Valentine's Day was such a wonderful day for me. The highlight was a surprise visit to a truly hidden jem near Nashville called Arrington Vineyards.
Although I'm no connoisseur, I do enjoy trying new wines, especially when they are made close to home.
Arrington Vineyards was founded in 2005 by country superstar, Kix Brooks (Brooks & Dunn) along with Fred Mindermann and winemaker Kip Summers.
As for my experience, here's the summary: Valentine's Day was special in more ways than one. Although food is not normally served at the vineyard, we purchased the Valentine's Day package, including food catered in by The Henpeck Market which was packed into neat little picnic baskets. Along with the delicious food, we received a bottle of our choice of wine (we chose the Riesling which won Best in Show: Wines of the South Regional Wine Competition 2008. Gold Medal: Indianapolis International Wine Competition 2008.) It was crisp, sweet - but not TOO sweet - and very easy to drink...maybe a little too easy!
Since the weather was still a bit chilly the decks were covered and the fireplaces were blazing making the atmosphere extremely cozy and romantic. Since the table was ours for the night, we were able to come and go as we pleased, so before finishing our own bottle of Riesling, we trecked downstairs to the wine tasting room where we each had the chance to try 4 of the 14 available wines. One of my other favorites was the Encore! 06. This wine is made completely from grapes grown at Arrington Vineyards. It is a bit more stout since it is more of a brandy, but very good!
Arrington Vineyards are open 7 days a week and offer FREE wine tastings each day. You can buy cheese and crackers to enjoy with your wine, or bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy on the deck, lawn, or courtyard (please do not bring beer, other wines, alcohol, pets, or grills to the winery).
This is definitely a place I plan to visit and visit as often as possible. Please let me know if you visit and which of the wines you prefer most. Maybe I will see you there!
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