A great blog about the urban winery (ours to be specific!)

Like most people, this person was confused by our location; however, like most people, they found that the urban winery experience at Chatham Hill is fun, relaxing, and worth repeating!

Sample lines: "If I worked in Cary, NC, Chatham Hill Winery would be my Wednesday night retreat from the pressed burdens of an over-starched corporate world. And probably Thursday. Maybe even Friday, too. As it is, I don’t live in Cary, NC, so I only had the opportunity to briefly visit one day after work as I passed through town."

Click HERE to read the blog on its homepage or read it pasted below.

A Corporate Life, An Urban Winery

December 12, 2011 by ncwinefanatics

If I worked in Cary, NC, Chatham Hill Winery would be my Wednesday night retreat from the pressed burdens of an over-starched corporate world. And probably Thursday. Maybe even Friday, too. As it is, I don’t live in Cary, NC, so I only had the opportunity to briefly visit one day after work as I passed through town. The winery popped up on my GPS, which is a rare occasion (but a welcome surprise), considering my nav system is a few years old already.

I let the GPS guide me to the winery but got a little nervous as I started snaking my way deeper and deeper into a corporate business park. After winding down several roads lined with identical brick buildings, I spotted a small inconspicuous sign. Tucked away among the other small businesses and practically hiding itself like a well-concealed, stray animal in the woods, Chatham Hill could have passed for any other business building. No glitz, no glamour, no snazzy oak barrels or rosebush-lined gravel driveways to lure visitors to a tasting. It just — fit in.

Clever Girl.

Convenient.

I’d certainly enjoy a corporate holiday party at a winery a block or two from my office. Not to mention that I’d be interested to meet the wine maker, a biochemist from Poland: Marek Wojciechowski, to learn a bit more about his wine-making technique (I had to write that name down to remember it, and I’m still not sure if I spelled it correctly). I can only assume that a biochemist making wines would be meticulous in ensuring that the wine-making process was completely controlled and precise.

The tasting offered about a 50/50 selection of typical varietals and “Sweet Carolina” choices. Oh, and did I mention that this was the first winery that used stemless glasses? It’s a welcome change from the copious amounts of stemmed glasses that currently fill my wine cabinet.

I especially want to tip my metaphorical hat to the efforts that Chatham Hill Winery contributes toward raising funds for Operation Homefront, a non-profit group that supports U.S. troops by helping the families they leave behind while on active duty. Not to mention that armed servicemen and women receive an additional 10% discount on purchases of single bottles of wine (15% for cases).

Overall, Chatham Hill is a unique environment. While it’s not flashy, I still enjoyed the environment for its open space conducive to catering toward corporate functions and appreciate their high-flying patriotic spirit.

Must Try:

• Chatham Hill 2009 Merlot - A dry, black cherry nose, mellow tannins with hints of almonds and chocolate — a nice, delicate balance between fruits and tannins; a typical “mixing grape” before Merlots got heavy and spicy ($16)
• Chatham Hill Christmas Red – a semi-sweet, zesty mulled drink with flavors of cranberry and candied cherry… reminiscent of the Gluehwein found at German Christmas Markets ($15)

Other Tasting Notables:

• Chatham Hill Sweet Carolina White – A semi-sweet palimino with hints of grapefruit and lime aromas. Peach, nectarine, and honeysuckle flavors – similar to a semi-sweet Reisling
• Chatham Hill Pomegranate – slightly sweet with a cranberry cherry aroma; zesty tart flavors and a unique, slightly sweet finish

Lamb chops with balsamic reduction and Chatham Hill Cabernet Franc

Williams on Wine recipe: Lamb chops with balsamic reduction and Chatham Hill Cabernet Franc

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

(Updated 3:35 am)

By Ed Williams
Special to the News & Record

When it opened in 1999, Chatham Hill Winery near the RDU Airport joined a second generation of wine producers in North Carolina focusing on European vinifera. Marek had a business model different from most others: He would own no vineyard but instead buy what was needed from grape growers.

Husband and wife owners Marek Wojciechowski and Jill Winkler, considered pioneers of the urban winery business model in NC, are today just as comfortable in that skin. "You might think not having a vineyard would be detrimental, but I think it's beneficial," Marek says. Waiting two to three years for a vineyard to mature is restrictive and slows response time when a niche presents itself. We have flexibility. It's easier for us to adjust to the trends."

