Hope to see you at the 2010 Wine and Food Festival

Friday, April 16th, will be a day full of wine tastings, wine seminars and cooking classes. Learn about pairing wine with spicy foods, chocolate and cheese. Learn the basics with Wine Tasting 101, or delve into Bordeaux wines. All seminars and classes are relaxed, with the hope that they will be as enjoyable as they are educational.

Taste wines from North Carolina, the greater region and the whole world at the Grand Wine Tasting on Saturday, April 17th. You may also watch the Fire on the Rock Chef Challenge on Saturday and Sunday, as chefs take the stage and do battle with their finest creations. Taste what they make, and you can help decide who’ll be the victor.

They’ll be live music throughout the event, and art shows. Blowing Rock takes on a festive air for this festival, so it is a fun time to browse the shops and explore the town.

Close to 20 wineries are expected to participate. This is a great opportunity to sample a wide variety of regional wines all in one place. You’ll probably want to pick up several bottles to bring back to your Blue Ridge cabins, where you can enjoy them at your leisure.

North Carolina wines

While the eastern part of North Carolina has long been recognized as a producer of good wine, it is worth noting that the northwestern part of the state is no slouch when it comes to wine production, either.

Late fall is the ideal time for folks to take to the road with wine tasting in mind. Our North Carolina cabins are within an easy drive of several vineyards that make for a great outing. Part of the Yadkin Valley Wine Trail , which is comprised of thirteen vineyards between Boone and Winston-Salem, the smaller Swan Creek Wine Trail is focused on wineries close to Boone. Five family-owned wineries at five-mile intervals are easily visited by car, or even by bicycle.

The wineries are situated along beautiful backcountry roads. Sample a few wines during the day, and pick up a bottle or two to take back to our Blue Ridge Mountains cabins. Quite thoughtfully, “wine portage” is available for folks who opt to bike the Swan Creek Wine Trail. Wineries on the trail are open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 – 5, and Sundays from 1 – 5.