Extreme Viticulture: Sanctuary Vineyards Dorian Release

On September 6th, 2019 Hurricane Dorian made landfall in North Carolina causing widespread destruction particularly in Ocracoke due to reverse flooding from the Pamlico Sound. On that day in Jarvisburg, Sanctuary Vineyards scrambled to harvest and crush their remaining grapes -- succeeding up until they lost power late in the evening. These Tannat and Petit Verdot grapes then received the equivalent of a two-day cold soak maturation until power was restored a couple days later. After fermentation, the grapes were aged in new American oak and blended and bottled as Dorian.


In normal times viticulture is extreme in the Sandhill region of North Carolina - and not only from the threat of hurricanes - and particular for vinifera grapes.  Humidity, pests, and soil composition provide additional obstacles.  Pierce's disease is a struggle brought on by pathogenic bacterium fueled by humid conditions. The vineyards are planted on ancient sand dunes providing excellent drainage and some resistance to phylloxera but Sanctuary's vineyards receive additional nutrients from clam shells initially used for crop cover.  The Outer Banks also experiences intense heat and sunshine -- optimal for ripening grapes -- but require the breezes from the nearby Atlantic to cool the grapes at night.

The Dorian wine was officially released this last Saturday (July 11, 2020) with owner John Wright donating a portion of these sales to the Ocracoke Interfaith Relief & Recovery Team. In Ocracoke, the wine is available at Zillies and most likely enjoyed during the amazing sunsets across the sound. Actually, the wine would benefit from a couple years aging, but for those opening young there is sufficient tannic structure to complement the dark berry and smoky fig profile.  Sanctuary Vineyards also producers a range of other estate-grown vinifera wines using Tempranillo, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Syrah.

Finding Muscadine Wine at Duplin Winery

The road to Wilmington, North Carolina runs through Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia) wine country and adjacent to the world's largest muscadine producer: Duplin Winery. I've always wanted to visit the winery after seeing their lighthouse themed labels in the Outer Banks and learning about Muscadine in the early days of WineCompass.com. Last week I finally had an opportunity during a trip to Wilmington and stopped into their popular Rose Hill tasting room. The winery traces its inception to the early 1970s when D.J. Fussell, Sr. and his two sons, David and Dan planted muscadine to meet a strong demand for those grapes. When the wholesale market collapsed they started Duplin Winery becoming the first post-prohibition winery in the south. The winery grew rapidly until the 1980s when government regulations virtually strangled the winery and David Fussell Sr. almost closed the operation. The family persisted and today a third generation of Fussells manage not only the oldest, but also the the largest winery in the south.

Duplin Winery grows and sources mostly muscadine grapes, although a few labrusca grapes such as Niagara and Catawba are included in some blends. Carlos, Scuppernong, and Magnolia are the primary white muscadine varieties with Noble, James, and Coastal James the major red players. Their wines are obviously grapey and mostly sweet, with the driest being the Carlos and Burgundy. Regardless of the sugar level, all the wines I tasted had generous amounts of acids to help balance the sugar. In fact the sweeter Scuppernong was my favorite of the group for that very reason. Duplin also produces a limited release Mother Vine Scuppernong from clippings from the 400 year old Mother Vine, acquired when the winery helped save the historic vine. As for the reds, the semi-sweet Goin' Coastal blush wine was my favorite red as the grapey character is muted in exchange for a more citrus flavor. There is no charge for the tasting of twelve wines and if you find one to purchase, the retail price will most likely range from $7 to $15. Definitely priced to experiment. Cheers to Muscadine, the Mother Vine, and Duplin Winery.

The United Grapes of America - North Carolina - Shelton Vineyards Riesling

One of the many benefits of attending the annual conferences is exchanging wine with friends from other states. One of the wines I received was from our friends at Nomacorc, who brought along a wine from their Tar Heel state - the Shelton Vineyards 2011 Yadkin Valley Riesling ($12.99).   The Yadkin Valley is Carolina's premier wine growing region, located just south of Virginia along Highway 77 and has successfully transitioned from tobacco to grapes.  Closing in on their 15th anniversary, Shelton is "the largest family-owned estate winery in North Carolina" and a popular Yadkin Valley destination. The Riesling is made off-dry and exudes a flavor profile of apricots and peaches. The one area lacking is acidity, would like to see more acid to balance the sugar. Maybe the valley is a bit too warm. In any case, this is a decent wine, affordable, and one I'd quaff down again. Cheers.
DrinkLocalWine.com

StarChefs.com: The United Grapes of America

History of North Carolina Wine

Here is a very informative article regarding North Carolina wine.I didn't know that Westbend Vineyards is the oldest continually operating winery in the state.

