The NC Summer
of 2013 seems like one of the rainiest seasons I’ve ever experienced. So, it’s always good to have a nice indoor
backup plan for the weekend. On this
trip a friend and I were out for a little girl’s day road trip on another one
of those overcast days with the possibility of rain. Luckily right up the road from Hickory, NC is
an enchanting winery called South Creek.
We found the
place pretty easy to navigate from the interstate. Only a few turns off I-40 and you’re
there. When we arrived at the large sign
indicating the entrance we were overcome with the charm of the countryside
setting. The long gravel driveway is
bordered on one side with a white picket fence and a lush forest on the
other. As we continued up the road the
wooded area changed to vineyard and on the left there was a red, rustic horse
barn which was decorated with an avant-garde grape mural. The traditional barn with a modern painting
might seem strange but the two flows naturally.
The vineyard was vast and seems to overtake the property from both sides
as we resumed our drive. Only a few
seconds later we had arrived at our destination.
The tasting
room to our surprise was a charismatic, yellow, Renaissance style
farmhouse. It was by far the most
darling winery location I’ve visited to date.
There is an enormous wood parquet patio deck that surrounds the entrance
to the tasting room. This courtyard area
has many table and chair sets with umbrellas for enjoying the outdoors. It is also nicely landscaped with plenty of
trees for extra shade coverage, seasonal flowers that were in bloom and neat
yard trinkets that added to the appeal.
They also had a tented area setup outside for a musician that had yet to
arrive.
Continuing
indoors we found a quaint tasting bar space.
It was barely noon yet they were already entertaining many couples. One of the owners, Mary Rowley, spoke to us
right away inviting us up to the bar.
She gave us our tasting list and explained the types of tastings they
offer. We were in for the long haul so
we did the full tasting. This allowed us
to try 7 types of the dry Bordeaux style wines they produce. The first 2 were both Chardonnay, one was
aged in a stainless steel vat while the other in an oak barrel. This type of tasting is pretty unique because
you’re able to appreciate the extra details the winemaker performs; such as,
aging the product longer or the use of different types of containers for aging. After sampling both of the delicious dry
white wines we moved on to the dry reds.
Many of their
reds have won international honors. I
remember Mary telling us “we’ve got world class wine and we’ve got the metals
to prove it” and they do! They have
countless metals displayed right above the tasting bar and you can taste the
rich, fine quality in every sip. The
2010 Cabernet Franc Reserve was one of my favorites. The description states “this wine is velvet
in your mouth” and I couldn’t think of a better way to describe it. With hints of cherry, clove, blackberry, and
a touch of chocolate it flows down your throat with such ease and leaves your taste
buds wanting more.
We finished
our tasting and purchased a glass to drink.
Unfortunately, it was pretty muggy outside but we were happy the rain
had held off. We both chose a chilled
Chardonnay in hopes it would cool us off.
By this time the musician had already started so we took a few seats on
the deck. Her smooth mellow guitar music
mixed with her cool soothing voice relaxed our souls. We may have been in heaven for a moment or
two. The deck is a perfect place to
waste away. The views are outstanding,
the wine amazing, and the music pacifying.
We could have stayed all day.
After a few
tunes Mary’s husband Jim came out to give us a tour of the winemaking
facility. He was very pleasant like Mary
and just as proud of their product. I
would be too considering they’ve got a world-class operation right here in
NC. It’s something that makes me delighted
because I am a North Carolinian. The
Rowley’s have a business that would give Italian or French wineries a run for
their money!
We were so
glad we visited South Creek Winery. The
experience was truly enlightening and peaceful.
Our plan is to be back soon! If
you can’t make it to try South Creek Winery’s extraordinary wines in person you
can purchase them online via their website.
Bottle purchases will run you $14.50 and up. However, if you are able to visit South Creek
Winery you won’t be disappointed they are open Wednesday through Saturday 11am
to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm.
Visit South Creek
Winery online at: www.southcreekwinery.com
If you have
visited this or another winery here in NC and would like to share your story,
or offer suggestions for my next trip, please email it to natasha3911@aol.com.
Natasha
Stiles is a freelance photographer and writer who enjoys wine and travel; her
additional winery trips can be found at:
www.ncwine-downweekend.blogspot.com
Connect with
NC Wine-Down Weekend on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/NCWineDownWeekend
