Lake James Cellars WineryLake James Cellars Website
204 East Main Street
Glen Alpine, NC 28655
(828) 584-4551
Western North Carolina vinyards have pretty much conceded the entire area to the mighty Biltmore wine making machine. There are only a handful west of the foothills near Marion. It is understandable that a small mom and pop winery would feel intimidated by the lush gardens and opulent house and grounds of the Biltmore Estate. It must be noted though that there are a few small wineries in the western area that press on with their own unique wines. One such place is Lake James Cellars. In a space shared with an antique shop Lake James Cellars tasting room is very comfortable place to sit down and taste somegreat wine. Many wineireis we visit require we stand at a counter and taste the wines, which is fine but doesnt create the same relaxing atmosphere for having a great wine tasting experience. 
Standing and drinking wine reminds me of tasting the cold cuts at the deli counter of the super market. There are very few places that we have come across that invites us to sit, relax, taste and see how it goes.
Another interesting thing about this winery is It is housed in arestored 1915 textile mill building, located in Glen Alpine, NC Also the winding roads and beautiful views of the mountains make a drive to Lake James some enjoyable car time.
We stopped in to a crowded tasting room a few Saturdays ago. This is the second visit to Lake James Cellars for us. We dropped in about three years ago and not much has changed. The folks there are real friendly and the wines are better than I remembered from our last visit. We tasted a few interesting wines like their Gewürztraminer. It is listed as a full-bodied wine that offers the succulent,mouth-watering flavors of mango, grapefruit, honey and spice. I cant say I tasted all of that, but we did bring a bottle home. We also tried a wine called Mimosa RedIt is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Syrah, it is aged for 36 months in French oak. I am not sure what French Oak is, but I am sure it is superior than your run of the mill oak. We tasted a few more wines and had a good laugh with some folks from Charlotte. They were quite impressed with my inability to hide my “Sour” facial expressions when I didn’t quite like something I tasted. We also picked up a bottle of Janet’s favorite, oh you should know by now. Their Syrah It lived up to the description in the tasting guide. “This North Carolina grape is a thick fruity thick skinned fruit that produces intense wine with a deep purple color. This wine displays a smooth supple texture with flavors of blackberry, current, tobacco, and black
pepper. This wine will age well for 5 years or more.
Serve with North Carolina Bar B Que, steaks or other grilled meats. “It didn’t make it 5 years in our wine cooler, heck it didn’t make it 5 days. We served with a delicious Rib-eye steak grilled on the barbecue.. Oh My….
Oh and it should be noted that the same day that we stopped by Lake James Cellars we also stopped in at Janet’s favorite bead store in Morganton, NC. Since we were in the neighborhood. I usually wait in the car because I cant take the shock of the final bead costs. Janet has her jewelry in several shops in the Southeast and has a nice online business as well with her ETSY shop. Metalology. So bead shops, silver wire, and copper hunting are an typical part of our journeys. After about thirty minutes I had to go in and see what was holding her. Apparently the shop decided that every time Janet would get ready to check out they would point out another discounted item or special that she should take advantage of. She said she had attempted to check out three times, but could not afford to pass up the deals offered. I always find it interesting that a person can not “afford” to not spend money on something but since it is a business expense I suppose she is being prudent.
Standing and drinking wine reminds me of tasting the cold cuts at the deli counter of the super market. There are very few places that we have come across that invites us to sit, relax, taste and see how it goes.Another interesting thing about this winery is It is housed in arestored 1915 textile mill building, located in Glen Alpine, NC Also the winding roads and beautiful views of the mountains make a drive to Lake James some enjoyable car time.
We stopped in to a crowded tasting room a few Saturdays ago. This is the second visit to Lake James Cellars for us. We dropped in about three years ago and not much has changed. The folks there are real friendly and the wines are better than I remembered from our last visit. We tasted a few interesting wines like their Gewürztraminer. It is listed as a full-bodied wine that offers the succulent,mouth-watering flavors of mango, grapefruit, honey and spice. I cant say I tasted all of that, but we did bring a bottle home. We also tried a wine called Mimosa RedIt is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Syrah, it is aged for 36 months in French oak. I am not sure what French Oak is, but I am sure it is superior than your run of the mill oak. We tasted a few more wines and had a good laugh with some folks from Charlotte. They were quite impressed with my inability to hide my “Sour” facial expressions when I didn’t quite like something I tasted. We also picked up a bottle of Janet’s favorite, oh you should know by now. Their Syrah It lived up to the description in the tasting guide. “This North Carolina grape is a thick fruity thick skinned fruit that produces intense wine with a deep purple color. This wine displays a smooth supple texture with flavors of blackberry, current, tobacco, and black
pepper. This wine will age well for 5 years or more.
Serve with North Carolina Bar B Que, steaks or other grilled meats. “It didn’t make it 5 years in our wine cooler, heck it didn’t make it 5 days. We served with a delicious Rib-eye steak grilled on the barbecue.. Oh My….Oh and it should be noted that the same day that we stopped by Lake James Cellars we also stopped in at Janet’s favorite bead store in Morganton, NC. Since we were in the neighborhood. I usually wait in the car because I cant take the shock of the final bead costs. Janet has her jewelry in several shops in the Southeast and has a nice online business as well with her ETSY shop. Metalology. So bead shops, silver wire, and copper hunting are an typical part of our journeys. After about thirty minutes I had to go in and see what was holding her. Apparently the shop decided that every time Janet would get ready to check out they would point out another discounted item or special that she should take advantage of. She said she had attempted to check out three times, but could not afford to pass up the deals offered. I always find it interesting that a person can not “afford” to not spend money on something but since it is a business expense I suppose she is being prudent.
I on the other hand am just itching to get on to the next winery.
NC Wine Tour 8/89
2 comments:
If you want more wine, sun and great appetizers, then have time to attend Friday's on the Patio.
If you want more wine, sun and great appetizers, then have time to attend Friday's on the Patio.
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