RagApple Lassie

Its difficult spending three days in the Yadkin Valley without visiting a winery and that's usually the case during Merlefest. However, on Sunday morning I ventured only a half dozen miles from my hotel room to visit one of the most popular in the region: RagApple Lassie Vineyards. I first heard of the winery several years back when I read that their 2003 was awarded the Governor's Cup at the 2004 NC State Fair. I purchased a couple bottles of that wine as well as their Viognier and as I recall we enjoyed both wines. I'm also familiar with the winery through MyJoog.com since they host live music almost every weekend. I felt fortunate that Booneville was so close to Elkin.

RagApple Lassie is owned and operated by Lenna and Frank Hobson, who is the third generation of Hobsons to till the land - tobacco, corn, wheat, and soybeans. However, with the declining value in tobacco (the allotment for each farm has been reduced by 53 percent) he always feared that the land would lose its profitability and be sold and converted into a housing development. To avoid this scenario he planted a vineyard in 2000 - which lead the family to construct the winery two years later. They choose RagApple Lassie in honor of his pet Holstein, a calf that he received as a child and together they would later win the Grand Championship Trophy at the 1957 NC State Fair. I'm sure it never occurred to the family that 46 years later he would receive a wine award at the State Fair. Since the Hopsons were professional farmers and not winemakers, they prudently hired Linda King - already an award winning winemaker and internationally certified wine judge - who was seeking to relocate to the area. A nice coincidence. Thus a team evolved where Frank Hobson meticulously worked the vineyards, Linda King meticulously vinified these grapes, and Lenna Hobson used her marketing experience to sell the wine.

The most interesting aspect when visiting the winery is that you enter the winery on a catwalk overlooking the fermenting tanks. And to reach the tasting room, you must traverse the tank room - regardless what tasks are underway. They may be pumping wine or juice, crushing, pushing the fruit down, cleaning - yet that's where you travel to taste the wines. You basically start with a tour. Then to the wines. RagApple Lassie crafts a dozen different wines, all made from estate grown grapes. In fact they grow 15 varieties, many you wouldn't expect from a North Carolina grower: Marsanne, Semillion, and Zinfandel. But why not, when you have plenty of land and know how to grow anything. As expected their portfolio range from dry to sweet, but even the sweet wines were not syrupy and gritty - they were actually quite drinkable particularly the Rockford Red. This concoction is a blend of classic Bordeaux grapes plus Zinfandel sugar coated to 4% r.s. . Yet it has a nice acidity that works with blue cheese. Supposedly many dry wine drinkers add a bottle of Rockford Red during checkout, claiming to buy this for a friend.

Sticking to the sweeter wines, the "First Blush" is a popular wine in that market and has a very interesting makeup - Traminette, Marsanne, Semillon, and Malbec - who thought of that blend. The Boonville Blanc is 100% semi-dry Viognier that was basically a sweeter version of their dry version. But the one sweeter wine that I enjoyed was the off-dry Kaleidoscope Gold. The composition of this wine was a result of the Easter Freeze that left the winery short on several varieties. Thus they blended them together - Chardonnay, Traminette, Pinot Gris, Marsanne, Semillon, and Viognier. The danger of blending many varietals is that it could produce a big tank of nothing - flavors and aromas that counteract each other. But this blend works - and I came home with a bottle.

Staying with whites, I really enjoyed the Chardonnay and Viognier. Ms. King has really perfected this wine, barrel fermented sur lie - it is not over powering but has a nice mid-palette that slides into a soft tail. And for $16, this is a great value. The Viognier is not as big as the Virginia Viognier I'm used to, but this one has all the characteristics in aroma and flavor, plus a hint of spice at the finish. As the price of Virginia Viognier continue to skyrocket, this is a nice everyday alternative.

