Breaking traditions

Old habits die hard. I tried to break one yesterday by publicly complimenting city officials for doing their jobs.

It felt OK, although i got a few concerned emails from friends asking if i was off my feed.

So here's another one.

I don't post about the places i like to eat or drink too often, mostly because i don't want to share them. I like not having to wait for a table at my favorite restaurants. Last year, when the Indy ran their Valentine's Day special and featured the Oyster Bar upstairs from Fishmonger's, it was 6 weeks before the bar was empty enough on Friday afternoon to grab a seat. I hate when that happens.

Here's a tip from me to you. North Carolina wineries are awesome. When my oldest was at App State a few years ago, we had some extra time one Sunday afternoon driving down the mountain, so we detoured into the Yadkin Valley and spent the afternoon drinking wines at Laurel Grey and Raffaldini vineyards.

I'm not a wine writer, and truth to tell, i prefer beer on most occasions. But Mrs D and i have both lived in California, and enjoyed taking the Napa, Sonoma, or Anderson Valley tours and spending a day or two drinking wine and getting envious about how the other half lives. Finding that experience in North Carolina, just a few hours away? Totally unexpected. We've gone back four or five times in the past couple of years. But then, the oldest graduated. Fortunately, the youngest has moved up the mountain to spend a year learning how to be a farmer (and hopefully honing her flatpicking and mandolin skills as well.) So we have another excuse to go drink some Tar Heel wines.

If you're up that way, the Yadkin Valley experience is great. You'll talk to the winemaker or grower at every one of these wineries while you're tasting, the scenery is beautiful, and the wines range from drinkable to excellent. It seems like there's a festival every weekend. This weekend the folks at the Swan Creek vineyards and wineries are celebrating being named an American Viticultural Area by the Treasury Department (don't ask me why the Treasury gets to make that designation, and not the USDA. something to do with alcohol taxes, i'm sure.) So we'll probably stop there on our way down the mountain on Sunday and listen to some jazz and bluegrass. Initial reports are that the 2007 crop was the best ever in North Carolina, buffeted as it was by an early freeze and the lingering drought.

So, any of you go wine tasting in the foothills? What's your favorite NC vineyard?

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