Charlotte, NC - NoDa Brewing Company

NoDa Brewing Company

Anytime I get together with my friend Debby, it's reason to celebrate. We go way back - all the way to post-college days when we were roommates in Boston.  We had some good times then, and after I moved out of the area, we've managed to meet up somewhere new every year or two, to continue our adventures. Our friendship is filled with memorable experiences, and this weekend in Charlotte, NC was no exception.

Although very knowledgeable about wine, Debby is just dabbling in the world of craft beer. Her daughter, Annie,who lives in Charlotte, is well immersed in the beer world, and so upon her enthusiastic recommendation, the three of us ventured out to one of the newest breweries in Charlotte.





NoDa Brewing Company is located in the North Davidson (NoDa) neighborhood, a once industrial area that has been rejuvenated, and is now an artsy locale inspired by SoHo in New York City. It's not quite there yet, but it's definitely one of Charlotte's hippest areas. The microbrewery's has a large open tap room, designed with an industrial feel. It is filled with solid wood tables and a long bar that extends the width of the building. Behind the bar are picture windows exposing the huge stainless steel beer vats. The tap room is open to visitors for a few hours most evenings. Tours are available during the hours the tap room is open. The Friday night we were there it was filled with happy folks enjoying a cold one (or two or three) to celebrate the end of the work week. It has clearly become a favorite with craft beer enthusiasts in Charlotte. After tasting the beer, we could understand why.

The colors of the beer are gorgeous.  Are you thirsty?

What did we have: We decided to buy two flights of four beers each. Since they were featuring five beers on tap that night, we had the opportunity to taste them all. The colors of all the beer are gorgeous. From rich reds to deep browns, they looked so inviting even before we took the first sip.  Upon tasting the beer I was immediately reminded of the Oregon microbreweries I've visited. Their brews have a strong hop finish, characteristic of the northwest. My personal favorite was Ramble on Red, a balanced red ale with a subtle hop. Debby enjoyed that one as well. Annie, a real hop enthusiast, favored the NoDaRyeZ'd, a double rye India Pale Ale. I also thought the CoCo LoCo was noteworthy. It had an unusual chocolate coconut porter, almost black in color and more bitter than sweet. There is no food served at NoDa, however, outside is a food truck serving an assortment of Pan Asian tacos that can be purchased and eaten inside. We saw many folks enjoying an unusual teriyaki or curry taco. Seemed to pair well with the beer.

Good friends. Good beer. Good times.

What was fun: When overflowing with locals enjoying a few pints after work, this lively tap room was filled with energy. Drinking good beer, in the company of good friends, surrounded by a crowd of happy folks, is always fun. It's exciting to discover a new microbrewery that has only been open a few months and is already producing high quality and interesting beer. As new microbreweries and brew pubs seem to be popping in every town and city in the country, producing consistently high quality and unique brews are going to be determining factors as to who succeeds. Being housed in a desirable location and offering a comfortable and inviting place to enjoy the beer will also be factors. NoDa seems to be scoring high in all these areas and I only expect they will see more success as they continue to experiment.

Danielsville, GA - Boutier Winery

Boutier Winery tasting room on a gorgeous winter day.

The great thing about living in Athens, GA is that there are a number of unique venues in the area to explore.  When work and budget constraints do not allow for travel, I have plenty of places in my back yard to check out.  And that's just what we did one Saturday this winter.  We took a little wine tasting trip to Boutier Winery, small boutique vineyard just 20 miles from Athens.  To call it a vineyard, is a little premature, but the proprietors do have plans to grow grapes in the future. At present all their grapes and other fruit are provided by other growers. The wine is made on premise and some is quite good. 

A wine barrel candle holder handcrafted by Victor Boutier.

When traveling from Athens or Atlanta, you drive down several pleasant country roads to get to Boutier.  Located on a top of of hill, the small attractive building that houses the tasting room and event facilities, is surrounded by unique sculpture, gardens and a wine barrel fountain.  Upon entering you find yourself in a beautifully decorated and warmly inviting tasting room. In addition to wine tasting, there are unique wine related gifts available for purchase.  I particularly liked the wine barrel candle holders hand crafted by the proprietor. 

