Wineries of the Triangle

By Jen | Sept 30, 2015

Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown

Did you know that September is N.C. Wine and Grape Month? According to ncwine.org, North Carolina is home to more than 100 wineries throughout the state, from the coast to the mountains and everywhere in between. We set out on a quest just a couple of years ago to visit as many of the wineries North Carolina has to offer as possible. At last count, and following this blog, we would have visited 40 wineries in the state. Looks like we have some work to do if we want to visit all the state has to offer.

To celebrate N.C. Wine Month, we recently decided to explore the wineries right here in our own backyard – with wineries within 30-minutes of downtown Raleigh. The wineries that fall within this category belong to the "Piedmont" region. The other regions to explore are the "Mountains," "Coast," "Yadkin Valley/Swan Creek" and "Haw River Valley."

North Carolina is best known for the muscadine grape and the European-style vinifera grape. A typical muscadine wine is sweet and sometimes considered a dessert wine whereas the vinifera grape produces varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, to name a few.  The wineries mentioned in this blog that are located in the Piedmont region tend to be more prevalent with the sweet muscadine than the drier wines, but we found a nice balance of both.

As all tastes differ, we will not be "critiquing" the wines per se, but the experience and what you can expect with a visit of your own and so close to home for a simple day-trip. During our quest to find wineries within a 30-minute drive from downtown Raleigh, we found four wineries. Typically we would be heading out for a day trip or weekend getaway to the Yadkin Valley and never knew what lurked in our own backyard.

Ranking by distance from downtown Raleigh Marriott City Center:

Chatham Hill Winery
8245 Chapel Hill Road, Cary NC 27513



11 miles from downtown Raleigh / 15 minutes from downtown Raleigh

Hours of Operation:

• Monday:  Closed
• Tuesday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Friday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Saturday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Sunday: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Tours Available: Daily

Tastings Available: Daily

Wine tastings and tours typically are $10 per person and include samples of 8 wines, a souvenir wine glass and tour.

Prices range from $12 - $19 a bottle

Varietals include:  Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Rose'

Sweet Varietals include: Sweet Carolina White, Sweet Carolina Red, Sweet Carolina Pomegranate, Sweet Carolina Mango, etc.

Established in 1999, Chatham Hill Winery is considered an "urban" winery and is the first of its kind in the Triangle. The wines are made on-site using grapes produced from the Yadkin Valley.

We visited Chatham Hill Winery on a Friday evening for WineAway Friday. Friday evenings take on more of a wine bar atmosphere with live jazz music and make for a great date night. They do not do tastings on Fridays but rather Wine Bridge samples for $12. 

We decided on two samplers, a white and a red, each containing four samples. The wines we tried included a Viognier, Rosé, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Trinity – a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The favorite of the evening was the Trinity.  Whatever your taste ... Chatham Hill delivers.





Adams Vineyards and Winery
3390 John Adams Rd, Willow Spring NC  27592



14.5 miles from downtown Raleigh / 25 minutes from downtown Raleigh

Hours of Operation:

• Monday:  Closed
• Tuesday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Sunday: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Tours Available: No

Tastings Available: Daily

Tastings are $5 for a selection of 8 wines to sample. 

Prices range from $8 - $15 a bottle

Varietals include:  Beulah, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadine, Fruit Wines

Adams Vineyards is located in Willow Spring just about 30-minutes from downtown Raleigh. Similar to many vineyards in the state, Adams began as a tobacco and cotton farm back in the 1700s, but now grows the muscadine grape, prevalent to North Carolina.

We visited Adams Vineyards on a Sunday afternoon to sample the wines they have to offer. With a group of five of us, they graciously made room for our group at a table where we embarked on this new tasting adventure. The tasting consists of a selection of 8 wines to choose from.The majority of their wines are made from the muscadine grape, however, the Beulah, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc are made from the vinifera grape of the Yadkin Valley. 

The favorite of the day was the Beulah, a dry white wine. Adams Vineyards top sellers are the Winter Sunset and the Clara Breeze, both described as sweet wines.


Cloer Family Vineyards
8624 Castleberry Rd, Apex NC 27523



20.4 miles from downtown Raleigh / 27 minutes from downtown Raleigh

Hours of Operation:

• Monday - Thursday:  Closed
• Friday:  12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
• Saturday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Tours Available:  Yes, Self-Guided

Tastings Available: Daily

Tastings are $5 for all 5 of their wines to sample. 