Moving to reds, the winery offers three 100% varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and a Zinfandel) and one reserve blend, The Hobson's Choice. The varietals were all nice, smooth and very drinkable - but were easily overshadowed after tasting the reserve blend and hearing its story. In 2005 Mr. Hobson watched over a lot in the vineyard which was producing excellent fruit. He hectored Ms. King to allow him to pick the fruit because he felt they would produce an exceptional wine. The winemaker initially refused but Hobson's persistence eventually wore her down. The Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Gris grapes were harvested together, mixed into the same bins, pressed together, fermented together and aged together. They have no idea the ratios. After aging one year in barrel, Ms. King tasted and claimed that the wine would have to be dumped. After the second year, she said the wine was changing and after the third year she exclaimed it was special. Hobson's Choice - there really was no choice. The wine is special; its big, but silky smooth. Some cherry flavors, some chocolate and nicely balanced between fruit and oak. Just thinking about it made me realize I should have purchased another bottle. Particularly since this wine will never come again.

At some point I need to return to the Yadkin Valley during a non-Merlefest weekend. When that happens RagApple Lassie will be on the itinerary - this time in the evening to enjoy good music and good wine.

Laurel Gray Vineyards

During our drive down to Merlefest we visited our first Yadkin Valley winery: Laurel Gray Vineyards. The Yadkin Valley is situated between the Blue Ridge and Brushy Mountains and is slowly becoming an important wine producing area on the east coast. There are over 25 wineries in the valley with some being old tobacco farms converted to vineyards. This practice is not as common as we thought since most tobacco farmers who received settlement money, simply retired - why even think about the strenuous labor associated with growing grapes. However, one such converted tobacco farm was Laurel Gray Vineyards.

We selected Laurel Gray Vineyards simply because it was the closest to route 421. We learned that it resides in a new sub-appellation - Swan Creek Appellation along with five other wineries. The winery is owned and operated by Benny and Kim Myers, who first planted the vineyards in 2001 on the former dairy and tobacco farm. Interestingly Myers can trace his ancestors to when they arrived in the valley in 1773. That's 10 generations. The next generation also helps with the winery, and is who the winery is named after, Ashley Laurel and Taylor Gray. In fact Ashley is the resident grape expert having earned a M.S. in Plant Pathology and by working in Virginia as a Grape Pathology Extension Specialist.

Kim Myer met us in the tasting room and we learned that Laurel Gray specialized in French styled wines. To date the region does not have a clear specialty since the industry is so new. Some wineries specialize in Italian varieties, whereas the Myers believe that French varieties have the most potential - particularly Chardonnay. Their Chardonnay is fermented and aged in French oak for 12 months which provides a soft creamy texture. The wine possessed the nice chardonnay flavor with a slightly vanilla finish. We preferred their Viognier more since it was made in a more acidic style - plus it had a nice apricot flavor.

The winery makes several different red styles from dry and full bodied to a semi-dry summer red. We started with the Sultry a blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is aged in three different types of oak which helps produce a slightly spicy finish. I guess the Syrah would have a hand in that as well. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is produced in the same fashion, just aged slightly longer to 18 months. We liked this more than the Sultry - it was more full bodied and just seemed to have more jolt. They also produce an Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which not surprisingly, we liked the most. The nose contained aromas of figs, the middle full bodied, while the tail was slightly tannic. A nice wine, except for the price tag. Is it worth $29? The final red wine was one of their top sellers, the Scarlet Mountain, made from traditional Bordeaux varieties. However, that's where the similarity ends. Some Chardonnay is added to the blend making this wine a little off dry - designed for summer days. We liked it and it contains the strong cherry flavors that were advertised.

The final two wines were sweet wines, starting with the Rose’ 1773, a blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Syrah. It isn't really as sweet as advertised and has a nice strawberry flavor - the wine that compliments spicy foods. The final wine is made from 100% Niagara, the grape we came to like while visiting wineries when our son was an infant. He always wanted us to drink the same fruit that was in his white grape juice. In any case, the Nectar is really good - if you are like us and enjoy the fruity aroma and flavor of the grape. And it is not as concentrated as most dessert wines. Others were purchasing it rather quickly during our visit.

This was a nice spot to break our drive to Wilkesboro. We can see why the winery receives frequent visitors from Charlotte - its a nice location to hang out during the day. And since all the wines are sold strictly from the tasting room; that's the only method people have to purchase these wines. See you again before next year's Merlefest.

