#11: Go Wine Tasting in NC Wine Country

For some reason, vineyards have exploded in this region in the last few years!  I know some have been around for decades, while others have capitalized on a nation with a renewed interest in wine and the availability of wines at all price points.  For my birthday, Rashan and I went to Raylen Vineyard right in the middle of harvest season!  I LOVE driving past vineyards and this one was not a disappointment!  Grapes were dangling from the vines on our drive up to the main building!

 We did a tasting that you'll have to take our word for because there is no photographic evidence!  He was really moving through those wines!  They produce a ton of wines here.  They were out of my fave, the pinot grigio.  Sad face.  But they had two of Rashan's faves aka any kind of sugar wine.  They had a riesling he liked and a rosé.  On the latter, the tester said was made for people here raised on Kool-aid & Pepsi.  WOW.  Then he (pseudo-snobbily) said he knows someone who mixes the rosé with frozen fruit and blends it.  We looked at each other like, we shall be buying a bottle and doing that.  Thanks for the tip.  And we tried it and it was quite good.  Here's one of the barrels they use to ferment the wines.

 Here are the cases of wines stacked to the ceiling!  They'd had a bottling session recently I believe.

 Here's me!

 Don't I look like I know EXACTLY what I'm looking at?  It's a grape! For the wine!

 So beautiful!

 This dude here... LOL

 Is he playing with the soil??  I can't... LOLOL

 Yay us!

Tada!  So that was my first NC wine experience and it won't be my last!  There are at least 10 more within an hour drive!