I have a page in my bullet journal dedicated to little adventures: my Charlotte Adventure Checklist – Places to Go, Things to Try. It’s a mishmash of wants, from parks and greenways to bakeries and coffee bars to wineries and music spots. Some are outdoors, some are indoors (although I know I won’t do any indoor dining for the foreseeable future). But it’s all a good reminder of what I want: to explore, to be in a spirit of exploring. Because if we lose that, life loses its shine.
The vineyards I’ve been curious to try (more for the views and the experience than for the NC wine – blech) were either too far away or booked up for a Saturday drive. But I did coax a friend to explore a winery in Concord with me, since that’s where she lives. I made the 20-mile drive and (a) was surprised to see that Concord technically has a downtown, albeit filled with chain restaurants, and (b) was pleasantly surprised to find that our destination, Cougar Run Winery, was nestled into an old creamery building: The Old Creamery at Church and Peachtree. They share a courtyard with some other businesses and it’s elegant in an understated way, with string lights and big steel planters spilling over with greenery. Cougar Run makes all of their own wines and ciders, and interestingly, none of their grapes come from the Carolinas.
I opted for a $12 wine flight with five wines, plus a little $2.50 sampler of pumpkin apple cider. The wines were served in glasses that rested in hooks on a metal structure that swirled upward – I’ve never seen flights like this. And while the wines were (mostly) drinkable (I’m a snob, but they were a tad vinegary), it was the cider I enjoyed, with its autumnal spice and effervescence. More than that, it was the being somewhere else that I enjoyed. The short trip. The companionship and conversation. The warm, anti-fall air. And the tasting process. All new tastes are worth a try – and all little adventures.
