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In love with these chairs!

A month or so back we were at Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyards, one of our favorite local vineyards. Charles, the owner and winemaker, was having some custom made Adirondack chairs delivered. These chairs were made 100% from his wine barrels!

Wine barrel Adirondack made from Baker Buffalo wine barrels

Kim and I fell in love with these chairs. They were not only unique and beautiful, but they were very comfortable. The beautiful crimson color is from the wine that the barrel contained. How cool! Also, they have a cut out in the arm to hold your favorite wine glass ❤️🍷. There was also a side table made from the barrel head.

So Charles introduced us to the craftsman, Tracy Camp. He and his wife are wine travelers like Kim and I. We talked for quite a while, and I asked him to make us 2 chairs and a table. Charles offered to let me pick out the barrels from Baker Buffalo to have the chairs made from. The barrels I chose still had a wonderful Merlot in them, so I had to wait until the wine was removed and bottled.

Fast forward to this week…my chairs are ready!

Tracy called me and told me our chairs are ready! I picked up our chairs and table and we were absolutely blown away! These chairs are gorgeous and so comfortable. The Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyards Merlot left a gorgeous stain on the wood. All of the staves used to make the chairs are beautiful. The barrel head has a beautiful stamp that makes the table unique and wonderful. Did I mention that ALL of the wood on these chairs and table come 100% from the wine barrels?!

Our new favorite place to sit and enjoy wine

These chairs hold so much uniqueness and meaning. They are a must have for any true wine lover. If you are interested in your own chairs or tables, you can contact me at carolinawinetraveler@gmail.com or Tracy Camp at tlcwinebarrelcreations@gmail.com

Happy NC Wine Month!

May is North Carolina wine month, a time to celebrate the state’s rapidly growing wine industry and the passion and hard work of the many winemakers and vineyard owners throughout the state. As a North Carolina wine enthusiast, I’m excited to share some insights into the unique features of the state’s wine industry and why you should consider tasting some of its excellent wines.

North Carolina’s wine history dates back over 150 years when the state had over 25,000 acres of vineyards. However, the prohibition in the early 20th century and a devastating phylloxera outbreak in the 1950s led to a decline in the industry. However, over the past few decades, North Carolina’s wine industry has experienced significant growth and has been steadily gaining national recognition for its high-quality wines.

One of the unique features of North Carolina’s wine industry is its diversity. The state has three distinct growing regions – the Appalachian Mountains, the Piedmont Plateau, and the Atlantic Coastal Plain – each with its own unique climate, soil, and topography. This diversity allows for a wide variety of grapes to be grown, including classic European varieties like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, as well as native varieties like Muscadine and Scuppernong.

North Carolina consists of 6 designated AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). The Yadkin Valley AVA is the state’s largest and oldest AVA. It features over 40 wineries and touches 7 counties. The Swan Creek AVA overlaps a small part of Yadkin Valley and features 8 wineries. The Haw River Valley AVA contains 4 wineries and a Meadery. It was established in 2009 and covers 6 counties. Its elevations range from 350-800 feet above sea level. The Upper Hiwaassee Highlands AVA was established in 2014 and borders Georgia. The Appalachian High Country AVA borders Virginia and Tennessee. It was established in 2016 and is home to 4 wineries. The newest AVA is the Crest of the Blue Ridge, established in 2019. It houses 6 wineries and includes Hendersonville, which has become a hot tourist location. There is a proposed 7th NC AVA, the Tryon Foothills, which is still in the regulatory process. This AVA would lie on Polk County which is home to several great wineries that produce some outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Petit Manseng varietals.

Another unique feature of North Carolina’s wine industry is its emphasis on sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices. Many wineries and vineyards in the state are certified by the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association and use practices like composting, cover cropping, and integrated pest management to reduce their environmental impact.

One of the best ways to experience North Carolina’s wine industry is by visiting one of the many wineries and vineyards throughout the state. North Carolina has over 200 wineries and more than 500 vineyards, many of which offer tastings, tours, and other events throughout the year. Some of the most popular wine regions in the state include the Yadkin Valley, Swan Creek, and Haw River Valley.