Prices range from $14 - $18 a bottle

Varietals include:  Riesling, Merlot, Muscadine

Cloer Family Vineyards, located in Apex, opened in 2010 and is the second family-owned farm in the Triangle to grow its own grapes and produce wines on-site. Like many wineries in this area, Cloer grows the muscadine grape.

We visited Cloer Family Vineyards on a Saturday afternoon. We were pleasantly surprised to arrive at this winery so close to home, yet felt like we were in the Yadkin Valley. The owners at Cloer Vineyards were very welcoming. 

We did the tasting which consisted of all five of their wines with our favorite being the Matador, the house Merlot. We decided to buy a bottle of the Matador and venture out to the picnic area to enjoy the day. We will definitely be going back to this winery in the near future.

Gregory Vineyards
275 Bowling Spring Drive, Angier NC  27501

25.7 miles from downtown Raleigh / 30 minutes from downtown Raleigh

Hours of Operation:

• Monday - Tuesday:  11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Wednesday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
• Sunday:  1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Tours Available:  Yes, Wednesday - Sunday (see web page for details and times)

Tastings Available: Daily

Tastings are $5  

Prices range from $10 - $16.50 a bottle

Varietals include:  Muscadine, fortified wines and wine slushies

Gregory Vineyards is located in Angier and not only features a winery but also a distillery and restaurant, Lane's Seafood & Steak House. Gregory is one of two wineries in the state that also have a distillery, with the other being Windsor Run in Hamptonville, which is part of the Swan Creek AVA.

We visited Gregory Vineyards on a Sunday afternoon as part of a group of seven. We had a private table tasting consisting of approximately 13 wine samples for $5. Not being a huge fan of sweet wines or the muscadine grape, we do always enjoy trying these wines nonetheless and the wines produced by Gregory may be one of my favorites of this grape type. We walked away with a couple of bottles of Popaw's Apple, a fortified coming in at 20% ABV. Another favorite of the day was the Sly Fox, a dry red muscadine wine. We enjoyed hearing the stories behind each wine and look forward to visiting Gregory Vineyards again and perhaps take in a tour that we missed out on this time.




In October, we'll be exploring some of the Wineries & Breweries of the NC High Country.

Going Local with NC Wines and Raleigh Beers

By Jen & Dathan
Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown

In celebration of NC Wine & Grape month we decided to share NC wines with our local wine and beer club for our September monthly gathering. Better yet, we added in a couple of local Raleigh beers to help kick off Raleigh Beer Week, which begins on Sunday, Sept. 20. 

We decided on 5 wines – all which are distributed here in the Triangle, with the exception of Laurel Gray's Encore, which we shared from a previous trip to the Yadkin Valley.

Old North State Winery

As the guests arrived, they were greeted with a tasting of Fish Hippie Bare Bones, a blend of Chardonnay and Videl Blanc. This winery is located in downtown Mt. Airy, opened in 2002 and is ranked as one of the larger wineries in the state. We would consider this winery to be classified more as an "urban" winery due to its location in a downtown area. But don't let that fool you! They do grow their own grapes on two vineyards. Interesting fact about this winery – the building is known to be haunted thereby naming one of its wines Restless Soul.

Childress Vineyards

Our official tasting began with Cellar Select Three - White Table Wine. Childress is located in Lexington, which is roughly 20 miles south of Winston-Salem. Childress first opened its doors in 2004 and is owned by NASCAR driver Richard Childress. This wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Pinot Gris with aromas of grapefruit and lemongrass with a slight almond finish. The wine is named in honor of Childress and his No. 3 car he drove. This is an easy drinking white wine that would pair nicely with shrimp cocktail.

Jones von Drehl

Next we went with a 2012 Estate Rosé Wine, Dulcimer. Jones von Drehl is located in Thurmond. We visited this winery for the first time this year and fell in love. The name, Jones von Drehl, derives from the blending of the two owners names. They began cultivating the land, which is situated in the scenic North Carolina mountains near the Virginia border, back in 2007. This wine is light-bodied with hints of fruit and effervescence. We believe there were some mixed reviews from our guests, yet several asked for a second taste.

