Visiting Wineries

One of our hobbies



One of our favorite pastimes is visiting vineyards and wineries and doing "tastings" to sample their products. It gives us the opportunity to see some picturesque landscapes, taste some good (and not so good) wine, and meet interesting people

Since I initially wrote most of this probably 8 or 10 years ago, there have been some changes in the North Georgia wineries, so I'l be updating some of the text and adding some new comments. I hope the "patchwork" is not too noticeable or troublesome. (November, 2019)

Glasses on the table during a tasting at Monteluce Winery.

Types of Wineries

We've found that wineries are somewhat divided into two types: There is, of course, some crossover; even the smallest mom and pop wineries usually offer some meeting and event facilities, but typically much less extensive and it is not the focus of the business. Also make no mistake, the hospitality oriented wineries also offer some very good wines. Although the wine may not really be their focus, the revenue from the hospitality business enables the winemaker to have resources that the smaller wineries may not be able to afford. A fat bank account can sometimes (but not always) compensate for less passion on the part of the winemaker.

I should also make it clear that I am no wine expert. I enjoy a glass of wine as much as anyone else and I enjoy tasting various wines, but do not pretend to have the ability to properly identify all the different nuances of wine. The comments I make about the wines we taste are purely from my viewpoint and may (probably would) be much different from what a true expert would say. I won't generally be critiquing individual wines at a winery, rather the general types of wines at a winery or the general approach they seem to be taking.

Where we are headed

For the rest of this essay, I will discuss the various wineries we have visited. Generally, they will not be in any special order, other than a major grouping by state. Since we live near Atlanta, Georgia, there are only a relative few wineries close by so we sometimes make multi-day trips to visit some of the more distant wineries, such as those in North Carolina. There will be some photos spread among the winery descriptions but there is no connection between the number of photos of a specific winery and what we think of that winery. Somewhat the converse, actually; a lack of pictures of a specific winery may imply that we were so involved in the tasting and talking to the owners or people running the winery that I forgot to take any photos.

North Georgia Wineries

We've visited the wineries below over the period of a couple of years. We've been to some of them multiple times, including taking friends and even attending a wedding at one of them.

Three Sisters Vineyards

The "Three Sisters" in the name does not refer to the people who started or run the vineyards, but rather the Cherokee Indian name for three mountain peaks you can see from the winery. Three Sisters Vineyards is a small winery with a relatively simple building and facilities and they refer to themselves as a "family farm" winery. They do have occasional festivals and bring in live musicians/entertainers, (on one visit they had a large tent set up to accomodate some tour buses that were due that afternoon) but the primary focus is on the wine.

3 Sisters main building. A nice patio is available.

It is literally just around the corner from the larger Frogtown Creek winery; you can drive from one to the other via a gravel road in about 2 minutes. I would generalize the Three Sisters wines as basic and honest, nothing fancy, but very good. To me, the most memorable was the "Fat Boy Red", an off-dry blend of 4 grapes that is very "bold" and could hold up to the most flavorful foods. It may be a bit overpowering for some tastes, but if so, their other wines should do fine. This is one of those wineries where you enjoy taking your time and talking to the person running the tasting (who is probably one of the owners or part of the family).

In the tasting room, Susan and our friends Margaret and James discuss the wine with the tasting host.

Time your visit to one of their festivals or special events and it will make for a lovely afternoon. They offer picnic supplies/food so you can enjoy a picnic with their wine and some light food on their patio or on the grass overlooking the vineyards.

Frogtown Cellars Winery

Frogtown Winery is a winery that is after the hospitality business but has not forgotten that they must also offer quality wines.

Frogtown Cellars Winery main building

The photo above is probably 12 or 13 years old and since it was taken, the winery building and related facilities has grown somewhat and the landscaping has definitely matured. (And Susan has grown her hair into a longer style.) On our first visit there in the mid 2000s, it seemed that the winemaker had gone a bit overboard in avoiding creating the all too typical sweet southern wines; the wines seemed a bit too far on the dry side. On more recent visits I think they have achieved a better balance. Our last couple of visits were on warm days and their whites offered a very pleasant experience both as a tasting and accompanying simple foods. I think of their wines as being well balanced, still just a bit on the dry side, but very pleasant with most foods. Most of their wines would be better when paired with food rather than on their own. They have extensive facilities for hosting large groups or smaller gatherings. There are several large decks overlooking the vineyards

Dining/meeting area in the upstairs "loft" at Frogtown

for good weather events and plenty of space inside for more formal gatherings or when the weather turns threatening. Frogtown offers numerous special occasions, from special dinners with their wines, to festivals, and nice luncheons on the patio. There is also now a series of small buildings, each with an antique or collectible farm tractor The tastings are a little on the simple or even "rustic"" side, especially if there is a major event occupying the main building. The rest of the facility is so nice that it would be pleasent and appropriate to have some simple foods (cheese, crackers, etc.) available to accompany the wines during a tasting. Overall, Frogtown Cellars makes for a pleasant stop on a wine tasting day for both its quality wines and the facilities provided.

