for the couple, who were introduced to California wine country while working jobs in the Bay area. The pair bought the winery just off Interstate 77 west of Mount Airy in 2008.

Today the winery produces estate wine from 12 acres of grapes and 13 grape varieties. Ken, led us through a tasting starting with the surprising Sparkling Elderflower wine. Eight hundred elderberry flowers were harvested from the vineyard, making the perfect summer quencher. It is a blend of 40% elderflower and 60% Vidal Blanc.

Round Peak produces Vidal Blanc in three styles: dry, sweet, and sparkling. La Petite Vendange (little harvest) is the dry version and is crisp and fruity with luscious pear notes.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a challenge for any North Carolina winery, so Round Peak focuses elsewhere. Ken is known for his Nebbiolo, an Italian grape that is grown by only one other winery in the state. The 2013 vintage is a tasteful experience, with leather, tar, sour cherry, and licorice notes. It is his signature wine.

Round Peak does small lots of wine, often in the 28 to 75-case range. Changes are afoot in the vineyard. Coming soon will be the first harvest of Petit Manseng and Chardonel, a hybrid with Chardonnay attributes, which will be planted this year.

After tasting the Petit Verdot and a robust Merlot, we closed with the 2019 Tannat. Tannat is the national grape of Uruguay but has soared in popularity in the Tar Heel State. The Round Peak Tannat is intense, with dark fruit flavors, pepper, and plentiful tannins.

Round Peak has something for everyone. In addition to the wide range of wines, it is also home to Skull Camp Brewery (with a tasting room in Elkin too). There are two cabins overlooking the vines, plus a one-of-a-kind disc golf course going through the vineyard featuring baskets constructed from retired barrels and recycled bicycle wheels.

Wally’s Service Station and Mayberry Squad Car Tour, Mt. Airy

Fans of the Andy Griffith Show may know Mt. Airy, Griffith’s childhood home, as the inspiration for TV’s town of Mayberry. Mt. Airy fully embraced it with the Andy Griffith Museum, Floyd’s Barbershop, Aunt Bea’s restaurant, and Snappy Lunch. Griffith’s grade school is now the Andy Griffith Playhouse. His childhood home is an attraction that’s available for nightly rentals.

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Wally’s Service Station is a popular attraction, an original service station built in 1937 and operated as a Gulf Station and then later as a Standard Oil Station or Esso. It has old-fashioned candy, bottled drinks, and a wonderful variety of unique gifts and souvenirs.

Nearby are the Mayberry Courthouse and Otis' Jail Cell and other replicas of the set of the show. The big attraction is the Squad Car Tour. The cost is $50 per car-load (we had three) and the tour with our knowledgeable guide was fun and memorable. He covered highlights of Mt. Airy (incorporated in 1885) and Andy Griffith as we tooled around in a vintage 1965 Ford Galaxie.

A surprise highlight was a mammoth granite quarry located east of town. It is the world’s largest open-faced granite quarry and produces what many consider the purest, densest, and most white granite available. The site covers 60 acres and has enough granite for at least another 500 years.

Stony Knoll Vineyards, Dobson

Stony Knoll Vineyards has a family history that is six generations long. It didn’t begin with the fine wine and grapes produced today, but rather in 1896 when Joseph Coe purchased a tract of land in Surry County. In the 1940s the land was cleared with hand tools and cultivation began. The cash crop then was tobacco and remained so until the late 1980s when a switch was made to hay and cattle.

In the late 1990s, Van Coe had a vision of changing to a new crop to preserve the family farm and way of life. Grapes were planted in 2001 and the tasting room opened in 2004. Today Stony Knoll grows nine grape varieties on 10 acres.

When Van decided to step back from running the day-to-day operation, son-in-law Jonah Hoosier stepped in to keep the family-led operation rolling. He certainly has the touch. The 2022 Viognier grabbed the 2023 NC Fine Wines Best in Show and Double Gold.

“Viognier is a finicky grape,” said Hoosier. “There was a lot of uncertainty about the vintage. In the 2021 season, there was frost damage causing some vines to be replaced. In 2022 there were heavy rains in July and August, threatening to disrupt the timing of harvest. The results were unexpectedly good. The wine has a soft aroma of floral notes. On the palate, it has delicious light pear, grapefruit, and honeysuckle – an all-around winner!

The portfolio of reds includes some tasty selections. The 2018 Cabernet Franc flows with black cherry and chocolate flavors. This medium-bodied wine finishes with velvety tannins.

A special treat for red wine lovers is the Master Exquisite Black Oak Stick reserve line which includes Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Bordeaux-style blend. The Black Oak moniker came about when an oak stave was found floating in the wine barrel. The flavor was distinctive so the practice has continued.

The 2014 MEBOS Cabernet BVC Parts is an equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. This notable wine has a silky mouthfeel and integrated tannins. There are rich fruit flavors of blackberry, black cherry, and vanilla.

Stony Knoll has Old World winemaking and hospitality. Soon you can expect to see wines from Corot Noir and Arandelle vines planted in 2020.

JOLO Winery and Vineyards, Pilot Mountain

Nestled in the shadows of North Carolina’s iconic Pilot Mountain stands another landmark. JOLO Winery has established itself as one of North Carolina’s premier wineries – and one that is garnering national acclaim.

At this year’s Rosé Competition, judges selected 2022 JOLO Pink as the best of show, outshining more than 150 other wines. Judge Sunny Fraser remarked, “When a wine from North Carolina is the Best in Show, it is reminiscent of a Judgment of Paris moment.  There are no preconceived ideas in a blind tasting; you’re just judging what’s in the glass.”

JOLO Pink is primarily Chambourcin, with smaller amounts of Vidal Blanc, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, and Traminette.  It has lip-smacking flavors of strawberry candy and watermelon. This is a perfect match for goat cheese.

The allure of JOLO is readily apparent. The estate showcases the natural beauty of the foothills with stunning views of Pilot Mountain. JOLO has wonderful grounds and a tasting lodge to tickle the fancy of any wine lover. The estate is a wine and food experience, with on-site restaurant End Posts being one of Winston-Salem’s top-rated Open Table dining establishments.

