Attendees can get a taste of Triad culture by exploring the wineries of central North Carolina.
The folks at Childress Vineyards (336.236.9463; www.childressvineyards.com), located south of Winston-Salem on Highway 52, know a great wine by itself is lovely, but paired with the right cuisine it becomes heavenly. Planners can prove them right by scheduling a meal at the winery’s own Bistro restaurant, which offers a changing menu pairing the best wines with three courses. Each dish on the menu, from cheese boards to a mouth-watering Honey Walnut Chicken Salad, has a suggested wine to accompany it. The Bistro can accommodate small groups of up to 20 people; tours and tastings are also available.
Usually attendees must go to the winery for a tasting, but Stonefield Cellars Winery (336.644.9908; www.stonefieldcellars.com), located north of Winston-Salem and Greensboro, will bring a selection of wines for an off-site tasting. Go for something elegant, like Barrel Aged Chardonnay, or take a walk on the wild side with Dread Pirate Robert’s Bloody Red Wine or Mountain Mama Madness White. Of course, why stay inside when you can visit the winery and enjoy the natural beauty of the grounds? A picnic under the oak trees is the perfect way to get attendees talking, especially if you throw in Stonefield’s locally made chocolates.
The wines produced by Westbend Vineyards (336.945.5032; www.westbendvineyards.com), located west of Winston-Salem in Lewisville, have won awards from the American Wine Society and several wine competitions within the state. See what all the fuss is about with just one sip of a gold-medal viognier. The winery will set up tours and tastings for groups, or planners can book the winery for a private event.
Tradition runs deep at Ragapple Lassie Vineyards (336.367.6000; www.ragapplelassie.com), located 20 miles west of Winston-Salem. The winery with the unusual name is part of an estate formerly farmed for tobacco by three generations of the same family. As the market for tobacco waned, the family rejuvenated the land with grapes and now runs a “green” vineyard with rotating crops to keep the soil rich and healthy. As part of their eco-friendly commitment, the winery offers a 25-cent bounty on their own empty bottles, so customers will return the bottles for recycling instead of throwing them away to end up in a landfill. Not only does Ragapple Lassie feature wonderful wines for tasting, their vineyards are an excellent agri-business model for attendees. There’s also a small cafe on the grounds serving meals on weekends.
