Uwharrie Vineyards

The Basics:
Count: 2 of 98
City/Town: Albemarle
County: Stanly
Companion: Jonnell
Price: $7 for twelve wine samples and a wine glass

Stop #2 on the Albermarle Adventure takes us to Uwharrie Vineyards. Named after one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America, Uwharrie Vineyards is our first stop of the day. Sister and I decided to skip church and have our own communion (haha). Getting there was a bit tricky, mainly because we were in the country. We are used to driving slightly narrow and curvy roads, but if you're not, this is your warning. I'm sure when Spring and Summer makes their long anticipated appearance and all the color is back, the drive will be wonderful.. but until then, the scenery was a bit dull.

Upon arrival, the first thing you see are the vines. Unfortunately, we came in February so it was barren but I have a pretty good imagination. It must be lovely in the Spring and Summer to be greeted by the green vines. We were the first people there (we came on a Sunday around noon). They have a lot of cute shirts for sale. I wish they sold more fitted shirts for women. A lot of their clothing were t-shirts (and I have enough from college). One thing I did love about their store was the pottery on sale. They probably had between 5-8 different local pottery collections on sale (support the local merchants!!!). There were a plethora of colorful bowls, plates, mugs, shot glasses, and wine pitchers that were all reasonably priced. It was fantastic! Side note: This vineyard also features a lot of dry wines and may not be a favorite for sweet wine lovers.

Memorable Moments:
There were a group of about six other women who came in after us. Wine tasting really is no fun by yourself. Although we didn't talk to everyone in their group, it was really fun to critique different wines with them. So word to the wise, bring friends and don't be afraid to talk to your neighbors!

Favorite Wine: 
Magnolia: As I mentioned before, I enjoy sweet wines, especially muscadines and scuppernongs. When you try this wine, you really do taste the magnolia grape and it was so smooth going down.


Other Samples: 

• Chardonnay: This wine was very dry and had a citrus taste to it.
• Carlos: I am not a fan of the Carlos wine. I've tried a couple Carlos wines and have never really enjoyed it. The same is true for this one. It's on the dry side. It's a blended wine with 18% Chardonnay and a hint of pineapple.
• Frost Velvet: I really liked this wine. It's a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Magnolia. They called this the after lunch/dinner sipping wine. It has 15% alcohol so slip slowly.
• Peach: They made this wine from Georgia peaches. It was good, not my favorite but good. It tasted just like the fruit juice with a punch.
• Cabernet Sauvignon: This was a dry, red wine. You should definitely swirl this wine in the glass to tame down the bitterness. And the aftertaste has a nice (and interesting) spice to it.
• Merlot: We tried this with dark chocolate which was a nice pairing. It really brought out the plum flavor. It's a dry wine, but I could enjoy it with steak or chocolate.
• Autumn Blush: This was a combination of the Carlos, Magnolia and Noble grape. I thought I would like this one because of the Magnolia and Noble, but I didn't.
• White Syrah: This was one of my top choices. It's made from a Califonia grape. A nice blush with a mix of wild berry, cherry and syrah pepper. This is another wine that has a nice peppery aftertaste.
• White Noble: This was the same as the Noble but a bit sweeter, mainly because it was fermented longer.
• Red Velvet: This was my second favorite! It is a Port Style wine, but it doesn't have Brandy and isn't from Portugal. It is 50/50 Noble muscadine and Cabernet. It has a sweet flavor to it and just went down so smoothly!

Overall Grade: B-

1. Atmosphere 25/30
2. Wine 20/30
3. Staff Friendliness 20/20
4. Staff Knowledge 8/10
5. Value 8/10

Contact Information:
www.UwharrieVineyards.com
28030 Austin Road
Albemarle, NC
704.982.WINE (9463)

Next Up:
Dennis Vineyards and Winery