Victor Boutier and his kitchy fruit wines.

What did we have: Our friend and petsitter, Emily, bought us gift certificates for wine tasting.  Otherwise the cost would have been $10 each.  Of course that is waived with the purchase of wine.  We received personal service from owners Victor and Mary Ann Boutier. We sampled all the traditional grape wine choices available at that time, and a few of their other fruit wine specialties. Victor, the winemaker, makes small batches and bottles maximum of 1500.  He sells his wine at the winery and it is offered at several restaurants in Atlanta.  Their red wines include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Elegance Vin Rouge and Hot Flash - a combo of Petit Syrah, Malbac and Syrah.  We only tasted two of the white wines, a Reisling and Chardonnay. We really liked the crisp dry Reisling. Their specialty is their fruit wine.  With names like Diva 'Licious and The Skinny Bitch and The Cranky Bastard, you know they're not taking themselves too seriously, but I actually enjoyed both the peach and blueberry wine.  It wasn't as sweet as you might think and it would couple beautifully with dark chocolate.



The warm and inviting tasting room at Boutier.

What was fun: Just discovering this unique little winery close to home was a treat.  We really enjoyed the personal attention we received from the proprietors.  The wine was fine and we even bought a couple of bottles to take home with us. I love the entrepreneurial spirit of the proprietors and local flavor that inspired this winery in the back hills of Georgia.

Beer Wine Chocolate Fitness Plan

Okay, I refuse to call it a diet, but the goal is to lose the extra holiday pounds and tighten everything up in time for our March cruise and the celebration of a big birthday. So let's just call it a readjustment plan. I need to readjust down about 8 pounds to be at my triathlon weight, back when I was in my peak condition. It's actually pretty easy and it works. I do some version of it every year. Life is way too short to go without beer, wine or chocolate, so they're all included.  

1. Ramp up my exercise. I already run, walk and work-out at the gym. To ramp it up I need to increase all these activities to burn off at least 100 more calories a day. Just run or walk a mile more and that should do it.  I also work in a three story building, so I make sure I run up and down the stairs at least 5 times a day. Great for the legs!

2. Record everything I eat. I use the My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone. There is also a android version. It's free, easy to use, and calculates calories and the nutritional components of food. It helps you set up the appropriate number of daily calories you can eat and still lose weight. For me it's about 1500 calories. I need to be religious about this step. Nothing passes these lips without being recorded.

3. Stick to a Mediterranean diet rich in fish, seafood, poultry, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. I also include two portions of Greek yogurt every day. It's filling, satisfying and studies have shown that including low fat dairy in your diet helps reduce belly fat!

4. Every day include one glass of beer or wine, and a small portion of chocolate.  I choose Lindt because it's my favorite, but any fine quality dark chocolate will do. Two squares (about 100 calories) are just enough to be satisfying. I pair the chocolate with either a glass of craft beer or favorite wine, and focus only on the experience of enjoying my end of the evening treat. I include these treat calories in my daily allowance of 1500.

And that's all there is to it. Let me know if you try some version of this. I'll check back on March 1 and let you know how I did.
Cheers and Happy New Year.

Some of my favorites. 

The Best of 2011

When I first started writing my blog in May, my nephew Mike, suggested I write a "best of"  blog at the end of the year. When you consider that I only write about places that I consider fun, determining which places are the most fun can be a daunting task. That said, there are a few stand outs this year. So here goes.

The Chinese Tower beer garden in Munich.

Best overall experience:  Visiting the beer gardens in Bavaria wins  this category hands down. The two that really stood out were the Chinese Tower in Munich and Andechs Monastery on Lake Ammer.  Both were unique and offered one of a kind experiences.

A beer sampler from Deschutes
 is hard to beat. 

Favorite brew pub experience:  There are three that really stand out for different reasons.  For the best quality of beer it has to to be Deschutes in Bend, Oregon. We can't get their beer in Georgia, and whenever I'm away from Bend I crave it. Drinking a beer sampler from Deschutes trumps all others.

The brew pub offering the best views in combination with excellent beer is Full Sail in Hood River, Oregon. The panoramic views of the colorful windsurfers on the Columbia River are unforgettable.