In addition to visiting wineries and vineyards, there are several wine festivals and events held throughout the year in North Carolina. May is North Carolina wine month, and many wineries and vineyards offer special events and tastings to celebrate. The NC Wine Festival is held annually in Raleigh, and other events like the Yadkin Valley Wine Festival and the Asheville Wine & Food Festival are popular with both locals and visitors.

If you’re looking to taste some of North Carolina’s excellent wines, there are many options available. Many wineries offer tastings and tours, and some even have restaurants or cafes where you can enjoy a meal or snack alongside your wine. There are also several wine shops and tasting rooms throughout the state that offer a wide selection of North Carolina wines.

North Carolina’s wine industry is a diverse and rapidly growing industry that is gaining recognition for its high-quality wines and sustainable practices. Whether you’re a wine enthusiast or just looking to try something new, there’s something for everyone in North Carolina’s wine country. So, raise a glass this May to North Carolina wine month and toast to the hardworking winemakers and vineyard owners who are making this industry thrive.

Parker Binns Wine Club Barrel Tasting

instagram.com/stories/parkerbinnsvineyard/2573854503439622315

Open for Entry: North Carolina Mead-Cider-Fruit Wine Competition

A great opportunity for NC producers of mead, cider and fruit wines to spotlight their creations. Our friends at Winery Escapades, who host a very successful Palmetto Wine competition, are hosting the NC Mead, Cider and Fruit Wine competition. I hope lots of our great NC producers take the opportunity to enter!

Wine Competitions and Marketing!

The inaugural North Carolina Mead-Cider-Fruit Wine Competition is open for entry! Download the form here ➡️ MCF Entry Form

We have pick-up available in the following, Western North Carolina, Charlotte/Lake Norman area, Raleigh/Triangle area.

Contact Dennis via phone or text to 864-357-1435 to arrange pick-up or discuss shipping.

Entry fee is $75 and two 750 ml bottles or four of any smaller volume bottles/cans.

Entry fees may be settled by check to North Carolina MCF Wine Competition and mailed to NCMCF, 102 Scenic Cir., Boiling Springs, SC 29316.

Additional options for settling fees are as follows.

PayPal or Zelle to 8643571435 – Venmo to Jen-NisWineMarketing – CashApp to $WineryEscapades

Entries from other regions in North Carolina may be shipped direct to the judging venue. The NC Mead-Cider-Fruit Wine Competition C/O The Lodge at Flat Rock 42 McMurray Rd. Flat Rock, NC 28731

Please text a note to Dennis at 864-357-1435…

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Marked Tree Vineyard in Flat Rock, NC

Today we came back to Marked Tree Vineyard for our second trip. We originally came in their opening day. They weren’t doing tastings. Today we are doing a tasting of 5 pre selected pours, which is $15. Today’s selections are Grüner Veltliner, Otto, Sweet Ellie Mae rosé, 2018 Petit Verdot and 2018 Ghost House red. I’m not a white wine fan, so I’ll reserve judgment on the Grüner.

The Otto (Vidal Blanc) with 2% residual sugar was refreshing and would be a good summer wine. The rosé is a Cab Franc (♥️) blend, and was very crisp and refreshing. I could definitely drink this. I was excited to get to the reds. Our server, Hannah, was very informative and engaging. She brought us Lemberger since we didn’t get to try it on our initial visit.

Hannah was an awesome hostess. Very knowledgeable of the wines.

It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Lemberger is one of our favorite varietals and we were excited to see another NC winery growing and serving it. It has a nose of cocoa, coffee and aged leather. The palate is still a little acidic as this is only a 2018 vintage. I expect that this will cellar well and be even more amazing in 5 years. Our next selection was Ghost House Red. It is a Bordeaux blend, and is 2% residual sugar, even though it is not noticeably sweet. I got a nose of grape jelly on first sniff. It is a very smooth drinking blend and would be a great all around wine that all palates would enjoy. As Hannah said, a good lunch or holiday wine.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tasting, and the wines were wonderful. Marked Tree is a must visit while in the Hendersonville area! You can’t beat the combination of great wine, nice people and beautiful views!