Hinnant Family Vineyard 's 2004 Norton

We realized this week that we have an extraordinary inventory of Norton wines and decided it was time to start drinking some. We have been told that Norton wines age particularly well in the bottle so once in a while we will pull a random bottle and evaluate it. This week we drew the Hinnant Family Vineyard's 2004 Norton. This North Carolina winery is primarily known for its muscadine vineyard, but they branched out to Norton earlier in the decade. The 2004 vintage still retains the characteristically dark, dark crimson color and a grapey nose. But that's where any similarity ends. The grapey flavor has disappeared and is replaced with a blackberry\dark cherry flavor and an interesting spicy finish. The finish is long with the spicy flavor retained on the tongue. It reminds us more of a Syrah than a Norton. The thesis has its first confirmation: the Hinnant Family Vineyard's 2004 Norton ages well in the bottle.

The Biltmore Estate Winery

We were surprised to learn that the most visited winery in the United States is not located in California, nor in New York, but in Asheville, North Carolina: The Biltmore Estate Winery. Considering that the Biltmore Estate is the second most visited residence in the country - after the White House - this fact should not be surprising. The history of the estate and the Vanderbilt family is fascinating reading and the best source is the winery's website. Of interest here is the history of Biltmore's vineyards and winery and the vision of William and Bill Cecil, grandson and great grandson to George Vanderbilt, to establish a world class winery operation.

When building the Biltmore Estate, George Vanderbilt demanded that the estate be self-supporting. As a result the estate raised its own cattle and poultry and operated as a working farm and dairy. In 1971, William Cecil planted vineyards containing hybrid grapes, with vinifera grapes following a few years later. Eventually the vineyards were relocated to the banks of the French Broad River and now contain Chardonnay, Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot varieties. The vines have found a home in that climate, but must overcome one obstacle. Apparently beavers mistake the trellises for trees and attempt to use them as building material.

After several years of successfully growing grapes, the next logical progression was to create a winery and start producing wine. They selected a dairy barn as the location and converted it into a winery, tasting facility, and restaurant. Even though North Carolina is gaining a much deserved reputation for growing vinifera grapes, Bill Cecil, Jr., current President and CEO of The Biltmore Company, decided to obtain California grown grapes to ensure a high quality component for their wines.

On our visit, we were greeted by Steve Simmons, the Regional Account Manager for the Mid-Atlantic. We had met Mr. Simmons at the St. Michaels Wine & Food Festival and he had graciously invited us to tour the Biltmore. We started at the visitor center, then met winemaker Sharon Fenchak, who along with head winemaker Bernard Delille, craft the large selection of Biltmore wines. Ms. Fenchak explained her and Delille's wine-making philosophy - let the fruit speak for itself, with as little oak influence as possible - and described the quality of the California growers in which they source grapes. We moved to the aging and fermenting tanks, barrel rooms, and then the bottling room. There we were fortunate enough to discuss the bottling process for the sparkling wines with the actual bottler on the line.

Mr. Simmons explained that the wines are made Méthode Champenoise in which the fermented wine is bottled with extra sugar and yeast, and then capped with a soda-cap. The bottles then sit for two years, three for the Reserve Blanc de Blancs Brut, and rotated daily on a riddling rack. This process allows the sediment to move easily to the cap for "disgorgement". During this phase the cap is frozen and the sediment is removed along with the cap. The standard Champagne cork is then softened via a microwave and popped onto the bottle. One reason sparkling wine is relatively expensive is that this operation is a manual process. The Biltmore Estate® Château Reserve Méthode Champenoise Blanc de Blancs Brut is made from 100% North Carolina Chardonnay. We had this wine during lunch and it is an excellent dry and fruity wine. The winery also produces a dry Chandonnay - Pinot blend in the Biltmore Estate® Méthode Champenoise – Brut and slightly sweeter bottles of each varietal separately in the Biltmore Estate® Méthode Champenoise Blanc de Noir–Brut and Biltmore Estate® Méthode Champenoise–Sec. Need something sweeter. Try the Biltmore Estate® Méthode Champenoise Pas de Deux – Sec, made from Muscat Canelli grapes. This wine has the aroma associated with the muscat accompanied with a nice apricot flavor. And this wine is available for under $20. In fact all the sparkling wines are near $20, except the Reserve Brut which is still a reasonable $35.

