This post has little to do with flour, but it has a lot to do with love. After all, it is halfway to Valentine’s Day! Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit three North Carolina vineyards as part of a girls’ day to celebrate a friend’s upcoming wedding. That’s where the love comes in.
Vineyard One: Laurel Grey
All parties involved agreed the wines at Laurel Grey were fantastic. I prefer a sweet or fruity wine, and many of the wines at Laurel Grey fit this bill. In addition to wine, Laurel Grey sells the most delicious vinaigrette I have ever tasted. Barbecue sauce, as well as a chocolate and a caramel sauce made with wine, are also Laurel Grey specialties and taste as delicious as the wine.
Vineyard Two: Raffaldini
The grounds at Raffaldini were absolutely gorgeous. The wines, however, were all very dry. I asked the gentleman pouring our tasting why the wines were so dry, and he responded, “the owner prefers dry wines.” That was good enough reason for me. The gentleman also said if the fruit on a vine received too much sun, workers would hand turn the grapes to prevent them from getting a sunburn. Now that’s love.
Vineyard Three: Cellar 4201
A happy medium between Laurel Grey and Raffaldini.
Pretty grounds and good wine.
Dessert
All this wine made me consider the drink’s dessert-making capabilities. There are a variety of desserts you can make with leftover wine, though with the crowd I know, leftover wine seems a bit of an oxymoron. Red wine and chocolate pair well together – check out a red wine cake or red wine cookies for inspiration. Lighter flavors, like lemon, pair well with white wine. My personal favorite, judging solely on the title alone, are Italian wine donut cookies. Anything involving a donut wins my heart. Cheers!
looks like your tours of the wineries was an amazing experience! thanks for linking to my white wine + lemon cookies. they are just delicious + i’ve actually experimented with adding fresh thyme or rosemary to the batter, which works great.
I was very happy to come across them, and I am looking forward to baking them soon! Thanks for mentioning experimenting with the herbs. I planted a rosemary bush for the first time this year and have loved using it in baking.
Love the beautiful flowers and can’t wait until we can explore Michigan’s Old Mission Peninsula vineyards!