Hutton Vineyards

The third wine of the evening was Hutton Vineyards' Heidi's Red. This is the only wine that we tasted where we had not visited the winery nor tried the wine prior to this club event. Hutton Vineyards is located in Dobson and started growing vines back in 2002 when its owners sold their beach house and moved to the mountains to live the dream we all have – to start a winery! This winery is one of the newest in the Yadkin Valley with over 45 acres of grapes on its land. Hutton is home to 11 different wines, with Heidi's Red being a red blend and part of its Estate series. 

Biltmore Estate

To shake things up a bit, we decided to have the next wine be a blind taste test and ask members to guess the varietal. The only clue was that it was an N.C. red wine. The reveal? A Cabernet Sauvignon from Biltmore Estate. Who has not heard of Biltmore Estate, located in the picturesque mountains in Asheville. Biltmore Estate is one of the most visited wineries in the country and has been greeting guests since 1895. This was a solid Cabernet.

Raleigh Beer Week

Next, we decided to move on to Raleigh Beer Week and try some local brews. Raleigh Beer Week begins on Sunday, Sept. 20 with a calendar full of events at breweries, restaurants, and bottle shops hosting rare tastings, beer dinners and new releases. Raleigh is currently home to 13 breweries, soon to be 12 as one of our newest breweries, Blackjack, will be moving to the beach and making Wilmington its new home.

Gizmo Brew Works

The first beer we decided to share was the Deep Blue Saison. Gizmo has been around for about two years and is located off Hwy-70 in Raleigh. This beer is a twist on Gizmo's farmhouse classics, blended with blueberry. We've tried several blueberry beers and this one is one of our favorites! This beer comes in at 6.4% ABV.

Raleigh Brewing Company

Next was Raleigh Brewing Co.'s Hidden Pipe Coffee Porter. Raleigh Brewing Co. is located off Hillsborough Street in Raleigh. All of their canned beers come with a story about Raleigh. The Hidden Pipe dates back to the Civil War, when Thomas Briggs hid his money from Union troops by stuffing his money in pipes and burying them underground. After the war, he went back and dug up the pipes and opened a thriving hardware store. This porter contains cocoa, creamed coffee, expresso, molasses and a hint of blackberries.

The Encore

Laurel Gray Vineyards

Lastly, and most appropriately, we ended the night with Encore, a red dessert wine with black raspberry flavor, meant for sipping. We paired this wine with dark chocolate from Raleigh's Videri Chocolate Factory. Laurel Gray is located Hamptonville and is part of the Swan Creek AVA.



To recap, this turned out to be a fabulous theme to celebrate our great state of North Carolina by Going Local. Next, Triangle Around Town heads back to Gregory Vineyards for their 2015 Grape Stomp Festival on Sunday, Sept. 20, and are planning another trip to the Yadkin Valley. And if that wasn't enough, we'll be heading up to the High Country in a couple of weeks to pay a visit to Banner Elk Winery and Grandfather Winery.

Devils Backbone arrives in North Carolina

By Dathan Kazsuk | Aug 23, 2015

Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown

Monday, August 17 was a special night – as a select number of beer-lovers made their way into the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh to sample beer from the Roseland, Virginia-based Devils Backbone Brewery. Jen and I were lucky enough to be invited to this event to see what the brewery has to offer.

The last time we were in Virginia, we picked up a six-pack of Devils Backbone's Azrael Belgian Golden Ale and were impressed. The beer had hints of pear, due to the yeast strain used.

As we were getting ready to go inside, we ran into our friends Glenn Cutler and Dave Tollefsen – or as most of you know them by ... the NC Beer Guys.

"We were wondering the type of turn out they were going to get tonight," Cutler says, as it seemed pretty quiet sitting outside Bicentennial Plaza, watching the many Devils Backbone employees scurry back-and-forth, getting ready for the event. Sooner rather than later, the four of us made our way inside, filled out our name badges, and took the escalator up to the second floor of the museum.



                      Devils Backbone Brewing Company showcased its beer in Raleigh on August 17.

Beer was flowing from three different locations upstairs, so we quickly worked our way to the back of the floor to try our first samples. First up was the Vienna Lager and the Eight Point IPA. The Vienna Lager clocked in at 4.9 percent ABV, and of course is a Vienna-style lager, that was made with Saaz hops and Vienna malts. A little too light for me, but a very crisp and refreshing beer, which will satisfy those who aren't looking for something heavy.

