Laurel Gray Vineyards

While at Raffaldini we were talking to another couple who recommended we stop by Laurel Gray since Traci mentioned that she liked Chardonnay. It wasn't on our list for the day, but it was so close we thought "why not?"

It's a quaint little winery with a country store look, but the grounds are very pretty with lots of flowers and a pond.

Unfortunately for Traci, the Chardonnay wasn't too impressive. Of course she's a California Chardonnay snob, so judge for yourself :) Actually, I wasn't a big fan of the Chardonnay either. The two wines that stood out to me were the Estate Reserve Cab Sav and the Rose'. The Estate Cab was actually pretty good. My only problem was the $29 price. There are just too many California cabs at that price that are better :(  I actually ended up buying a bottle of the Rose' which is odd, because generally I don't care for it. In VA and NC the Rose's I've had tend to be too sweet or bone dry. And seem to be a mix of whatever grapes were left over that they couldn't do anything else with. This one seemed to land in the middle of the sweet/dry, not too sweet but easily drinkable. It is a blend of Viognier, stainless Chardonnay and Syrah which I found pleasant. However, bear in mind that this was our 5th winery of the day and my palate may have been cooked :) I review it in more detail whenever I get around to opening the bottle. While we were tasting it a lady from New York basically spit it out because she didn't like it :) It just goes to show how different preferences in wine can be. Just remember that Good Wine is whatever you like to drink!

 

Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery

Raffaldini was probably the vineyard I was looking forward to visiting the most. The pictures on the website are fantastic and I wanted to see if it looked as good in person or if it was just good marketing. The vineyard is a little off the beaten path so you have to drive out into the country for a little bit. The roads are well marked with signs that make it easy to find.As you get close to the vineyard there are some pretty run down single wide trailers which is pretty ironic, because when you make the turn and can see the vineyard it is stunning. It is very obvious they put a lot of thought and a LOT of money into the design of Raffaldini. I didn't get a shot as nice as the one below so I borrowed it from their website.

The Villa (tasting room) and the vineyard are spectacular. The villa is sitting atop a gorgeous knob with fantastic views. The drive up the knob leads through the vineyard, which has an awesome fountain separating the entry driveway from the exit. Then it follows past the villa, the Fattoria (special event center) and the rose gardens. Everything is meticulously landscaped and absolutely beautiful. I really never thought anything like this existed in North Carolina. Even if you're not into wine, it is worth a visit just for the scenery.

Raffaldini focuses on Italian style wines and grows a lot of Italian varietals such as Sangiovese, Montepulciano and Vermintino. Their tasting room is as nice on the inside as it is on the outside. Their wines are pretty solid throughout the line up with no real disappointments. I even kind of liked their Pinot Grigio, and normally I do not care for PG. I enjoyed the other 2 whites, the 2008 Vermintino and the 2008 Fiori. Both are dry in style. I had never tried the Vermintino grape before and I believe that Raffaldini may be the only place that grows it on the entire east coast. It was unique and I'd like to see some other vineyards take a shot at growing it. I ended up buying the Fiori which is a blend of 56% Chardonnay, 30% Viognier 11% Pinot Grigio and 3% Orange Moscato. It has tropical fruits on the nose and I even seemed to get some apricot. It has a dry crisp finish and can stand on its own. However, as I found out once we got back home it really shines with food. I'll go into more detail in a Food & Wine Pairing post later. Unfortunately, this is going to be the last vintage of this wine so if you want to try it you better grab it now.

Raffaldini's motto is "Chianti in the Carolinas" so they take their reds seriously. Their Sangiovese (Chianti) was actually pretty good. I would even say it compares well to most $10 - 13 Italian Chiantis. I also liked the Montepulciano. I had never had this grape on its own before, only as a blend. For me the real star of the reds was the Urbano, a blend of the Sangiovese and Montepulciano. It will probably be even better after another year of aging, but it is really good right now. It has cherries and dark chocolate on the nose. Those flavors are also evident on the palate along with some oak. I think it will definitely shine with some italian dishes and red meats. I grabbed a bottle that I plan on keeping for 6 months to a year to let it age a little more. We were unable to try the Bella Misto because they were sold out. However I did learn they do something really cool with this wine. They run blending trials over several weeks in November and December where for $15 you get a 2hr blending session led by Jay Raffaldini. They use the feed back and blending percentages from the best participants to help them determine the next years blend. It is a chance to learn a lot and play winemaker for the day. I wasn't able to make it this year, but I'm already putting this on my calendar for next year.

