In this special 100th episode we pair Hanover Park 1897 with a unique grilled sandwich made with duck bacon, bleu cheese and truffle honey to see how this mix of flavors goes with this red blend. We also talk about some of our favorite North Carolina wines and favorite episodes of North Carolina Wine TV. Pour yourself a glass of wine and sit back to watch this fun episode. It’s a bit longer than normal as we reminisce over 74 wines from 29 wineries that we drank over 100 shows. And we didn’t spit out a single one.
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Favorite Wines
Kipp:
Dessert: Shelton Vineyards 2005 Port
Red: Raffaldini 2007 Montepulciano
White: Cellar 4201 2008 Stainless Chardonnay
Pink: Skull Camp Wines Confusion

Jeff:
White: Raffaldini Vineyards 2008 Vermentino
Red: Shelton Vineyards 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon

Favorite Episode
Jeff: Mulled Duplin Christmas Wine and Cookies
Kipp: Comparing Shelton Vineyards 2000 and 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Food Friday: Pork Tenderloin and Vegetable Gratin with Grove Winery 2007 Nebbiolo

A video of the wines we have reviewed.

North Carolina Wine TV Review:
The Hanover Park Vineyard 1897 is a blend of 2003 vintage Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that spent nearly 5 years in the barrel. It has a very fruit forward nose, filled with red cherries, blackberries, raspberries. That is combined with some black pepper, savory herbs and a bit of earthiness and woodsiness. This is a dry, French-style wine that is very well-balanced with no alcohol. The flavors of the wine follow the nose with the savory herbs like thyme, along with cherries, cranberries and touch of vanilla. There is also some black tea flavor on the back end. There is a good amount of oak, but there is a loss of vibrancy of some of the fruit, as if the wine has already peaked. Like other wines from Hanover Park, this is good food wine, but it is not so dry that it can’t stand on its own as a thinking wine.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

according to the North Carolina Wine Ratings Scale

Price: $29

Availability: Directly from the winery and select wine shops.

About 2003 Hanover Park Vineyard 1897:
1897 is unique. It is a full expression of Hanover Park. It is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon aged in older oak for almost 5 years. This 2003 red was bottled in September 2008 and won a gold medal at the 2008 NC State Fair.

About Hanover Park Vineyard:
A month-long honeymoon in the south of France in 1996 changed the lives of these former art teachers. Michael and Amy Helton returned home with a love of old world wine and the countryside, and by December, Hanover Park Vineyard in the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina began. Two artists and teachers took a chance, worked very hard, and turned an old farm into a thriving vineyard.

They began planting vineyards in the spring of 1997 and 1998. The farmhouse, built in 1897, was transformed into the tasting room and winery in 1999 for the first harvest producing 375 cases with the tasting room opening July of 2000.

Michael’s education in Viticulture and Enology has been independent and self-directed. As a former educator and researcher, he understood how to learn from universities, seminars, interviews, and websites involved with wine and grapes. In the summer of 2002, they returned to the south of France with appointments with winemakers in order to further understand the older French methods and blends.

Retiring from teaching in 2004 has provided Amy a new career filled with adventures and new experiences running the tasting room, planning all events, as well as developing a marketing and branding program.

Interview with Amy Helton, Owner of Hanover Park Vineyards

Locate Hanover Park Vineyard:

View Larger Map

Dry red wines need fat and salt to help them shine. One classic fat and salt combo is a simple grilled cheese sandwich. Check out today’s episode of North Carolina Wine TV to see if a sandwich can take this wine from good to great!

North Carolina Wine TV Review:
The 2004 Michael’s blend is a great example of balance in a red North Carolina Wine. The nose is complex with flavors of fruit and earth. In the mouth the wine is a little too light in body and lacks some fruit in the front of the mouth. This wine is made to go with food and can be far better than our rating if paired with the right meal.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

according to the North Carolina Wine Ratings Scale

Price: $17

Availability: Directly from the winery and select wine shops.

About Hanover Park Vineyard 2004 Michael’s Blend:
Our 2004 blend of our best reds produced a well-balanced wine with a wonderful nose, rich full flavors, and a lingering finish. The 2004, made from Cabernet Franc and Merlot was aged almost 4 years in oak and bottled in September 2008. Our Michael’s Blend has been very popular for us at the winery.

About Hanover Park Vineyard:
A month-long honeymoon in the south of France in 1996 changed the lives of these former art teachers. Michael and Amy Helton returned home with a love of old world wine and the countryside, and by December, Hanover Park Vineyard in the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina began. Two artists and teachers took a chance, worked very hard, and turned an old farm into a thriving vineyard.

They began planting vineyards in the spring of 1997 and 1998. The farmhouse, built in 1897, was transformed into the tasting room and winery in 1999 for the first harvest producing 375 cases with the tasting room opening July of 2000.

Michael’s education in Viticulture and Enology has been independent and self-directed. As a former educator and researcher, he understood how to learn from universities, seminars, interviews, and websites involved with wine and grapes. In the summer of 2002, they returned to the south of France with appointments with winemakers in order to further understand the older French methods and blends.

Retiring from teaching in 2004 has provided Amy a new career filled with adventures and new experiences running the tasting room, planning all events, as well as developing a marketing and branding program.

Interview with Amy Helton, Owner of Hanover Park Vineyards

Locate Hanover Park Vineyard:

View Larger Map

We decided that on this North Carolina Wine Food Friday that this complex yet slight spicy wine needed a dish with salt, sweet, and a little dairy to help bring out the true flavors of this wine. Check out today’s episode to lean how this North Carolina Mourvedre goes with a BBQ Pork Quesadilla!

North Carolina Wine TV Review:
Mourvedre is a grape that is not widely grown in North Carolina’s vineyards, but very popular in France. The Hanover Park 2005 Mourvedre has an added level of spice and complexity from the Syrah blended with it. On the nose it is fruity and smokey. With pepper and complex flavors layered in the mouth. Watch today’s episode to get the full description of this wine.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

according to the North Carolina Wine Ratings Scale

Price: $17

Availability: Directly from the winery and select wine shops.

About Hanover Park Vineyard 2005 Mourvedre:
Our love of wines from the Rhone Valley of France has influenced this earthy red wine blended with less than 20% Syrah and aged in oak almost 3 years.

About Hanover Park Vineyard:
A month-long honeymoon in the south of France in 1996 changed the lives of these former art teachers. Michael and Amy Helton returned home with a love of old world wine and the countryside, and by December, Hanover Park Vineyard in the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina began. Two artists and teachers took a chance, worked very hard, and turned an old farm into a thriving vineyard.

They began planting vineyards in the spring of 1997 and 1998. The farmhouse, built in 1897, was transformed into the tasting room and winery in 1999 for the first harvest producing 375 cases with the tasting room opening July of 2000.

Michael’s education in Viticulture and Enology has been independent and self-directed. As a former educator and researcher, he understood how to learn from universities, seminars, interviews, and websites involved with wine and grapes. In the summer of 2002, they returned to the south of France with appointments with winemakers in order to further understand the older French methods and blends.

Retiring from teaching in 2004 has provided Amy a new career filled with adventures and new experiences running the tasting room, planning all events, as well as developing a marketing and branding program.

Interview with Amy Helton, Owner of Hanover Park Vineyards

Locate Hanover Park Vineyard:

View Larger Map

Michael Helton, owner and winemaker at Hanover Park Vineyard, describes his process of blending wines. It is not by flavors, but by how the different wines fill your mouth. He recommends tasting wine in same manner. Don’t just pay attention to the flavors, but where the wine hits you too.