We then ventured to the tasting room, where all of the Biltmore's wines are available for tasting, although you will have to pay a little extra for the premium and sparkling wines. The selection of wines is impressive - over 40 bottles from dry to sweet to vintage to blends. Whereas most of the fruit is provided by California growers, there are a few impressive wines from estate grown North Carolina grapes. With an eight hour drive facing us, we did not try their entire selection, but here are several that we liked:

• Biltmore Estate® Chardonnay Sur Lies
• Biltmore Estate® Chenin Blanc
• Biltmore Estate® Riesling
• Biltmore Estate® Century
• Biltmore Estate® Château Reserve® Viognier– 2006 North Carolina
• Biltmore Estate® Century Rosé
• Biltmore Estate® Château Reserve Cabernet Franc
• Biltmore Estate® Château Reserve Claret

There were two observations that we noticed throughout the day. The first was how content every worker we met was working at the Biltmore. Without prompting, each employee expressed gratitude for working for the Cecil's and how they enjoyed their occupation. The second observation is that the Biltmore is great publicity for the wine industry as a whole. When visiting the property, the winery tour is included so each year almost a million visitors taste the Biltmore wines. These visitors learn about lesser known grape varieties as well as the more popular Cabernet and Chardonnay. And if you think everyone has heard of Cabernet Sauvignon, you are mistaken. During our tasting a gentlemen from the previous group returned to the tasting bar to have our tasting assistant pronounce his favorite of the day: Cabernet Sauvignon. After his visit to the Biltmore, that person will more than likely purchase Cabernet from other wineries and a wine consumer is born.

This was one of our most enjoyable winery visits and we want to thank Mr. Simmons and the Biltmore staff for their service. We look forward to our return. When visiting the property give yourself a complete day to tour the residence, the gardens, and the winery. You will most likely come to appreciate - as we did - Olmsted's handicraft in designing the gardens. Conservationists will also appreciate Olmsted's efforts to reclaim over-used farmland by converting the land back to forests. And look for the bamboo.

Moonrise Bay Vineyards

While traveling home from the Outer Banks we detoured off the beaten path to Knotts Island, via the Currituck Ferry. Our objective was the two wineries operating on the island: Moonrise Bay Vineyard and Martin Vineyards. Our first stop was Moonrise Bay Vineyard which, like many family operations, started as a hobby and grew into an enterprise. Named after the unusually moon “rises” over the Sound, Moonrise Bay produces several styles of wines – from viniferia to muscadine to fruit wines. Richard "Oakie" Morris planted the first vines in 1997 and currently has about 15 acres of vines planted. The winery became operational in 2000, just in time to bottle their initial grape harvest. Together with his wife Kate, they’ve created an attractive tasting facility within the coastal island.

Upon arriving at the winery, we were initially surprised to see the breadth of viniferia plantings. But Mr. Morris informed us that the coastal area is well suited for viniferia grapes since the cool breezes cool the grapes during the summer and the water warm the grapes in the winter. We’ve heard similar stories from Maryland and Virginia coastal growers, so in all reality, we should not have been surprised.

We started out with what we determined to be our favorite of their offerings: the Grand Ole Osprey White Table Wine. This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonel that has a nice citrus flavor and refreshing acidic finish. This would have been a nice wine to have on the beach. Since this was their only white wine available, we turned quickly to their reds. The Chambourcin was a nice dry, medium bodied wine with cherry and plum flavors; whereas the Merlot had a similar plum flavor but a more pronounced nose and spicy finish. The next two blends were very good and completely different. The Boathouse Red Blend, a blend of Chambourcin, Merlot and Syrah, is dry and complex – full of berry flavors. Although the Grand Ole Osprey Red Table Wine contains the same grapes as the Boathouse Red Blend, plus the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon, it is made semi-dry and is more fruit forward. This wine can also be served chilled and is another nice beach drinking wine. Also made semi-dry and slightly sweeter is their Carlos Muscadine, one of the nicest versions of this style that we have tasted. It has the grapey flavor characteristic to the muscadine and is not overly sweet. For those with a sweet tooth, their two fruit offerings are worth a taste. Made from pure juice from New York State, the Blackberry and Raspberry wines taste exactly like the fruit, just a little more potent. They are not gritty – just rich.

