North Carolina Wine Festival

This weekend was the North Carolina Wine Festival, held at Tanglewood Park, in Clemmons, N.C., which is about 35 minutes from Greensboro, but still in the Triad area.  While this time of year inspires several wine festivals throughout the state, this is the largest annual festival, with over 20 local wineries presenting tastings and samples.

Vlad and I spent the day wandering through the park enjoying the sunshine and a few glasses of wine.  Represented among the booths was Rocky River Winery located near my hometown of Concord, and several wineries from around the Triad area.  I loved trying the wine that had titles and flavors revolving around life in North Carolina, like the Loggerhead Red, or the Carolina Blush.  But the most impressive item for sampling for me was the wine ice cream!  I don't about you guys, but that pretty much puts two of my favorite things into one savory dessert!  With 5-6% alcohol and real fruit pieces, the peach was my favorite with black cherry (a lavender colored ice cream) as a close second!

We ended up visiting about eight of the booths, but our favorite was the first booth of the day, Slightly Askewed Winery from Elkin, NC.  Before we left we made sure to stop back by and snag a bottle of pomegranate wine to enjoy later!  Most of the wineries were having tastings of their sweet and fruit wine selections for summer, but some of them were just entirely to sweet for my taste.  However Slightly Askewed also had peach, black cherry, and blackberry acai wine that were delicious and all while fruity and full of flavor, were not too sweet to sip on!

It was a beautiful day for the festival, with the willow trees swaying in the wind and the elegant sun hats to shield the rays, it was a southern event for the season!  This was my first wine festival and I'm already excited for next year!

Christmas at Our House

I hope everyone's Christmas was happy and joyful!   Einstein and I wanted to share a bit of our family Christmas with you and yours!  It's our tradition on Christmas Eve to have shrimp, cheese and sausage  for dinner.  We also have a bit of seasonal wine and just spend time watching movies as a family at home. Of course this time of year there's only one place you'll find Einstein: behind the Christmas tree, I mean it's not every day you get to have a bit of nature indoors!  

Christmas morning we sleep in and open our presents together, telling stories of how we came across them or explain how something works.  All the puppies got new bones and even Einstein got a new toy and fresh treats!  We spent the rest of the day watching a Christmas story and taking extensive naps, which is a holiday treat indeed!  So all in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas break at home for the holiday and with lots of love from Einstein, we now wish you a Happy New Year!

Banner Elk Winery

Banner Elk Winery

Banner Elk Winery Website

          On the first day of our trip to the Blue Ridge we thought it'd be nice to visit a small, quiet winery.  Located in a valley, the scene was breathtaking, glowing with an orange and gold light from the surrounding trees.  I had never been to a winery or even a wine tasting since I've turned 21 over a year ago, so it was an opportunity to learn a lot about the process of winemaking as well as the different kinds of wine.  Such as, that one of the differences in red and white wines is that white wine grapes are pressed and only the juices goes through the fermentation process, and red wine grapes are fermented with the pulps, skins, and juice, giving it the common deep red color.  I was also intrigued with the fact that different types of oak or wood make the wine taste differently, so they put different varieties in either American Oak or French Oak depending on how they want the end result to taste.

          After a short tour, we had a wine tasting of six different kinds, 2 reds, 2 whites, and 1 rose.  My favorite was the Banner Elk White, a sweeter, lighter wine as perfect for the cool afternoon, however Ioan preferred the Banner Elk Red.  

Wine Tasting List

(from the winery itself)

2008 Seyval Blanc

          Our Seyval Blanc is a crisp white wine with delicate undertones of citrus and melon.  Seyval Blanc is a French hybrid varietal known for its resistance to the cold.  The Seyval Blanc is a great summer wine to enjoy on the porch, and pairs well with seafood, cheeses, and entrees such as roasted duck and veal. 

Banner Elk White

         The Banner Elk White is a softer white wine composed of Seyval Blanc, Traminette and Viogner.  Complex flavors of citrus, honey, apricot and orange make this wine an exceptional delight when paired with spicy foods, grilled salmon, and a mild cheese.

High Country Rose

          This unique wine is single varietal Rose made from the Stuebun grape.  Unique for being a dry Rose, this wine is characterized by flavors of cranberry, strawberry with a green apple tart finish.  Our Rose pairs well with cheese, pesto-and-garlic based pasta dishes, as well as roasted chicken and barbecue.

Banner Elk Red

          The Banner Elk Red is a winemaker's blend of Petite Syrah, Marechal Foch and Cabernet Franc. Smooth and light-bodied, this wine displays earthy tones with a peppery, oak finish.  This wine will couple well with steak, fresh pasta marinara or braised lamb.

Marechal Foch

          Our Marechal Foch is made from 100% Marechal Foch grapes, a luscious French American hybrid with soft tannins coupled with blackberry and cherry undertones.  This Foch has a smooth velvety finish and is an excellent match with creamy cheese, red bases pastas and cheesecake.

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

          A gold medal winner in the North Carolina State Fair for the past 2 years, this full-bodied, well-structured Cabernet Sauvignon displays a balance of dark fruit and mature tannins with a very bold finish.  Being a traditional Cabernet, this wine will pair well with prime rib, roasted duck, lamb and artisan cheeses.