Tag Archives: Asheville North Carolina

Field Trip: Biltmore Estate Winery🍷🏰

Visiting the Biltmore Estate is like taking a journey back in time. An awesome example of both architecture and design, its esthetic influenced by the great chateaux of France.

Click the video below to tour with me!👇

We’d originally planned this trip with our friends Carl and Deb, in May 2020… and we all know what wasn’t happening then. So it was wonderful to finally have all our schedules reconnect!

When I first researched Biltmore, I was pleasantly surprised to learn about their winery. Documents dating back to 1916 show that George Vanderbilt had begun collecting wines for his cellar. Jump forward to the early 1970’s, William Cecil, George Vanderbilt’s grandson, established vineyards on the property. The first Biltmore wines were made available for sale in 1979 under French winemaster Phillipe Jourdain’s direction. In May 1985, Biltmore Estate Winery opened its doors to the public for tours and tastings. Building on the original French-American hybrid plantings, Jourdain planted additional vinifera varietals to ensure the future of their wine cultivation.

Sharon Fenchak joined Biltmore in 1999, eventually becoming winemaker in 2003, then head winemaker in 2018, further crafting on the foundations laid out by previous winemakers, Jourdain and Bernard Delille. She now oversees an annual production of approximately 150,000 cases.

Situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, at an elevation of 2,500 ft, growing conditions in this part of North Carolina can be challenging, especially with rapidly fluctuating temperatures during growing season. Days here are warm yet humid, with cooler nights, a high incidence of rainfall, and risk of late-harvest frost. This combination makes growing more delicate varieties difficult. Heartier varieties flourish here. Polk County, just south of the estate, has a lower elevation and a ‘thermal belt’ micro climate, reducing the risk of damage to the fruit.

Locally sourced wines include robust varietals including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. Their Biltmore Reserve NC RosĂŠ is a home-grown, balanced blend of heartier Cab Sauv and Cab Franc of both estate and lower elevation North Carolina vineyards.

To produce a wide array of offerings, grapes and juice are sourced from not only North Carolina but California and Washington. Their American Series wines reflect this diversity.

The winery also maintains a commitment to sustainability; using locally sourced water from nearby Long Valley Lake, and recycling their plastic, glass, paper and steel. Adjacent to the Winery, is a nine-acre, 1.7 megawatt system that includes more than 7,000 solar panels to help counterbalance estate energy usage. Grape byproducts such as crushed stems and skins are used for mulch and compost. Retired barrels become planters and used corks are repurposed as wine racks to display their wines in retail stores. Biltmore has also partnered with Cork Reharvest and the Cork Forest Conservation Alliance to reuse corks and help decrease the depletion of cork trees. Visitors are encouraged to drop off used corks at the winery, all estate restaurants, and Whole Foods stores throughout North Carolina.

Out of town? You can mail your used corks to:
Biltmore Estate Wine Company
Re: Cork Recycling
1 North Pack Square
Asheville, NC 28801 👍

We tasted some wonderful wines on our tour but here are the three we took home:

2021 Biltmore Estate Grenache Blanc

My pick: The 2021 Limited Release Grenache Blanc. While it’s not from indigenous grapes, I loved the bright, refreshing and flavorful alternative to Rosé. I’m used to grenache as a lovely red so this was a treat. a nice, bouncy alternative. Tropical flavors of banana, melon, citrusy mandarin, and a light, playful mouthfeel. I can’t wait to pair with some delicate cheeses, fruit or charcuterie.

2020 Biltmore Estate Tempranillo

Dougie’s pick: The 2020 Limited Release Tempranillo. American Appellation with flavors of dark fruit, fig, and nice grippiness from the tannins. Aged 16-20 months in oak.

13% alcohol. $24.00

2020 Biltmore Estate Malbec

Our pick: The 2020 Limited Release Malbec. Something fun for Malbec Mondays! We haven’t had Malbec in some time so this was a nice change from our go to Pinot Noir. Rich blueberry, blackberry and plum with a hint of spice on the finish. Also aged 16-20 months in oak. It’s one to savor slowly and enjoy with maybe a nice beef brisket. Yum!

13% alcohol. $ 22.40

The best part about the trip was finally reconnecting with our friends again, and to take a little step back in time. ♥️

Biltmore is definitely worthy of a place on your bucket list; and the wine makes it even better!

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. 2023. The Wine Student.

Birthdays, Blessings and a Glass of Biltmore

Lately, I’ve been writing about white wines on Wednesday but I wanted to push it back for a very special occasion. It’s my girl’s birthday. What makes it doubly special is that her day is also my late father’s birthday. I still celebrate with a toast to him. My sister used to make the joke that while she and our other siblings got him traditional birthday gifts, I gave him a grandchild. On that one particular April 16th, I got marks for creativity, and timing (I wasn’t expecting her debut until the 18th). And her birth had no other inducement than a warm bath and watching the movie Jerry Maguire. I wonder how many other births have been brought on by hearing Tom Cruise yell, “show me the money!”?

To toast the occasion, I wanted to find something that would pair a simple but spicy dish. Riesling came to mind. Instead of finding the traditional Alsace version, I wanted to find an offering that was closer to home. The 2013 Biltmore Riesling fit the bill. Cultivated on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville North Carolina, the combination of mineral rich, yet tough soil and cooler climates create the perfect environment for producing some fine, complex Riesling.

Qualities of Riesling ~

  • thrives in cool climates and poor soil ~ cooler climates increase its acidity which gives it the bright complex quality.
  • aromatic and floral. stone fruit vibe : apple, apricot, peach, pear. clean in taste, clear in the glass, complex aromas in more mature vintages including a gasoline (yes).
  • the compact bunches on the vine make it prone to noble rot (botrytis cinerea) which is actually a good thing.

Noble Rot serves two distinct purposes to wine:

  • It intensifies a wine’s sweetness while adding intensity and complexity. It does this by causing grapes to dehydrate while at the same time keeping sugar levels constant. Grapes affected by Noble Rot are more syrupy, sweeter and some may have a higher alcohol content.
  • It adds flavor ~ noble rot grapes have have higher levels of phenylacetaldehyde, an aromatic compound that can be described like honey, rose, or beeswax.

If you can say ‘phenylacetaldehyde’ quickly three times, you get to take a sip!

On the scale of dry to sweet, this Riesling tended to be more on the sweet-ish but with a distinctive spice finish. It was full-bodied with a honey-like, viscous mouthfeel. Subtle floral notes of stone fruit (apricot) were prominent on the nose. Paired with grilled chicken tacos, it brought out a nice spiced pear vibe that was most satisfying.

One of the things about enjoying a glass of wine is that it allows you the chance to sit back and reflect on times shared with those you love. It helps to slow the world down to savor the moment because, as I’ve found over the past few years, those moments can be fleeting. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that my daughter is growing up so quickly; and that my dad has been gone for almost five years. And while I miss him every day, I feel very blessed that he and his granddaughter will always share this day. There’s a beautiful continuity in that, and it fuels the belief that some blessings were meant to be.

Cheers!

ŠTheWineStudent. 2015