A Tasting at Childress Vineyards: Sipping and Slipping

On a Sunday morning I took a short walk from the lovely Holiday Inn Express at the Vineyards (where I stayed during my Lexington visit) over to Childress Vineyards. The commanding 35,000-square-foot building is reminiscent of a Tuscan villa and features state-of-the art wine operations, educational tours, lunch at The Bistro, a seasonal concert series, and elegant banquet and meeting rooms.  

Childress Vineyards

NASCAR team owner Richard Childress fulfilled a longtime dream when he opened Childress Vineyards in 2004. When he first began auto racing in California, he visited many estates and became passionate about wine. Although he considered creating a vineyard in California and New York, he chose to grow grapes in his hometown: Lexington, North Carolina. The terroir, with its combination of humid climate, long growing season and gravely, red clay soil are the key natural features of the vineyards. 

Like his RCR Racing team, Childress employs top personnel and the best equipment at Childress Vineyards.  He lured award-winning winemaker Mark Friszolowski and put him in charge of the winery production. The August 12, 2014 edition of The Dispatch, a newspaper in Davidson County, NC, quoted Childress as saying: 

The reason this winery has survived is the quality of wine Mark has been able to make. If we had just average wine, we probably would have closed the doors years ago. I built this winery like a race team. On a winning race team you have to have the best. Mark is the driver, he is the guy who drives this business, and we have a lot of other great people on our team who have contributed to our success.

The Good Girls savored a gorgeous fresh fruit/chicken salad at brunch overlooking acres of grapes ready to be harvested and manicured formal gardens. They then made their way to the atmospheric cellar barrel room stocked with award-winning varietals, reserves, signature, dessert, sparkling and Muscadine wines. The barrel select tastings include eight half-ounce pours and a souvenir glass. They sipped on Sauvignon Blanc, Reserve Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Pinnacle (a Bordeaux-style red blend), Merlot, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Three Red- the vineyard best seller, and a Finish Line Port. All were superb but I liked the Reserve Cabernet best. 

Prices generally range from about $10- $25 per bottle; the special select  2010 Richard's Red goes for $50. ChildressVineyards was recently selected as one of America’s top 25 tasting rooms by Wine Enthusiast magazine. 

A special appearance by Richard Childress, himself, was a most unexpected and delightful surprise. The Good Girls would have had their photo taken with the entrepreneur except --  Judy's hip replacement decided to pop out, incredibly while she was seated.  At least she had the wine to dull her pain!

Once again I watched EMTs carry Judy on a gurney (as happened on the Good Girls 2013 trip to Georgia) and met her at the local hospital. She received excellent and very timely treatment. We give the staff a thumbs up. By 4:30 the Girls were back on the road and off to Greenwood, South Carolina where the trip would continue. 

I would like to note that Childress Vineyards is a primary sponsor of the annual Lexington Barbecue Festival held in October each year. Artist Bob Timerlake designs the label and Childress bottles a special vintage called Fine Swine  Wine. Bottles go on sale the morning of the Festival and we hear they sell out quickly.  Sorry we will miss the extravaganza which has been called one of the Top Ten One-Day Festivals in the US. 

The Barrel Room at Childress Vineyards

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Thanks Lexington Tourism for a fantastic time.

A Swine-ful Progressive Barbecue Dinner in Lexington

Lexington, NC  keeps its pork lovin' residents content with 17 barbecue restaurants, all at very reasonable prices.  Although the Swine, Wine and Dine Tour aimed to sample each of them, seventeen in two and a half days was impossible. However, we did manage to cover three in one evening by going on a piggy progressive dinner. It was swineful.

We started at Speedy's Barbecue with a barbecue salad; slices of pork barbecue on top of lettuce with choice of dressing and side dipping sauce.  I chose blue cheese dressing and truly enjoyed the salad as I  had consumed trays of barbecue at Barbecue Central the night before and lunch platters at Lexington Barbecue: chopped barbecue, sliced barbecue, coarse chopped barbecue, barbecue with bark and without. Oh my!

Owner Robbie Johnson says Speedy's  has been in the same location for 50 years. His restaurant uses the rotisserie method of cooking the meat, which is more efficient and cleaner than the pit process. Robbie explained that the pork fat drips while roasting and saturates the pork shoulders below. He says meat cooked this way is very moist. Typically an 18-20 pound raw shoulder will shrink down to 12 pounds.

Speedy's serves an accompanying dip made from one third ketchup, one third white vinegar and one third water with a little salt, pepper, sugar and crushed red pepper added in. The comfortable joint was hopping with satisfied patrons,  but we had to move on.    

Next we went to Smiley's Lexington BBQ where the Good Girls were smitten with the pig statue outside the restaurant. He makes a great photo op.