We will certainly return to Knotts Island on our next trip to the Outer Banks; Moonrise Bay Vineyard was a great find – both in the quality of their wines and in the ambiance of their tasting room. For those interested in good live music, the winery is hosting folk-rock artist An Evening with Jesse Chong on July 18th. They also host a few other events as well, so check their WineCompass listing for more details. And if you can’t detour to the island, several retail outlets on the Outer Banks carry their wines; see our Wine & Beer on the Outer Banks posting.

Wine & Beer on the Outer Banks

When traveling to the northern Outer Banks there are several wine and beer attractions worth visiting. The region includes three working vineyards, two breweries, and several excellent wine shops that provide several wine events.

Somewhat off the main thoroughfare is Knotts Island, home to two little known wineries: Moonrise Bay Vineyard and Martin Vineyards. The island can be reached directly from Virginia Beach or from the free ferry in Currituck . In the early 1980s, Martin Vineyards planted peaches and Scuppernong grapes, and then moved on to viniferia grapes in the late 1980s. It surprised many that viniferia grapes would thrive on the coastal plain and for quite some time Martin Vineyards was the only successful viniferia grower on the coast. It appears that the surrounding waters warm the grapes in the winter and the constant breezes cool the grapes in the summer. A visit to the winery will offer opportunities to taste estate grown Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, and Chardonnay as well as muscadine and fruit wines. Their Bay Orchard Apple Wine is awesome. Ten years after Martin Vineyards planted their first viniferia grapes, less than a mile away, the proprietors of Moonrise Bay Vineyard did the same. What began as a hobby turned into an incorporated winery which produces an array of wines from their estate grown grapes. Once again, viniferia grapes are the main focus, with smaller quantities of Norton, Chambourcin and muscadine. Their Grand Ole Osprey table wines are perfect for the summer. Besides the wines, Moonrise Bay provides a few music events in the summer; the best: An Evening with Jesse Chong on July 18th.

After crossing the ferry or just traveling south on Route 158, slow down when nearing Jarvisburg (about 10 miles north of the Wright Memorial Bridge) before you miss Sanctuary Cellars and the Weeping Radish Farm Brewery. Sanctuary Cellars is located next to the Cotton Gin on the east side of the road and produces a selection of vintage, blends, and fruit wines, mostly from grapes grown directly from their estate. These vines are easily viewable from the road so you shouldn’t miss it. Currently these wines are bottled at the Moonrise Bay facility, but visitors can see another example where viniferia varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Sauvignon grow fairly well in the coastal environment. In fact the Sanctuary Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon has been rated by national wine magazines. Their medium bodied Chambourcin is one of the sellers as is their two proprietary blends Coastal Collage (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah) and The Lightkeeper (Sangiovese, Vidal and Chardonnay). Finally, they produce two sweet fruit wines, a Blueberry and a Blackberry made from juice acquired from New York. If you miss Jarvisburg or need to replenish their wines are available (as well as the Moonrise Bay and Martin Vineyards) at the Cotton Gin stores in Corolla and Nags Head and at Tommy's Gourmet Market and Wine Emporium in Duck.

On the west side of Route 158 look for the Weeping Radish Farm Brewery, which recently moved to this location from Manteo. The brewery is North Carolina’s oldest micro brewery and follows the “Reinheitsgebot Bier” code where only hops, malt, yeast and water are included in the mash. Their most popular brew is The Black Radish, a Schwarzbier (dark beer) that was listed as "one of the 50 beers to try before you die" by TheBrewSite.com. We also like their Fest beer which also is a great souvenir with a picture of the Ocracoke Lighthouse on the label. The remaining beers encompass the German beer tradition from the Altbier style Farm Brew® made from organic barley, throught the Kölsch, Maibock, Märzen, Weizen beers, to the sweet and malty Corolla Gold lager. Besides brewing beer, Weeping Radish is truly a farm brewery. The complex includes a 14 acre farm that produces vegetables, eggs and herbs that are either sold for retail or used in the brewery’s restaurant. In addition, Weeping Radish signed a joint venture with Gunther Kühle to create their “Farmer to Fork” program. Kühle is a German Master Butcher, who works with local farms to ensure that the animals are raised naturally – grass fed beef and free range pork. He uses his own equipment to produce sausages, hams, roasts and steaks which are vacuum-packed and labeled with the farm of origin. Self-guided brewery tours are available daily and the 30-minute guided tour is scheduled at noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Passing over the Wright Memorial Bridge, in Kill Devil Hills, look for the Outer Banks Brewing Station near the entrance to the Wright Brothers Memorial. This brewpub became the only wind powered brewpub in the United States when its 10kw wind turbine became operational on April 22nd of this year - after a six year zoning battle with the local government. The turbine provides 10% of the brewpubs energy and was specifically designed to accommodate bird life. The turbine helps produce one of our favorite beers, the Bourbon-Barrel Barley Wine, which is aged in used Bourbon barrels. The beverage has a heavy alcohol content (10.2% abv.) so it is served in 8 ounce snifters. Outer Banks Brewing Station also produces a wide array of other beers: 10 KW Pale Ale – dedicated to their new 10 kilowatt wind turbine, the Golden Rogallo Ale – made with Belgian Trappist yeast, a Hefeweizen, a Nut Brown Ale, a Kölsch styled lager, and an Oatmeal Stout. With the addition of nightly live music and an excellent restaurant – this is one of the shore’s top attractions.