The wines range from refreshing, fruit-forward whites to powerful, award-winning reds. JOLO also stands out from many wineries for its use of French hybrids and lesser-known grapes. Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc, and Traminette are featured alongside better-known Bordeaux varieties. JOLO also features Cynthiana (also known as Norton) prominently. It is used in one of my favorite wines, Pilot Fog.

JOLOTAGE is the winery’s most famed wine. The 2022 vintage blends 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17.5% Chambourcin, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10.5% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged in French and American oak, it has a smooth and mellow body with fine tannins and blueberry and vanilla notes. It’s a bargain at $42.

JOLOTAGE Reserve is a blend of the 2020 and 2021 vintages, which receive extended aging. There are more extracted flavors with dark fruit flavors of blackberry and pie crust.

There are plenty of high-end bottles to explore with Pilot Shadow, Cuvee Selection, Carolus XII, and Devil’s Hill.

A wonderland for wine lovers, JOLO should be in your plans for your next trip. Its wines are also available online in 38 states.

Yadkin Valley and the Surry County Wine Trail offer friendly people, picturesque scenery, and wine that is elevating North Carolina’s reputation nationwide. To read the first part of this article, click here.

Surry County Wine Trail Highlights North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley Wine

By Dave Nershi, CSW

Part one of our journey in the heart of North Carolina’s wine country.

It’s a state of majestic mountains, scenic seashores, and lush pine forests. It’s also one of the top wine-producing states. No, we’re not talking about California, but rather North Carolina. North Carolina has approximately 200 wineries and 400 vineyards, ranking number 11 in state production of wine.

Not long after English settlers landed at Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina, the grapevine was first cultivated in the New World. Wine growers in North Carolina cultivated a native grape variety, Scuppernong, which produces a sweet wine. Winemaking flourished. In fact, by the dawn of the 20th century, North Carolina was the leading wine-producing region in the nation.

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Prohibition changed all that, with the state becoming better known for moonshine and those moonshine runners helped to start the NASCAR sport. Now North Carolina wine is back in a big way. The heart of North Carolina Wine Country is Yadkin Valley. It recently experienced what some have called a “Judgement of Paris” moment for the Yadkin Valley when JOLO winery recently won “Best Rosé on the Planet” at The 10th Annual Rosé Competition.

JOLO is part of the Surry County Wine Trail in Yadkin Valley which includes 18 wineries in and around Surry County. The trail flows through the towns of Dobson, Elkin, Mount Airy, and Pilot Mountain. Surry County could be considered the birthplace of North Carolina wine. Charlie and Ed Shelton of Shelton Vineyards in Dobson oversaw the effort to get the Yadkin Valley its official status as a federally recognized American Viticultural Area in 2003. It was North Carolina's first AVA. An area formerly known for tobacco farming; Yadkin Valley is now celebrated as a premier wine-producing area with over 40 wineries.

During a recent visit, we toured seven wineries that are part of the Surry County Wine Trail. We came away impressed with the quality and variety of the wine. Here’s the first half of our report.

NC Center for Viticulture and Enology at Surry Community College

Nothing demonstrates North Carolina’s commitment to producing premium wine more than the Shelton-Badgett NC Center for Viticulture and Enology. The center, located at Surry Community College in Dobson, was completed in 2009 and features a state-of-the-art commercial winery. Courses offered are targeted to those interested in becoming winery managers, tasting room managers, vineyard managers, winemakers, and wine marketers.

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Program Assistant Matthew Wilson provided a tour of Surry Cellars and its vineyard. Since the center receives many donations, they are blessed with an array of winemaking equipment that would be the envy of many in-state wineries. Surry Cellars produces a sought-after traditional method sparkling wine, Lot 154, made with 70% Petit Manseng, 20% Chardonnay, and 10% Traminette.

The program provides authentic hands-on experience including planting and tending the vineyard, making and bottling the wine, and marketing the final product. Even the eye-catching Surry Cellars label was designed by a student.

I’m a fan of Surry Cellar’s Barrel Fermented Chardonnay and their Chambourcin. Their Chambo is a Chambourcin that is made in a natural wine style. Kudzu flowers are used to isolate yeast used in its natural fermentation. Hard to believe that pesky kudzu can be used to produce such a beautiful wine, rich with raspberry and plum flavors and a touch of spice.

Chambo is part of the Surry Labs label produced by Surry Cellars. Surry Labs allows students to test ideas and winemaking methods in low-production runs. The Chambo is made with the malolactic fermentation and micro-oxygenation was used with French oak chips. This process gives the wine the character of more than a year of barrel aging in only two months.

There are eleven grape varieties in the vineyard including Petit Verdot, Tannat, Albariño, Traminette, Chardonnay, and Chardonel. Muscadine grapes will be added as part of a vineyard redevelopment project over the next two years.

Favorite Wine: 2022 “Chambo” Chambourcin

Surry’s Famous Ground Steak Sandwich

Before our next winery visit, we stopped for lunch at the Central Café in Dobson. The café is just the sort of place to enjoy a great homestyle meal. We got that plus a nice surprise. Dobson tourism coordinator Travis Frye introduced us to a historic treat: the ground steak sandwich.

Ground steak is a tasty variation of the hamburger with its origin in the Great Depression when local cooks devised a way to stretch the amount of food that could be made from a pound of ground beef or ground chuck.

Don’t confuse this with a sloppy joe, which is spicier and typically has ketchup or Worcestershire sauce. Ground steak can also be served on thick bread or entrée-style on a plate without the bun. Some restaurants in the area have been serving this favorite for more than 50 years. Each has its special recipe. The beef can be browned or boiled, spices include salt and pepper and in some cases hot sauce, was or milk is used to get the perfect consistency.

My sandwich was melt-in-your-mouth good. Explore this heritage food on the Surry Ground Steak Trail which includes 11 restaurants in Mt. Airy, Pilot Mountain, Dobson, and Elkin that serve this treat on their everyday menu.

Jones von Drehle

Jones von Drehle is a 130-acre estate winery and, according to co-founder Chuck Jones, everything about it is a fluke. In 2007 while driving through Yadkin Valley after his daughter’s soccer game, they passed a beautiful pasture and he exclaimed to his wife (and co-founder) Diana that this hillside would be perfect for a vineyard. Continuing to drive slowly past the property they spotted a ‘for sale” sign. Two weeks later they bought the land.

