Part 2 picks up at our third stop of the outing
Laurel Gray in Hamptonville, NC. This is an excellent location for stopping for lunch during your journey. They have beautiful grounds with a covered patio overlooking a pond and green fields. Their tasting fee is $5 for everything but their two reserves or $6 total to include the reserves. We tasted all which meant eight this visit since they were sold out of one wine. This location also makes and sells a variety of sauces (vinaigrette, bbq sauce, chocolate Cabernet sauce, etc.) and they sell bread and cheeses made by the local Amish in the area. So we ended up buying some really good bread and cheese and had them open one of the bottles we purchased so we could have our “meal” on their property and enjoy the views.
- Pinot Gris – very light, mild tartness, melon flavors
- Viognier – very light, nice tart, mild
- Chardonnay (oak) – citrus and pear flavors, very light for an oak Chardonnay
- Cabernet Sauvignon – a bit light for a Cabernet, maybe a tad empty
- Sultry (Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon) – considered to be a reserve wine, has a nice bite, would pair well with meats, very good
- Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – full bodied, truly lovely wine, 2007 was considered to be their best year to date
- Scarlet Mountain (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah) – very pleasant, they suggest chilling it
- Nectar (Niagara) – good dessert wine
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| Laurel Gray |
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| Laural Gray view from under covered porch |
Stop number four was
Dobbins Creek also in Hamptonville. Another new, beautifully built log cabin served as the tasting room with a nice porch for sitting and sipping. The building is actually made from 100 year old wild cherry wood harvested from the property. I recall that we really enjoyed this stop. The hostess was very personable and chatty. The views were wonderful. But sadly we have lost our tasting sheet so I cannot report our wine impressions as our visit was nearly a year ago so the memory is not fresh. They do have Riesling, Chardonnay (oak and stainless), Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sweet Riesling, and their Hermic Mountain Red (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon) and Hermic Mountain Blush.
And finally
Raffaldini, located in Ronda, NC, was the last stop on the adventure. WOW. Talk about a nice looking place. They have pathways of roses and flowers from the parking area to the large Tuscan style tasting and event “Villa”. And the upper back deck overlooking the vineyard is just amazing. They promote themselves by the tagline “Chianti of the Carolinas” and that aptly describes the whole Italian feel of the place from the villa to the names of the wines and the flavors behind them. Their tasting fee is only $5 or taste for free if you decide to buy a case of wine. And their tasting sheet is one of the better ones in NC with not only good descriptions of the wines, but also pronunciations of the wine names and also very specific food pairing recommendations. We tasted all seven offerings.
- Fiori (Orange Moscato, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Chardonnay) – nice minerality, crisp, light, not too tart
- Pinot Grigio – dry, good tartness
- Vermentino – white varietal native to Sardinia, citrus, mineral
- Sangiovese – a favorite of mine, light tannins, medium body, very nice wine
- Bella Misto (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot) – this one has a little bite to it, substantial character
- Oenotria (Malbec, Tannat) – definitely like a Malbec but wasn’t my favorite
- Chiara (Orange Moscato, Vermentino, Traminette, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay) – rose’, rather tart
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| Raffaldini |
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| Raffaldini |
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