French Bordeaux Chateau FedExed to the mountains of North Carolina/AT SHELTON VINEYARDS
Rondal Eric Powell
MP, Ind. Sales & Strategy Consultant Inst. Securities, Asset Management & Alternatives at Rondal Eric Powell Consulting
By pure chance I stumbled across one of the great, yet unknown wine treasures of the age. A French Bordeaux Chateau appeared over the hood and windshield of my Black VW 2012 Passat TDI SEL with 82K miles. I wondered how this could happen in Daniel Boone country, the Yadkin Valley in Northern North Carolina.
I walked the grounds, took several pictures of buildings, grapevines and wine-tasted the various vintages, which were all very light wines, the whites finer and better than their French and Italian cousins, while the reds, excellent , but nearer to Pinot Noir than heavier French and Italians, Bordeaux and Barolo, were second on my purchase list (Have to go back and load up my truck with wine gold).
The Hamption Inn (I am a loyal Hilton Gold Card Member) down the road is in partnership with the vineyard and a shuttle-bus offers easy transportation to and from the vineyard and "4-Star" restaurant, the Stars assigned by me (based upon 30 years of Deutsche Bank AG investment banking wining and dining experience).
The food was excellent, a mixture of Carolina Cuisine with European touches, prepared by a 1 %-er biker chef with his biker bebe offering capable, competent support (its hard to find a good woman in the mountains with the prerequest skill set).
My waiter was a dream. I asked him to pick my meal and wines, based upon my intuition (and why should I do the thinking here, the boss needs a break, and it makes my head hurt to think too much). I should have tipped him better, but he disappeared and the biker chef escorted me to my vehicle (First In, Last Out - FILO Accounting).
My dedicated waiter brought me a fresh fish dish, a very light strawberry and green salad with vine grate dressing.
Just perfectly lovely.
Only a beautiful Tischdame was missing, the one I had in mind was, regrettably, was unable or unwilling to leave her home town of Kriftel to the foreign land of promise and enterprise for the ultimate romantic and consummating date of a lifetime.
Unfortunately, you can't have it all in life and you must move forward.
Auf zu neuen Ufern.
The consolation prize was an non-brand name excellent Cuban cigar.
I highly recommend a visit and please find the website below.
Rondal Eric Powell, Managing Partner, REP Consulting with offices in Frankfurt, Germany and Vero Beach, Florida.