The Norton Wine Travelers's Wine Journal
| Wineries Visited: 217Journal Entries:  221Photos Uploaded:  0 |  |
| About: Former military pilot and retired educator enjoying life with rhododendrons, magnolias, travels, and Norton wine explorations. We suggest expanding your knowledge of Norton wines by reading The Wild Vine by Todd Kliman. | ||
Favorite States
| State | Your Reviews | Wineries in State | Percent | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Wineries | 6 | 8 | 75% |  |
| Missouri Wineries | 53 | 135 | 39% |  |
| Louisiana Wineries | 2 | 6 | 33% |  |
| Tennessee Wineries | 13 | 45 | 28% |  |
| Virginia Wineries | 54 | 211 | 25% |  |
| Alabama Wineries | 4 | 17 | 23% |  |
| West Virginia Wineries | 3 | 14 | 21% |  |
| Georgia Wineries | 10 | 53 | 18% |  |
| Rhode Island Wineries | 1 | 6 | 16% |  |
| North Carolina Wineries | 18 | 117 | 15% |  |
| Kentucky Wineries | 11 | 76 | 14% |  |
| South Carolina Wineries | 3 | 21 | 14% | |
| New Hampshire Wineries | 3 | 27 | 11% |  |
| Kansas Wineries | 2 | 33 | 6% |  |
| Massachusetts Wineries | 2 | 40 | 5% |  |
| Maryland Wineries | 2 | 46 | 4% |  |
| New Mexico Wineries | 2 | 65 | 3% |  |
| Pennsylvania Wineries | 4 | 175 | 2% |  |
| Texas Wineries | 4 | 187 | 2% | |
| Idaho Wineries | 1 | 47 | 2% | |
| New Jersey Wineries | 1 | 48 | 2% | |
| Illinois Wineries | 2 | 115 | 1% |  |
| Oklahoma Wineries | 1 | 60 | 1% | |
| Iowa Wineries | 1 | 97 | 1% | |
| California Wineries | 16 | 2147 | 1% | |
| New York Wineries | 2 | 308 | 1% | |
Latest Winery Visits
Russian Chapel Hills Winery (added Aug 18, 2017)
Mountain Brook Vineyards (added Aug 18, 2017)
Overmountain Vineyard (added Aug 18, 2017)
Michael Shaps Wineworks (added Jul 16, 2017)
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Latest Wine Journal Entries
Yellow Farmhouse Vineyard and Winery (written Aug 27, 2017)
Wine: 
Winery: 
Ambiance:
Norton Wine Review: Winery and vineyards smack dab in the middle of a sharp curve in a small town (don't blink, or you will miss Defiance, MO entirely). We tried their first Norton offerings at the 2008 Norton Wine festival in St. Louis. Back then, the wine was too young to make any serious comments on their first efforts. What a difference nine years makes and now their 2012 'Biker Bar Red' hearty dry Norton wine ($24) is a worthy representative of Missouri's state grape standard bearer, ~ the Norton grape wine. I appreciated the owner holding back the Norton wine until it had matured properly in bottle. An enjoyable 'drink now Norton', but I'll put a few away for another couple years. A very small barrel room tasting setting which has up to five reds and five whites available. I'm glad we returned with friends from California and Nebraska to experience not only the Norton Wine, but the hillside seating overlooking the town.
Overmountain Vineyard (written Aug 18, 2017)
Wine: Winery: Ambiance: 
Tastings are going to cost you $15, but Overmountain is more than accommodating to present 'partial tastings'. Planted in 2000 at approximately 1,200' elevation, there are seventeen acres of Petit Manseng, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot & Petit Verdot on a seventy acre, rolling hills setting. Call ahead to have Stone Soup sandwiches from Landrum, SC catered to this location or bring your own food to enjoy with Overmountain's wines. My travel buddy and I were taken back by the refreshing, prepared in stainless steel, Chardonnay (grapes brought in from a nearby Rockhouse Vineyard) & Camellia '16 blend which used their own Petit Manseng grapes. Though not to our tastes, try their unique strawberry bouquet, dry, light Petit Verdot Rosé. We found the 13 month French oaked Petit Verdot interestingly slightly tart. We left with bottles of 2015, drink now or hold for a while, Cabernet Sauvignon. Their most recent 100% Petit Manseng was not ready at the time of our visit for tasting or sales. We were privileged to taste a soon to be released, 75 cases, of Cabernet Franc. We will most definitely return as soon as Overmountain Vineyards releases this wine. Offered also, by reservation, is a $35 Elevated Tasting, including all their current and new release wines, plus an extended winery tour.
Mountain Brook Vineyards (written Aug 18, 2017)
Wine: Winery: Ambiance:
You forget that you are in North Carolina when you taste Mountain Brook Vineyards wines. Though there is a $10 tasting fee for offered wines, this is adjusted for partial tastings. The home porch, 1,100' elevation, setting at this seven acre vineyard, make you feel as if you are in the mountains. The best way to describe the 24 month French oaked Cabernet Sauvignon is simply, ~ 'wonderful'. I was taken back by Dennis' 2013 Deep South, American Oaked, Petit Verdot after letting it breathe for ten minutes or so. I'm betting that we have here a nice treat after aging this wine for a few more years. Bring a pad along for writing wine notes at this location. Be aware that a long flight of stairs must be used to access the tasting room.
Russian Chapel Hills Winery (written Aug 18, 2017)
Wine: Winery: Ambiance:
The emphasis here is not on the numbers of different wines, but the quality of wines offered from this seventeen acre vineyard. My Napa experienced friend let out a note of 'Fabulous' with his first carmel sip of 2014 lightly French oaked Chardonnay. A bright, stainless steel fermented Sauvignon Blanc followed. Of the four reds, we found interesting the dark flavored 2014 Mosaic (60% Cab Sauv, 20% Cab Franc, 20% Chambourcin). We preferred their outstanding, clean, varietally correct with some degree of finesse 2014 'Kagor' Cabernet Sauvignon. I also could not leave without their 'jammy' 24 month, uniquely French oaked 2014 Chambourcin not advertised on their web site. Interestingly, Russian Chapel Hills offers three Bodegas Antonio Alcaraz wines from the Rioja Spanish region under their own 'Karma' label. Yep, I packed away an example for our drive home. I appreciated the nice bifold information sheet presented for note taking. The five 'stars' represents our comparison to Southern wineries, not to tastes of other regional, domestic wines.
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