Another case of serendipity is the lovely Jones von Drehle 2022 Estate Viognier. When Chuck was looking to plant the vineyard, he wanted to plant Albariño but the nursery didn’t have any vines. Instead, he planted Viognier. It would be hard for Albariño to surpass the wonderful Viognier.  The 2022 vintage has a floral aroma leading to lush peach flavors and a soft finish.

Chuck describes growing grapes and making wine as a “slow-motion game.” Indeed, the winery is known for its long aging of wine. On the tasting menu are a 2017 Cabernet Franc and a reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from 2015.

The wines are fruit-focused, from the rich cherry and plum notes of the 2015 Merlot to the 2020 Petit Manseng, a white with bold flavors of stone fruit and balanced crispness. Also crisp and delightful is the 2021 Blanc de Blanc, a gorgeous sparkling wine from Chardonnay made in the time-consuming traditional method.

Jones von Drehle offers a summer concert series in their scenic amphitheater and music follows you throughout your visit to the winery. In the tasting room and on the grounds music is featured from groups that have performed at the winery.

Favorite wine: 2018 Steel & Stone, a blend of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon

Serre Vineyards

At the end of Beast Trail in Mt. Airy lies not a haunted house, but a winery boasting scenic views and flavorful wines. Serre Vineyards is the passion project of Christian Krobisch and Melissa Hayes. The husband and wife team chose the name “Serre” which is pronounced like “share” and means greenhouse in French.

Serre opened in September 2020 and so at this point, the grapes and winemaking come from outside sources, specifically Round Peak and Childress wineries. The vines are now in the ground for the estate vineyard and as they bear fruit, the winery will transition to its own grapes.

The property is 70 acres of farmland at more than 1,300 feet in elevation with a stellar view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The 3,000-square-foot tasting room is open and airy. It’s built in the modern farmhouse style with European accents.

The best spot to enjoy Serre is outside from the comfort of an Adirondack chair taking in the view of the mountains, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Cumberland Knob. With a glass of wine in your hand, of course.

“Flavor is why we’re in the business,” said Melissa. The wines we sampled certainly lived up to that billing. The 2022 Rêvasser, a carbonated Vidal Blanc, is the quintessential pick for a sultry summer day. The name is French for daydream, it’s crisp, bubbly, and bright.

New since our last visit is the 2019 Port Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is aged for 17 months in Port barrels, which conveys depth and a delectable sweetness not normally found in a North Carolina Cabernet. The 2019 “The Blend” is a Super Tuscan-style bottle that charmingly blends Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Montepulciano.

Favorite wine: 2019 The Blend, a Super Tuscan blend

Shelton Vineyards

Our first full day in Yadkin Valley was capped with a visit to Shelton Vineyards and their celebrated restaurant Harvest Grill. Shelton, with a 400-acre estate and one of the largest vineyards on the East Coast, is a leader in North Carolina wine.

We’ve been to Shelton on several occasions but this was a remarkable evening. Executive Chef Mark Thrower prepared an assortment of mouth-watering small plates based on the restaurant menu to accompany our wine selections. We savored the dishes in a prime location in the restaurant as we watched dusk fall on the vineyard and grounds.

In a creative twist on shrimp and grits, our first course was Shrimp & Middlins. Middlins are the broken and smaller pieces of rice from the hulling process. The dish was jumbo shrimp, wild boar sausage, blistered grape tomatoes, butter and spring onions on creamy Carolina Gold Rice “grits.” This was paired with the 2021 Sauvignon Blanc. The wine’s tropical fruit notes and light acidity were a pleasing pairing.

The strawberry bibb salad featured goat cheese from a local farm and aeroponically-grown lettuce. Aeroponics is the technique of growing plants without soil, quite a trick. This summery dish was matched with the 2021 Two-Five-Nine Dry Rosé, which has flowing strawberry and citrus flavors.

The Two Five Nine Tannat was paired with seared duck breast and blackberry-Malbec reduction. This Tannat recently received top honors in a tasting of Tannat from around the world conducted by sommelier and friend merlot2muscadine.

Big entrées call for big wines and so 2017 Two Five Nine Franklin was paired with the center-cut filet mignon. This was served with duck fat cipollini onion and cremini mushroom confit, scratch bordelaise, parsley truffle butter, and roasted fingerlings. Wow!

This limited reserve wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Tannat. The Tannat provides the heft for this wine which features dark fruit, chocolate, and leather. This is a substantial and beautiful wine.

Shelton is a shining example of North Carolina wine, fine food, and hospitality.

Favorite wine: 2017 Two Five Nine Franklin

Quartet Of Wineries Featured in #NC Wine Summit Tour

It hardly seems possible. I just attended the Fifth Annual #NC Wine Digital Media Summit. I attended the summit back in 2019 and had a blast. The last two have been virtual, and while it was a good program, there’s just no replacing a face-to-face meeting with real, live people.

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For me, the highlight of the event, organized by the NC Wine Guys, is the pre-summit winery tours exploring North Carolina wine. This year we visited Shelton Vineyards, Hidden Vineyard, Haze Gray Vineyards, and finished off with a dinner at Golden Road Vineyard. We were transported in style by Van In Black.

Shelton Vineyards

Shelton’s vineyard is one of the largest on the East Coast. There are 10 varieties grown at Shelton and heading to the tasting room, we passed row upon row of carefully pruned vines. Grapes grown on the 1,000-acre estate are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, Tannat, Petit Verdot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Petit Manseng.

We were treated to a spectacular tasting of their reserve wines in the tank room. Winemaker Ethan Brown led us through the tasting of seven different wines that ranged from sparkling rosé to Yadkin Valley Port. The range of their wines is dazzling, with more than 20 different wines available. Of special note are the Petite Manseng, Sparkling Rosé, Franklin, and Yadkin Valley Riesling. The Petite Manseng is one of the best white wines in North Carolina and this one has vibrant tropical flavors with limestone and acidity. The Franklin is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Tannat. The Tannat gives Franklin a kick in the pants with robust dark fruit, oak, and cherry flavors. We capped our visit with a delicious lunch in the intimate setting of the barrel room.

Shelton is one of the leaders of the North Carolina wine industry and with good reason.

Hidden Vineyard

From one of the largest wineries in the state, we next traveled to one of the smaller ones. Hidden Vineyard has a well-tended nine-acre vineyard that yields eight different grapes including some of our favs: Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Chambourcin. Located between Dobson and Pilot Mountain, this secluded boutique winery is well worth finding.

