It's early Summer.. In fact, it's the first week of Summer, and already the weather is scorching. It was near 90 degrees over the weekend, but that didn't deter me from venturing out to a few vineyards on Saturday. I visited 3 - Raffaldini, Laurel Gray, and Buck Shoals.All three of these wineries are located in the Yadkin Valley, but are part of the Swan Creek appellation. They are all within about 5 minutes of each other, and that makes getting from one to another convenient. This weekend, I started at Raffaldini. If you haven't visited Raffaldini yet, you should put it on your list. They produce Italian style wines, and have an impressive building they use as both their tasting room, and for special events. While I was there, I saw the folks from NorthCarolinaWine.tv shooting a couple segments of video. Kipp Bodnar and Jeff Cohen have put together a series of wine tasting videos, and have started visiting the wineries to do some of their tastings, rather than simply buying bottles at the store. I don't think the wine really tastes any better at the vineyards, but it sure makes for a more fun experience. From Raffaldini, I moved on to Laurel Gray where I took part in one of their tastings, then retired to their lovely covered porch to eat the lunch I brought along. Sometimes, timing is everything. As I sat down, a duo was starting up with a guitar and mandolin. The woman singer has a lovely voice, and just made for a very special day. The mandolin player joined in for harmonies, and reminded me just how much talent we have in this area.I mozzied over to Buck Shoals to finish out my day's venture, and had one last glass of their honey Mead. Meads (in case you don't know) are wines made without grapes... huh? Well, it turns out that you can ferment almost anything that has some kind of sugar in it. The meads smell very sweet. In fact, this one smells a lot like honey, but it doesn't taste sweet. After Buck Shoals, I decided to call it a day. And what a great day it was. Amazing to find such pleasant locations so close to home. If you need a guide, let me know.Cheers!Cecil
