When drafting our series on our Yadkin Valley Wine tour I realized that there are some things that need to be explained.
Directions and Hours
Most all of the wineries have websites. It is highly recommended that you consult these sites for directions as well as tasting hours. Many wineries are not easy to find and the directions they provide on the actual winery site is a lot better than relying on Google Maps.
Hours can and do change. Usually what you find on the website is the latest information (much more current than even the well presented yearly NC Wineries Map. But if your trip would be ruined by driving an hour out of your way only to find that they have a special reason for being closed that particular day then it would be best to call and confirm. Numerous times we have been disappointed to find that something has happened and they are not open or there was that time that we showed up during a festival and they were not doing their traditional tasting sessions. There are the special occasions where we stumbled into good situations like the place that had their phone number on the sign and we decided to call before turning around and they gladly opened an hour early for us. But then we have also done that and firmly been told "I am sorry we are not open yet".
Price
Some wineries do not charge for tastings and will gladly pour you a taste of everything they make. Many do charge a fee and throw in the tasting glass as a perk. Well, the truth is that in NC unless you have a commercial dishwasher legally you cannot reuse glasses so the wineries are better off "giving" the glasses as part of the tasting - hence the cost of tasting being about what it cost the wineries for those glasses. Some wineries limit the number of wines you can taste for a set price or may offer two or more tiers of pricing. Say $5 for 6 wines or $8 for a higher number or the chance to taste the reserve wines. Almost all will offer a case discount, mix and match allowed. And while nearly all take MasterCard and Visa, very few take American Express.
What to Taste
Now is not the time to be a snob. I truly am a red wine drinker but on occasion do enjoy a dessert wine. However, I will taste any and everything that they are willing to place in front of me because you never know when you will suddenly find a wine you like that you never expected you would like. Also it is an excellent way to show appreciation for their work and it is a good conversation starter. Mentioning that you are primarily a red wine drinker but want to try the whites helps with breaking the ice. Some hosts are excellent with people but some need a little spark to open them up. Find something to talk about if you really want to enjoy the experience. Ideally it will be about the wine or wines in general. Being more excited about the cheese provided at the tasting when the location is not promoting or had anything to do with the cheese isn't a good way to break the ice (yes, we did that at Williamsburg Winery and I could tell the hostess wanted to strangle me when I asked once again what the cheese was). On the other hand I once had a host go from cold fish to my best friend when I noticed the Tuscany cookbook by their chair and started talking about how much I love to cook Italian food.
And when the conversation flows the wine will flow. Countless times we have been given a taste of everything when the fee was for only 6 wines simply because the host liked how we were enjoying the wines. Or the time I was given a glass of sangria for free for commenting on thinking the wine would be a good base for that. And the time we were "shush" offered a taste of the special reserve that they had opened just for a party that was planned at the winery that evening. And who can forget the time where our enthusiasm for the wine got the hostess to let us into the back where the wine maker was bottling and we got to taste from the barrel. Make friends and it is a better experience all around - including with your fellow tasters because chances are you will run into them at the next winery down the street.
Tasting Protocols
Number one rule - you do not have to drink the whole taste. No one will be offended if you wish to pour it into the dump bin. And you will be happier in the long run if you do toss some of the wine. A portioned pour is 2 ounces but you can get more than that at places where they are not using the portioned pour. A glass of wine is 5 ounces so 2 ounce tastes times 6 wines is basically 2.5 glasses of wine. And you plan to visit how many more wineries today?
So the next rule is food. If you are visiting multiple wineries in one day please do plan to have some food. Many sites are perfect for picnics so you can plan to bring something. Sometimes you will find food available at the wineries but it might just be bread and cheese which I think is perfect but you might want something else. And don't forget, if you are an hour from the interstate in the country where a lot of these wineries are located there may not be any food options in the area (certainly no McDonald's).
And now for the actual tasting lesson. I am not going to provide the absolute by the books lesson. Somewhere at some point in time you should get someone to go over it with you and if you visit enough wineries someone will do it. I am covering key points only. First, look at it. Do you like the color, is it clear or murky? Swirl it to give it some air. Sniff it, get your nose inside that glass for a real good sniff. What do you smell? Read the tasting card information and see if you pick up on how they describe the wine. And then taste it. What do you taste? Those are the basics. The only other thing to keep in mind is that after consuming what will become multiple glasses of wine you might find that you like everything. Beware of buying lots of wine at the end of the day because when you go to drink that wine chances are you will not have tasted a bunch of stuff beforehand and you might just find that it isn't as great as you thought it was.
What is that Grape
In NC you are going to be introduced to grapes you have never heard of before. Most people immediately think of the Scuppernog and Musadine grapes but there are many other grapes being used depending on the area and what performs well. Several European species (what most people think of as wine - grown in California and other wine producing states) have adapted well to NC and these include: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier and Cabernet Franc. Some French/American hybrids do well: Chambourcin, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, and Villard Noir. Musadines include: Carlos, Magnolia, Sterling, Nesbitt and Noble. American Bunch grapes, aka Lambrusca styles include: Catawba, Concord, Delaware, and Niagara. Traminette is a fairly new addition to NC and is a cross between a French American hybrid and a German species.
Now go forth and explore!
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