MTGlass

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that follows my blog here at NCVINE.com that NC wine has become a little more than a hobby to me and is becoming quite a passion. But when someone at my real job asked me why the other day, I had to stop and think about it. Why do I love NC wine so much? I don’t get paid to do this, I’m actually not a big drinker, nor is anyone in my family, so what gives? Well, I’ve given it some thought and I thought I would share with you guys. I hope that my answers are so persuasive that maybe I can make a believer out of you too!

1.In a down economy, it’s not all that expensive. Most tastings are only going to cost between $5-$10, occasionally you may find a vineyard that charges more, but once you know which vineyards those are, you just don’t put them on your regular visit list. In an afternoon there is probably only time to visit two or three vineyards, so you might spend $20 bucks on the tasting charges for 3 or 4 hours of fun. Not too shabby. Now, I feel guilty if I don’t buy a bottle at nearly every vineyard that I visit (especially the smaller ones) but given your own personal budget constraints, use your judgment, maybe purchasing a glass will make your guilt subside, or plan on buying just one bottle for the whole afternoon and choose very carefully. I also find it just as appealing to choose one favorite winery and spend an entire afternoon there; have a tasting ($5), have a glass ($5), buy a bottle ($15); an entire afternoon with a friend, some good conversation, some good wine, and something to go home with, all for a total price of $25. You just can’t beat it.

2.It’s good for you. For those of you who haven’t heard of the “French Paradox”, I just finished reading a book on Muscadine grapes that discussed this health illogicality and it’s fascinating. It talks about how the French manage to eat foods that are typically high in fat and cholesterol much like Americans do, but unlike us fat Americans, the French have a much lower likelihood of Heart Disease and Cancer partially because of the large amount of WINE that they consume. When taken in moderation (1-2 glasses per day) red wine has been suggested to aid in the reduction of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, digestive tract cancers, kidney stones in women, atherosclerosis, lung cancers, stroke and even diabetes in men. Wine also is known to be super high in anti-oxidants which have a number of benefits in their own right. There are numerous studies underway in numerous medical research facilities across the country to investigate the benefits of the phenolics of grapes and their skins. Why not take up a hobby that’s good for you?

3.It’s local. It’s in my backyard! Located in Winston Salem, I’m within an hour of nearly all of the vineyards in North Carolina. And besides the fact that I don’t have to use much gas to get to the local wineries, I am supporting the local economy. This is probably the biggest perk of having a local hobby. I’m not giving my hard earned money to some vineyard in California, or Australia. I’m giving my money to Chuck, or Sid, or Mr. Zimmerman, or Mr. Kroustalis; people that I can meet and speak to and exchange stories with and learn from. People who I might bump into at the grocery store or at the mall, people who may have met my grandma one time or saw an ad for my neighbor’s business once. Real folks with real lives and real bills and real businesses that I can relate to. Real people that are going to turn around and take my dollars that I just spent at their business and maybe spend it at their local florist that is going to turn around and spend it a their local bakery, which spends it at their local hairdresser that might happen to be my mom. Ah, the circle of local economics, isn’t it grand? Shop local, folks.

4.The people are great! These vineyard owners and the winery staff are genuinely nice people. I have met some great people in my travels to different NC wineries. These folks have southern hospitality down pat and it is so refreshing to walk in to a vineyard and know that you are going to be served with a smile and a “thank you”. I can probably count the people that weren’t so nice on one hand and they truly are the exception, not the rule. Everyone is just happy to do business with you and to let you in on their little secrets, which in most cases is their wine. I can’t say that I’ve ever met a stranger, so maybe I just make friends easily, but it seems like there are a lot of friends to be made in NC tasting rooms.


5.The Wine itself. If you’ve read any of my blogs then you know that I have a lot to say about NC wine, but what you may not know, is that when I started this hobby a year ago, I was very skeptical about the quality of NC wines. In fact, I’m ashamed to say that I looked down my nose at them. I thought that NC would never be able to produce as good a product as Napa or Sonoma Valley…I was a wine snob. I also couldn’t have been more wrong. I am constantly surprised by the quality, the depth, and the excellence of NC wines. North Carolina has a variety of wines that may not always be mainstream, but from experience I can say that they are always interesting and normally excellent. I can also honestly say that I only have two or three wines that I drink that are from outside of North Carolina now and I challenge each of my readers to try do the same over the next year. If you visit enough vineyards and experience enough tastings, you will eventually be able to compile a wine list of totally NC wines. I love being able to have friends over for dinner and instead of pulling out a bottle of red from the grocery store, going into my wine chiller and pulling out a bottle of NC wine and having my guests ask quizzically, “Hmm, this is good, I’ve never heard of it, where is it from?” And from there a new NC wine fan is born.

I just can’t express my passion for NC wines fully. I am proud to be a North Carolina native and I am so proud of North Carolina for going this direction with wines and vineyards. Our state has so much history and culture and atmosphere already, and now to add wine to the mix is just like the cherry on top of the sundae. I encourage everyone to at least try our wine industry. Even if you don’t like wine, give it a shot; even if you have no experience tasting, go ahead and go, the people will guide you through the process and be very helpful; and even if you don’t have much money, just try it once and give it a $5 try, you might just find something that you didn’t know you were missing. I know I did, and I can’t imagine my life now without the NC wine industry. I have made so many friends and contacts and I have had such great experiences and all of it happened in my own backyard. What a fantastic hobby!