For the best people watching it's the Lab in Asheville, North Carolina. The experience of sitting on the outdoor covered patio and watching the entertaining characters of Asheville stroll by is a real treat.

Trappeze has a great selection of draft beer. 

Best craft beer bar experience:  We visited some wonderful bars specializing in craft beer this year. The one that still remains my favorite is our home town Trappeze in Athens, Georgia.  The ambiance, choice of beers and friendly staff make every visit fun.

Can't beat the view at Mt. Hood.

Best winery experience:  I've chosen two wineries that really stood out. For best overall experience it's Kings Estate in Oregon. The beauty of the location and facilities, in combination with the excellent food and wine make it a memorable visit. For the knockout view, Mt. Hood Winery is really special. Wedged between Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, the location is spectacular.

Superb chocolate is available at
the Chocolate Lounge.

Best chocolate experience:  Although Pix Patisserie in Portland, Oregon was a real contender, my favorite is the French Broad Chocolate Lounge in Asheville. Just superb chocolate.

Thanks to everyone who has read my blog in 2011. We already have some great travel plans for 2012.  In March we'll be in the Caribbean and I'll be reviewing some highlights from the islands.  A trip to Chicago is in the works for May and the Finger Lakes wine region in New York state is planned for August.  In September, we are highly anticipating our visit to Belgium and Paris.  I'm sure there will be other adventures  throughout the year as well. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2012 and may you enjoy outstanding beer,wine and chocolate throughout the year.

Savannah, GA - The Distillery

The front entrance to Distillery, a trendy craft beer bar. 

The Distillery is a lively bar in Savannah noted for it's craft beer selection.  Clearly one of the current trendy bars in town, The Distillery prides itself for offering "no crap beer, just craft beer." If you're looking for Bud or Miller, go elsewhere. With over 20 beers on tap and over 100 total to choose from, you should be able to find something you like.  Housed in the old Kentucky Distilling Company, the ubiquitous exposed brick and wood that you'll find all over Savannah is present. Tables out front allow the smokers to congregate. This bar is very popular with students from the Savannah School of Art and Design (SCAD), so it has an artsy vibe.  We were thrilled when we arrived to find two seats available at the bar, and the Charlie Chaplin movie, Modern Times, on the big screen TVs.  I'm told that sports are usually on the screens, but with no big games that night, we really enjoyed the silent classic while we sipped our beer.

A flight of Yuletide winter warmers surpassed expectations. 

What did we have:  Since it was the holiday season and a chilly evening, I chose the Yuletide flight of winter warmers.  Along with the flight, they give you a rating sheet that you can take notes and rate the beers on appearance, aroma, palate, flavor and overall.  That was a little too much work for me, so I just sipped, enjoyed and just marked my favorites.  The flight consisted of Highland Cold Mountain, Weyerbacher Winter, Bell's Winter White, Dog Fish Head Raison D'Etre and St. Feuillien Belgian.  This was a fantastic selection of quality craft beer.  I liked them all. My favorite without question was Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre.  Such a superior and flavorful brew, especially on tap.

A great bar and a classic movie is a fun combination. 

What's fun: The Distillery is a great craft beer bar with a hip vibe.  The crowd is interesting, the bartenders knowledgeable, friendly and helpful, and we thoroughly enjoyed a lengthy stay.  There was something so right about sipping great craft beer and watching the silent classic comedy at that bar.  It's a night I'll long remember and I highly recommend you check out the Distillery when you're in town.  You may have to wait for table, but it will be worth it.

Savannah, GA - Moon River Brewing Company

We are so fortunate to live in Athens, GA, a wonderful and unique college town.  It's location couldn't be better. It's wedged in between two of my favorite small US cities. Drive three and a half hours to the northeast and you're in Asheville, NC.  Drive three and a half hours southeast and you're in Savannah, GA.  And that's just what we did on the weekend before Christmas this year.  We've been to Savannah many times, but not during the holidays when it's all dressed up in it's holiday finest.  It was just as lovely as we imagined. On this visit we went to two blog worthy establishments.  The first was Moon River Brew Pub.

The entrance to Moon River Brewing Company. 