Bottom line: Visit Raffaldini, it is stunning. All of the wines are reasonably priced, they have a decent selection of cheeses, fruits, snacks,etc. to have a perfect pinic on their beautiful patio. Here is a shot of Traci near the patio, showing the amazing view (of the hills and her :) ) and the complementary pasta salad.

McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks

Next up was McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks, it was just a few miles from Grassy Creek. Be careful not to miss the turn though, it is kind of hidden as you are heading up the hill. I wasn't initially planning on stopping here since it was a little out of the way and to be honest the guys pictured on their website didn't really "look" like wine guys:)  But this is one time that the book definitely shouldn't be judged by the cover. They may not look the part, but they definitely know how to play it well. I would probably say that top to bottom this is the best winery we stopped at on our trip.

We started our tasting with the 2008 Foggy Mountain Chardonnay, it is unoaked with great tropical fruit notes, very crisp and clean. By far the best North Carolina Chardonnay I have tried. Next up was the 2008 Fallingwater White, this is an off-dry blend, it was sweet but not over the top. To use Traci's term, it was a "hot tub wine". I suspect a lot of people that don't normally like wine would like this. It was smooth, lightly sweet finish, with lots of fruit on the nose. A very easy drinking approachable wine.

The 2008 Pale Rider Rose' was next, this is a dry Sangiovese rose'. I'm not really a rose' fan, but this wasn't bad. Next was the 2007 Ring of Fire red, its a blend of Petit Verdot, Cab Franc and Cab Sav. This was the star of the line up in my opinion. A very nicely balanced wine with deep cherry and chocolate flavors. The tannins are evident but not overbearing. This wine is great now but I think it will be even better in a year or so. On par with the Elkin Creek Family Reserve Red at a more attractive price point. The 2007 Merlot wasn't bad, but I'm not a merlot fan.

Next were two of the more unique offerings of the day; the 2008 Sparkling Niagra and the North Carolina Hard Cider. Both are carbonated, but the technique they used is spot on. Its not overly bubbly like champagne or harsh like soda, it almost lends itself as a smooth texture with some pop. I enjoyed both of these wines, they were unique and fun. The hard cider was particularly good with an excellent apple flavor on the finish.

I would highly recommend McRitchie as a stop if you're planning a tour of the area. I ended up buying some of the Fallingwater, Ring of Fire and the Hard Cider. But I just may have to go back for some more :)

Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery

Our second stop of the day was Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery: www.grassycreekvineyard.com

It was just a short drive from Elkin Creek. The drive into the vineyard was also very nice, there are some rolling hills with a few ponds. Grassy Creek also has a few cabins for rent on the vineyard grounds. The tasting room is located in a remodeled barn. They did a great job on the barn, the tasting room is open and roomy with a large bar, a huge stone fireplace and a neat fountain. I was slacking and didn't get any pictures of either one so here are a couple from their website:

Today they were tasting their 2006 wines: Chardonnays (stainless and barrel), Red Barn Blend, Merlot, Barbera, Cab Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. They also have two wines under the Klondike Farms label: 2007 Golden Guernsey and the 2006 Guernsey Red.

The Klondike wines have a unique bottle that is styled like old milk bottles. It is cute and goes along with the farm theme. Both wines are fairly sweet, the red is a blend of Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Syrah, Merlot, Noble and Carlos grapes and wasn't half bad for a sweet wine. The white however seemed to have that odd taste that I seem to pick up in most North Carolina Chardonnays. I'm not sure if it is a fungus, mineral or what but it leaves an odd taste in my mouth that I'm not overly fond of. Both their stainless and barrel chardonnays also seemed to have this present.

