Cavender Creek Vineyards and Winery

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Sep 12, 2012

Favorite Wine: Jack Ass Red

Cavendar Creek is a rustic winery. Absolutely love the Jack Ass Red. The do not serve food so you may bring your own lunch to eat on the deck. Very reasonable price for tasting. Buy a glass or bottle to enjoy there.

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Aug 04, 2012

Favorite Wine: 'One Eyed Jack' Norton blend (80% Norton 20% Merlot)

Norton Wine Review: Cavender Creek Vineyards’ dedication to the Norton grape and their love of donkeys is easily understood when you notice that six out of their current ten donkey labeled wines are Nortons! First, you have a slightly tart, yet interesting Petit Manseng (my wife liked it, but we had already picked up another $$ PM from a nearby winery), a Dulcinea White (a sweeter Petit Manseng which was made as an “elegant sweetness” tribute to Donkey Hotie’s lady friend), a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon followed by the Nortons. Here we have a 2010 ‘attitude in a bottle’ Jackass Red (86% Norton 14% Touriga National); Donkey Hotie Red (82% Norton 18% Cab Franc) which had a red clay mineral soft taste; a nice tame One Eyed Jack (Norton 80% 20% Merlot) drink now winner. Following was a slightly tannic example from vines only planted in 2007 which may age gracefully for a few years, 2010 100% Norton. No problem of vine plant vigor here having been planted in a farm area formerly dedicated to chickens and cattle. We unfortunately could not finish the Norton offerings since two were sold out (Reserve and Estate). It seems that we now have two missed Norton reasons to return to this vineyard in the future. On Cavender Creek’s web home page you will notice a pictured 1820s two story log cabin. This will be their B&B, available for reservations by the time you read this note. Come for the beautiful white Pyrenees guard dog. Come for the donkey(s) who also protects the grounds. Best of all, come to meet the enthusiasm the owners bring to this new, and already successful, Georgia wine venture. Hopefully early tasting hours will be a bit more flexible in the months to come for those who are on area wine tours. Because of their confusing duplicate ‘donkey’ grape wine labels, I would suggest they provide a descriptive scribble sheet so patrons can write notes to themselves in helping with their purchase decisions. Maybe something as wine name, varietal make up of each wine, how aged in SS or oak, alcohol percentage, residual sugars, winemaker tasting notes, cost and space for your own tasting notes. We look forward to returning and watching this vineyard mature into something special in the world of Norton wines.