nc wines

EVENT RECAP | Great Grapes Wine & Food Festival 5/5/18 @GreatGrapesFest @drinkeatrelax @BoothAmp #CaryNC #UncorktheFun

25 Comments

This weekend there was a whole lot to celebrate: The Kentucky Derby, Cinco de Mayo and …. Wine + Good Times at the GREAT GRAPES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL! This ‘drink.eat.relax‘ event is held at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in the Town of Cary and as a wine lover, I have enjoyed coming to this event each year! [*ICYMI, check out my 2015/2016/2017 past event recaps of this event, here.] I must say, just like fine wine this event keeps getting better with time. These are some of my favorite moments from this year’s GREAT GRAPES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL!

â—Ź HUNDREDS of WINES

Yes, HUNDREDS of wines available from over 22 wineries to taste. Everyone gets a souvenir tasting glass to have and stroll from tent to tent and table to table, tasting and sampling the rich heritage of North Carolina vines. Did you know that all NC wine is not made from sweet muscadine? In fact there was some of everything to try from sweet to dry!

â—Ź GOURMET BITES

If you bought the VIP Ticket option, you not only got early entrance into the event, but also a souvenir glass & bag and access to all the show tastings. Plus you got access to the VIP area which featured specialty higher-end wine selections not available elsewhere, free water and soft drinks, and featured food tastings (served Noon – 3pm).

â—Ź People ready to UNCORK THE FUN

Wine Lovers from all around come out to the GREAT GRAPES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL, the largest and most fun casual NC wine festival in the Triangle. I loved seeing all the matching outfits, hats and groups celebrating birthdays. Some couples even turned this festival into a wonderful day date idea!

â—Ź IT’S FAMILY FRIENDLY!

My favorite thing about this festival is that it is kid friendly. That means we can enjoy the event as a family and not worry about finding a babysitter! Kids 12 and under are FREE and they even have a dedicated area for kids to play. Guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the festival picnic style. Our daughter loved meeting “The Sauce Boss”, relaxing on the lawn and listening to Live Music!

● Beautiful GREEN SETTING of the Town of Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre

Although this festival happens rain or shine, thanks to Mother Nature we had a picture perfect day! I love going to events at Booth Amphitheatre because of the scenic setting. You are surroundes by nature, gorgeous trees and a lake that you may even see ducks in!

SobeSavvy Tip: The fun is happening here again on May 19, 2018 at the BEER & BACON FEST. Tickets to this festival is ON SALE NOW!

Also GREAT GRAPES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL maybe coming to a city near you. Here are some upcoming dates:

For more information go to http://www.uncorkthefun.com! Hope to see you there next year! CHEERS 🍷

Enter to Win 2 Tix @GreatGrapesFest on May 5 + @drinkeatrelax ‘s Beer & Bacon Fest May 19 @BoothAmp in #Cary #NC

14 Comments

Springtime here in the Triangle means the beginning of outdoor festival season and there are two ‘drink.eat.relax‘ events coming up in May that you don’t want to miss! Koka Booth Amphitheatre in the Town of Cary is where all the fun is happening on May 5, 2018 at the GREAT GRAPES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL and again on May 19, 2018 at the BEER & BACON FEST. Tickets to both of these fun festivals are ON SALE NOW and I have two tickets to giveaway for each event! Two lucky readers will have a chance to win a pair of tickets to enjoy the fun! Here are the details about both festivals:

TWEET THIS:

Follow @SobeSavvy and Enter to Win Tix to 2 @drinkeatrelax events happening in May @boothamp!🍷🍴🍺🥓 Details at https://www.SobeSavvy.com

Great Grapes Wine and Food Festival

Spring is Here and It is Wine Time! Join us for the largest and most fun casual NC wine festival in the Triangle with HUNDREDS of wines available from over 22 wineries. As you enter…take your souvenir tasting glass and stroll from tent to tent and table to table, tasting and sampling the rich heritage of North Carolina vines. As you sip and savor the afternoon, relax in the beautiful green setting of the Town of Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre.

