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Category: On Location

Bokisch Vineyards – Spotlight

Bokisch Vineyards has been on my radar for a few years now. So when my friend Allison told me that they were on the agenda to visit last May, I was thrilled. Unfortunately, then it looked like they could not fit us into their schedule (it was Mother’s Day weekend!) before we headed to the second leg of this trip, Sonoma.  At which point Markus and Liz Bokisch (co-owners) invited us to their home Monday morning for a breakfast wine tasting before we head to Sonoma.  A “breakfast wine tasting?” Why not! So sure enough, at 8:30 am, we arrived…

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The Wine Foundry Makes Wine…

… And So Can You This is a 6-minute read. When we were in California, we had the pleasure of spending some time with the folks at The Wine Foundry. Like every other visit during this trip, we assumed we were there to taste their wine.  We were. And we did.  But truth be told, The Wine Foundry is more than a winery, and we were quickly enthralled at their business model. While they make wine to sell under two different labels, their primary mission is to help people make their own wine. The Wine Foundry Concept: The concept is…

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ACORN Winery & Alegría Vineyards

Unique and Delicious Field Blended Wines This post is a 5-minute read. Before heading out to California for our wine excursion, I researched wineries that I wanted to visit. ACORN Winery caught my attention because they specialize in field blended wines. I was so excited that they made it onto our itinerary.  Yes, I really geeked out on this post. But this is what I love about wine. It can be so much more than fermented juice. Side Note: Field Blend Field blend means that the vineyard from where the grapes are harvested includes multiple grape varieties interplanted together. The…

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Tasting Lodi Wine – An Overview in Two Days

Sorry that I have been incommunicado, but we went to Northern California Wine Country. If you follow us on Instagram, you may have seen some of our social media posts. Just know, we were hard at work exploring, learning, tasting, and more tasting of wine from Lodi, Sonoma, Napa, and Suisun AVAs. We traveled with friends and fellow wine writers Amber & David Burke of Wine Travel Eats and Allison Levine of Please The Palate. This trip would not have been possible without them and the countless others that set us on this journey. In eight days, we visited 36…

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Bistronomy by Nico – Born from Pandemic

Charleston has a new french bistro and it’s a great new addition to our food scene. I have been twice and can not wait to go back. It’s called Bistronomy by Nico. There is a story behind it, so indulge me. After you read this make your reservation. We all know that the pandemic has wreaked havoc on families and businesses across this country.  Hundreds of thousands have died, millions sick, and businesses everywhere have closed – many for good. Restaurants and bars have been hit especially hard due to the social and sharing nature of those businesses. With time…

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Tasting at High Country NC Wineries

This is the second of two posts from our weekend getaway in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Today, we will focus on the wine tasting experiences at two of the seven wineries in the area. As a refresh… We chose Banner Elk Winery and Grandfather Mountain Vineyard and Winery because they were recommended, and they both claim area “firsts.” Banner Elk Winery established the first commercial winery in the area. And Grandfather Vineyard and Winery established the first vineyard in Watauga County, NC. Tasting at Banner Elk Winery It is actually Banner Elk Winery and Villa as there is a house…

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Banner Elk: Chill in the Mountains

It has been almost two months already since we returned from my birthday weekend in Banner Elk, North Carolina. With all of our wine trips and personal vacations canceled, we had to get something on the books where we could be “distanced and safe.”  And a cabin in the woods outside a small mountain town seemed like the right answer. Gary and I, along with another couple, spent four nights and five days chilling, drinking wine, and sitting by the fire. Banner Elk: The Cabin We chose this cabin after seeing our friends/neighbors post about staying there over the summer.…

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Getaway to the Mountains – Part 2

I ended the last post here. If you missed the previous post, you could get caught up here. If not, let’s get on with the weekend getaway. Burntshirt Vineyard – Our Second Stop Since we went to a brand new winery first, it only made sense to go to an older established winery next. Burntshirt Vineyards is one of the older wineries in this region of western North Carolina and currently holds the distinction of being the 2020 North Carolina Vineyard of the Year. Burntshirt Vineyards got its name from Burntshirt Mountain. According to their website, “Mountain lore has it…

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