February 18 is National Drink Wine Day ... and we know where you should go!

By Jennifer Primrose | Feb. 11, 2018

Twitter: TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | 

Instagram: trianglearoundtown | Pinterest: TriangleAT

February 18 is National Drink Wine Day ... and we want to know, how do you plan to celebrate?

National Drink Wine Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated nationwide annually to celebrate the history and health benefits of wine and a subtle reminder to enjoy a glass of wine. A reminder we personally don't need. This day affords itself the perfect opportunity to open up that bottle of wine you've been storing in the cellar for that perfect occasion ... or better yet, why not celebrate by going to Season's 52 located inside Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh.

Season's 52 gets its name from the 52 wines by the glass along with a rotating food menu by the season. The wines may also change by regions during seasons, as the restaurant featured an assortment of wines from Spain a couple seasons ago.

We recently had the opportunity to visit Season's 52 for dinner and had the pleasure of speaking with manager Alex Gaibiselis about the restaurants wine program and selections the restaurant has to offer.

One feature you'll find at Season’s 52 is the “Drink them Before They’re Famous,” where the Sommelier seeks out the latest up and coming vintners from around the world. “These are wines we’re trying to turn the public on to. They’re really well produced wines that are served for a great value” says Gaibiselis.

One of the restaurants premier California labels comes from Lake Sonoma Winery and its winemaker, Kat Doescher. “It’s probably the best value Cabernet here,” he says. The vineyard is right next to Silver Oak and the cost in the restaurant by the glass or bottle is considerably less than Silver Oak. “That’s by far my favorite wine to drink,” he concludes, and at $13 a glass, it's a steal.

Garlic Pesto Chicken Flatbread and Artichoke/Brussel Sprout Dip goes well with white wine.

Gaibiselis also likes Don Miguel Gascón Winery's Malbec, which goes for around $11.5 a glass. “That’s what I usually start off with before the food arrives. It drinks like a Cabernet, but it won’t overwhelm you.”

As far as white wine goes, Gaibiselis admits he's not a huge fan of Chardonnay, but if he was to drink one here at Season's 52, it would be Cakebread's Chardonnay. And Season's 52 is one of the few places here in the Triangle you can order Cakebread by the glass. With a glass of this creamy, apple and melon flavored wine at your table, you can't go wrong.

Another Chardonnay he prefers is St. Helena's Markham Vineyards. "It's a great wine and from great vintners. It's got oak. It's got butter. It's a little dry. It's everyone's Chardonnay," he says. And if you're feeling overwhelmed with choices, Gaibiselis recommends a good ole' fashion wine flight. You'll receive 3 glasses of wine filled with 2-ounces of pre-selected wines not on the menu. It's a great way to sample some wine as you peruse the menu.

FOOD & WINE PAIRING

Now you decide to head over to Season's 52 on February 18 to celebrate National Drink Wine Day – but what's that perfect wine and food pairing? Don't worry, Gaibiselis gave us a little insight.

For the red wine drinker, a Pinot Noir with your appetizer is a great way to start. As you move on to the entrée, a Cabernet or Shiraz are good options. Gaibiselis also suggests the Michael David’s Petit Sirah from Lodi as one of his favorites. These are all options with dishes such as the boneless short rib, filet mignon or New York strip.

Braised Short Rib pairs well with a Cabernet, while the Scallops and a Chardonnay are a perfect combo.

For the white wine drinker, a Sauvignon Blanc will pair well with seafood dishes such as the shrimp and grits or sea scallops. In the mood for cedar plank salmon, consider a Chardonnay or branch out with a red and try a Pinot Noir. In the mood for the maple-glazed all-natural roasted half chicken? Try the Markum Vineyards Chardonnay – with just enough butter in it, this wine pairs perfectly with the chicken.

We hope this makes your taste buds water for some incredible food and amazing wine that can all be found at Season's 52. For reservations, click the link below and receive a complimentary champagne toast.

https://www.seasons52.com/reservations/?ReferralID=BLOGGERWINE

Cheers!

#NationalDrinkWineDay 

Triangle Wine Experience: Gala, Wine & Money Flowing

By Jennifer Primrose & Dathan Kazsuk | Feb. 9, 2018
Twitter: TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town |
Instagram: trianglearoundtown | Pinterest: TriangleAT

Imagine if you will – one room filled with over 70 winemakers and distributors pouring wine from California and around the World. And imagine if, on top of that, 19 local restaurants and chefs serving up unique and tasty morsels. Then imagine thousands upon thousands of dollars of auction items waiting for the highest bidder. Top that off with Triangle’s elite, knowing that at the end of the night, all the money raised is going to help the children of the Frankie Lemmon School.

All that was to be found at the 25th anniversary of the Triangle Wine Experience and its all-star gala. We were fortunate to attend this year, and had a great time seeing some good friends as well as acquaintances we only see once a year during the gala.