"Hooray," I shouted, when I learned Smiley's is known for their barbecue chicken. I was delighted with the change to poultry from pork, although they, of course, keep all customers happy with pit barbecue pork, too. My chicken leg tasted moist and tender, truly delicious, and I also appreciated the coleslaw that was white, not red, like at most of the other Lexington establishments. 

Smokey Joe's Barbecue in Lexington

Carrot Cake 

Onward with full stomachs, we headed to Smokey Joe's Barbecue. This restaurant is one of several recommended by Southern Living magazine. They pit cook their pork for 10-12 hours, so the dishes served to diners were cooked the day before. Fortunately, for me, Smokey Joe's is also known for their cakes and pies made locally by The Cake Ladies of Welcome.  I was so full of barbecue, I skipped it and went for  dessert. I chose carrot cake and found the texture wonderfully dense from lots of grated carrots and layered with sweetness from cream cheese frosting. Yummy!  After a few bites, I could eat no more. Lexington, the barbecue capital, burst my seams. I now felt I blended in with all those adorable artworks from a fund-raising initiative known as the "Pigs in the City."

Here are some of the Lexington's famous pigs:

Learning about NASCAR at the RCR Racing Museum, Welcome, NC

The Good Girls admit they don't know a lot about NASCAR, but they recognize the names Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt and Jeff Gordon. Residing in Florida, they also know the story of the France family who helped establish racing in Daytona Beach. Their recent visit to Lexington, NC put them in the neighborhood of Welcome, North Carolina, home to the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Museum, and the Girls figured they'd get a warm reception. Come on, who wouldn't in Welcome - right?

Entrance to the RCR Racing Museum

They met Steve Ramey, Museum Manager, who indeed took them on a guided tour. The RCR Museum is an immense 47,000-square-foot facility that encompasses the original No. 3 race shop built in 1986 and the original RCR Museum built in 1991. A 3,500-square-foot structure was constructed between the two buildings to tie it all together.

RCR Racing Museum Lobby

Dale Earnhardt No 3- 1998 Winner at Daytona 500

Many rooms in the museum showcase cars, displays, memorabilia and photographs, including NASCAR Winston Cup championship banners and NASCAR Winston Cup championship owner’s trophies. Visitors find all 25 No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolets driven by Dale Earnhardt (Sr), but the highlight is the 1998 Daytona 500 winning car that Dale drove to victory. There are also 16 video screens in the facility replaying key victories and you can walk through a retired race hauler- a giant truck that carries two race cars to events and is stocked with all sorts of back-up parts and equipment. 

Childress started as a race car driver in the NASCAR's top series in 1969. He went on to record six top-five and 76 top-10 finishes in 285 starts. He finished fifth in the point standings in 1975. However, he decided to retire as a driver in mid-1981, naming Earnhardt to finish the season in his car.

Childress' real success came from building teams and cars, and sponsoring Dale Earnhardt. Their legendary partnership continued until Dale's tragic death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. 

Austin Dillon Car

Today, Richard's grandson, Austin Dillon, is embarking on his first-full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and competing for 2014 Rookie of the Year honors. He now drives the historic No. 3 on his Chevrolet. 

Before leaving, the Good Girls also met crew member Danny "Chocolate" Myers and his personable wife. They learned that Chocolate was the gas man for the #3 GM Goodwrench Chevy driven by Earnhardt. Over the past 18 years Chocolate and team owner Richard Childress have visited victory lane no less than 83 times. Chocolate now works on the radio and TV.    

Chocolate Myers

Having seen how Richard Childress made his fortune, the Good Girls planned to  visit a place more familiar to them the next day - the Childress Vineyards.

Return to Main Street: Lexington, NC’s Summer Stroll

Historic Uptown Lexington is a revitalized city. Like so many towns across the US, their main street shopping declined as urbanization spread. Malls sprouted in the suburbs and down towns suffered.  But, Lexington, North Carolina is once again a happening place. 

Summer Stroll on Main, Lexington, NC

“Meet Us on Main Street” occurs once a month during the summer. Residents and visitors stroll along shopping and dining or just visiting with neighbors. A band provided music in front of Conrad & Hinkle and on this August night, classic cars were on display in all four quadrants and again allowed to cruise up and down on Main.

The Good Girls first stopped into Missions Pottery to paint a piggy bank.  Pottery painting is a relaxing activity and draws kids for birthday parties, parents or grandparents for some fun together time or women for Girls Night Out. The store in Lexington is so popular it has expanded a few times.

Painting Pottery at Missions Pottery, Lexington, NC.

We then walked down to The Candy Factory, a shop offering the best selection of old-fashioned candy I have ever seen. Boomers will feel nostalgic as they browse games and treats from the good old days. However, they aren’t stuck back in time; the Candy Factory’s display cases are full of chocolate truffles and in-store homemade fudge, their specialty.  I choose caramel sea salt chocolate and Judy picked chocolate walnut - yummy.