Wolf Mountain Winery

Wolf Mountain has made hospitality a science. From their wedding chapel overlooking a beautiful valley, to the snacks available to accompany the extensive tastings, to weekday Cafe fare for lunch and very extensive Sunday brunches, as well as occasional special dinners in their indoor dining facility; it is a well-organized and very pleasant facility.

The wedding chapel at Wolf Mountain

There is a beautiful inside dining room (with extensions on enclosed decks) where the meals and special events are hosted. We have been to both Sunday special brunchs and a wedding in this space and it worked well for both. The wedding chapel is open-air and overlooks a pretty valley, making for an excellent site for a memorable wedding. The tasting "room" is now an enclosed area that is essentially a deck under the main building. On a typical weekend this area can get busy and has an almost party-like atmosphere. They do offer very nice plates of snacks, with several cheese and crackers and fruit dishes, with the tastings, at a reasonable price. You could easily make a light lunch with a tasting and some of the snacks. Close to the entrance to the winery building there is a bar area where wine can be purchased by the glass or bottle and, on slow days, they may also do tasting here. But, perhaps the best thing about the bar area is the collection of authentic, signed, guitars from many well known artists. There are about 10 or 12 guitars in display cases on the walls and they deserve some time spent looking at them

Wolf Mountain Winery main building

Don't let this emphasis on hospitality suggest that the wines are lacking in any way. The Wolf Mountain wines were good and generally very true to what you would expect from each varietal. If Wolf Mountain has a downside, it is that there are no real "pleasant surprises" to discover when sampling their wines. All are good, but none really stand out as memorable and or something you will remember and tell others about later. As a place to have a pleasant tasting, or a dinner with wine experience, or to host an important affair, it is hard to beat. In our most recent visits (2018 and 2019) I thought that Wolf Mountain had really kicked up their wine quality a notch or two. Whereas previously, it was "good for a North Georgia wine", now it is just plain good. A lunch on the rear deck, overlooking the beautiful valley, with a gormet pizza from their kitchen and a bottle (or two) if wine from their vineyards makes for an excellent way to spend an hour or two.

Tiger Mountain Vineyard

All the other Georgia wineries I'll be discussing are in the Dahlonega area, but Tiger Mountain is in very Northeast Georgia, just south of Clayton.

The front of Tiger Mountain Vineyard

Tiger Mountain is one of the smaller, "serious about wine" wineries, but with a bit of a playful nature. Their wines have received a large number of awards, really disproportionate to the size of the winery, suggesting a real dedication to producing quality wines. My impression of their wines is mainly that the whites are especially refreshing and a good accompaniment to light picnic style food. That memory is probably largely because of the circumstances of our visit to Tiger Mountain.

Some of the awards Tiger Mountain has won

We attended their "Awakening of the Vines" celebration in the vineyard one year. This is an annual event in April that is timed to coincide with the full leafing out of the vines and is really just a good excuse to have a nice party. The year we went the weather was perfect for an outside picnic, the light food was great, and the wine that accompanied everything really seemed as perfect as the weather. One of the featured food items was several large containers of very fresh, locally grown strawberries. One reason I say that Tiger Mountain Mountain has "playful" nature is that one of the standard parts of the Awakening is the appearance and performance of the Abominable Seed and Feed Marching Band. This marching band consists of wildly costumed band members who march around, playing tunes, and generally acting very silly. It all makes for a very enjoyable experience. The culmination of the Awakening celebration is the bonfire made from the prunings from the vines during their dormant season.

Parading to the bonfire at the "awakening"

All in all, Tiger Mountain is a very pleasant winery to visit and they have some very good wines to match.


Montaluce Vineyards

Montaluce is not just a vineyard or winery, but a complete development designed to resemble an Italian community. There are residential villas, vacation rental villas, events such as a "wine University" as well as the winery, complete with very nice full service restaurant.