Merlot week

So we talked about the wine classes we are taking to learn to distinguish wines based upon their characteristics. We were looking forward to Merlot week as we are red wine drinkers! Merlot week did not disappoint! It was amazing to learn how much Merlot suffered from one line in a movie from 2004 called Sideways. Paul Giamatti (a great actor by the way) and a friend take a week long road trip to Santa Barbara County wine country. Giamatti’s character loves Pinot Noir and states in a line in the movie”If anybody orders (expletive) Merlot, I’m leaving!”

Following the release of the film, Merlot sales dropped 2% and Pinot Noir sales increased 16%! A 2009 study by Sonoma State University found that Sideways slowed the growth of Merlot sales and caused its price to fall. Amazing that one line in a movie can have such an effect.

But enough of Hollywood and on to the wine. The official tasting was of a Merlot from Napa Valley, Trefethen. It is an estate grown Merlot with good reviews. It has a average price of $34.99 according to Vivino. It was an ok Merlot, but not my favorite. It was rather bland and lacked fruitiness and depth.

We always do a comparison wine, so I picked up a Washington State Merlot from Aldi. It was Crestwood Barrel Merlot. Retail price is $6.99. This Merlot was much better than the $35 Trefethen. It was fruity and had much more depth and character. Proof positive that price doesn’t always mean a superior wine! Washington state produces some under appreciated wines.

We are looking forward to next week as we learn about one of our absolute favorite varietals, Cabernet Franc. Stay tuned!

Taste wine like a sommelier

We have been attending classes with our friends who are opening a new winery in Spindale, NC. The classes are sponsored by the French Broad Vignerons. The classes are every Friday night for 12 weeks. Each week, we taste a different varietal that was purchased from a local wine shop. We were given the list and the case of different wines was purchased prior to the beginning of the classes. The first week was Sauvignon Blanc and this past week was Grüner Veltliner.

The focus of the education is to learn to identify the unique characteristics of each varietal to be able to identify it in a blind tasting. We go through the Court of Master Sommeliers Deductive Tasting sheet each week to learn color, nose, taste, clarity, etc. Rick Jelovsek is the host and wow do we learn a lot in a short period. This coming Friday’s Merlot and I can’t wait as I love reds. I bought a comparative Washington State Merlot to sample alongside what Rick has picked for Friday to contrast the difference. We love to expand our wine knowledge.

Stretching our Wine Wings

Well, you would think with the world being shut down for the past 5 months I would have found more time to write. The shutdown really put a cramp on our wine travels, but my “real job” jumped into hyper drive. So my writing and the blog has been the victim.

If you have to wear a mask, rock a wine mask❤️🍷

Despite drinking A LOT of wine at home, we were not able to visit wineries for quite a while. Thankfully, the stars aligned and we took a trip. Not just a local trip, but to Northern Georgia! We packed up with our best #winefriends and hit the road to Georgia on a Friday afternoon.

Our first stop was at Tiger Mountain Vineyards. It being our first experience at a Georgia winery, I wasn’t sure what kind of varietals to expect. This was a mountainous region so elevation, climate and soil type were going to be factors. Tiger Mountain has an interesting looking tasting room. There were tons of awards so I expected great wines!

I wasn’t disappointed. We were able to taste several of their wines and they were all very good. We ended up bringing home a bottle of their 2018 Raybun Red, which is a blend. Great depth and flavor! Then we were off to our next stop!