Located right in the heart of historic Savannah, the Moon River Brewing Company building has an interesting past.  It was once the first city hotel in Savannah, established in 1821. All the beer is brewed in the three story building where the pub is housed.  There is exposed brick and wood throughout the warm and friendly pub located on the main floor.  There is also seating on the second floor, and reportedly there are a few ghosts that inhabit the building as well. The huge stainless steel beer vats are visible through the side windows.  My husband and I arrived shortly before 5 pm on a Friday evening and were lucky enough to get a comfortable booth right next to the lively bar located in the center of the pub. Moon River offers their own brewed beer and a few additional guest beers on tap. In addition, wine, mixed drinks and bottled beer are offered. Within a half hour there were folks outside waiting to be seated at this popular brew pub.  At 5 pm, the bartender rang a bell, recited a poem and declared a beginning to the weekend festivities.  A rousing cheer went up from the locals, and I knew we were in for a fun filled evening.

Moon River offers many enjoyable beers. 

What did we have:  As usual I ordered a sampler since I wanted to try all six beers they produced and their one cider.  The waitress also brought us a taster of a guest brew that they carried, the Heavy Seas Martzen which is one of our favorites.  The sampler consisted of Wild Wacky Witt, Apparition, Swampfox IPA, Rosemary IPA, Captain's Porter, Brown Sour and Cider.  Moon River makes some very good beer with a few brews that were outstanding.  My husband particularly liked the Apparition, a lovely brown classic English pale ale.  I was enthralled with the Rosemary IPA.  This beer is infused with rosemary, and since I'm a big fan of the herb, and could really taste it, I loved this beer.  It had a nice hop finish as well.  I imagine it's one you either love or hate.  I also liked the cider a lot.  It was quite dry, with a full apple flavor.  The waitress told me that the apples come from the north Georgia mountains and is only made in the fall after harvest.  Quite special.While we sampled our beer we enjoyed two tasty appetizers, fried green tomatoes and crab cakes. The menu has lite fare, burgers and sandwiches, and full course entries.

The beer is brewed and stored right next to the pub. 

What's fun:  The lively clientele consisting of a great blend of the unusual  mix of Savannah locals, as well as tourists add to the atmosphere. The historic setting, comfortable seating, quality beer and food, and friendly wait staff all add to the experience.  The banter between the poetic bartender and the local patrons made happy we were part of the scene on this pleasant winter evening.

Hood River, OR - Mt. Hood Winery

The tasting room at Mt. Hood Winery. 

In northern Oregon the cold weather has set in and heavy snow is in the forecast, but I'm remembering a visit we took to Mt. Hood Winery late last summer.  It was perhaps the most beautiful setting of any winery I've yet to visit. Scenically nestled between Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, surrounded by acres of orchards and fields of wild flowers, it offfers awe inspiring vistas.  The wine tasting experience was pleasant as well.

The winery is located on the famous Hood River Fruit Loop, a 35 miles route through orchards, lavender fields and alpaca farms. Once entering the contemporary tasting room, you immediately notice the wall of windows along the front and side walls, opposite the tasting bar, offering spectacular views of the fields and vineyards.  But there was no reason to stay inside on the gorgeous day we visited, so we asked for our first glass of wine and headed to the patio, conveniently located right outside the tasting room.

Enjoying our wine on the patio. 

What did we have:  We had five wine enthusiasts in our family group, and together we sampled all the wine available that day. The choices for white wine included the Pinot Gris, Reisling and Chardonnay. There was one rose, the Pinot Noir Saignee, and three selections of red, Pinot Noir, Syrah and the award winning Tempranillo. All the wines were very drinkable, but the Tempranillo, a unique Spanish wine with rich flavors of black currents and spice, was definitely my favorite. I purchased several bottles for us to bring home. We also bought a bottle of the Saignee for our daughter who enjoys a sweeter wine.

Can you spot Mt. St. Helens in the background?

What was fun: It's all about the location of Mt Hood Winery.  We could have spent hours hanging out on that patio, drinking wine and taking in the scenery.  Unfortunately, we had a two hour drive ahead of us, so we could not drink as much wine as we would have enjoyed.  I do recommend that if you find yourself anywhere near Hood River, Oregon on a beautiful day, be sure to visit the winery, you will not be disappointed.