On our last leg of a North Carolina mountain vacation this past week we landed in the small town of Highlands, NC.  Known for its cooler climates, great hiking trails, and mountainous vistas, its permanent population is just in the low 1000′s but visiting tourists in peak season can spike this to 15,000 or more.  At any rate, it was the last place we were expecting a lot in the way of wine.  We heard the area just gained the ability to serve “by the drink”.  Hell, we were just glad it wasn’t completely “dry,” which is what have experienced in north Georgia… Ugh!

We started with lunch our first day at the Wine Garden outside the Old Edwards Inn, which had very fresh, light and eclectic fare and was filled with well-to-do retirees and tourists chatting away while the sun finally graced us with its presence (It rained most of the week!) .  And there we were, in our hiking attire and dirty boots (no, not that “Dirty“) bringing the high brow down a few notches. There was a decent selection on their lunch wine list and I went with a Riesling to keep it light and the fact that lately I have been trying to give more time to this varietal.  The 2007 “Dr L.” Loosen Brothers non-estate Riesling was not expensive but went well with the chicken, portobello, applewood bacon and brie sandwich on ciabatta bread.  The aromas were perfumey and citrus as expected, with fennel, lemon and slate on the palate.  It was a little sweet, though not sure of the RS (residual sugar) level, but was not overwhelmingly so.

For dinner, we found an Italian restaurant that had quite an extensive wine list.   As a matter of fact, when we arrived, the wine list was more like a dictionary.  The Ristorante Paoletti has roughly 7,000 bottles in 2 distinct cellars and throughout the restaurant and the owner runs it like a wholesaler in the area buying up a lot of the “good” wine from distributors… and the friendly staff was extraordinary.

Shirt courtesy of Crushpad

We wanted a Barolo that was drinking now and was not over the top tannic, so they recommended the 2001 Claudio Alario Riva.  Part of the show was the server passing (splashing) the wine from one pitcher to the another creating a waterfall with each carefully orchestrated movement in order to aerate the wine.  This was pretty cool and there wasn’t one drop lost!  There were dark (bitter) chocolate and violets on the nose, with nice fruit and medium tannin and mouthfeel that had a little spice and nice long finish.

Cheers, ya’ll!

When we asked Kim Myers, owner of Laurel Gray along with her husband, about their plans for growth when compared to a few of the bigger wineries down the road, her answer was simple and clear.  They want to make the best wine they can from their own fruit (they never sell grapes to other wineries) and maintain close relationships with their fans.  They have a lot of fans.  The first thing I noticed when we entered their quaint, country-style tasting room is that they had added another tasting bar in the back since the last time we were there about 3 years ago.  It was obviously necessary as we actually had to wait about 10 minutes for a spot.  But, when we stepped in she remembered us and my in-laws and continued the conversation about the new releases as if we were old friends.

They’ve done a really good job building an experience around their wines and beyond just the tasting room.  The patio is comfy, surrounded with colorful flowering plants and picturesque views of the vineyard, pond and their new winemaking facility that looks like a barn that fits with its surroundings here in Hamptonville, NC.  Kim is also an artist whose creations grace the labels of every bottle, so creativity and innovation is prominent throughout the family.

Of seven wines I tried, there were 3 that really stood out and I’ll share some notes about those here.  For more information, check out their website if you are planning a trip to the Yadkin Valley anytime soon.

2008 Viognier - Fruit/floral nose with peach and apricot that continued onto the palate with a crisp and light feeling.  This would be a nice wine to have chilled in the summer.  I am starting to see more wineries growing Viognier, including the Blackstock winery outside Atlanta and it is wonderfully surprising how satisfying they are.

A Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend they call “Sultry” (2006 vintage) gave me the sensation of grilled butter on the nose, like what you’d have on the toast of your grilled cheese sandwich and red berries.  The spice from the Syrah came through on the taste wonderfully and this would go well with any BBQ or grilled fare.

Finally, the 2007 Scarlet Mountain was a nice lighter red that they describe as “cherry pie without the crust.”  I got a lot of red fruit on the nose that reminded me of a dark rose’ or even what you might call a “big” Beaujolais.  It consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay, but there is much more fruit than spice and vanilla, which makes me think this way.  I think this could be chilled a little and enjoyed with a summer BBQ as well.

From what folks in the area tell me, Laurel Gray is one of the more popular wineries in the Yadkin Valley, though its proximity to I-77 and Hwy 421 may help that a bit.  My in-laws swear by them and if I want to keep peace in the family, I am going with that too!  Seriously, they are making some good wine and really have a grasp of the entire concept in creating an experience beyond the juice.

Taking this title from a new found friend on Twitter and host of the The Other 46 wine blog, I bring to you some notes from 4 wineries I visited today in the Yadkin Valley, North Carolina.  I hope he doesn’t mind and I have given him props including a link to his site above as well as in my blogroll  ; )  I just thought it was very appropriate and he was kind enough to reach out me via Twitter to see what I had learned.  Due to space on the blog and to give each place the focus it deserves so you, the reader, can get a feel for each, I will post about each one at a time.

We started off at Elkin Creek Vineyard, which was suggested to us by our new friends, Marty and Chris, who recently moved to Atlanta from NC.  We met them back around New Year’s at a Brookhaven Sherlock’s tasting, recent site of a heralded wine funkmaster Hardy Wallace, of GoodeToBeFirst fame, tasting event.  Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating with us today as the rain came pouring down, but it added some beautiful tranquility to an already peaceful place in the mountains.  Mark Greene, the winemaker, started his vineyard in 2001 further up the mountain from his creekside home next to an old 18th century mill that makes you just ready to retire, which is what he thought he was ready to do.  Mark caught the bug and learned viti- and viniculture from a local college, one of few (if any) on the east coast with such a program.  This gives those aspiring winemakers out there, like me, some confidence that it actually can be done and if you have the fire in your belly and the conviction, you can make it.

Mark also built their wine tasting room/restaurant … himself… back in 2004.  It’s made of huge solid wood beams angling skyward to a central portal in the roof, that gives the room a very natural and spacious feel.  We ate lunch in the dining room and the menu included mostly Italian style dishes like Panini’s and pastas, as well as a good cheese dish and fresh salads.  My father-in-law and I had the Penne pasta with Lamb Ragu which paired well with their Rossa, which is an interesting blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah… yes, not one muscadine grape to be found! 

The Rossa had a brick, orangish hue and had a peppery herb nose.  The taste was full of soft, velvety red fruits that was very even to the finish.  This was not one of my favorites during the tasting, but with the Lamb Ragu, it flourished!  Definitely a food wine.

The 2007 Family Reserve is a Merlot and Syrah blend with just a splash of Viognier.  I got some heat on the nose, but enjoyed the light oak, earth, and red fruits.  It had a good bit of spice on the palate and a lasting finish.

But, it was their 2007 Chardonnay that I really enjoyed the most.  It presented apples and pears on the nose and was very light and crisp as it was solely aged in stainless steel.

Ultimately, it is good to see that you don’t have to always catch a flight to the west coast to visit beautiful wine country scenery or taste good vinifera wines… many of these are winning regional and national awards, too, so don’t just take my word for it.