•200+ Wines from 22+ Wineries
•Great Live Music
•Fun Festival Eats
•Arts and Crafts and Gourmet Items
•FREE Kids Area

Guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the lawn. Bring the family, bring your friends and take a day to UNCORK THE FUN!

TICKETS

VIP SESSION TICKET: $49.00 IN ADVANCE: $55.00 ON THE DAY OF EVENT
VIP Session: 11am – 6pm.

REGULAR SESSION TICKET: $33.00 IN ADVANCE…..$35.00 ON THE DAY OF EVENT
Regular Session: 12-6pm.

Designated Driver Ticket: $20 ONLY AVAILABLE ONSITE! Includes admission into the event ONLY.

For more information go to www.boothamphitheatre.com.

PLEASE NOTE: Photo ID IS REQUIRED as proof of age & proof of identity.

KIDS 12 & UNDER ARE FREE!

PARKING
GENERAL PARKING: Parking is free of charge in Amphitheatre owned lots. Some local businesses may charge a fee to parking in their lots. A limited number of PREFERRED parking space are available for $10.00 per car in advance or $15 on the day of event (cash only).

A limited number of accessible parking space are available on a first come first served basis with the proper hang tag or license plate. If using *Uber, I’m giving you $5 off each of your first 4 Uber rides. To accept, use code ‘2ackv’ to sign up. Enjoy! Details: https://www.uber.com/invite/2ackv

Please follow the signs & our Parking Staff to the pick up & drop off area.

ALL EVENTS WILL GO ON AS SCHEDULED RAIN OR SHINE, however in the event of severe weather please check website and social media for any updates or changes to the event.

ITEMS ALLOWED
•Lawn chairs
•Sealed Bottle of water (1 per person)
•Cameras
•All bags are subject to seach

PROHIBITED ITEMS
•Pets
•Drones
•Alcohol
•Weapons of any kind

For more information please visit www.uncorkthefun.com. Please drink responsibly.

BEER & BACON FEST

The BEER & BACON TASTING SESSION offers an exclusive tasting experience. Each guest will enjoy 15+ restaurant tasting stations (until 2pm) and fresh griddled bacon (until 3pm), a souvenir glass and boundless portions of over 75 craft beers and wines, plus 2 extra hours of alcohol sampling and all live entertainment. These tickets are limited and will SELL OUT!

Bottoms Up, Bacon Down
75 Craft Beers
15 Restaurants
10 Bacons From Across the US
LIVE MUSIC… and lots of Piggy Love

Cary’s Porkiest Playtime Returns and this time it will be even better. The ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE extravaganza comes complete with the best craft beers for your tasting pleasure… and of course the food of the Gods: BACON.

TICKETS
VIP Beer & Bacon Ticket Advanced Price: $59.00 Feb 9-March 18TH (midnight),
$69.00 March 19-May 18 (midnight), $79.00 DAY OF EVENT. Beer tasting session 12-6pm.

Regular Beer & Bacon Ticket Advanced Price: $39.00 Tickets are $45.00 DAY OF EVENT. Beer tasting session 2-6pm.

Designated Driver Ticket: $20 ONLY AVAILABLE ONSITE! Includes admission into the event ONLY.

For more information go to www.boothamphitheatre.com.

PLEASE NOTE: Photo ID IS REQUIRED as proof of age & proof of identity.

Kids 12 & under are FREE.

PARKING
GENERAL PARKING: Parking is free of charge in amphitheatre owned lots. Some local businesses may charge a fee to parking in their lots. A limited number of PREFERRED parking space are available for $10.00 per car in advance or $15 on the day of event (cash only).

A limited number of accessible parking space are available on a first come first served basis with the proper hang tag or license plate. If using *LYFT, Download LYFT app and you get 10$ off your first ride with code: BESAVVY1

Please follow the signs & our Parking Staff to the pick up & drop off area.