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The tasting room was built in the industrial farmhouse design with stylish contemporary touches as well as barnwood. It is compact, but if it fills up, there is plenty of seating and picnic areas outside. You can also stroll down Pilot Path amongst the vines. The path is so named because you get a perfect view of Pilot Mountain during your walk. The vineyard and tasting room are on the site of a former tobacco farm and a restored tobacco barn is now available to rent as a cabin.

Owners Tim and Lisa Sherman aim to produce quality Bordeaux-style wines and we tasted some outstanding ones. The wines have whimsical names and Lunchbox is a tasty barrel-fermented Chardonnay. Call Me A Cab is Cabernet Franc with tart berry notes, earthiness, and some herbaceousness. 131 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot aged in French Oak. Claus is barrel-aged Chambourcin that has flavors of vanilla, cocoa, and black cherry. A first-time visit for us and we’ll certainly be back.

Haze Gray Vineyards

I’ve heard the name Haze Gray Vineyards many times. Uneducated person that I am, I assumed Haze Gray was a person, perhaps an early settler of Yadkin Valley. But no, turns out that haze gray is the color of US Navy ships. Haze Gray is a veteran-owned and operated vineyard and winery that displays the Homegrown by Heroes brand. It certifies ranchers, farmers, and fishermen of all military eras to sell their products as veteran-owned and produced. Owners Deane and Becky Muhlenberg both were raised in military families and Deane served for 30 years in the US Navy as a flight officer.

The tasting room opened in 2019. One of the focal points inside is a wall that features a large wooden propeller and dozens of photos of veterans. Photos from veterans or family members are welcome to be displayed in this area, just one way Haze Gray salutes veterans. Their nine acres of grapes produce some outstanding wines, including Aviator Red. It’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Tannat and Chambourcin. It qualifies as a “party in your mouth” and one dollar from each bottle sold is contributed to the USO.

As far as white wines go, three are offered: a stainless steel Chardonnay, a barrel-fermented Chard, and a dry Traminette. The 2019 Stainless Steel Chardonnay has crisp flavors of pear and apples. Another excellent wine is the 2021 Dry Traminette. Traminette is related to Gewürztraminer and is an aromatic wine with floral scents and apricot and stone fruit flavors. Beautifully done!

Golden Road Vineyards

Golden Road is another Homegrown Heroes winery. It’s owned and operated by Chad and Christa Guebert. Chad served as a submarine officer in the US Navy and became interested in wine while stationed in Italy. They purchased Golden Road in 2017 to convert a vineyard that sold grapes to other wineries into one that produced its own wine. The tasting room opened in 2019. As part of the pre-summit activities, we enjoyed a rollicking good catered dinner at the winery paired with some wonderful wines.

We first tried the Emergency Blow sparkling Traminette. I was first introduced to this by my good friend Arthur Barham. I wondered about the name, but it turns out that it’s a submarine maneuver that forces compressed air into the ballast tanks to blow out the water. This causes a rapid rise to the surface. Emergency Blow is the first sparkling Traminette that I’ve tasted. It’s light, lovely, and packed with flavor.

The tasting room is small and beautifully furnished. One wall is finished with wine barrel staves. Outside there are comfortable chairs with a perfect view of sunsets. Our favorite red was the 2018 Go With The Flo’, which is a blend of Merlot and Petit Verdot. The Petit Verdot grapes were harvested under the gray clouds from Hurricane Florence. This is rich, smooth, and flavorful.

And this only covers the action-packed day before the #NCWine Digital Media Summit began. the summit itself, held at the Surry Community College NC Viticultural Center, was stuffed with great educational sessions, networking, food and – yes – wine. Many thanks to the sponsors, speakers, and Matt and Joe of NC Wine Guys (our organizers).

Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery: North Carolina Winery Visit

What pairs well with a glass of North Carolina wine? How about a good story and a dash of history.

Historic Roots

While Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery in in Elkin, North Carolina, first opened its doors in 2005, it is awash in a deep, captivating history. We recently visited the tasting room and discovered we were in a former stable for Klondike Farms. 

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In the 1920s, John Hanes of Hanes Hosiery purchased a one-room cabin on land surrounding a small stream called Grassy Creek. The rolling hills and creek proved to be the perfect location for prized herds of Golden Guernsey cows reported to produce the world’s best chocolate milk at Klondike Dairy.

The property was eventually purchased by the Chatham family and became the guest lodgings for the Chatham Manufacturing Company. Chatham was a textile company founded in 1877 and at its peak was the largest blanket manufacturer in the world.

Out With The Milk, In With The Vines

The farmland took a turn when former employee Derrill Rice and his wife purchased the historic property and decided to pursue their dream of a vineyard and winery. Jim and Cynthia Douthit joined the Rices in 2003 and planting of vines began that April. Today the varieties include: Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Viognier.

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During our recent visit, we tasted through a selection of estate wines with Cynthia. As it was a rainy day, we focused on the red wines starting with the 2019 Artista Rosé, made with Barbera. The wine is named for a prize-winning Guernsey and provided a bit of sunshine. It’s well-balanced with a touch of watermelon and strawberry.

Chambourcin is one of our favorite North Carolina grapes, so we were eager to plunge into the 2016 vintage. This has a superb taste with the signature raspberry flavor along with plum. It has mild tannins and a bit of earthiness.

We were joined at the table by Tasting Room Manager Wayne Moore who wove a wonderful tale that showed the history of the Klondike Farm. First of all, the history is all around, not only are you sitting in the former stable, but the wine is made in a 10,000-square-foot former dairy barn. The most popular wines are the semi-sweet Klondike Farms Guernsey wines, which are appropriately packaged in milk bottles.

The Tale Of Iceberg

Wayne told us what might be the strangest tale we’ve ever heard in a tasting room. In the fall of 1933, Wayne related, Admiral Richard Byrd asked for three Guernsey cows to take with him on his expedition to the South Pole. One came from Klondike Farms and gave birth to a calf, dubbed Iceberg, during the long sea journey. After the return from Antarctica, Iceberg became a celebrity at one point being displayed in front of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.