Next was the IPA. Coming in at 5.9 percent ABV and made using Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Columbus and Simcoe hops, this IPA really hit the spot ... at least for me. We all know by now that Jen isn't a big IPA fan.

The crowd was starting to fill up, as more and more local bottle shop representatives started showing up. At one point we ran into Wine 101's beer managers Rufus Hoffman and Annette Henson, as they were talking to employees of Devils Backbone, probably setting up some beer deliveries to the locations in both Wake Forest and Raleigh.

Around 150 attendees were at the Devils Backbone Brewing Co.'s Triangle Release Party.

Next we tried the Gold Leaf Lager and the 16 Point Imperial Ale toward the back of the room. Gold Leaf, one of the lightest beers in the breweries repertoire comes in at 4.5 percent ABV – while the 16 Point weighed in at 9 percent ABV. Now that's my kind of beer! While in line for our beer, we ran into Glenn Carr and Wendy Harris of Crafty Beer Shop in Raleigh, and talked about how we're anxious to try the 16 Point Imperial. Later that night, when running into Glenn, we asked about his verdict on the beer, and it was the same as ours ... amazing!

While we didn't get an opportunity to talk to everyone that night, we did see many local shops and stores taking in on the festivities, including The Glass Jug, Big Boss Brewing Co., Crank Arm Brewing Co., The Beer Dispensary, Triangle Wine Company, Taylor's Wine Shop, D's Bottle Shop, Total Wine and Harris Teeter.

Devils Backbone is coming to play hardball in the Triangle, and we wish them the best! And even though I wasn't able to squeeze it out of Devils Backbone's co-owner Steve Crandall, it seems that there might be a couple collaborations in the works with a couple of our Tar Heel breweries. We will keep our ears peeled ... and report to you when we can.

5 THINGS - KMFDM: 30 years of music

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By Dathan Kazsuk | Aug 10, 2015

Twitter: TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: trianglearoundtown

Sometimes it's hard for me to believe that it has been 31-years since the release of KMFDM's first album "Opium" back in 1984. Of course I wasn't listening to them that far back – I was only 12 when the release hit the streets. It wasn't until 1990 that I was introduced to KMFDM with the release of the album "Naive."

So when KMFDM passed through Raleigh on July 30 at the Lincoln Theater, I made sure I was there to see Sascha and the gang rip through a 20-song set featuring some of my favorite KMFDM ditties such as "Light," "Son of a Gun," "Tohuvabohu," "A Drug Against War" and "Godlike."

Here are 5 things that caught my attention during the show – take it for what it is. Even though I've been listening to the band for 25 years – I still have some gripes with them live.

KMFDM's current lineup - photos c/o KMFDM.net.

THE CROWD: I was impressed with Raleigh's crowd. I've seen KMFDM in Charlotte in 2003 and in Chapel Hill in 2007 and the crowds back then just stood around like zombies. This time, several mini mosh-pits came into existence during the songs "A Drug Against War," "Tohuvabohu" and "Godlike."

SASCHA KONIETZKO: The only remaining founder of the band after 31 years. I wonder if he's sad about that, or he eventually forced out everyone. At one point in time, KMFDM had a great group of musicians writing and performing with the band: En Esch, Raymond Watts, Tim Skold, Bill Rieflin and Gunter Schultz ... now, all gone!

LUCIA CIFARELLI: She seems to be a hit to some – but doens't really do too much for me. Sure, if she belts out a powerful song, I enjoy it. But she's no En Esch or Raymond Watts. Both Esch and Watts had powerful vocals without the need to scream at the top of their lungs, which it seems Lucia has to do. But I guess there are some perks to being married to Sascha.

THE SONGS: Again, I love KMFDM's music, but I wish they'd do a little more restructuring or remixing of the songs they perform live. Most, if not all of the songs performed live, sound almost exactly like the album version – minus the ear drum buzz at the end of the night.

THE DRINKS: We all know that you pretty much have to take out a loan to drink alcohol once you step foot inside a concert venue – and it was no exception at The Lincoln Theater. We were spending $12 a pop to order a 16-oz. can of Bell's Oberon and a small vodka-cranberry. But at least it's not like going to Walnut Creek, where you spend $12 for one 23-oz. Budweiser Light. I do need to give props to the Lincoln for having a nice selection of craft beers sold by the can.