Entrance to Montaluce winery and restaurant

Montaluce is a very ambitious undertaking and a huge investment for someone. Tastings are done on a covered balcony overlooking a small valley with grape vines covering the hillside. Although we did not eat a meal at the restaurant, it is supposed to be very good, with inviting ambiance and corresponding good food. With all this attention being paid to all the "hospitality" aspects of Montaluce, you might be concerned that the "quality wine" aspects of the winery might have been left behind, and I'm afraid that you would be correct. There is nothing in the wines that would "insult" someone or make you think "this is really bad", but they seem to have no character. The word that kept popping up in my mind to describe the Montaluce wines was "bland". Some people might say that Montaluce produces wine more in the slightly mild or even bland French tradition, rather than the bolder and richer California style, but I think it goes beyond that.

The tasting balcony at Montaluce

We tried both the white wine flight and the red wine flight and almost all seemed dull. The one that was somewhat memorable was the mead. It was different and reminded us of our homemade peach wine. My impression was that the winemaker didn't want to take any chances so the wines are very non-aggressive and non-assertive. Unfortunately, this also means that they don't have much character. If you want to spend a weekend, or a few hours, in a pretty Italian community just a few miles outside of Dahlonega, Montaluce may be just your place. If you want some really good and interesting wines, there are better places to visit.

It has now been eight ot 10 years since we visited Montaluce and it is certainly possible that the wines may have improved in that time: I certainly hope so as the rest of the facility is beautiful.


Blackstock Vineyards

We happened to visit Blackstock vineyards immediately after visiting Montaluce and the contrast is very interesting. Blackstock is a relatively small and plain looking building in the middle of the vineyards at the end of a gravel driveway.

Update: Blackstock has been replaced by Kaya Vineyards (about 2016). I'll leave my Blackstock comments as they are but will add some Kaya comments immediately following.

Blackstock is a simple looking building with good wines.

It has a good size covered patio area with picnic tables where simple light meals are available on most weekends. The tasting bar is inside wwith a good sized room where simple events could be hosted. On the back of the building there is a small deck equipped with several rocking chairs overlooking the vineyards.

The covered patio: nothing fancy, but welcoming

This would be a great place to relax with a glass (or bottle) if wine on a nice day. Unfortunately, the day we were there it was a bit too hot for it to be enjoyable, but we did have a nice lunch at one of the tables on the patio. After lunch we enjoyed a tasting of their wines and again the contrast with Montaluce was clear. All the wines we tried were good with suprising character. While they have the normal "basic" wines, they also have some that are a little different, like the Sangiovese Rose' and the White Merlot.

There is another smaller room for tasting, but this large room is used on busy days.

Blackstock definitely gives the impression they are serious about their wine.


Now Kaya Vineyards and Winery: Blackstock closed several years ago and, after a year or so, the facility was reopened as Kaya Vineyards, apparently by new owners. Based on our visit to Kaya in March, 2019, the change resulted in a significant loss in the quality of the wines. Almost every wine we tasted had an unpleasent "off-taste", almost a chemical taste. We have asked people at other wineries about this and have had answers from "the winemaker is inexperienced" to "a lot of the vines have a disease that causes an off-taste in the wine". Whatever the cause, I hope they get it fixed as the general facility is very comfortable.

Cavender Creek Vineyard

Cavender Creek Vineyards is a relatively new (opened in 2011) family vineyard and winery in the Dahlonega area. For the owners, Raymond and Donna Castleberry, it is a retirement business/hobby that I'm sure is keeping them very busy. There are several unique aspects about their winery. First, they are somewhat specializing in a rather different grape varitial, Norton. They also grow the almost required Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and their "specialty" white is Petit Manseng. Although not grown or made at their winery, they also stock a couple of versions of Muscadine wine that is produced in south Georgia.

The vicious guard dog on duty. (?)

We found the Castleberrys to be very pleasent and interesting hosts. Their "guard dog" was sleeping on the front porch of the tasting room, and appeared to be more likely to lick than bark or bite. They offer a couple of tasting options and we sampled almost all of their wines. The Petite Mansang was very fruity but a little "lightweight" for my taste although I think many people would find it refreshing. To me, the Norton based wines were very similar to Cabernet, but not quite as full bodied. They have several blends of various combintions of the Norton, Cabernet, and Merlot and I enjoyed their Jackass Red and the Donkey Hotie Red. The names of their wines deserve an explanation. Their "mascot" is a small donkey (which actually exists in 4 legged form) and it appears on the labels of their wines. They "dress" it in various ways to represent the charcteristics of the wines. For example the Donkey Hotie (read it as "Don keyHotie") Red has a donkey with a Conquistador type helmet. The "One Eyed Jack" donkey has an eye patch over one eye.

