Did you know that September is prime grape ? harvest season in NC? Did you know that once you plant a new grape vine that it won’t be ready and mature enough for wine making for the first few years? Have you toured a local vineyard to learn about the wine making process? You should, it is fascinating.
There is so much that goes into wine making from the very beginning. You have to have the right soil, the right terrain and the right amount of sun to create the perfect grapes to make a great wine. I’ve found some great vineyards in NC, but let’s discuss these two this month…
Before moving to Italy and still after living there, we love and recommend Raffaldini on a regular basis. It is an Italian inspired vineyard and is an easy hour or so drive from Charlotte. Hands down a favorite for atmosphere, wine and food! If you go on a weekend, they have the pizza man serving on the patio. Yum! During your visit, have a tasting and then grab a bottle of what you love then go enjoy it with a baguette and cheese on the patio. The view is superb and just relax! Enjoy the view.
We recently visited Jones von Drehle for the first time and will say that it was pretty darn great too. Atmosphere is not that of Raffeldini but they have plans to add to the ambiance. I would highly recommend taking the second entrance to get the best drive around the vineyard. It is pretty spectacular. When you get to the tasting room, I would recommend the reserve tasting, $16 for 8 tastings of which 4 are reserve. From the taste room, grab a glass of your favorite and if you need a snack they have options in the fridge then head to the patio overlooking a pond and the vineyard. I will say they have a fantastic playlist of music, that apparently was hand picked by one of the owners. It is a great mix. I want that mix.
There are so many vineyards in North Carolina. I only highlighted two here, but would love to hear about your experiences and what you highly recommend. Where do you love to go? Where should we go next? Are you a wine club member of any?
Check out this list of Fall Wine Harvest events from VisitNC.com.
**Note: This article was written in 2016. It was accurate at the time of publishing but things will change over time and we will attempt to update and note the updated date here. Thanks for reading. Enjoy!
