Chambourcin-sational!
With company in town for spring break, Kelly and I decided to take them on a tour of some wineries here in central North Carolina. The state has seen a burgeoning wine industry in recent years, with the number of licensed vineyards jumping from 27 three years ago to 63 at this point in time. The winemakers have grown in sophistication as well as numbers, and they have begun to win awards not just in state festivals but also regional and international competitions. At the same time, meanwhile, they remain small enough and sparse enough that they do not serve up the pretentiousness of Napa Valley along with their fermented grapes. The wineries we visited had a rather comfortable, homey feel. While justifiably proud of their work, they do not set themselves up like Persian palaces - although I still bought my most expensive bottle of wine from Darioush, because it is the most amazing Cabernet Sauvignon I've ever tasted.
North Carolina now ranks somewhere between 10th and 12th among the states in total wine production, having just recently passed Colorado. Of course, it's paltry 2,000 acres runs far below California's 400,000, but nevertheless it is a significant and exciting new development in the post-tobacco economy here. The state even has its own designated wine region, the Yadkin Valley area, although vineyards can be found everywhere from the Blue Ridge to the coast. The wineries we visited are not that far west, but five of them are in such proximity that they can constitute a wine trail. They are offer certain cultural opportunities that enhance leisurely enjoyment in the area, from dancing to outdoor concerts to artists' festivals.
One aspect that makes North Carolina winemaking exciting is the possibility of a distinctive regional wine emerging. A number of the vineyards are now growing a French/American hybrid grape known as Chambourcin, which was first produced in the 1960s. This varietal has been used for some time as an ingredient in European wine blends but has not until recently been tried as a wine in its own right. However, because the Chambourcin grape grows really well in humid climates (and therefore not in California), it has become a favored choice in this state. It is also favored because while it has an assertive flavor, it is not so robust as a Cabernet or Merlot and so it is more attractive or easier to drink for people who are not used to red wine - and that certainly includes people in the Southeastern United States, who often either drink nothing alcoholic at all or otherwise drink beer and homemade moonshine and "white lightning." Nevertheless, Chambourcin remains appealing to established wine-drinkers such as myself.
The wineries here are also producing tasty Cabernets, Merlots, and Chardonnays, along with more typically Eastern varietals such as Muscadine and Scuppernong and less conventional wines such as Blackberry and Pomegranate. There's plenty to choose from and plenty to enjoy, so if you drop in to visit I know where to take you.
North Carolina now ranks somewhere between 10th and 12th among the states in total wine production, having just recently passed Colorado. Of course, it's paltry 2,000 acres runs far below California's 400,000, but nevertheless it is a significant and exciting new development in the post-tobacco economy here. The state even has its own designated wine region, the Yadkin Valley area, although vineyards can be found everywhere from the Blue Ridge to the coast. The wineries we visited are not that far west, but five of them are in such proximity that they can constitute a wine trail. They are offer certain cultural opportunities that enhance leisurely enjoyment in the area, from dancing to outdoor concerts to artists' festivals.
One aspect that makes North Carolina winemaking exciting is the possibility of a distinctive regional wine emerging. A number of the vineyards are now growing a French/American hybrid grape known as Chambourcin, which was first produced in the 1960s. This varietal has been used for some time as an ingredient in European wine blends but has not until recently been tried as a wine in its own right. However, because the Chambourcin grape grows really well in humid climates (and therefore not in California), it has become a favored choice in this state. It is also favored because while it has an assertive flavor, it is not so robust as a Cabernet or Merlot and so it is more attractive or easier to drink for people who are not used to red wine - and that certainly includes people in the Southeastern United States, who often either drink nothing alcoholic at all or otherwise drink beer and homemade moonshine and "white lightning." Nevertheless, Chambourcin remains appealing to established wine-drinkers such as myself.
The wineries here are also producing tasty Cabernets, Merlots, and Chardonnays, along with more typically Eastern varietals such as Muscadine and Scuppernong and less conventional wines such as Blackberry and Pomegranate. There's plenty to choose from and plenty to enjoy, so if you drop in to visit I know where to take you.
Labels: The Pleasures of Life
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