Well, that was amusing.
Ms. Kimberly and I headed out to Yadkin County to visit a couple of wineries this afternoon, and — surprise, surprise — I stopped to look for a handful of caches. At one of them, you had to go under a bridge to get to the trail through the woods, and we came upon the message you see at left. It was to chuckle. And what not. Never did find that cache, alas. It's probably still there, but the place was poison ivy central, so I may go back when it's not in full blossom.
Our first winery stop was Flint Hill Vineyards, near East Bend, NC. It's a scenic spot along a little country road through Yadkin County. Last time we went, there were people skeet shooting across the road, which made it a wee bit less than tranquil, but this time we had no such disruption. Though it was a bit warm, we enjoyed sitting on the expansive front porch — though there was an abundant amount of wildlife, namely bumbly bees, that just would not leave us alone. Flint Hill has several dry reds that I'm particularly fond of; the Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon were the standouts, and they had a red-white blend (Syrah and Chardonnay) called Synergy that was pretty fascinating.
Next was Hanover Park, about 15 miles southwest of Flint Hill. Kimberly and I had been there once before and quite loved it. The winery is in a hundred-some-year-old farmhouse, not very large, but picturesque and very comfortable. Their best wine is unquestionably their blend called 1897 (the year the farmhouse was built), though it's understandably a bit pricey for a bottle. They have several other standout wines, including a Mourvedre, a Chambourcin, and house blend called Michael's Blend, after the owner. I quite enjoyed the glass of Mourvedre I had there, but I opted to bring home a bottle of Michael's Blend. The folks there are very friendly, and we quite enjoyed talking with the staff as well as several other guests. The front porch here can't be beat for sitting and enjoying a glass or two.
Be good.
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| Ol' Rodan and nice lady rocking at Hanover Park |
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| North Carolina's state plant |