Onto the reds... The Red Barn Blend, Merlot and Cab Sav weren't bad. None were particularly impressive but all were ok. The Cab Sav was their first release so I would expect it to improve some as the vines develop. The Barbera was a nice surprise, I'm not as familiar with this grape since I don't see it much in Virginia. It had deep color with notes of currant and black cherry, it was smooth with a lasting finish. The Cab Franc was probably their best wine, the host had us taste it with some really good dark chocolate and it paired perfect. It had notes of blackberries and cassis with some berry fruit on the finish. I'm usually not a big Cab Franc fan, but I'm warming up to it, especially if I run across a few more like this.

One other interesting thing they had in the tasting room were table glasses made out of recycled wine bottles. I haven't ran across these before but they were really well done in several different styles.

Driving out we went by the cabin area with a beautiful view of the larger pond. They offer a couple of different sized cabins at rates comparable to the local Bed & Breakfasts.

Elkin Creek Vineyard

First up was Elkin Creek: http://www.elkincreekvineyard.com

Walking into the tasting room you immediately notice the huge wooden support beam in the center of the room. There is an intricate carving that really gives it some character. The large exposed beams in the vaulted ceiling have a rugged quality about them with the rest of the dining area and tasting bar bringing the refinement.

The owner was fun and full of southern hospitality. We immediately began chatting about the area and our itinerary for the day. We had planned to do dinner at Twenty One and Main but found out that they were closed that night because they were doing a special wine & dinner pairing at Elkin Creek. The owner told us that he would call and see if he could get us a seat. He then said he was planning on attending the dinner but if there wasn’t a seat we could have his reservation. Now that’s doing everything you can to please a customer.

Now onto the wine...  Traci and I shared a tasting. Sharing has 2 benefits: it helps limit alcohol consumption while driving to vineyards and you usually save enough money on tasting fees to buy a couple of bottles.

Traci really enjoyed the Soft white , it's made with the Niagara grape, it was smooth and crisp and not too sweet. She likes to call it a “hot tub wine” because it would be great chilled while in the hot tub.  It was one of the better Niagara's I've tried because the sugar was limited and it didn't overshadow the fruit. I also think it would pair well with some spicy Thai food. Though the real surprise for me here was the Family Reserve Red. Now don’t get me wrong, I love touring around VA and NC wineries, but generally my expectations aren't too high for red wines. I must have been wearing my thoughts on my face because after my first taste the owner said “don’t look so surprised”. He definitely caught me; I really wasn’t expecting it to be that good. The blend of Merlot, Syrah and Viognier had bold flavors but a smooth subtle lingering finish. I was really, really tempted to by a bottle. But at $27 I couldn’t help but start thinking about all the Cali Zins and Cabs I could get near that $30 price point. Funny how the brain works, at $22 it would probably be in my cellar right now. I ended up deferring to Traci and we came away with a bottle of the Soft White.

After leaving the tasting we explored the grounds a little. There is a gorgeous creek out back with a camp fire site with wooden swings built around it. They also have an area where they host weddings. The most fun outside had to be the chickens though. There were two wild looking ones that appeared to have “fancy hair” and one hilarious fat one who waddled when he ran. I’m still wishing I had “tubby” on video, I just wasn’t fast enough with the camera :)


Definitely put Elkin Creek on your list if you touring the area, a solid line up of wines from top to bottom, beautiful scenery and genuine hospitality.

North Carolina Wine Trip

Traci and I recently got an unexpected free weekend when the grandparents volunteered to keep the kids. I immediately started looking around for things to do and ran across www.visitncwine.com  ,this is a great site that makes it easy to find NC wineries* and wine events. I didn’t realize how many NC wineries there were. We decided this was a perfect choice for a Saturday day trip.

*Just be sure to cross check the winery map with the winery websites and actual addresses. We found 2 that were way off on the map from the actual location.

After a little planning we decided to do a loop and hit Elkin Creek, Grassy Creek, McRitchie, Raffaldini, Laurel Grey, Hutton and Stony Knoll. We had planned to hit Ragapple Lassie and Shelton as well but ran out of time. Oh well, I guess now we’ll have to go back ;)

I’ll try to do individual reviews of each winery and their wines in upcoming posts.