Susan and the Castleberrys in the tasting room.

The wines were very good and the hospitality excellent, making for a very enjoyable visit.

Update: since our initial visit in about 2012, the winery facility has expanded, the Castleberrys have sold the winery to someone else, and their "pet Donkey" named Hotie has passed away. But, the wines are just as good or better than on our initial visit. They still make the wine labeled with the Donkey's name: "Donkey Hotie" wine. They also now have space to host moderate size special events.

North Carolina Wineries

Update: All of our visits to the North Carolina wineries were in 2011 and 2012, so may things could have changed by the time you are reading this.

We've taken a couple of short trips to visit North Carolina vineyards/wineries. As with the Georgia wineries, we found quite a variety in the styles of both the wineries and the wines. A great resource for locating NC wineries of interest is at the "Visit NC Wine" website." All of the NC vinyards I will discuss are identified and shown on the maps at this web site.

Just for my convenience (and as a memory aid), I will cover the wineries in the order we visited them, so the order I present them here really has no significance. I will also mention here that I will not be discussing what is probably the largest winery in North Carolina and is advertised as the most visited winery in the US, Biltmore Estate Winery in Asheville. It is a very nice winery with good wines and other activities nearby, but in order to visit the winery, you have to purchase a (somewhat expensive) admission to the Biltmore House and gardens. Since you cannot just visit the winery, I leave it out of my reviews, but I do encourage you to visit the Biltmore house and winery, it is all very nice.

The RockHouse Vineyards

Rockhouse Vineyards is an excellent example of a "Mom and Pop" winery. We met both of them and they are comitted to producing excellent wines and also enjoying the social aspects of hosting people coming for a tasting. The winery is close to Landdrum, NC, just barely into NC when coming from SC. If I rmember correctly, the owners actually reside in Charlotte and come over to Rockhouse to tend the vineyard and make the wine.

The Rockhouse Winery is, quite literally, a Rock House.

The wines were all good; I enjoyed each one. I don't think of any of them as especially different, but each was very representative of it's varietal base. Their Viognier did seem crisper and cleaner than other Viogniers I remember. I also liked the Meritage blend (Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sanvignon); it seemed a good cross of each of it's components but with a rich taste and style of it's own.

"Mom and Pop" preside over the tasting bar at Rockhouse.

Rockhouse is one of those wineries that you like to visit to talk to people and get to know them, both the proprietors and other people who were visiting at the time. I though it indicative of the friendliness of the winemaker that he suggested we visit another, relatively new, winery to try some other wine styles. They may be competitors, but they are also friends who respect each other.

Overmountain Vineyards

The new winery they directed us to was Overmountain Vineyards.

Exterior of the very informal Overmountain Vineyards.

The owners of Overmountain (Frank and Lita Lilly) have been raising grapes for quite a while, but until just about 2009 they sold all their grapes to the Biltmore Winery. They recently decided to produce their own wines and the initial results really seem promising. He went to Viticulture school at Surry Community College in Dobson, NC. and applied the knowledge to his own style of winemaking. All the wines we tasted were technically very good, but the winemaker was not afraid to do things a little differently also.

Inside the tasting room with some very interesting wines.

For example, their Chardonnay somewhat follows recent trends to crisper unoaked style of Chardonnay, but then carried it further by making it in the style of Pinot Grigio. The result is a delightfully light and refreshing wine with a basic taste more like Chardonnay than Pinot Grigio. Another example is their Muscadine wine. Most Muscadine wines are made either a little or a lot sweet; perhaps good for a desert wine, but not for drinking with most foods. The Overmountain Muscadine is much drier, perhaps more like a Viognier; it is somewhat dry at first taste, with a finish that leaves just a hint of sweetness. A very pleasent surprise.

Green Creek Winery

The third winery in the same general area as Rock House and Overmountain was Green Creek Winery. Like Overmountain, Green Creek has primarily been a provider of grapes to the Biltmore Winery and has recently started making their own wines. Unfortunately, that is where the similarity ends. The building and facilities appear to be a bit "industrial" in appearance.

