What could we say about 2020 that hasn’t been said? It’s just time now to put 2020 in our rearview mirror.
To do that, let us take one final look back.
In prepping for this blog, I arranged 100+ pictures. Well that’s not happening! lol. So we’ll just hit a few highlights!
The year started with reserved excitement. We dropped our youngest son off at Camp Lejeune…after enjoying a few days with him on his all too short leave.
We then preceded to wine our way back across the great state of North Carolina. 🍷🍷
We first stopped at Huffman Vineyards in Richlands and then made out to Duplin Winery in Rose Hill. Our first visit to both.
Duplin Winery is the largest Muscadine winery in the country and North Carolina’s oldest operating winery.
Another curiosity downtown Rose Hill is the World’s Largest Frying Pan. I know right! Who knew? And why?
Next visit was to The Country Squire Winery. Here we would have dinner and find our accommodations for the night. The restaurant is right out of some medieval movie set….honestly just difficult to describe. Dinner was good though.
The Inn, well it’s an old classic roadside inn and rooms, while clean, remain decorated in 70’s glory! The Winery offers several fruit infused vinifera blends and a fun whimsical gift shop. We just had to bring home the ceramic painting hanging in the picture below. It’s now proudly hanging in our living room.
Next we made our way towards Raleigh with several stops in between. One highlight was stopping at Hinnant Family Vineyards and Winery. Hinnant is the largest Muscadine Vineyard in North Carolina.
We highly recommend the Electric Pelican. Thanks to our friends Kimberly and Ryan for recommending this one to us. It’s a blend of Noble and Blanc du Bois.
2020 excitingly gave the opening of one of our new local favorites, Marked Tree Vineyard in Flat Rock.
Plus the Grand Opening of South Bend Winery in Greenwood, South Carolina.
Wandering Bard Meadery opened their new taproom at Hampton Station in Greenville, South Carolina.
The 2020 Palmetto Wine Competition had to be postponed from May to August. We were thrilled to be able to hold the judging at Carter’s Steak and Seafood close to our Boiling Springs home.
So blessed for great sponsors, Bristow Beverage Law and The VinoWine App, whose financial and operational support allowed for us travel the state and personally deliver medals to each award winning winery.
We held the first medal presentation at Fat Ass Heifer Cidery in Campobello.
Enoree River Winery in Newberry wins big!
Old Rock Quarry Winery in Enoree wins 14 medals!
Elevation 966 Winery in Greenville wins multiple awards plus a double gold!
Island Winery on Hilton Head Island has won a medal for every Palmetto Wine Competition entry they’ve submitted for three years running! Tough to beat 100%!
And our Best in Show, the Mead with Wild Blueberry form Bee-Town Mead and Cider in Bluffton!
We were fortunate in March just before everything shut down, to get away to North Georgia for a short anniversary celebration. we were thrilled to have Kaya Vineyards winemaker KJ Bell give us a private tour and barrel tasting.
Then of course everything shut down. We were forced into Facebook live meetings with our friends. We had to entertain ourselves right!
Luckily restrictions eased and we were able to reach a huge milestone! We visited our number one hundred and fifty North Carolina winery! Number 150 was Pilot Mountain Vineyards in the Yadkin Valley AVA.
Let’s finish this up with a few of our favorite wines from 2020!
We were blown away by the 2019 Barbera from Overmountain Vineyards in Tryon.
Double Gold award winning Petite Sirah from CityScape Winery.
The new Bordeaux style blend of Loco LuLu at Parker-Binns Vineyard.
We could continue with pictures and notes and so forth, but we really want to look forward to a new year with renewed hope and promise.
We are looking forward to a New Year that hopefully will allow for our local wineries being able to host indoor events and wine club pick-up parties. Where all will once again feel comfortable visiting and enjoying a glass while sitting around the fire pit. Seriously, just imagine the ambiance and taking in that view found around the fire pit at Mountain Brook Vineyards! Fun times await!!
Here’s to 2021! May we all be blessed with a new beginning. So onward we strive.
Cheers! 🍷🍷
Wine Competitions and Marketing! 