BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE, Governor of the State of North Carolina, hereby proclaims September 2012, as “NORTH CAROLINA WINE APPRECIATION MONTH” and commends its observance to all citizens.
As commended, we took a trip a couple of weekends ago to observe :) and visit a few wineries~
You can enjoy Bottled Sunshine from our visit to Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery, Shelton Vineyards, and Elkin Creek last September, here.
And Celebrate the Grape at RayLen Vineyards & Winery and Childress Vineyards, here.
September is a month for harvesting at RagApple Lassie Vineyards and Winery and as well as for the more than 113 wineries and 400 commercial grape growers in North Carolina.
RagApple Lassie Vineyards & Winery is named after Frank Hobson’s black and white Holstein, RagApple Lassie, given to him by his father to raise as his 4-H Show Calf in 1956.
(photo credit- RagApple Lassie)
Located under the western gaze of Pilot Mountain at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains foothills, the Hobsons’ 100-year-old family farm grew tobacco, corn, wheat and soybeans.
The demise of tobacco had them scrambling for alternative crops to help replace lost income and prevent the farm from being turned into a housing development.
Surprisingly, transitioning tobacco to grapes was not such a stretch agriculturally as one might think~ with the profit per acre from tobacco and grapes, similar and profit per acre from grapes made into wine, significantly higher.
The silo houses a circular staircase that leads to an underground wine cellar where wine is aged in French and American oak casks.
The first vines, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon were planted in April of 2000. Twelve years later, RagApple Lassie happily sips on bottles of Pinot Gris, Viognier, Kaleidoscope Gold, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Kaleidoscope Red and three off dry wines: Boonville Blanc, First Blush, and Rockford Red.
All wines are made from 100% estate grown grapes.
We had fun meeting & making
RagApple Lassie’s acquaintance :)
And had a light lunch at the winery
at The Back Door Cafe~
Udderly :) charmed by our visit,
I had a little bovine fun at the table courtesy
of RagApple Lassie Cafe placemats~
And rounded up a set of four heifers in the form of
napkin rings from a consignment store~
After harvesting some wine during our visit, I harvested some grapes and apples from the market in deference to RagApple Lassie~ adding a few daisies to the centerpiece to complement the flowers sprouting on the coverlet.
A wine bottle candelabra converts an empty bottle into a candleholder~ you can find several varieties here.
From VisitNCWine.com:
Not long after Sir Walter Raleigh landed in what would become North Carolina, the grape vine was first introduced and cultivated in the New World. In fact, by the dawn of the 20th Century, NC was the leading wine-producing region in the nation.
It seemed nothing could stop us.
But we hadn’t counted on an act of Congress.
1919.
Prohibition.
Suddenly, products from distilleries in undisclosed locations in the Piedmont hills and dales were rather more lucrative than those from the gnarled grape orchards of yore. When we spoke of fruit, it was shriveled in white lightning.
When we packaged, it was in Mason jars rather than Chardonnay bottles.
Other pursuits followed. Often at high speeds.
The sudden professional interest of G-Men and revenuers gave rise to moonlit, midnight chases across the humble countryside, engendering a motorized pastime that became a sport that became NASCAR.
Our land is rich and many textured. The vines are wide in variety. And the people who grow them are as interesting and diverse as the state itself and, led by pioneers, farming families and glorious chance-takers, North Carolina has returned to its original roots.
RagApple Lassie Herd Starter Kit~
Plant seeds in a green pasture, right side up.
“Moo” softly while watering and wait for your herd :)
Quilt-Coverlet & Check Napkins/ Kohl’s
Woven Chargers & White Napkins/ Pier 1
Flatware/World Market
Holstein Placemats/RagApple Lassie (thanks Cathy :)
Napkin Rings/consignment
Quilt-Coverlet & Check Napkins/ Kohl’s
Woven Chargers & White Napkins/ Pier 1
Flatware/World Market
“Eighty years ago we bottled moonshine. Today we bottle sunshine.”
Beautiful post. Love RagAppleLassie!
Maybe Governor Perdue thinks that a wine-drinking North Carolina will make the constituents more amenable to her radical idea of suspending Congressional elections and democracy.
Your post is cute, and I have never tried the Ragapple Lassie. Y’all had a fun day!
Mary, another winner! This looks like such fun!! I’m sending the link to this post to my god-daughter. She and her hubby have just moved to NC and they are wine lovers. They area both getting used to new jobs and visiting wineries on the weekend might be just the thing they need! :D :D
Love it Mary! Looks like a great place to visit, the cafe is just too cute and Iove the fun “moo boxes”! The starter kit is a cute little souvenir for those that don’t drink:@)
I love the moo-ving atmosphere! :)
Mary, this looks to be a fun outing. So is that you smooching with Rag-Apple Lassie? Cute photo! Of course I’m smiling at the Rag-Apple Lassie inspired table and the starter kit is too funny. You make me smile just thinking about the fun you had with your bovine table. ;-)
~ Sarah
PS ~ Note to self……..get to Kohls for some buffalo check linens!!!
