NC Winery Tour: Gregory Vineyards
I don’t know that there is anything more satisfying than sipping wine on a summer afternoon with your oldest and dearest friend (Emily). Thankfully, this is something I get to experience pretty often.
A random winery trip in 2020, somehow turned into a 20-year-plan. The plan is simple: visit every North Carolina winery by the time we turn 50. The only thing that has NOT been simple so far, is determining exactly how many North Carolina wineries there are. Our research has led us to several different answers. But, for now, we can confirm that we have been to seven. Maybe I’ll do a post recapping the first six, but for now let’s talk about number seven, Gregory Vineyards. If you’re from the Raleigh area you might be familiar with a little town called Angier…you also might not be. With less than six thousand residents, Angier is a quaint little place and the perfect afternoon escape from busy, ever-growing Raleigh.
It took us about an hour, maybe a little less, to get from North Raleigh to Angier. We stopped for lunch in its sweet, little downtown. (Gregory Vineyards does have a restaurant, but it is only open for dinner from 5-9 pm). We decided to try Brick and Mortar Grill, a cute, corner restaurant, with easy parking right across the street.
I had the Southwest Salad (no chicken) and Em had the Mediterranean Salad (w/ shrimp instead of chicken). In keeping with the theme of the day, we both ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio, as well. Everything was delish!
After lunch we headed over to the Vineyard, which was only a short drive away. It was beautiful. Had it not been a sizzling summer day in the South, we would have loved to explore a little. But, alas…we stayed where the air conditioning was pumping.
Somehow I managed to leave without a single photo of the view from the tasting room, but let me paint the picture. There is a beautiful pond with a peninsula where people like to take pictures, according to our waiter. Surrounding the pond on two sides, is the vineyard. It’s lovely.
But, on to the important stuff…they provided snacks. We’ve found that sometimes wineries do, and sometimes they don’t. It’s a game changer though. First, if you’re serving alcohol…food is never a bad idea. Second, a pretzel, cracker, etc. is a great palate cleanser.
YAY! Snacks!
The tasting takes place in the restaurant (Lane’s Seafood & Steak House). It has a dark, fancy-rustic vibe. I imagine at night it’s very romantic. Our waiter was OUTSTANDING. (Shoutout to Nate! We love you!) He greeted us immediately after we arrived, asked if we were wanting to do a tasting and had us seated and sipping within minutes.
Just $10 to try all of the above. You can’t beat it.
We decided it was probably a good idea to try them all. However, you can try just the unfortified wines (no brandy), or just the brandy wines if you’d like. These are muscadine wines, so they are definitely on the sweeter side. But, Em much prefers dry wines, and she still enjoyed them. So, even if sweet wines aren’t your thing…give these a try.
My favorite unfortified wine was Sunset. Peaches are my favorite fruit and this one had a great peach flavor. So yummy and refreshing! I definitely came home with a bottle. At just $12, I couldn’t say no.
Now, let’s talk about these brandy wines. Let me start by saying, yes. Yes, yes. These are delicious, and strong. You can definitely taste the brandy. In fact, if I hadn’t known better, I might have thought I was drinking a really yummy liquor. My two favorites were Buckhead Billy (36 Proof) and Fearless (40 Proof). I also came home with a bottle…of both. I can assure you that $16 a piece for these bottles is a great price though. So, I didn’t feel too bad about it.
I also came home with a jar of Hot Pepper Jelly. We poured it over cream cheese and had it with pita chips…literally the best thing ever.
10/10 would recommend!
We had a great afternoon at Gregory Vineyards. Vinnie and I are actually thinking about taking my parents there for dinner to celebrate their recent retirements. According to Nate, the food is to die for…and I believe him. I will obviously report back!
I think this picture qualifies for a “Low-quality pic, high quality afternoon,” type of caption.
The only thing missing from this winery was a gift shop. Em and I REALLY like a gift shop. I personally try to collect a Christmas ornament and/or magnet from every winery we go to. Aside from that one missing element, it was an excellent experience. One more thing…they have a 100 sanitation score. According to Nate, that has been the case the entire seven years he’s worked there. My little OCD heart REALLY appreciates a 100 sanitation score. I actually can’t even remember when I’ve seen one before. Cheers to you Gregory Vineyards!
-D
