Science of Wine

Last week Ryan and I attended the "Science of Wine" at the Museum of Life & Science in Durham, NC. And it was awesome. Local wineries and shops had fabulous talks, demonstrations, and endless tastings of their wines; we participated in experiments, learned about the chemistry of wine, took a class on tasting, and drank to our heart's content. We even tasted varieties of mead! Ryan was happy; he felt a little like Beowulf.

We fell in love with the museum itself years ago, and have taken Aiden there many times. They have indoor exhibits including a butterfly house, an insectarium, multiple contraptions, and weather-related exhibits (you get to feel clouds!). Outdoors, there's a farmyard, dinosaur trail, railway, wildlife area (with black bears, red wolves, and exotic lemurs), and a park.

I feel so lucky to live in an area that offers such cool and intellectually stimulating events like this. It's also just nice to get out on a weeknight and take part in community events that you're not normally exposed to. We'll definitely be attending many more of these Museum AfterHours events in the future. And you know what makes it even better? The "Science of Beer" is in September!

Here's Ryan stomping grapes at the event. And that, right there ladies and gentlemen, is why I married him. :) Nothing is better than a guy who makes you laugh.

Good Friends, Good Wine

This weekend my girlfriends and I headed out to Yadkinville, North Carolina for a little taste of our state's wine country in honor of my friend Tara's upcoming nuptials in November. There's really nothing like a bachelorette weekend in the middle of nowhere! On Saturday we made our rounds to three wineries in the area (we needed a week to cover all of them), all within a 10-minute drive from the cabin we rented. Let's just say that getting to the cabin at 11 pm on Friday night was an adventure within itself. After turning off the main road into our "driveway," the word "roads" no longer came into play. There were little grassy/rocky paths that we navigated in the dark, not completely knowing whether we were getting closer to the house or burying ourselves deeper and deeper into the forest. It was a long muddy, bumpy, and terrifying ride, but we couldn't do anything but laugh about it. We fully creeped each other and ourselves out before screaming with relief when we saw the house before us, but it was definitely a memorable and "rustic" experience. :)

Our first stop on Saturday was at Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery, a lovely Italian winery in the most beautiful location. The seemingly never-ending rows of grapes, rolling green hills covering the horizon, and Tuscan-like landscape filled with flowers and stone made this winery a breathtaking sight. It really you feel like you were in another country. After our wine tasting, we picnicked with sandwiches and a bottle of red wine on one of the courtyards before heading to our next destination. I hope to return here with Ryan for a couple's weekend one day.

Our next stop was Dobbins Creek Vineyards, located in the beautiful Swan Creek area. We went into their charming cabin to taste a variety of reds and whites, the hands-down favorite of the group being a blackberry-infused Cabernet. We secured a bottle of it and enjoyed it on the winery's awesome front porch, complete with dining tables and rocking chairs... not to mention a spectacular view. Here's the bride-to-be enjoying the warm sunshine, a cool breeze, and her blackberry wine.

Our third and final winery stop for the day was Shadow Springs Vineyard, located just five minutes from our cabin. Despite how much we enjoyed ourselves at the first two stops, I think this one was our favorite. As a family-owned vineyard, we all immediately felt like we were tasting wines with a large extended family. The spectrum of wines ranged from deep reds to finishing with a delicious strawberry (yum!) and chocolate wine. Mix the strawberry and chocolate half and half, and voila! Chocolate-covered strawberries. :) After the tasting, we ended up going out to the back patio to help the owner film a promotional piece for the winery, so we got to taste some of their sparkling wine, just as the sun was starting to descend. What a lovely way to finish our tour.

Outside of the wineries, we had a fabulous girls' weekend, complete with homecooked mac and cheese (thanks, Katie!), a lingerie shower, and a game of "Who Knows the Bride Best?" Just having a weekend to fully appreciate and spend time with your close friends is priceless within itself. Tara's been one of my best friends since 7th grade, and it's amazing that we've been able to see one another grow up and stay such close friends as we've grown into adults and ultimately different people; that root core of friendship will always be there, and I thank my lucky stars that I have girlfriends who have been with me through thick and thin. Amen!

Here are a few photos of the unique cabin that Katie found for us to stay in. It was full of antiques and had such a rustic charm to it, surrounded by trees as far as the eye could see. Also included was an attic loft with ladder access, which I was more than happy to sleep in. I definitely felt like we had our own little treehouse and needed a "Keep Out!" sign or something. How cool is that?!?

The ladder leading up to the attic loft.

The attic. I slept in the bed in the back right corner.

Other side of the loft area.

One of the second-floor bedrooms.

And here's a few quotes that sum up my weekend with words that are much more eloquent than my own. Enjoy. :)

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.  ~Elisabeth Foley

A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad.  ~Arnold H. Glasgow 

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.  ~Author Unknown