Marek purchases North Carolina grapes, including those for his 2008 Cabernet Franc. The fruit was sourced from Winnbrose Vineyard, a grower near Yadkinville in the Yadkin Valley. To give this red a bit more complexity, Wojciechowski blended 5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 percent Syrah. The wine spent 18 months in French and American oak barrels.

The thin-skinned Cabernet Franc grape provides immediate fruit flavors, minus the tannin and acidity of Cabernet Sauvignon. Black cherry and raspberry assert their flavors here, with just a hint of spice at the end.

Try it with this easy to prepare dish.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

4 lamb chops (3/4 inch thick)

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. In a small bowl or cup, mix together the rosemary, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture onto the lamb chops on both sides. Place them on a plate, cover and set aside for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops in the skillet, and cook for about 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare, or continue to cook to your desired doneness. Remove from the skillet, and keep warm on a serving platter.

3. Add shallots to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes, just until browned. Stir in vinegar, scraping any bits of lamb from the bottom of the skillet, then stir in the chicken broth. Continue to cook and stir over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by half. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter. Pour over the lamb chops, and serve.

Chatham Hill Winery Gets Another Great Review

Alright wine lovers, it's time for us toot our horn for moment. While this review is a little outdated, we just found it and are very pleased with the wonderful comments we read. Sample line: "I am truly jealous of the Raleigh resident's who can try and purchase excellent wines right in their backyard."

He talks about our great red wines, and in case you do not know, we have just released our 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. This is a truly special Cab for only $22 a bottle.

Check it out!

Wine Compass Blog: A Secret Garden & Chatham Hill Winery: This past weekend I was able to visit two very good, but completely different wineries near Raleigh, North Carolina. The first, A Secret Ga...

I almost forgot: We have a blog!

So, I--Sara--find myself (once again) apologizing for neglecting our blog. SORRY! That being said, let's get to the good stuff:

With the chilly weather finally upon us, let's celebrate winter with a warm glass of mulled wine. What is mulled wine, you ask? Well, according to Wikipedia:

Glühwein is popular in German and Dutch-speaking countries and the region of Alsace in France. It is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, star aniseed, citrus and sugar. Fruit wines such as blueberry wine and cherry wine are occasionally used instead of grape wine in Germany.

In other words, it is a yummy, warm way to enjoy a glass of wine while cuddled under a blanket with a good book or TV show! At Chatham Hill Winery, we have a tried and true mulled wine recipe that is a hit year after year.

I hope you take some time for yourself to this recipe. If you do, please let me know what you think about it!

Chatham Hill Hot Mulled Christmas Red Wine

1 bottle Chatham Hill Christmas Red Wine
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole allspice
6 whole cloves
1 tablespoon orange juice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup sugar

• Heat one bottle of Chatham Hill Christmas Red Wine in a crock pot (recommended) or a non-reactive saucepan over low to medium heat (do NOT bring to a boil).

• Stir in remaining ingredients and continue to heat gently until sugar is dissolved.

• Serve in coffee mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Berl's Stuff: Braised Beef Short Ribs w/Chatham Hill Cab

Check out this blog where Berl uses our '08 Cab Franc.

Berl's Stuff: Braised Beef Short Ribs w/Chatham Hill Cab: "In keeping with cooking from local food supplies, tonight I am braising some beef short ribs from Walters in Meban, NC in the best local Ra..."

Kellie's Pick

This Staff Picks blog comes from our newest addition at Chatham Hill Winery: our summer intern Kellie. Kellie is a senior Hospitality Major at ECU with a concentration in Food and Beverage. She is active in the ECU Greek system, but she is spending most of her free time getting ready to be a bridesmaid in her sister Amanda's upcoming wedding. Kellie is pictured with her two sisters (Kellie's in the middle) and also has a brother. Kellie is a Raleigh native and considers herself lucky to be interning with a local company (that's us!). Of course, we are delighted to have Kellie joining the Chatham Hill family and look forward to her fresh and innovative ideas!