Green Creek Winery has new and modern building.

The industrial appearance would be OK if the wines did not also have an "industrial" taste. Each of their wines seemed to have an "off-taste". Each was somewhat different, but none very good. Before tasting one of the wines, they said that they recommend it accompany bar-b-que and, sure enough, it tasted like bar-b-que. I enjoy wines that are a bit different, but these were "different-bad", not "different-good". Unlike the other wineries we have visited, their wines are only sold at the Green Creek Winery, not in any stores or restaurants. Judging by the taste of the wines, I might understand why.

Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard

On another trip to NC the first winery we visited was Baker Buffalo Creek. The somewhat different name is the result of combining a family name (Baker) which has owned the property for a long time, and the nearby Buffalo Creek. This is another very definite "Mom and Pop" winery and the couple (Charles and Ann Edwards) are delightful. We talked to Ann during the tasting and afterwards Frank gave us a very nice personal tour of the winery. Although fairly small, it was very well organized and spotlessly clean. In our conversation we found that they had also gone to the Viticulture school at Surry Community College and they knew the winemaker at Overmountain from the classes they both attended.

If I remember correctly, the winery is somewhat a "second career" after a successful business career and is largely a labor of love for them, with the emphasis on "labor". The day we visited was very hot and Frank, who had multiple-bypass heart surgery earlier this year, was out working in the vineyard most of the day.

Perhaps it was partly because we enjoyed visiting with the people, but we also enjoyed the wine. They have both "traditional" wines like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon and a number of wines made from local wine varieties, like muscadine. The Muscadine was good, but just a touch sweether than the Muscadine at Overmountain and I think I prefer Overmountain's version better. My favorite was probably the unoaked Chardonnay. They also produce a French Oaked Chardonney which was good, but I thought the unoaked version was better, at least on this rather hot day. The Cabernet Sauvignon was good, but it's hard for me to get excited about another "Cab" these days. On the other hand, their blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Chambourcin ("Between the Rivers Reserve") had an excellent balance with a bold taste that was still very drinkable.

While their focus is definitely on the wine, Baker Buffalo Creek does have some simple event facilities, including a restored mule barn that is used for events such as weddings.

Owls Eye Vineyard

The second winery we visited on this trip was Owls Eye Vineyard. The slightly different name came about because the owner, Frank Hannah, is an Ophthalmologist, so the sharp eye of an owl seemed a fitting symbol of the winery. The facility is large, new, and almost barn-like, allowing them to host all kinds of events. They have weekly events such as "Wine Down Friday" to bring people in.

Owl's Eye Winery facilities.

We found the wines to be "OK", but nothing special. We chose the Chambourcin to take with us, partly because you seldom see this varietal unblended with other varietals. The unoaked Chardonney was good, but a touch sweet for our taste.

Some of the vines at Owls Eye.

The one we were most interested in trying was the Blackberry. Last year we had a very large crop of blackberries and made blackberry wine and we wanted to compare the Owls Eye blackberry to ours. They were somewhat similar and somewhat unusual, for blackberry wines, in that they are both relatively dry. We did like ours a little better because we thought we could taste more of the blackberry fruit taste.

Owls Eye would be an interesting destination for it's events; I would probably enjoy their "Wine Down Friday" and similar events, but I don't think I would go far out of my way just for their wines.

WoodMill Winery

The folks at Baker Buffalo Creek had told us that if we were interested in fruit wines, like blackberry and blueberry, we should visit WoodMill Winery.

WoodMill Winery main buildings.

If you think you might want to try some Muscadine wine, this is the place to come. They have both Muscadine (red) and Scuppernong (golden) in sweet, semi-sweet, semi-dry, and dry variations. Their blackberry and blueberry wines are also available in multiple levels of sweetness. They also have blends of the grape and fruit wines in various degrees of sweetness. There are so many combinations I'm not sure how they keep track of it all. We tried quite a few and after a while they started to run together a little. If we were going to drink a Muscadine, I think their dry Muscadine would be my choice, but somehow the muscadine wines just did not "click" with us. I love fresh Muscadine (and Scuppernong) grapes but somehow the wines just did not have that fresh kick, although the Muscadine flavor did come through.

The cold fermenting room at WoodMill Winery.