ALL EVENTS WILL GO ON AS SCHEDULED RAIN OR SHINE.

ITEMS ALLOWED
Lawn chairs
Sealed Bottle of water (1 per person)
Cameras
all bags are subject to seach

PROHIBITED ITEMS
Pets
Drones
Alcohol
Weapons of any kind

For more information please visit www.beerandbacon.com. Please drink responsibly.

Mandatory #SobeSavvyGiveaway Entry– Please answer the following question below in the comments:

Which festival would you like to attend:

a) Great Grapes Wine & Food Fest on May 5

or

b) Beer & Bacon Fest on May 19

**For more chances to win, click 👉a Rafflecopter giveaway to ENTER.

*One winner will be chosen to win 2 general adult admission tix for option a: Great Grapes Wine & Food Fest Valid Noon – 6pm. Includes a souvenir wine glass, unlimited wine samples, and all performances

*One winner will be chosen to win 2 Beer Only Tasting session admission tix for option b: Beer & Bacon Fest Valid 2pm – 6pm. Your admission includes a souvenir glass and boundless portions of over 75 craft beers and wines, and all live entertainment. Bacon/Food is a la carte.

Contest ends April 26, 2018 at noon. Winners will be chosen at random and have until 4/27/18 to claim prize. Good luck!

#WineWednesday spotlight on #NCWine from @DuplinWinery for #NCWineMonth ! #DuplinWine #NC

1 Comment

Wine lovers rejoice ! September is NC Wine Month…a time to celebrate the state’s $1.7 billion wine and grape industry. â€śNorth Carolina is home to more than 180 wineries, and each one is as unique as the wines it offers,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “On top of that, the state has 525 grape growers from the mountains to the coast.”

We here at SobeSavvy.com kicked off our celebration with some muscadine wine. Not just ANY wine but Duplin wine. It is the world’s largest Muscadine winery and the oldest operating winery. My first introduction to Duplin wines was when a dear friend bought over a bottle as a housewarming gift when we moved to NC over a year ago. I have been a fan of the “cool,sweet,easy” wine ever since ! 

Duplin was established in 1975 in Rose Hill, NC and they have a fiercely
loyal following, not only in the south but nationwide. Sweet Muscadine wine is
what they make and that is what their customers love! Recently we had a chance to review two of their wines: Carolina Red Reserve and Sippin’Sweet Muscadine 

Carolina Red Reserve was up first. This is what I would call a “semi
formal” choice. The bottle itself is beautiful, so our expectations were pretty
high. We had this one afternoon at a sit down lunch. It was lush and very
smooth. It paired well with our seafood entree. We even used our custom Duplin
wine glasses we received when we did the tour at their N.Myrtle Beach winery location over the summer.

A few days later we decided to try out their Sippin’ Sweet Muscadine wine.
It’s hand bottled exclusively at their N.Myrtle Beach location in a classic
mason jar. A much more casual affair than the Carolina Reserve ! We had it with
some take out and it was awesome. Light and mildly sweet . We had to slow down
our sips which had turned into gulps! This is a the perfect choice for outdoor
patio BBQ or a Netflix and chill night at home. Sure to be a favorite of
everyone’s this Sippin Sweet is a bonafide winner.


Duplin has a variety of muscadine wine choices, so there is something for
everyone. They revel in not being a “snooty” wine. They like for folks to use
the “PDR” method when consuming their products. Pour…Drink..Repeat !

Duplin Winery is one of the many wineries offering a variety of special events in September, from wine tastings and grape stomps to music festivals and farm-to-table dinners. On Sept. 10  Duplin Winery is holding their annual event : Duplin Winery’s Grape Stomp in Rose Hill  I am sad to miss it but plan to make a trip out to that winery soon as I hear they have a fabulous bistro as well !

Savvy tip: Want to have your own wine tasting at home? Get a Duplin six bottle pack at a great price here and celebrate NC Wine Month before September ends! 

Cheers!