Wine-a in Carolina

Greetings from North Carolina! This special edition of Food Is Love is being written from High Point, North Carolina. Earlier today I was in Charlotte, about an hour south of here and I attended the Great Grapes Wine, Arts and Food Festival (www.uncorkthefun.com). It was a great experience and gave me an opportunity to see North Carolina at its tastiest.

The main focus of the event of course was an opportunity for many of the local wineries to share their vintages with the public. For an extremely low price one received an official tasting wine glass and off you went, from booth to booth to sample some delicious wines. Talking to the vintners was also a lot of fun as they are obviously proud of their work. The standout for me was Uwharrie Vineyards out of Albemarle, North Carolina. They had a fantastic series of reds, including a Sirah that I can barely do justice to. Their Cabernet Sauvignon was rich and flavorful, but what did it for me, and this one was in honor of my sister Rebeca, was their Merlot. With a deep tone and the kind of finish that made me wish I had a plate of pasta with red sauce, Uwharrie was the winner! Some of the others worth mentioning were RagApple Lassie Vineyards who sampled a really great Chardonnay, and Dennis Vineyards who had a blueberry wine, a blackberry wine and a delectable wine called nectar. Lest you think I imbibed too much, keep in mind that all of my words are spelled correctly! :)

On the food front, several chefs held demonstrations and they were very informative. Among my favorites were Chef Todd Mohr of Cooking Coarse (www.SavorHospitality.com/cookingcoarse). He did a great demo of braising and deglazing with wines. The most exciting part of the day for me was being able to assist Chef Shawn Mackie of Entre Vouz, a dinner preparation company, during his demonstration. Myself and two others were chosen to assist in wrapping his mini Southwestern Chicken Egg Rolls. With a filling of black bean puree, corn, carrots, peppers and chicken they were delicious! It truly is intimidating cooking in front of about 75 people but I loved every second of it! Many thanks to Chef Mackie for an experience I will remember fondly!

Well that's it for this week! Next week upon my return to San Antonio, I will file one last report on the foods of North Carolina! I will merely tease you with this... Banana pudding as you may know it, is just not the same after you have had it here!

Until then, take care of one another, eat with a passion, cook with your heart and remember...

Food Is Love...