This year, we decided to keep the flashes emitting from our cameras to a minimum, and like our friend Jeffrey Fieldman told us that night, “Enjoy the evening. You deserve it.” And we did just that.

First, we went and said hello to Italics Winegrowers Managing Partner, Taylor Martin. We ran into him earlier that week during a wine tasting in Wake Forest, where he was pouring some of his wines. He ran us through the list of his wines again and introduced us to a couple that we didn’t try earlier that week, including a rare bottle of red wine that Steve Reynolds of Reynolds Family Vineyards made just for this event’s live auction.
 
Next to Italics were the wines from Hirsch Winery. There we talked to Jasmine Hirsch, general manager of the Sonoma County winery. We went through a line of Pinot Noir, which again seemed to be the theme of the evening. From an almost fruity Pinot to some more complex wines, Jasmine talked us through each one during our tasting.

In between all this great wine, attendees made their way to the center of the room to sample unique morsels from 19 of the Triangle’s popular restaurants. Restaurants included Brewery Bhavana, Garland, M Sushi, Player’s Retreat and much more. The standouts were chefs Ashley Christensen, Scott Crawford and Vivian Howard, who are just as much rocks stars as the winemakers.

That evening we also sampled wines from Lando, Husic, Ram’s Gate, Keplinger, ZD and Pax Cellars to name just a few. Another one of our standout wineries came courtesy of our friend Jay Holland, who suggested we try Davis Family Vineyards. Guy and his wife Judy poured us a very intriguing Chardonnay – which led into a lengthy discussion on the pendulum swing of Chardonnay’s buttery or non-buttery likes and dislikes. Besides the Chardonnay we tried a sparkling wine, a Cab Sauv and two different Pinot Noirs before heading to our table for the live auction – and where the big bucks are raised.

At our table, we were seated next to Lisa Jefferies of Raleighwood Media and Charis Painter with Midtown Magazine. While at our table we enjoyed the live auction as thousands and thousands of dollars were being spent like it was Monopoly money. At one point a lot of 5 different years of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon sold for $30,000. To top that off, right after they offered another 5 bottles of Pappy that also went for $30,000.

The night was winding down – for us – so it was time to head on home. We always enjoy this weekend, from the winermaker dinners, the tastings and the gala. We always look forward to this weekend and as always a heartfelt thanks goes out to the people that make this event happen and especially Lenora Evans, Ken Place, Mary Carey and Eliza Kraft Olander.

North Carolina brewers collaborate to help pets

Rescue and shelter animals are a big part of our lives. We currently have two shelter cats, and have had others in the past – that mean the world to us. So it hit close to the heart when we learned that a group known for its collaborations will team up in February to help spread some love to animal shelters and rescues statewide.

Brew To The Rescue will team up fifteen North Carolina breweries with a local shelter for a competitive but friendly fundraiser to be held the week of February 5-9.

Each brewery will feature its own fundraising page, and designate an organization to receive those funds. Fans of the beer world are encouraged to visit your favorite brewery's page and make a donation. Remember, any little bit helps to shelter and feed our furry friends.

The fundraising ends at 5 p.m. on February 9 – and the brewery that raises the most money wins. But of course we know the real winners are the animals. 

Winning breweries will be awarded prizes sponsored by local pet supply stores. Winning brewery's will receive awards such as 300 pounds of pet food donated to the shelter of their choice. One mountain area brewery will win $10 gift certificates for every member of its staff from Patton Avenue Pet in Asheville.

Here is the list of participating breweries and animal shelters:

• Bhramari Brewhouse (Asheville); Asheville Humane Society
• Birdsong Brewing (Charlotte); North Mecklenburg Animal Rescue
• Boondocks Brewing (West Jefferson); the Grateful Dog & Puppies Under Protection
• Crank Arm Brewery (Raleigh); Wake County SPCA
• Foothills Brewing (Winston-Salem); AARF Winston
• Fullsteam Brewing (Durham); APS of Durham
• Highland Brewing (Asheville); Asheville Humane Society
• Lazy Hiker Brewery (Franklin); Appalachian Animal Rescue
• Mother Earth Brewing (Kinston); Lenoir County SPCA
• Mystery Brewing Company (Hillsborough); Orange County Animal Shelter
• Pitt Street Brewing (Greenville); Saving Grace 4 Felines
• LoneTree Brewery (Fort Collins CO) vs. Sycamore Brewing (Charlotte); Big Dogs Huge Paws
• Raleigh Brewing Company (Raleigh); Second Chance Pet Adoptions
• Weeping Radish Farmhouse Brewery (Grandy); TBD
• NC Craft Brewers Guild (statewide); Cause for Paws NC 

Or click here to a direct link to the NC Brewers Guild with links to all breweries donation pages.

