alliekins's Wine Journal Entries
Duplin Winery (written May 25, 2011)
Wine: 
Winery: Ambiance:
Favorite Wine: Not applicable
My visit to Duplin was lackluster, to say the least. When I walked in, there was no one at the bar to taste, however, I was told that I would join the next tour in a mass tasting. Clever, gimmick, really. In the 45 minutes I had to wait to taste the wine, all I could do was mill around their expansive gift shop filled with t-shirts, dips and such, wine accessories and….shoes? Yes, shoes…at a winery gift shop. Makes total sense. During the tasting, no one-on-one service was provided. There was one man yelling so everyone could hear him and several workers constantly pouring a new taste. Maybe it’s a tactic so that you didn’t dwell on the wine’s taste too much. They made outrageous claims such as having, exclusively, the “healthiest grape grown anywhere.” Mistakenly, we decided to eat in the café that was covered in fake ivy and had random lattice on wheels as dividers around the room. The food was less than mediocre, lacking taste and had obviously not been prepared with fresh ingredients. Overall, it was a disappointing and frustrating experience. I’m not sure how this could possibly be the #1 winery in the Southeast. I can think of at least 5 other NC vineyards that top it not only in atmosphere, but definitely in taste and most certainly in class.