We appreciate when North Carolina wines get extra aging. No one wants a wine with a vintage date of last Tuesday. A nice example is the 2016 Red Barn Blend, which is 60% Merlot and the remainder Syrah and Sangiovese. This is a wine that’s won its share of awards at competitions. We like the dark fruit flavors, oakiness and touch of earth. It certainly benefits from the additional aging.

The 2017 Barbera was quite impressive. It has a deep wild cherry flavor with baking spice accents. The finish is memorable. It retails for $38.

Cabernet Comparison

We had a surprise to wrap up our visit. Cynthia shared a vertical tasting of the Grassy Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. We compared and contrasted the 2015 and 2016 vintages.

The 2015 has black currant and cherry in a medium-plus body. It should be a great pairing for a steak or grilled pork chop.

No two vintages are the same because rain and weather conditions vary along with the readiness of grapes to harvest. That truth was found in the glass of 2016 Cabernet. We expected it to be mellower and less pronounced in flavor than the 2015 since it’s younger. On the contrary, we thought the 2016 had greater depth of flavor with swirls of blackberry and plum.

Grassy Creek is a great choice for your next North Carolina winery visit. In addition to the winery and tasting room, four nearby rustic Klondike Cabins. Outdoor enthusiasts will also love the access to the Grassy Creek Trail which also allows you to connect to the scenic Carter Falls trail.

Elkin Creek Vineyard And Winery: A North Carolina Winery Visit

Located at the site of a 19th-century grist mill, Elkin Creek Vineyard continues to make history.

A Watery Beginning

I had a feeling we were going to love Elkin Creek Vineyard. We had started our day in North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley wine country with a hike to Carter Falls. The scenic falls on Elkin Creek are a great hiking and photo destination, so we decided to set out even though the rain was beginning to fall. We were glad to end our hike as the rain started to pick up. I glanced at my watch and noticed it was “wine o’clock.”

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Elkin Creek Vineyard is just a short drive from the trailhead and we made it there just as the sky opened up. When we visited the main tasting room was closed, but there was plenty of room on the covered patio. (The tasting room has since reopened, check the Elkin Creek website for details.) The location suited us fine as our dog was along on this trip and she could lounge comfortably while we sipped wine.

Safe from the rain we began a tasting flight as droplets pattered around us. The location of the winery is wonderful and given a nice day we would have loved to explore the grounds, right on the rushing Elkin Creek, which is a tributary of the Yadkin River.

Mark Greene established the winery/restaurant in 2001 after buying the century-old mill. Since 2011 the winery has been owned and operated by Nick and Jennifer White and Louis and Carrie Jeroslow. Louis is the winemaker.

From Blue Man To Red Wine

The two couples met while working on the production crew of Blue Man Group in Las Vegas. I gathered this nugget of information from Carrie who introduced herself and gave us some background on the winery and wines. This, I thought, was wonderful. I had the pleasure of seeing BMG at the Luxor in Vegas following a training program. It was one of the most creative, madcap evenings of entertainment I’ve ever had.

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To take that overflowing creativity and channel it into wines, now that would be something special. According to Carrie, it often requires hard, non-stop work, but we found the end results to be worth it. With that prologue, we were ready to taste some wine.

The flight began with the 2019 Chardonnay. This wine is aged in stainless steel for a Chablis-style taste. The profile is green apple and citrus. The Elkin Creek estate vineyards are planted to Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. For wines like this where the grapes aren’t grown on property, they are sourced from other growers in Yadkin Valley. Retail is $20.

The 2019 Soft White was a surprise. It is 100% Niagara, which is a labrusca grape. Sometimes these grapes can taste “foxy.” My wife found this to be delicious with just the right touch of fruitiness.

The name of the next wine lowers your expectations, but you’re in for a pleasant surprise after your first sip. Adequate Red is a non-vintage blend of primarily Merlot and Syrah. It’s a winemaker blend that varies from year to year. This has just the right blend of fruit and spice flavors. At $18 a bottle, it is suggested you purchase several.

From Dornfelder To Vin Doux

The 2017 Dornfelder was my favorite of the visit. Dornfelder is a German grape used to make everyday reds, sometimes with a bit of sweetness. This is a wine to savor now, rather than put in your cellar and age. There are notes of cooked fruit and nutmeg to go with a silky body. I purchased a bottle and a few days later, the bottle was opened on our patio and our guests raved about every last drop. A bargain at $20.

Carrie calls the 2018 Rossa the “taste of Yadkin.” It’s a Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot which is aged in French Oak. Rossa is named for the area’s “terra rossa,” a red clay soil that is similar to that found in Tuscany. The combination of sandy soil and terra rossa allows the ground to maintain just the right amount of water for growing wine grapes.

Rossa can be considered the winery’s flagship red. The focus is on cherry and raspberry riding on soft tannins with a vanilla accent. This is a standout wine at $22.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon also gets aging in French barrels. We give the nod to the Rossa blend over the Cab, which doesn’t quite achieve the depth of flavor we like in our Cabs.

Our friend Arthur goes ga-ga over the Vin Doux wine produced by Elkin Creek. The wine (we had the 2015 vintage) is aged for three years in French oak. It’s a port-style wine with flavors of dried, dark fruit and ample sweetness. It’s fortified with brandy and has an ABV of 18%. The cost is $24.

The wines we had were excellent, but there is more to the story. Elkin Creek is famed for their made-to-order brick-oven pizza, which it serves every Sunday. The winery is also known as a top wedding and celebration destination. Elkin Creek has four rustic cabins which feature all the modern amenities in an idyllic woodland setting.

Raffaldini 2014 Sangiovese Classico, Swan Creek

Chianti in the Carolinas? Oh, yes indeed. We pop open a bottle with a delicious pasta meal.

A Classic Spaghetti Sauce

In Huntington, West Virginia, Jim’s Steak and Spaghetti House has been going strong since 1938. Originally the place to go for a 10-cent milkshake or a 15-cent cheeseburger, it’s best known today for its spaghetti.

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We didn’t crack the safe to steal their special sauce recipe, but the Green Dragon has her own version, which is blissfully good. My attempts to make sauce usually involve grilling beef (and other fixings) and then plopping them into the red sauce – almost as an afterthought.

