Champagne picks for New Year’s 2012. Photo courtesy Sip A Wine Store
Story by April Schlanger, owner of Sip…A Wine Store located in Preston Walk off Cary Parkway in Cary.
Bubbles can make us smile and laugh. If you see bubbles in your glass it’s a sign that a great time lies ahead. With New Year’s Eve around the corner, we asked April for her take on some current favorites. Read more
Matt Young writes the Wine & Beer Column on CaryCitizen. Yard of beer photo by Club Transatlântico. Munich Oktoberfest photo by Jonas K.
Cary, NC – Autumn beers. Like so many things we eat and drink, many of the best beer styles were born out of necessity. Thank you, necessity! Read more
Story by Matt Young. Photo above by Jennifer Yin. Read more in our Wine & Beer Series.
Cary, NC – With Memorial Day behind us and the long summer stretching ahead, it’s time to talk about some 2012 Summertime Wine and Beer Pairings. Read more
Story by Matt Young. Photo by Roland Hauck. Read more in our Wine & Beer Series.
Cary, NC – Mother’s Day is next Sunday, May 13, 2012. Don’t get caught unprepared, guys! Consider planning your celebration around a bottle of fine wine. Read more
Story by Lindsey Chester. Photo by Daniel Agostini.
Cary, NC – At midnight on the third Thursday of November each year, Beaujolais vineyards in France release Beaujolais Nouveau, a young red wine aged for only a few weeks. The event is met with great fanfare and the resounding declaration, “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” Read more
Story by Matt Young
Cary, NC – I grew up around grapes. Many of my relatives in Northeast, PA (yes, that’s the name of the town) had vineyards. When my family moved when I was a boy, I was surprised to learn that there were people that had never seen a vineyard or tasted home made wine. Standing in a vineyard is something very personal to me. I still make wine in my garage.
“We’re a short trip from the hottest wine-making region in the country and I’m going to write a story,” I told the publisher.
“You can’t expense a trip to California, Matt” he said.
“No, it’s right here in North Carolina,” I said. “An hour and a half away in the Yadkin Valley.”
North Carolina Has A Long History as Wine Country
The wine history here in North Carolina is long. In 1840, North Carolina was the number one wine producing state in the Union according to the U.S. Census. Over the course of a couple hundred years it was shut down and started back up for a number of reasons – some examples include The Civil War and prohibition. In the late 1990’s, land turned from tobacco to grapes. The Yadkin Valley was named as the state’s first American Viticultural Area shortly after that.
“(North Carolina) wine would be distinguished on the best tables in Europe, for its fine aroma, and chrystalline transparence.” – Thomas Jefferson
The State of North Carolina now ranks 7th in the nation in wine production. A nice history can be found at VisitNCWine.com. But the North Carolina wine and grape industry is not just muscadines, scuppernongs and sweet wines anymore. Our friends just to the west are growing the grapes and making and selling cabs, merlots, zins and chardonnays.
Making up stuff about wine. Photo by Trish Prestia.
Taking One for the Team
I planned a day-trip to Yadkin Valley – gathered up 3 other couples and my bride, we hired out a limo (about $100 a head, but it can surely be done for less). Sounds like a lot of money, but its something you may do once only every 5 years, and its what you might pay for a two-hour concert or a day at the State Fair.
Truth be told, I would have done this whether I worked with CaryCitizen or not. I chose Weathervane, Childress, Junius Lindsay, Native Vines and RayLen to visit.
Here’s the down-low in a nutshell:
Weathervane: Quaint, nice little gift shop, knowledgeable staff, informal. Tastings are $5 (you get a glass to keep).
Childress: Touristy, but great wines, huge selection and a great bistro for lunch. There was live music when we were there and a big crowd. Huge gift shop. Very knowledgable staff. Tasting are expensive at $10 and up, but you get a glass to keep. Great views.
Junius Lindsay – Small, outdoor tasting bar. Beautiful surroundings. Friendly staff. Wines feature Syrah and Viognier. Tastings are $5 (you get a glass to keep).
Native Wines – Very rustic. Down-home surroundings. Friendly, very informal staff. They claim to be the first “American Indian Owned and Operated Winery in the US”. Tastings are $5 (no glass).
Ray-Len – This was my favorite, although all of the wineries had their own “personality.” Amazing, sensibly priced wines, huge vineyard and the staff was great. Highly recommended.
Of course, it wasn’t just about the wine. The scenery was beautiful. We had a lot of laughs as you can imagine. We were with good friends. We drank a lot of wine – a lot. But in small amounts over the course of 6 hours – we all had our wits about us on the ride home.
Yadkin Valley Wine Region Map
Here’s Google Map of the Yadkin Valley Wine District. Rollover the dots to see the wineries.
Feel free to email me at matt.young@carycitizen.com if you want some advice on planning a trip of your own or have a favorite NC winery to recommend. We are also interested in covering other “Short Drives From Cary.” Shoot me a line with your ideas!
“It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend, one’s present or future thirst, the excellence of the wine, or any other reason.” – Latin Proverb