EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY
Wine and dine at many of North Carolina's scenic vineyards
Like many other vintners in North Carolina, Doub and his wife, Brenda, are tasting success.
With more than 70 wineries across the state, it's not surprising that many are pairing wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Chambourcin with creative entrees that utilize local ingredients.
Originally published in North Carolina Travel Guide
Take Flint Hill, for example. In 2007, the Doubs hired chef Sean Wehr to head up Century Kitchen -- so named because the winery is housed in Tim Doub's century-old family farmhouse.
Wehr's ever-changing menu incorporates interesting ingredients in fresh ways at the pretty winery located in East Bend.
Flint Hill is one of several North Carolina vineyards that are attracting visitors interested in sampling the state's varied wines.
"The opportunity to enjoy world-class wines, great food and beautiful scenery is a natural at many North Carolina wineries," says Doub, who actively promotes other wineries in the Yadkin Valley region.
Set in rolling vineyards near Elkin (south of Mount Airy), The Kitchen at Elkin Creek at Elkin Creek Vineyard offers excellent choices for wining and dining.
Guests can enjoy a leisurely lunch that includes creatively prepared salads and brick oven pizzas--both using many local organic ingredients. Elkin Creek's Rossa, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet and Barbera pairs well with many of the menu items for lunch, dinner or brunch.
The Bistro at Childress Vineyards, just west of Lexington, offers a seasonally-driven menu of salads, sandwiches and chef's specialties in a stone and stucco building reminiscent of rural Tuscany overlooking 65 acres of fertile farmland.
The Harvest Grill Restaurant at Shelton Vineyards, located near Mount Airy, is the place to enjoy specialties such as stuffed chicken breasts, corn bread crab cakes and blackened North Carolina catfish.
Or if you're in the Asheville area, stop in the Arbor Grill, next door to the Biltmore Winery, for an early-evening alfresco dinner with taste treats including salmon carpaccio, pan-seared mountain trout and pomegranate-glazed duck.
Other options include The Bistro Restaurant at Duplin Winery in Rose Hill; the Country Squire Restaurant located at the Country Squire Winery in Warsaw (which features a 72-ounce steak that cries out for a big and bold red); popular Wolf’s Lair Restaurant at Black Wolf Vineyards in Dobson; and Scuppernongs, a Mount Airy restaurant, deli, and wine bar that’s connected with nearby Old North State Winery.
"Our state's wineries offer a genuine taste of place," says Margo Knight Metzer, executive director of the North Carolina Wine & Grape Council. "Every bottle of North Carolina wine is a unique expression of the land in which it was grown."
"And so our diverse landscape, from rolling foothills to sandy flatlands, translates to wide-ranging styles of wine," she adds. "From red to white and dry to sweet, our wineries truly offer an array of authentic tastes to suit any palate."