I meandered down to Lanier’s, the largest True Value Hardware store in North Carolina. Their slogan is, “If we don’t have it, you probably don’t need it.”

Davidson County Courthouse, Lexington, NC.

I returned to the main square, passing the newly renovated courthouse.  The 1858 gem is a thing of beauty and holds the Davidson County Historical Museum on the first floor.  The courthouse parking lot was the location where barbecue got its start in this area.  Folks would come for the bi-monthly court sessions and needed something to eat. Pig farmers dug a pit and began smoking meat. The pork and pit barbecue method became so famous that Lexington is known as the Barbecue Capital of the World. While some folks in South Carolina, Memphis or Kansas City may disagree, you can’t visit without trying a few of the 16 BBQ restaurants. The Good Girls were off to do their best.

Strange Secrets to Success in Lexington, NC

The Good Girls arrived in the capital city of barbecue, Lexington, North Carolina, to begin the Swine, Wine and Dine tour. Soon we were off to Conrad & Hinkle’s Food Market. The small grocery store has thrived in the center of town location (now called Uptown) since 1919.

A lot has changed over the years and you might wonder how a Mom and Pop grocery can remain profitable against chain stores. The answer is simple: Pimento and Cheese.  Conrad and Hinkle’s sells about 1500 – 1600 pounds per week.

The southern staple, about as common as sweet tea, is made from a secret recipe containing shredded cheese, mayonnaise, pimento, sugar and sugar. The recipe came from the wife of the original owner and has remained unchanged.

Conrad and Hinkle's Pimento and Cheese

I tasted my first pimento and cheese sandwich at the Master’s Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, where it remains a tradition. The combo was smeared on white bread, and in my opinion, was nothing to rave about.  But I tried Conrad and Hinkle’s Pimento and Cheese Dip on a Ritz cracker and it was far superior.  I think the reason may be the consistency.  Most pimento and cheese mixtures are spreads, the cheese finely grated and completely mixed in. The Lexington delight retains the orangey cheese in its recognizable shredded shape.

The people of Lexington know a good thing when they find it. While we were visiting the store, numerous folks came in, went directly to the refrigerator containing the famous concoction and picked up two or more containers.  They might have stopped by the butcher, who cuts meat to a customer’s request, but most browsed. The store carries local North Carolina products, like pickles and barbecue sauces that are hard to find.

Lee Hinkle, the 4th generation owner, has worked in the store since he was 11 years old.  He says it’s the only job he has ever known and seems quite happy.  The market also sells about 700-800 pounds of chicken salad per week.  While their pimento and cheese is available at other regional stores (check the website for locations) the chicken salad is only sold at the original location.

Lee Hinkle

While not the most attractive appetizer, I would serve Conrad & Hinkle’s to guests  - if I could get this brand.  Otherwise, I doubt you’ll find me eating pimento and cheese. Guess I’m not a true southern yet.

Storefront of Conrad and Hinkle's in Lexington, NC

Nation's first gold strike - in North Carolina?

Little Meadow Creek. Photo by Judy Wells.

We've heard of Sutter's Mill in California, but Little Meadow Creek in Midland, ten miles or so from Charlotte, N.C.?

Probably not, but it was the site of America's first gold strike.

On a spring Sunday in 1799, while their parents were at church, the three children of John Reed and his wife were down at the creek bow and arrow fishing.  Conrad, 12, found a 17-pound shiny rock and brought it home. No one knew what it was so it became a door stop until John took it to a Fayetteville jeweler. He asked $3.50 for the 17-pound gold nugget worth about $3,500, the first ever found in the new country.

The trickle, not yet a rush. that came with the discovery of a 28-pound nugget, was on.

Fruit and chocolate crepe at Irene Cafe. YUMMM.

Having already struck edible gold at the tiny, chummy Irene Cafe, where charming Chef Kidane Sayfou turns out superb Brittany-style crepes, we headed out to Reed Gold Mine.

Reed Gold Mine museum. Photo by Judy Wells.

Today there it is a state historic site with a free museum, mine tour and gold panning (at $3 a pan). Kids love the panning - it takes about 20 minutes to go through a pan - and they will probably be thrilled with the tiny flakes usually found.

When it's about gold even kids will pay attention. Photo by Judy Wells.

No one knows how much gold was actually panned and mined here and in the more than 12 NC counties where gold was found. Much of it disappeared into jewelry and private transactions, but there was enough to establish a federal mint in Charlotte where more than $4 million in gold was deposited over the next 20 years.

The last large nugget - nearly 23 pounds worth- was found in 1896 but by 1912 the last mine closed.

The Good Girls, Debi and Judy, at it again.

As usual, we had fun with hats before heading on to Lexington, barbecue capital of the country, for #swinewinedine tour.