Chimney Rock: A relaxing time in the North Carolina mountains

Lake Lure

By Jennifer Primrose | July 6, 2015

Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown

If you live in North Carolina and ever find yourself in a 'mountains vs. beach' dilemma one weekend – Lake Lure and Chimney Rock are a great alternative – where beach meets the mountains. It's simply breathtaking. In one day, you can find yourself hiking up a mountain with an elevation of 2,480-feet – and later in the day, relaxing on the beaches of Lake Lure. We recently made a trip out to this area to do some exploring.

Chimney Rock

We enjoy hiking and getting back to nature. However, one must be in shape to take on the North Carolina mountains, and perhaps one of us was lacking a tad in that area, especially in the 90-plus degree, humid N.C. weather. 

We set out Saturday morning with our backpacks packed and cameras ready! We knew the elevator, that takes you to the top of Chimney Rock, was down for maintenance indefinitely and were preparing ourselves for a good workout that day. With the elevator out of commission, the park is offering $2 off the admission price. I, however, quickly learned that this discount was because climbing 491 steps up to the top of Chimney Rock was not an easy accomplishment. I felt like I deserved a medal (or a margarita) by the time we were done. I did not envy those we passed going up as we were descending. I must say it's always easier going downhill than up the hill.

We started out on The Outcroppings trail which ultimately takes you to the Chimney Rock. As we set off, we came across the Gneiss Cave, which is a small cave with stairs descending to the bottom. 

Being a little claustrophobic, I was hesitant to embark on this first adventure we encountered.  The passageway was narrow and the ceilings low but, I took the plunge and went down into the cave. It was a cave, a nice, cool cave, and being a mere 5'2", I fit just fine with no claustrophobic anxiety attack!  So far so good. Onward we went up the stairs ... and up, up and up!

We came upon the Subway, the Grotto and to the Pulpit Rock, which all just reopened Memorial Day weekend. Just when you think you're at a dead-end at the Subway, we realized, there is just enough room to squeeze through and keep on going to more stairs!  

We finally reached the top of the Chimney Rock and the 75-mile views were absolutely amazing!  It makes it all worth it. We sat down on some rocks and just took it all in for a bit before heading back up to The Opera Box.

The Opera Box holds a special place in our hearts because this is where, on October 5, 2007, we were engaged! This is an amazing place to just take a break and enjoy the views, and we did just that.  We took the obligatory "selfie," had a snack and ventured on as we followed the rock that said "that way" to the Skyline Trail. 

The Skyline Trail is said to be around a 20-minute, moderate-to-strenuous hike. We never timed ourselves, so I can't say exactly how long it took us, but of course, there were more stairs. We hiked up to the infamous Devil's Head and Dathan quickly asked "I wonder what would happen if his head fell off?"  Moving on, this trail ascends to the highest peak in the park, Exclamation Point, which sits 2,480-feet above sea-level.  We apparently missed the memo that you can see the Hickory Nut Falls from here (even though it is posted on the handy map we were given as we entered the park).  So, yeah, we didn't see it, nor look for it. After taking in the sights, it was finally time to descend down the mountain.

Once back down the mountain we decided to go ahead and do the Hickory Nut Falls trail. To reach the trail, you descend more stairs! At least it was going down, but my concern was, 'how we would get back up?'  My legs are now officially Jell-o!  This trail was a little more leisurely and about three-quarter mile one direction.  You are teased with there being a waterfall at the end! So, you keep on trucking. I hear there are indigenous plants and wildlife here.  I saw plants but I could not tell the difference from one to another and saw no wildlife that I can recall, which is a good thing because I do not think I would had the energy to run from a bear. At the end of the trail sits an amazing 404-foot waterfall. I would have loved to get up close and personal, but with my history of falling, I felt it best to avoid the slippery rocks and took in the beauty from afar.

Overall, Chimney Rock park features five hiking trails of all levels with amazing views. Movies have also been filmed here such as "The Last of the Mohicans." The last 17-minutes of this film were actually filmed at the top of Hickory Nut Falls.

If you are looking for a good workout, Chimney Rock is for you!  However, I would personally recommend visiting in the Fall when the weather is a little cooler and the colors more vibrant.

Stay tuned for our next North Carolina hiking adventure, when we visit our favorite spot in the state, Grandfather Mountain, in the Fall.