Brews and Vines of NC

It's about damn time I had a post about alcohol again, huh?

One of the things I love about going out of town is enjoying local brews and wines. And I've been known to be able to sniff out a local winery or  brew pub better than any one else. While we were pn vacation (more to come on that later), I made sure to check out some. So, where did we go?

Outer Banks Brewing Station -I have always been curious as to how this place was. Our food was awesome-Nick got a bratwurst sandwich, and I got the fish platter. Our seats over looked the brewery, and I enjoyed a Nitwit (Wit (White) is Belgium’s answer to Hefeweizen. It’s light, hazy, refreshing, ale brewed with a portion of un-malted wheat. Ours is fermented with Forbidden Fruit (a special strain of reserve yeast from the famous Hoegaarden brewery), and spiced with a subtle lacing of Coriander and Bitter Orange. (4.5% abv.)) Nick had the Stormy Roses Stout (Inky black & creamy-smooth dry-ish Irish styled stout is brewed with Scottish Golden Promise malts and Chilean dark crystal & chocolate malts which lend a smokey, black licorice note! Perfect for watching passing summer storms… (6.6% abv)) and later a Lemongrass Wheat Ale (A zesty golden hefeweizen infused with a potent smack of Lemongrass. The flavor is crisp, tart and refreshing – World Beer Cup Silver Medal winner!! (5.2% abv.)) We both really enjoyed our beers-lived up to expectations!

**Beer Descriptions taken from www.obbrewing.com.***

Trio- Last year we found this awesome little shop. They used to do a special tasting of NC wines, but alas, not so much this year. BUT, they do have wine vending machines in which you can get a taste, half a glass or a full glass of wine. I had seen these before, but hadn't had the opportunity to give them a try. It's really easy to use. In this case, we went up to the bar, turned over our credit card (just like if you were starting a tab), got plastic card that kept track of our purchases, and swiped that at each machine we used. We tried to stick to NC wines, but when I came across a wine associated with Dave Mathews, I had to indulge. The white was good, but I really enjoyed the red. It was a red both people who like red and those that don't typically enjoy it. We walked away with a bottle of white for a friend, a bottle of red for ourselves, and two wine glasses.

Sanctuary Vineyards- We passed this vineyard on our way down, and, had we had more time, I would have loved to go back and do a tour/tasting. As luck would have it, they had a tasting set up in one of the gift shops we went in. (I knew there was a reason I wanted to go in there!) They had a huuuuuuge selection of wines, but since Nick and I tend more towards the dryer wines, we stuck with tasting a handful (seriously, about 6 wines) of those. While I enjoyed Shipwreck (Syrah and Mourvedre blend)  and Wild Pony (Chardonnay/Riesling blend, we walked away with a bottle of Morton (A surprisingly elegant, yet buyer friendly, blend of our winemaker’s choice red wines. Syrah, Tempranillo, Tannat, Aglianico and Cabernet Sauvignon have been carefully blended, giving flavors of blackberry, black cherry and spice with subtle sweetness and oak.)

***Wine description from www.sanctuaryvineyards.com ***

Full Moon Cafe and Grill- I found this place by accident in a tourist book. We decided to head over for lunch on our way out of the OuterBanks, partially out of convenience and partially because it was a lit cheaper for lunch. Nick got the tuna (steak) sandwich-which was amazing-and I got the Roanoke Shrimp Melt, which was pretty darn good. To accompany our meals, I had the Lost Colony Ale (A northern English style of ale. Walnut-colored with a sweet malty taste, plus caramel, coffee and molasses flavors from the imported British malts.5% alcohol by volume (abv)), and Nick had some red ale that i cant find on the website. Both were awesome, and if we had had room in the car for a growler, one of them would have come home with us.

***Beer description from www.thefullmooncafe.com. ***

Boardwalk Winery- We found this place down at Broadway on the Beach in Myrtle Beach. All the grapes are local to North and South Carolina, and the  wines are made there at their storefront. WE each tasted 7 wines for $4 and ended purchasing a bottle of wine. Too bad we didn't have this coupon I found on the website for a free souvenir glass if you purchase a tasting and a bottle of wine. Oops. lesson learned: in the age of smart phones, always go to a store/restaurant/attraction's website before finalizing your purchase to see if there are any deals you can hop on. Most of their wines tended more on the sweeter side-lots of fruit wines-but we did come home with a bottle of Endless Summer Semi-Dry (Endless Summer is sure to please the masses. This is our top selling blend. With it's wonderful blend of Mango & Peach wine, each bottle promises to bring back those feelings of long summer days...and nights! 12% Alcohol.)

***Once again, wine description from www.boardwalkwinery.com.*** 

One place I had hoped to hit up, but we never got the chance to, was Silver Coast Winery. Hopefully, we'll make it there next year. 

Not only did we enjoy some awesome drinks, but we came home with a lot more glassware...Now, to find a home for each of them.