What makes Jim’s (and the Green Dragon’s) sauce so good is that the meat is mostly cooked in the sauce. It gives it a fine-grained texture and a fully integrated taste. To put it another way, it is really, really good. So when my wife said she was going to whip up some “Jim’s” spaghetti sauce, I was tasked with finding the perfect wine.

Sangiovese That Shines

I perused my options, briefly lingering over some bottles of Pinotage from South Africa before grabbing the bottle of 2014 Raffaldini Sangiovese Classico. Chianti is the Italian wine from Tuscany made primarily with Sangiovese. Some of the very best is Chianti Classico, which comes from the historic home of Chianti.

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Swan Creek, a great little AVA located mostly in the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina, certainly isn’t Tuscany. If you close your eyes and sip, though, Raffaldini may convince you that they’ve captured some Italian magic in the bottle.

Raffaldini has Italian roots and they show in the thoughtful production of this wine. It is made with Vino Nobile grapes, a clone that is a key ingredient in the famous Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. This Raffaldini Sangiovese is undoubtedly noble.

Adding to the wow factor is the appassimento process used in the making the wine. The grapes are dried to concentrate the flavors before fermentation. This is the same process that makes wonderful Amarone.

Pasta And The Perfect Sip

Salad with lemon vinaigrette and a loaf of warm, homemade bread accompanied the pasta and sauce. One of my wine pairing axioms is to pair wine from the same region as the dish you are serving. The Raffaldini heritage shone through for an ideal match with our meal.

The Sangiovese Classico has a lush sour cherry flavor. The red fruit notes are accompanied with deeper raisinated threads that add to a beauteous complexity. The finish is long and begs you to keep your glass filled. We certainly did as we twirled our pasta and crunched our bread.

Available now is the 2017 release, which is priced at a tasty $29. It is available online, but if you can, visit the beautiful Raffaldini tasting room in Yadkin Valley.

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Chardonnay Showcase Reveals Winners From Oregon, California, North Carolina And Italy

During our recent tasting event, the Chardonnay showcase attracted attention to some tasty new Chardonnay releases.

California And Then Some

Chardonnay is the most popular white wine in the world. It’s by far and away the most popular wine in the US, continuing a decade of supremacy that has featured sales increases every year. While California is the acknowledged Chardonnay leader, we made some tasty discoveries from other regions during a recent tasting.

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Due to my wife’s involvement in a local women’s group, we ended up hosting a Sip, Sup and Support tasting for a local school clothing and supplies drive. With nearly 40 in attendance, we had some enthusiastic supporters of this charity work. Having an assortment of amazing wines didn’t hurt either.

We decided to showcase five outstanding Chardonnay releases. Four are domestic, from California, Oregon and North Carolina. For kicks we added an Italian Chardonnay.

Swordplay To Start

This will come as no surprise to anyone who has been in or around North Carolina these past couple weeks: It is sweltering hot. It was so hot, I saw a squirrel picking up nuts with a potholder in the backyard.

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You get the picture. Thankfully, I had our Chardonnay chilled in ice for more than four hours before our guests arrived.

After successfully sabering a bottle of French sparkling wine with a US Coast Guard officer sword and enjoying some sparkling wine, it was time to move to the Chardonnay showcase.

We had a pair of entries from Oregon. I’ve visited Oregon twice this year and one of the hot – or should I say cool? – trends is Chardonnay. Growers there have planted clones that thrive in cool climates and the results are delicious.

Our Chardonnay Showcase

Here’s a capsule look at our five Chardonnay wines featured in our showcase:

Cameron Hughes 2017 Lot 672 Chardonnay, Rogue Valley, OR - A delightful surprise, this wine is on the Chablis side of the Chardonnay spectrum. Light with bright citrus fruit, mouthwatering pear flavor and plentiful acidity. If you don’t know Rogue Valley, Oregon’s southernmost wine region, this is a good reason to explore it. Cameron Hughes is a négociant and doesn’t own vineyards or a winery. Instead they specialize in locating superior quality at palatable prices under their own label. A steal at only $14 SRP with a value two or three times that.

Marshall Davis 2017 Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton, OR -- Chardonnay is a rising star in Willamette Valley. This micro-production (150 cases) wine is barrel fermented and aged 16 months in mostly neutral oak. Grown on gently sloping hills and planted in shallow volcanic topsoil, this Chard delivers flowing minerality, pear notes, tropical fruit and perfect balance. An example of the new winning style of Oregon Chardonnay. SRP $39.

Dry Creek Vineyards 2917 DCV Estate Block 10 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley -- Luxurious, handcrafted wine from one of America’s top Chardonnay regions. The balance is impeccable with the perfect touch of oak rounding out a rich glass of roasted pear, lime, and apricot flavors. Grapes are whole cluster pressed to extract complex flavors. A smooth and limited-production success at SRP $34.

Surry Cellars 2015 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Yadkin Valley, NC – Yes, America, high-quality wine is being produced in North Carolina. This wine is made by students at Surry Community College studying at the Shelton-Badgett NC Center for Viticulture and Enology, a winery and teaching facility. Oaky Chardonnay fans in our group loved this wine, which has lush flavors with deep oak notes. It was barrel-aged for two years and underwent battonage to develop a deep golden hue and full-bodied flavors. It looks like the future of wine in North Carolina is in good hands.

Peri Bigogno Regina Di Cipro 2016 Chardonnay Montenetto di Brescia IGP – The “Queen of Cyprus” is a light and breezy Chardonnay from the Old World. In addition to pineapple and apricot flavors, there is a distinct savory aspect to this medium-bodied wine. This Chardonnay is aged in stainless steel to maintain the fresh, crisp flavors. It’s also the lowest ABV of the group at 12.5%. SRP is $22.

There’s no better time to pop open a nicely chilled bottle of Chardonnay. Whether you like deeply oaked Chardonnay, more balance, or a stainless steel finish there is a bottle for you at a price that’s easy to swallow.

McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks: A North Carolina Winery Visit

McRitchie is not only gaining national attention for its wine, but this Yadkin Valley producer also is a pioneer in North Carolina cider.

A North Carolina Harvest

With the winemaking pedigree of Sean McRitchie, and his business location in North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley, you’d assume that he is all about the wine. That, however, is only half the story.

