N.C. wines are celebrated in an expanded format
Local wines await tasting by gala guests.
Photo by Marc Hall
Like a fine wine, “Celebrate North Carolina Wines” keeps getting better with age. In its fourth year, the event took on a new format that featured an afternoon of seminars capped by a gala reception, silent auction and four-course wine dinner.
With titles like “The Nose Knows – How to Tell When Wine Goes Bad,” and “Don’t Judge a Wine by Its Closure,” seminars led by College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and industry experts covered a broad range of topics, from history to modern corking technology.
Always popular is Dr. Mary Anne Drake’s “Wine and Food Pairings … Tasting Is Believing.” This year, Drake kicked her presentation up a notch, guiding participants through a gourmet tasting menu that featured a variety of wines paired with delicacies from sushi to blue cheese stuffed dates.
“A Wine Lover’s North Carolina Travelogue,” led by Margo Metzger, executive director of the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council, offered a glimpse of the variety of the state’s wineries, from mountains to coast. Representatives from Nomacorc, a producer of wine closures, offered one of the most unusual experiences of the day, inviting participants to sample what happens when wine goes bad.
The event culminated with a reception and four-course wine dinner that featured local cuisine paired with prize-winning North Carolina wines.
Participants had an opportunity to enjoy exclusive and hard-to-find wines, including Surry Cellars Chardonel 2006 and Childress Cabernet Franc 2006, which is the North Carolina State Fair’s 2008 “Best in Show” award winner.
Event organizer Mary Elizabeth Brake, College development associate, estimates that about 150 people attended Celebrate NC Wines. All proceeds benefit the College’s wine and grape research.
— Suzanne Stanard
With titles like “The Nose Knows – How to Tell When Wine Goes Bad,” and “Don’t Judge a Wine by Its Closure,” seminars led by College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and industry experts covered a broad range of topics, from history to modern corking technology.
Always popular is Dr. Mary Anne Drake’s “Wine and Food Pairings … Tasting Is Believing.” This year, Drake kicked her presentation up a notch, guiding participants through a gourmet tasting menu that featured a variety of wines paired with delicacies from sushi to blue cheese stuffed dates.
“A Wine Lover’s North Carolina Travelogue,” led by Margo Metzger, executive director of the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council, offered a glimpse of the variety of the state’s wineries, from mountains to coast. Representatives from Nomacorc, a producer of wine closures, offered one of the most unusual experiences of the day, inviting participants to sample what happens when wine goes bad.
The event culminated with a reception and four-course wine dinner that featured local cuisine paired with prize-winning North Carolina wines.
Participants had an opportunity to enjoy exclusive and hard-to-find wines, including Surry Cellars Chardonel 2006 and Childress Cabernet Franc 2006, which is the North Carolina State Fair’s 2008 “Best in Show” award winner.
Event organizer Mary Elizabeth Brake, College development associate, estimates that about 150 people attended Celebrate NC Wines. All proceeds benefit the College’s wine and grape research.
— Suzanne Stanard