Just when you thought you’ve seen everything – classy cow wine!
Go figure!
We’ve visited RagApple Lassie. Doesn’t it just have the greatest name ever? Beautiful photos here…A
Mary, beautiful and I love the whimsy of the cow motif. Your table is lovely. My mama grew up in a dry county in the mountains of N.C. and that is where as a teen I sampled white lightning from a mason jar. It was at a drive in theatre of course and thank the Lord my kidneys survived what tasted like how kerosene smells. Who says teenagers are smart? Olive
Love it!!
Love it! I have visited a couple of wineries when visiting family in the Piedmont area but I have to tell them about RagApple Lassie!
If you enjoy ‘light mystery’ reading with lots of mentions of actual events and places in North Carolina you might enjoy the Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron…read them in order and start with Bootlegger’s Daughter. I’ve read all published to date and can’t wait for another…
http://margaretmaron.com/media.html#bio
Oh, yeah…this is my kind of day trip, my kind of harvest, and my kind of tablescape!!! WINE!!!! You got together some of the CUTEST accessories to create this table, Mary! I just can’t get over those placemats!!! I have a friend who is Holstein cow crazy and would just go ga-ga over them!! I love that line about “bottling sunshine.” Amen to that! :-) This looks like a fun place to visit, and you did an outstanding job of capturing the “flavor” of it with your tablescape…literally and figuratively!
Looks like a great day. I would love to tour this area at this time of year. The grapes on the vine are so pretty. Last fall in November we were in the Virginia area and toured several wineries but past the grape picking time.
I love your cute table celebrating your outing. It is darling. I am dying to know which one you are! Please reveal yourself.
Your mosaic pics are delightful. Going back for a second look. It is a pleasure to read each new blog post.
What a fun name, fun logo, fun place to visit! I had to laugh at the cow beans and instructions on how to grow your own herd – LOL
Are you one of the girls in the pictures???? This is another great, informative post, Mary. We have a few wineries near here, you have inspired me to try a post about them soon………….after I get settled:):) We move Friday! Love those placemats and coasters:) XO, Pinky
Mary…I learned so much about NC wines reading your post!…NC?..the leader in wine back then….wow..what a revelation….love, love your table as usual…just the cutest…love the wine candelabra!!..So, who is kissing the cow?….:)
Thanks for everyone’s kind comments! I am not in the photos, my friend Ginny is kissing RagApple Lassie :)
It’s time for winery visits here in Missouri. We usually wait till the weather cools. Seems we do more sipping in cooler ‘fallish” weather.:-)
Absolutely wonderful post as always!
What a lovely visit to a bovine winery! So cool. I love that you were able to snare some placemats for your table. It’s just so darling. I love the black and white in the quilt and napkins. Just wonderful. and chock full of interesting tidbits. xo marlis
What a great story and table setting! Your apples and grapes look so fresh and delicious!
Oh what fun, Mary! Gosh, we missed the vineyards when we visited NC. The only one we went to was at the Biltmore. Your harvest theme is so creative. Of course, the table is beyond wonderful. Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
Hi Mary, Maybe your governor could give ours a call and tune him in to this fun idea! We also have vineyards here in CT and we are thinking of taking a tour. I love your black and white table–checks, cows, and napkin rings. And RagApple Lassie looks like a girl who knows how to have a good time! Linda
Someone told me recently that NC is producing some pretty good wine. For the most part, the same is not true for Maine unless you like wine made with native fruits. I haven’t developed a taste for them yet.
I enjoyed your post, the cow motif is cute. The vineyard looks beautiful, however I can’t help thinking that their mascot looks like a cow that had been badly burnt in a fire! I hope that is not the case. I grew up all around grape vineyards in a small town along Lake Erie, sad to say most of the vineyards are gone to housing developments and it has become a suburb of Cleveland.
As a child, NC was my favorite camping destination, and I’m sure I would love it as an adult. Fun post, as I love to read about state history. Didn’t know that about NASCAR but it makes perfect sense! Your vineyard photos are just beautiful, and what a great lead-in to your cow-inspired table! Love LOVE the black and white, and your cow creamer and napkin rings are adorable!
how could i not adore this, udderly charming~
Thanks for sharing this superb place with us. Love the photos of the vineyard and the black and white, so cute.
So very interesting! And I love your photos….going to take a little look around your blog. :)
Looks like fun!
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Love your table, a moo ving feast! Great candle holder! We have wineries nearby but I never go as I don’t drink. Do they serve grape juice? Lol
Thanks for linking this very creative post to Let’s Dish!
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