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Sean’s father was a winemaker and Sean began working in vineyards and wineries in the Willamette Valley. His skills and experience were honed at wineries in some of the world’s top wine regions: Alsace, Napa Valley and Australia. He and wife Patricia moved to North Carolina where he helped establish the Shelton winery and vineyard.

After years of growing grapes and making wine for others, the couple planted its first vines in 2004 in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The doors of the McRitchie winery opened in 2006. During the recent North Carolina Wine Bloggers Summit, we had the opportunity to visit the McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks tasting room and get a behind the scenes look at the operation.

Along Came A Cider

Apples grow well in North Carolina, where more than 4 million bushels are produced annually. Soon Sean and Patricia noticed an unfilled niche for cider.  McRitchie then began producing cider, becoming the first hard cider producer in the state.

“You turn the apples into pulp,” explains McRitchie. “Once you have the juice, it’s just like making white wine. Cider is fun.”

He points out that the ciderworks doesn’t get “too crazy” with its cider. The main ciders are a dry and a semi-sweet (1.5% residual sugar), each is lightly carbonated. Both are made with North Carolina heritage apples.

European-Inspired Wines

First-time visitors to Yadkin Valley are surprised to learn that North Carolina produces a full range of wines, from deliciously sweet to bone dry. McRitchie focuses on European-style estate wines with a dry finish – that’s something that suits our palates perfectly.

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A number of years ago Sean replaced the Chardonnay vines with Traminette, a French hybrid grape that is more suited to the hot and humid climate. The 2016 Fallingwater White is a dry Traminette blend with crisp acidity and floral notes. Also on our tasting list was the 2016 Muscat Blanc, an outstanding wine with orange blossom and lemon flavors.

The 2017 Petit Manseng Petillant Naturel sparkling wine was a rare treat. This  wine is produced using the Ancestral Method, an ancient way of creating sparkling wine by bottling before fermentation is complete. The pet-nat is gloriously cloudy with sediment and a yeasty flavor. This is a bottle that would delight the most jaded wine lover!

We explored the reds via the 2013 and 2014 vintages of Ring of Fire Red. The 2013 is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This is an outstanding wine with great balance and a good backbone of tannin.  The formula was flipped in 2014 with the blend being Merlot and Sangiovese. It is more fruit forward although closed on the nose.

The wine and cider is reasonably priced, ranging from $14 to $26. The tasting fee is $7 for four wines and two ciders. The tasting room is comfortable and the staff friendly.

The grounds include great outdoor seating areas and are perfect for families with children and/or pets. You may not want to leave! McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks is a great destination for your next North Carolina Wine Country visit.

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Jones Von Drehle: North Carolina Winery Visit

Jones Von Drehle Estate Viognier

Jones Von Drehle winery opened in 2014 in Yadkin Valley. Although a relative newcomer, its dry, European-style wine is winning awards and gaining new fans.

Reaching New Heights In Winemaking

At about 1,600 feet, Jones Von Drehle winery sits at the highest elevation in North Carolina’s famed Yadkin Valley. The reputation of the winery, which crafts wines from its 30 acres of estate vines, is also gaining altitude.

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Diana and Chuck Jones in Jones von Drehle tasting room

During the recent North Carolina Wine Bloggers Summit, we took an excursion to Jones Von Drehle. It was our first visit to this outstanding wine producer.

“Our style of winemaking is to take what the terroir gives us,” said co-owner Chuck Jones. “We like very balanced
wines. We’re more Old World than California.”

Jones and wife Diana and Ronnie and Raymond von Drehle are in-laws that founded the winery. The property was purchased in 2007 and the first harvest was 2012. The grand opening was in 2014. Today the winery produces between 4,000 and 6,000 cases annually.

The tasting room sits on a hillside overlooking the estate vineyards. Inside the tasting facility is a first-class operation with a spacious bar, numerous tables, and a light, airy feel. Just outside is a seating area to enjoy your wine while feasting your eyes on the scenic view.

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The Jones von Drehle tasting room has outdoor seating
with a view of the vineyards

There is a nice selection of snacks, cheese and meats available in the tasting room. No outside food is permitted, but larger groups can arrange for a catered lunch. The outside area is pet friendly. The tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday (with a few exceptions – check the website).

Estate Wines All Around

All the Jones Von Drehle wines are made with estate grapes and our first taste made an impression. The 2016 Viognier is steel fermented for a crisp finish with light flavors of peach with floral notes.
The 2017 Barrel Chardonnay showed nice balance with oak present, but not overwhelming.

Barrel room at Jones von Drehle

One of the popular sellers is Rosé Dia, a Grenache rosé with pops of raspberry. Petit Manseng, a grape from Southwest France, is becoming popular in North Carolina and Virginia. The Jones Von Drehle 2016 Petit Manseng has a good body and juicy tropical flavors. The ABV is 15.3%, something you might see in a big bodied California Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon, but unexpected in a white wine. The grape variety is loaded with sugar and it is a challenge to the winemaker to keep the alcohol level under 16%. This is the grape everyone is talking about, so give it a try.

We tasted through a Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc and a reserve Malbec, but my favorite was a red blend. The 2013 Steel and Stone blends 65% Petit Verdot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Petit Verdot is lush and rich and nice structure is provide by the Cab. The wine is aged 43 months in a mix of new and neutral oak. The tannins are silky smooth.

Jones von Drehle wines range from $20 to $34 for the reserve wines. Happily, their wines are widely available in North Carolina retail stores and restaurants. For the very best experience, we encourage you to sip and savor at the winery itself.

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JOLO Winery & Vineyards: North Carolina Winery Visit

What could be finer than the stirring sight of North Carolina’s landmark Pilot Mountain? How about a superb winery just a few miles away.

Setting A High Standard

Before we left Ohio to relocate to North Carolina, we had dinner with friends who served a bottle of wine from our new home state. It was a bottle of Pilot Fog from JOLO winery. It was a delightful treat and when headed back north on a recent trip, we made sure to stop at JOLO along the way.

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Many North Carolina wineries are blessed with spectacular mountain views. JOLO can boast a scenic view of Pilot Mountain to go with its wonderfully crafted winery and grounds.

We’ve had unique experiences over the years as we’ve visited more than 200 wineries. In some cases, the tasting room was some spare room in a barn where we were offered wine in plastic cups. Yadkin Valley’s JOLO is the opposite end of the spectrum – everything is first class all the way. The grounds of the estate are manicured and the tasting room would not be out of place in some of the top wine regions in the country.

