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Hendersonville North Carolina Wineries

It had been a few years since we last visited Burntshirt Vineyards and Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards.  Yesterday, we decided to make a day trip to both tasting rooms preceded by lunch at "A Day in the Country".  Both tasting rooms and the restaurant are just east of Hendersonville, NC.

Burntshirt Vineyards is a vineyard and a winery.  The beautiful outdoor porch and patio area features a long view over the vineyards with mountain ridges in the background.  The facilities and the outdoor landscaping are well maintained.  The tasting consisted of choosing 5 wines out of the 18 available for $10.  My favorite was the Cabernet Franc, a medium bodied red with flavors of cherry and dark cherry.  The wine was aged 18 months in French and American oak.  Wine Jane liked the "Sunset Sippin" semi sweet blend of Traminette and Petite Manseng.  She also favored the Meritage left bank (more Merlot) Bordeaux style blend.

Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards is a vineyard but the grapes are transported to Laurel Grey Winery in the Yadkin Valley for wine production.  While the building exterior and parking lot are not inviting, the interior of the tasting room has been greatly improved since our last visit.  The tasting here consisted of tasting all 17 available wines for $10.  My favorite wines were the Saint Paul Chardonnay, a stainless steel aged wine, and the Chestnut East Reserve, a Bordeaux blend of 40% Merlot and lesser amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petite Syrah.  We had a great time at this tasting.  Our servers Leslie and Helen were well informed about the wines and entertained us with tales about the varied aspects of their jobs.

The wines at both tasting rooms were varied and enjoyable and I recommend a visit.  Both tasting rooms are open 7 days a week.

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