Over the past weekend, I visited my 50th North Carolina winery! I have actually been to at least two more if I count one I visited several years ago that has since closed and a tasting room in Yadkinville that included wines from two wineries not listed in Discover North Carolina Wines: 2010 Guide and Map to North Carolina Wineries (available at participating wineries and http://www.visitncwine.com/): Surry Cellars (a winery run by students in the viticulture and enology programs at Surry Community College(http://ncviticulturecenter.com/about/surry_cellars.html) and River De Vine Winery(http://www.allamericanwineries.com/nc/yvwt/). The latest list on http://www.visitncwine.com/ boasts 96 wineries. Of those 96, I have visited 50! One of my goals on this blog is to profile each winery I visit. While this process is a bit slow and I am adding posts about winery visits, I have included links to all of the wineries I have visited in the list of links.
The last three wineries on the way to this milestone on my ultimate journey to try to visit all 96 (and probably more than that as wineries continue to open) included two storefront wineries in Wilmington and one located in an historic inn and restaurant outside of Warsaw.
Noni Bacca Winery (http://www.nbwinery.com/) is located in Wilmington. The winemaker at Noni Bacca uses grapes from all over the world to make his wines. He does not use any North Carolina grapes, but is still part of the overall wine industry in the state. The other winery in Wilmington is Lumina Winery(http://www.luminawine.com/) . Like Noni Bacca, it is located in a shopping center on the outskirts of the city. The winemaker at Lumina does not grow his grapes, but does purchase some from various areas in North Carolina. The winery's logo features an historic building that existed until the 1970s on Wrightsville Beach. Both of these wineries also sell home wine-making and beer-brewing supplies. They offer tastings and wines by the glass and a chance to escape the summer heat for a bit during a beach or Wilmington vacation.
The third winery I visited over the weekend is the winery at The Country Squire Inn and Restaurant (http://www.countrysquireinn.com/) in Warsaw. This historic establishment attracts customers to their obscure location with their intriguing (dark wood, tartan plaid, suits of armor, tables suspended by chains, and documented paranormal events) atmosphere. They have a small inn with rooms and a large steakhouse style restaurant. We stopped by at an "off" time, so we did not dine. However, we were greeted warmly and escorted to the tasting room. We tried some very nice wines of various types (vinifera, fruit, muscadine). The wine maker at The Country Squire keeps with the "Highland" theme on the wine labels, but buys a large percent of the grapes from North Carolina vineyards. The tasting room host even gave us a tour of the restaurant and inn. She told us that she has been around this inn since she was a child. Some parts of the building date to the 1700s. I purchased a bottle of Chardonnay and am intrigued enough to go back in the future to eat dinner or even stay (if I decide I won't be too jumpy thinking about the ghosts). Even if you can't take time to eat, The Country Squire is a nice stop on the way back across the state from the coast.
As always, I am not a wine professional; I am just an enthusiast who loves wine tasting, road-tripping, and experiencing local flavor in North Carolina! Check back soon as I continue to take you on the journey through North Carolina wine country! My goal: Visit ALL North Carolina wineries! The NCWinerider's Official NC Winery Count: 50 Enjoy the NCwineride!