The JOLO Tasting Experience

Before enjoying our tasting, we got a tour of the production area which also features a barrel-room tasting area. The use of local custom woodwork and a great sense of design makes the winery a decidedly upscale experience. You can even stay overnight at the Newlywed Chateau, a cozy bungalow-style building a few steps from the tasting room.

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The 80-acre property features a lake, flower gardens, marked trails and a bocce court. JOLO also boasts a great restaurant, Endposts. It has an outstanding view and an interesting menu that includes Chicken Lombata Salad, Soft Pork Tacos and Gouda Mac & Cheese Arancinis. We moved back into main room of the “tasting lodge” for our tasting.

Tastings cost $15 for seven wines. For an extra $5 you can take home a very large JOLO Riedel glass that can hold a bottle and a half of wine. (That way you can say you’re only have one glass of wine!)

JOLO does a great job not only with the traditional Bordeaux varieties, but also the French hybrid grapes that really do well in North Carolina. For example, the JOLO Twinkles, a lightly sparkling wine, has Chambourcin and Viognier.

The JOLO Beach Bubbles, another sparkler, is made with Traminette. It starts sweet with floral notes and tropical fruit.

The 2017 harvest is said to best the best at JOLO since the winery began in 2012. We were anxious to try the well-regarded Golden Hallows White. This is a dry white made with Vidal Blanc and Traminette. This light and crisp wine is delicious with notes of pineapple and pear. It retails for $25. We also tried the Golden Hallows Reserve (Lot 2) which is aged briefly in new American oak. This would be a spot-on wine for fans of oaky Chardonnay, but we preferred less oak in our whites.
With a rinse of the glass and a mental reset, we were ready to try the reds.

Rise Of The Reds

Crimson Creek is a light bodied wine made with Chambourcin. We’re fans of this French hybrid that was also popular in our former home state of Ohio. The tannins are nice and soft with notes of raspberry and herbs. The body is on par with Pinot Noir, so it is ideal for those who like reds, but not heavy-handed tannins. A nice value at $27.

JOLOTAGE is a Bordeaux blend with a twist. It features Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot – all Bordeaux varieties – as well as Chambourcin. It is a graceful wine with a medium to medium-plus body. The tannins are silky. There are nice layers of red fruit. It is aged in French and American oak and has spice and cedar flavor notes.  A great deal of care is spent picking the best lots and wines for blending and the results show. It is priced at $31.

Our most favored wine was Pilot Fog. This is made with Cynthiana, which is another name for the Norton grape. Cynthiana makes a deep, full-bodied wine. JOLO’s Pilot Fog is considered the most highly acclaimed wine in Yadkin Valley with a slew of medals to back up the claim. We were able to sample the 2017 vintage, but were brought down to earth when told that the wine is on allocation. It is only available to JOLO wine club members and they can only buy one bottle per visit. Needless to say, we savored every drop of this wine (which isn’t on the regular tasting menu). It’s a complex and substantial wine that would go great with lamb.

We wrapped up with a tasting of the JOLO Sangria and the Happy Endings Late Harvest Traminette. A sweet conclusion to our tasting!

JOLO is a not-to-be-missed winery with standout wines. Be sure to visit on your next trip to Yadkin Valley.

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Piccione Vineyards: A North Carolina Winery Visit

Piccione Vineyards in Swan Valley North Carolina has a wine history with roots in Sicily Italy stretching back to the early 1900s. We visited Piccione and found it to be a scenic outpost of wine excellence in North Carolina’s wine country.

Italian Heritage, Blue Ridge Attitude

Bill Piccione never forgot his family heritage. His grandfather and grandmother, Giuseppe and Vita lived in Sicily before immigrating to the US via Ellis Island in 1921. Bill took a different path, becoming a Harvard-trained surgeon, but he never forgot Giuseppe’s homemade winery with a handpress, oak barrels and a manual bottling matching.

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In respect for family tradition, Bill obtained Italian citizenship for himself and his family. He pursued wine studies and earned certification as a sommelier. In 2010, in the picturesque hills of Swan Creek, North Carolina, Piccione Vineyards was founded – continuing Giuseppe’s dream of producing the finest wine possible.

Piccione was one stop during our recent visit to the Swan Creek AVA in North Carolina’s wine country. It combines several winning ingredients. The Piccione hillside location has a commanding view of vineyards and farmland stretching to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. The tasting room is nicely furnished, but small and intimate. The outdoor patio makes you feel like you’re sitting on top of the world. Of course, there is the wine…

A Red Wine Rendezvous

Piccione grows eight grape varieties with an emphasis on Italian grapes that thrive in the North Carolina climate. For the reds, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Montepulciano, Nero Amaro and Sangiovese are grown. White varieties include Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Vermentino.

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During the day we had visited several wineries and Piccione was our last stop. A tasting of all 10 Piccione wines was not in the cards, so we decided to do the red tasting – which was a more manageable five wines. We are enthusiastic Sangiovese fans and weren’t going to miss out.

It’s hard to find Sangiovese outside of Italy, but it thrives in Swan Creek. The 2014 Piccione Sangiovese has beautiful, red fruit flavors balanced with rounded tannins. There are notes of cherries and cranberry.

We are always up for a Super Tuscan, and the 2014 L’Ottimo is Piccione’s take on this famous style of wine. Grapes include 80% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 5% Montepulciano. This is an excellent wine, but we favor the Sangiovese by a nose.

The 2014 Montepulciano was outstanding with a sour strawberry flavor with traces of coffee and tart cherry. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon was very good. Most North Carolina Cabs can’t go toe to toe with Cabernets from California, but we were pleasantly surprised by the Piccione Cab. It has extracted flavors of cherry and coffee. It has medium body and an engaging complexity.

We wrapped up with the 2014 Merlot. Swan Creek, as well as the Yadkin Valley AVA, has a way with Merlot and this bottle didn’t disappoint. It is light in body with just a touch of sweetness. Berry jam flavors are predominate.

After the tasting, we lingered a while on the patio, chatting with other visitors and soaking in the expansive view. The end to a Piccione Vineyards visit comes far too soon! We encourage you to visit soon – if you are too far away, Piccione ships to 38 states. Cin cin!

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