And the winner is ... North Carolina Fine Wines Society to host awards ceremony

By Jennifer Primrose | February 4, 2018

Twitter: TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | 

Instagram: trianglearoundtown | Pinterest: TriangleAT

"Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words." 
– Plautus

The occasion. The North Carolina Fine Wines Awards Gala, taking place on Sat., Feb. 17, 2018 at the Millennium Center in Winston-Salem.

The words. The announcement and awards ceremony of the 2018 winners at this second event hosted by the NC Fine Wines Society.

Now that we have your attention ...

If you are wine lovers like us, and live in the state of North Carolina, perhaps you too have hopped in the car on a Saturday morning and headed out to NC wine country to take in all that this state is producing when it comes to wine. What may come as a surprise to some is that, although North Carolina currently ranks no. 10 in the U.S. with the number of wineries (per statista), the state was actually the largest producer of wines in the country prior to Prohibition.

Fast forward to 2018, North Carolina is now home to five American Viticultural Areas with another on the way. Several wineries are winning awards both in state and out of state in such competitions as the Harvest 2017 Challenge in Sonoma, the International Winemakers Challenge in San Diego and the San Francisco Chronicle's wine competition. Awards such as these have helped put North Carolina on the map as a growing wine industry.

Related Stories: 
JOLO Winery wins awards for wine in California Competition 
North Carolina Wines win medals in California Competition

The North Carolina Fine Wines Society sprung onto the scene in 2016 with specific goals in mind. This nonprofit strives to shine light on the quality of wines, such as vinifera and hybrids and to fund scholarships for NC students pursuing careers in Enology, Viticulture and wine related Hospitality and Agritourism programs. This is its way to continue to pave the way for future growth in our state.

In 2017, the first Fine Wines competition took place. This competition features 100 percent North Carolina grown and vinified grapes with only advance level sommeliers judging through blind tastings. The first awards dinner hosted 250 guests all raising a glass to the winemakers and wineries who took home some bling that evening.

This year’s 5-course wine dinner and award ceremony will more than likely feature the cream of the crop once again to tout its muscles, proving they have what it takes to compete with wines from around the World. The menu is the creation of Executive Chef Patrick Rafferty and looks amazing. The wine pairings feature winners from 2017. 

For the menu, click here.  Dress code is "black tie" optional. Tickets are $125 and must be purchased by February 7, 2018. Click here for ticket information.

New Raleigh distillery set to open later this year

Dead Oak Distillery's Eric Lloyd, Michael Stagner and Corey Brinkmann.

By Dathan Kazsuk | Feb. 2, 2018
Twitter: TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | 

Instagram: trianglearoundtown | Pinterest: TriangleAT

There are roughly 52 distilleries in the state of North Carolina – and a lot of these distilleries are becoming household names such as Brothers Vilgalys, Durham Distillery, Raleigh Rum Company and Top of the Hill.

And later this year we should be introduced to another local distillery right here in Raleigh. Dead Oak Distillery is a new venture crafted by three guys – Corey Brinkmann, Eric Lloyd and Michael Stagner. Their mission is to make high-quality spirits made with the best ingredients the Tar Heel State has to offer.

If the name Michael Stagner sounds familiar. It should to the local beer community. Stagner is the owner/brewer of one of the state’s smallest micro breweries, Sub Noir Brewing. We all know his love for sour beers, and it shows with beers such as Cassis, DJ Camino, Violet Beauregard and the Flanders Red ales. But now, Stagner will venture into spirits, and start making Vodka with Brinkmann and Lloyd.

Let’s go back to the summer of 2017, and the charity event, Hops for Hope. This event, on its second year, raises money for Children’s Flight of Hope, a nonprofit that helps children with medical issues who can’t afford to pay for the flights need to get them to a hospital. This is where the concept for Dead Oak Distillery came to fruition.

“The event pairs local Triangle companies with local Triangle breweries to compete for worthy titles and accolades,” says Brinkmann. Their team, the Punky Brewsters were able to land two trophies that afternoon. The beer, called Brewnicorn, was an imperial cream ale that was made with Cotton Candy Grapes and the glasses were rimmed with teal sugar and gold flakes. It won the People’s Choice and Most Creative award.


Related Story: Brewery Profile – Sub Noir

Elated with the hard earned victories, a conversation struck up between the three – the idea of using a small open space adjacent to Sub Noir to start a distillery. And that's exactly what is now in motion. “We are in the very early stages of understanding the laws and licensing, renovating the space and acquiring the equipment needed to craft our first project,” says Brinkmann.

But where did the name, Dead Oak, come from? Brinkmann states that the name actually started as a small group of whiskey drinkers that would gather on occasion to share aged spirits. “At the time it was known as the Dead Oak Society,” he says. “Dead Oak referring to the oak barrels that most spirits are aged in, and is a nod to Raleigh as the City of Oaks.”

Dead Oak is still in the very early-stages, but more details will develop as we get further along in the year. “We are eager to get engaged with the local craft distilling community and working with North Carolina’s ABC.”