Only a couple miles from the Outer Banks Brewing Station sits Chip’s Wine Market & Wine University. As the name suggests, this retail outlet sells local, national, and imported wine as well as Weeping Radish and other craft beers. It also operates weekly wine classes. The basic class is “Wine Tasting 101: Untangling the Vines”, where for $20, dispels some of the common myths -- about wine. They also provide classes on region specific wines and in June and July look for classes on South American and New Zealand wines.

There are other excellent wine shops that provide tasting opportunities. In Corolla, check out Corolla Wine, Cigar & Gourmet, located in the TimBuck II Shopping Village. This shop provides a nice selection of North Carolina wines and a daily tasting of a different wine.

The two locations of Native Vines both provide several tasting events. Just before the Wright Memorial Bridge, Native Vines I hosts daily tasting of North Carolina wines for $5 and a Reserve Tasting on Fridays at 6:30 PM (reservations required). In Nags Head across from Jockey’s Ridge - Native Vines II hosts the same $5 tasting of North Carolina wines plus a free Friday tasting of 5 wines from around the world from 6:00 PM to 8 PM.

Finally, from June 25 through September the historic Whalehead Club hosts a weekly Wine Festival. Each Wednesday, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., the public can sample wines from North Carolina and other appellations and listen to live entertainment, all for $20. Arrive early to climb the Currituck lighthouse – you don’t want to make the climb after a few glasses of wine.

A Secret Garden & Chatham Hill Winery

This past weekend I was able to visit two very good, but completely different wineries near Raleigh, North Carolina. The first, A Secret Garden Winery, is located a few mile east of Route 95, in rural Pikesville. The winery makes organic muscadine wines, from grapes grown in their local vineyard - just across the street from where the proprietor, Linda Hall was born and raised. Along with her husband, Gerald, she has turned a family hobby into a small, but growing winery. Not only do the Hall's not use pesticides, but they do not add sulfite or yeast to the wines. Instead, the Carlos and Noble grapes are allowed to ferment naturally. The winery offers several dry to sweet wines, and my favorite was right in the middle: the semi-dry Golden Harvest made from Carlos grapes at 2.5% r.s. This wine wasn't too sweet and allowed the grapey flavor of the muscadine to flow from the nose to the tail.

I then traveled along route 70 to Raleigh in order to visit Chatham Hill Winery. This winery is one of the increasing number of urban wineries, in this case, the owners purchase grapes from various vineyards and vinify the wine in an industrial warehouse in the city's suburbs. In fact, the winery is located less than a mile from Raleigh's beltway and a steady stream of visitors attested to the accommodating location. Chatham Hill makes several styles of wines from full-bodied vinifera wines to fruit wines. The winery purchases 80% of their grapes from North Carolina vineyards, and only supplements these grapes when local sources are not available. Thus, the Zinfandel, Syrah, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling are purchased outside the state - from California. At this tasting I tried four of their whites and liked the 2005 Chardonnay the best. The wine was aged half in steel and half in oak which produced a silky, slightly buttery wine, but one with a nice, refreshing acidity. Chatham Hill's reds were even better; the 2005 Merlot has a full cherry flavor sandwiched between a spicy nose and finish. The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2005 Zinfandel were also smooth, with strong berry aromas and smooth finishes. Finally, I tried a very interesting a refreshing fruit wine, the Sweet Carolina Pomegranate. The wine is not especially sweet, but the tart finish is very refreshing. Imaging eating cherries, then granny smith apples. I am truly jealous of the Raleigh resident's who can try and purchase excellent wines right in their backyard.