Kellie's favorite Chatham Hill Wine is "any" of the Sweet Carolina fruit infused wines. She uses the Sweet Carolina wines in a wine cocktail that she enjoys with her friends as a weekly treat on "Champagne Tuesdays". Kellie will pour half a glass of any flavor of Sweet Carolina wine and top the glass off with a sparkling white wine. This is a pretty—and tasty—evening cocktail or a nice accompaniment to brunch. Try it, and then leave us a comment below to let us know what you think.

Cheers!

Wine Club Member Spotlight: Jeff and Lisa

Welcome to another new feature of our blog. At Chatham Hill Winery, 2011 is Wine Club Member Appreciation Year. Each quarter we are thanking and spotlighting a handful of our long-time Wine Club Members. While we appreciate all of our guests and club members at the winery, the wine club members that we are spotlighting have been with us through thick and thin (and years and years!), and we want to take a special moment to thank them. Additionally, we are asking them to share with us a fond memory they have of the winery.

Our first spotlighted club members are Lisa and Jeff. Below, read in Jeff’s words what he and Lisa have gotten out of their wine club membership, and also, their ambassadorship of North Carolina wines to others. Lisa has included a tried and true (and totally yummy sounding) recipe she makes that features our Sweet Carolina Wines; this will be a perfect Memorial Day dessert! To Jeff and Lisa, we thank you for your continued support and your friendship!

Chatham Hill Winery has been, and remains, a special place for Lisa and I since that day in 1999 when we walked in the door of the original tasting room that wasn’t much larger than a closet. Perhaps it was the tight confines of that little tasting room that fostered the special bond we have always felt with the winery staff and the very talented winemaker. Even those staff that were hired long after the Winery expanded into much larger quarters and even later into its current location, we just enlarged the bond to encompass the new arrivals. The winery and its people occupy a special place in our hearts. Lisa and I have visited hundreds of wineries throughout the country and have enjoyed tasting delicious wines and meeting enthusiastic staff at nearly every winery we have visited but none compares to how we feel when we walk through the doors of Chatham Hill. It is our home winery and the source of many good wines that are consumed in our home with our family and friends and just between the two of us when there is no family or friends present. On those quiet evenings, it is fun to reminisce about our early experiences at Chatham Hill, when we were wine novices, and think about how much we have learned about wine, all the many different wines we have sampled at Chatham Hill in the years since, and how much more enjoyable and fun it is to appreciate good wines. Each time we walk through the doors, it is like coming home from an extended trip – it feels good to be home!

Throughout our travels, Lisa and I have taken Chatham Hill’s wines with us to many places and used them to educate others around the country that good wines do come from North Carolina and that, aside from good basketball, the State has an additional export for which it is gaining ever widening recognition. A bottle of Chatham Hill wine was served at the table in the home of the Vice President of the United States and Chatham Hill wines were served at an awards dinner recognizing some very distinguished people in our government. Through our efforts to “share the good wines of North Carolina,” Chatham Hill wines have been served in nearly every state in our great nation. We enjoy Chatham Hill wines and it is our hobby to ensure that all of our friends and family, business associates, professional acquaintances, etc. have an equal opportunity to taste and appreciate Chatham Hill wines!

Jeff

Lisa's Sweet Carolina Wine Dessert

1 cup Chatham Hill Strawberry Wine

1 cup sugar

1 small package strawberry Jell-O

1 to 2 lbs fresh strawberries

Heat 1 cup wine (do not boil) add the sugar and Jell-O – stir until dissolved.

Remove from heat, add fresh berries.

Spoon over sliced pound cake or angel food cake – serve warm.

Serve remaining wine as you your beverage.

Refrigerate any leftover, and reheat just enough to make Jell-O liquid again.

Can also be served over pancakes for crepes for brunch; we serve remaining wine mixed with champagne for brunch.

Variations:

Raspberries, Raspberry Wine, Raspberry Jell-O

Blueberries, Blueberry Wine, any red Jell-O

Blackberries, Blackberry Wine, any red Jell-O

For winter time – substitute frozen berries for the fresh berries – our favorite is the mixed frozen blackberry/raspberry/blueberry.

It is quick, extremely easy and always a crowd pleaser!

Cheers!

Lisa