A Little Unknown Winery in Leicester

Recently on a Saturday afternoon, I felt the urge to sniff out some vino. My fiancé and I scoured the web for some local vines. Unbeknownst to us, there are a few "hidden gems" near Asheville, which do not have "Biltmore" on the bottle. Enter Addison Farms Vineyards.

I was asked by my fiancé to see if it would be palatable (no pun intended), to taste as we had her two sons in tow. As I walked up to the vineyard house, I met Jeff on the front porch of the tasting room. He obliged with a smile.

We were offered a personal tour of the vines as my fiancé and I are looking for a spot amongst them to say our vows. As I have mentioned before, there is just something magical about being around the beauty of vines under growth; growing along each day toward a harvest; where they will build and shape and form a beautiful nectar to be enjoyed by family and friends.

Not only were we greeted in courtesy by Jeff, we also met the resident pet.

Now, for the good stuff...

Started in 2009, Addison Farms was the brainchild of Jeff and his wife, whose parents own the family farm. Sitting on about forty acres, Addison Farms is sure to be legendary at some point; at least as a small family-owned vineyard in the state of North Carolina. The first fruits were sourced from California, as the vines that were the original plantings would not produce fruit until late 2010/2011.
Several red and white varietals are grown with about an additional acre of development every year. My personal favorite was a white, which surprised the pants off of me. Each wine has a name and a story to go along with it. As you taste, you are offered tasting notes, methodology and the concept behind production and a vision for the future as the vines mature each year, right Winos?
But back to my personal favorites.

While the Orion white is more than worth the cash, "Gwinn" takes the Gold Medal in this category. A white wine sourced from North Carolina grapes and bottled in 2011, it has a certain uncanny characteristic that just brings alive the recesses of your mouth, filling it with pleasure. A certain spice note is noticeable along with various fruits.

Red was no different in quality. Smokehouse Red takes the Gold here, and will compliment any gamy meat well. A smoky note to go along with the dark red fruit is prominent, but not overpowering.
Finally, a dessert wine is offered with chocolate; definitely a winning combination, and a nice touch.
While the jury is still out on where the nuptials will take place, Addison Farms with the availability, space and most notably hospitality, is a front-runner. I look forward to BIG things from this SMALL, but intimate setting in Leicester, North Carolina.