We will have more information and pictures of these trips in our Compass Tours section of Wine-compass.com.

Yadkin Valley Wine Bar - Charlotte Airport

This past weekend, while wondering between concourses at the Charlotte Airport, I came upon the Yadkin Valley Wine Bar. The wine bar is sponsored by the Yadkin Valley Winegrowers Association and carries the wines of Hanover Park Vineyard, RagApple Lassie Vineyards, RayLen Vineyards, Round Peak Vineyards, Shelton Vineyards, Stony Knoll Vineyards, and Westbend Vineyards. I was relieved to seeing the wine bar, because I was treading spending an hour at the food court, or a crowded restaurant, or at the gate. There was a wide array of wines available from dry Cabs to Chardonnays to Blush wines. I decided on two chardonnay wines, Stony Knoll's 2003 Chardonnay and RayLen's Barrel Chardonnay. Stony Knoll's Chardonnay was aged 10 months in French oak which provides the buttery finish - but the chardonnay fruit is still prevalent. RayLen's Chardonnay was very similar with even a stronger buttery finish. I was tempted to purchase a few bottles, but was already loaded down with carry on items. The wine bar does make it easy to ship wine; they will pay the shipping for orders over a case. Not a bad idea. And I no longer tread extended layovers in Charlotte.

Great Grapes Preview - Reston Virginia

On Saturday April 14th, several Virginia wineries will be pouring their wines at the Reston Town Center as part of the first Great Grapes festival of 2007. Throughout the year, the organizers of Great Grapes at uncorkthefun.com host several festivals in the mid-Atlantic region. The Reston event is the only Great Grapes festival held in Virginia and runs from 11am-7pm. Onsite tickets cost $25, whereas $20 advanced tickets can be purchased at uncorkthefun.com or by phone 800-830-3976.

The participating wineries create a good representation of the various types of wines made within the state. There will be award winning vinifera wines, excellent Chambourcin and other hybrid wines, fruit wines, and hopefully several types of Norton. The participating Virginia wineries are North Mountain Winery & Vineyards, Rebec Vineyards, Horton Vineyards, Veramar Vineyard, Lake Anna Winery, Rockbridge Vineyards, Stone Mountain Vineyards, Peaks of Otter Winery, Cave Ridge Winery, and Williamsburg Winery. There will also be one out of state winery, Thistle Meadow Winery, from Laurel Springs North Carolina. In addition to wine, several entertainers will be performing throughout the day. Make sure you don't miss the phat blues sound of The Kelly Bell Band - they play from 1:15-3:00. We will be in the front row.

Duplin Winery - Magnolia

While two of our editors were enjoying themselves at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the rest of us drowned our sorrows by cleaning out the wine cellar. We stumbled upon a wine that we couldn't remember purchasing: Duplin Winery's Magnolia. We most likely purchased the wine during a trip to the Outer Banks and it languished in our cellar since. Now, Magnolia is a Muscadine derivative and we know several of you have either never had the chance to try a muscadine wine or never cared to. But we believe you must treat each grape on its own merits and wineries must produce wine from grapes which grow in their specific environment. And in the South, that's the muscadine grape. We opened the bottle expecting an overly sweet wine, but we were quickly proven wrong. The wine had the characteristic muscadine nose and fruity flavor - but it was different from several of the muscadines that we had previously tasted. It had a great balance of sweetness and acidity, which didn't leave a sugary residue in your palate. It was actually quite refreshing and I was sorry to see it go - the bottle didn't last the night. Intrigued by the wine, I checked Duplin's website and found that their Magnolia is a star. For the past two years it was awarded the Muscadine Cup from the North Carolina Grape Council and Double Gold at the North Carolina State Fair Commercial Wine Competition. The award list for this wine contains all the major wine competitions throughout the country - from the Finger Lake International Wine Competition to the L.A. County Fair. What a lucky find. Duplin Winery has a large selection of other muscadine wines as well as a few fruit and viniferia wines. This spring or summer, if you are travelling to the Outer Banks or another southern beach destination you should be able to find a Duplin wine - and we strongly recommend their Magnolia. And at $7.50, what a bargain.