We did get a very nice tour of the facility by a lady that I took to be the wife in the husband and wife team who own the winery. We got the history of the winery and a good view of the workings, from crushing, through fermenting, to bottling. We left with a bottle of the semi-dry Red Muscadine as probably most representative of their offereings.

Raffaldini Vineyards

An elegant rose garden with walkways and water fountains, a patio area with picnic tables and umbrellas for enjoying a picnic at the vinyard, and impressive Italian styled winery and hospitality facility; this is the first impression of Raffaldini Vineyards..

The front of Villa Raffaldini.

The tasting room and associated functions seems to occupy almost all of the lower level of the villa. There are several tasting bars, each manned by a very pleasant and knowledgeable host and capable of accomodating at least 6 tasters. They can acccomodate quite a crowd! You can purchase wine here, of course, but also a good selection of snacks and foods appropriate for enjoying as a picnic. A little suprising, there seems to be no actual restaurant on the property, despite parts of the villa that appear intended for just that purpose. Perhaps they are just not ready for that step yet. They do have some scheduled special dinner occasions. For such a complete and elegant facility, it is surprising that Raffaldini does not appear to pursue the hospitality business more than they do.

Villa Raffaldini sits on top of a hill, surrounded by rows of vines on all sides.

Perhaps they are downplaying the hospitality part to focus on the wines. If so, they are doing quite well. As befitting an Italian themed winery, the emphasis seems to be on their Sangiovese and we felt it to be quite good. Bella Misto is a somewwhat unusual blend of Merlot, Nebbiolo and Tempranillo and comes across a well balanced and hearty, but not overbearing, red. They also had a bottling of this wine in special bottles to support the local Humane Society: buy a bottle and some of the cost goes to helping local dogs and cats. The Pinot Grigio was good, but not quite as crisp or refreshing as I like to see in a Pinot Grigio. Overall I was a little surprised at the consistent good quality and taste of the wines as well as their presentation of some relatively unusual varitials. I was expecting too much emphasis on the hospitality business but was pleased to see a strong focus on creating quality wines.

Dobbins Creek Vineyards

After leaving Raffaldini we found Dobbins Creek Vineyards to be a interesting contrast. Dobbins Creek is a very plesent, relatively small and friendly winery.

The rustic but new Dobbins Creek winery building.

The facility includes a rustic appearing but new and comfortable building with a nice front porch and deck overlooking the vineyards. Some simple events could be accomodated but the emphasis here is obviously on the wine. The tasting area of the main room is simple and comfortable with one fairly long counter and the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and very involved with the winery.

Inside the tasting area at Dobbins Creek.

The wines we tasted were all good but I don't remember any one standing out above the others. My favorite among the whites was an unoaked Chardonnay. They offer both oaked and unoaked Chardonnay but I've grown to prefer the unoaked style lately. This one was nice and crisp and would be very pleasing to enjoy on a warm evening on the patio. I'm not a big Riesling fan, but their Riesling had a bit more body than what I think of for a Riesling and just a hint of sweetness. The red that we came away with was the Merlot. It seemed a bit smoother and richer than typical Merlot, possibly because of the extensive oak barrel aging. Their red blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon would go well with hearty meats. Overall, Dobbins Creek was an enjoyable stop and presented some very pleasing wines.

Laurel Gray Vineyards

The last winery we visited in the Yadkin Valley American Viticulture Area (AVA) and the Swan Creek AVA of North Carolina was Laurel Gray Vineyards. The name comes crom the names of the owner's children: daughter Laurel and son Gray. Rather than a new facility, the winery and tasting room is housed in what appears to be a former farmhouse.

Arriving at Laurel Gray with the vineyard in the background.

The winery was doing a pretty good business when we visited and there were probably 10 people at the tasting table hosted by Kimberly Myers, one of the (husband and wife) owners. One thing that I found intersting is that they have expanded their product line beyond wine and are also producing and selling several sauces, such as a Chardonnay Caramel sauce and a Vinaigrette sauce. The winery facility itself appears to have a limited ability to host events and they do have some organized "festival" type events.

The Laurel Gray wines we tasted were all very good. It was the afternoon of a hot day when we visited so perhaps that is one reason I tended to like the Voignier and Pinot Gris. They were both crisp and fruity and very refreshing. My favorite among the reds was their "Sultry" blend of Syrah and Cabernet Franc. It has a full bodied taste but without the heavyness of the typical Cab.


The End... (Until we visit more wineries.)

Contact me via mike@hammocktree.us