New BE Baker wine from Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard

Quite a while back while we were visiting Charles and Ann at Baker Buffalo Creek, Charles invited us into the barrel room for a sneak peek at a new wine he was working on. Charles knew that CD Baker, his Cabernet Sauvignon aged in Bourbon barrels is one of my favorite wines. He told me that he was contacted about purchasing some Brandy barrels, and decided to buy a few. He then decided that he was going to age his Merlot, which is amazing on its own by the way, in the Brandy barrels. It had only been in the barrels a short while but Charles got out his wine thief (which makes my heart beat faster) and pulled me off a glass.

The barn at Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard

I only had a small frame of reference, as I have only ever tried one other Brandy Barrel aged Merlot, but man this was delicious! I told Charles that it had just about the perfect amount of Brandy flavor paired with the Merlot. We talked for a while and then we went back to the tasting room to finish our visit with he and Ann. Charles said that they were working on their label since this was a new wine. All labels have to be approved by the state.

The tasting room at Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard

Fast forward several months, to several visits later with some of our WTF (wine tasting friends 😊). I asked about the release of the new wine, which was to be named BE Baker after Ann’s grandmother. Ann stated that there had been some administrative hold ups and they still weren’t able to bottle. We asked them to make sure to let us know when they were able to bottle and release as we were anxious to have a whole bottle. Ann assured us that she would let us know.

Ann serving at the wine bar (prior to the current shutdown)

Fast forward again to our current situation where we can’t visit the winery for tastings or on premise consumption. Ann contacts us to let us know they finally received approval on they’re new labels and they are going to bottle! She tells us that they will be ready for bottle pick ups on Friday! We are so excited to finally be able to get one of the first bottles of the new BE Baker. Friday afternoon, we jump in the WYNTRVLR Jeep to go pick up our wine. Luckily, it’s a beautiful afternoon and we can drop the top for a fun country Jeep ride.

Sun’s out, top is off on the WYNTRVLR Jeep

We finally arrived at Baker Buffalo Creek after calling in our order. Kim took Charles and Ann some fresh baked sourdough bread and I walked around the farm for a few minutes while Kim and Ann caught up. Charles was busy working around the vineyard. It was a beautiful afternoon, and the lillys were blooming. The vines had experienced bud break and there were baby grape clusters on the Vines. Spring is such a beautiful time in the vineyard.

Beautiful sights from around the Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard

We picked up our BE Baker, along with several other selections of our own. We also picked up another bottle for our WTFs.

Kim with a bottle of the new BE Baker wine

The new BE Baker, even freshly bottled, is I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E. The classic Baker Buffalo Merlot is kissed by the flavor of the Brandy barrels resulting in a harmonious pairing of flavors. Our WTFs, who are very well versed in NC wines, agreed that this is one of the best #NCwines out there. I would put this up against anything you can find on the market, regardless of the origin. If you think that #NCwine is only sweet muscadine wines, which are great, think again. Charles, Ann and many other terrific wine makers across NC and SC are producing estate grown wines that rival California and Italian produced wines.

The new BE Baker Brandy barrel aged Merlot from Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard

We travel NC and SC to bring you the best wines in all varietals and styles. Follow us for our trips, experiences and tips. Especially during this economically difficult time for local businesses, including wineries, support your local businesses. While they cannot offer tastings or on-site consumption, many wineriees are still offering curbside pickup up and many are offering some great deals! Drink local and support local. Until next time, Cheers! ✌🏻♥️😊🍷

#drinklocal #supportlocal #ncwine #ncwino #wyntrvlr ✌🏻❤️😊🍷

Rock of Ages running an INCREDIBLE deal on wine club membership

Super excited! We joined another wine club. We received our card from @rockofageswinery today. As a member of the “Old Cellar Wine Club” you receive amazing discounts on AMAZING wine! We have our first case as wine club members on the way. 40% off when you purchase 12 or more bottles! AND YOU CAN JOIN TODAY FOR ONLY $5!!! This is usually $35! Hop on over to their website http://www.rockofageswinery.com and join today! Let them know @carolinawinetraveler sent you. #ncwine #ncwino #wyntrvlr ✌🏻❤️😊🍷