NC Winery #25: Kefi Estate Winery

So after 2 failed attempts at turning into someone’s driveway, we finally arrived at Kefi Estate Winery in Monroe, NC. Wait for the sign, folks! We had no expectations going into this winery because we had never heard of it. They just opened this past fall, so I’m sure it is new to you as well. I will start by saying this should be added to your running list of wineries to hit in NC!

We walk in and are transported to a classy tasting room. Seriously, can the designer come to my house? We ponied up to the bar and it felt like we were sitting in someone’s  kitchen. The tasting was priced comparable to other wineries, but we got enough of a pour in our glass to actually taste and enjoy the wine, i.e. they have heavy pours. They have only Greek (and some Italian) varietals - talk about cool! We got to try wines we haven’t had before and better yet, they are grown in NC. And did I mention they were done well? We got to try 5 of the wines, but honestly I would have loved to try them all (too bad we were driving). The owner also gave us good information for the history of the grapes and we walked away learning about some new wines!

During our tasting we talked like old friends with the owner Bess and her son. During the tasting we also got a beautiful cheese board. The cheese board had the best pear ever on it, Greek chocolate, and our favorite cheese in the entire world. If you’ve ever been to a Wine Mouth party - you know the cheese. At this point in the tasting, it feels like fate! Actually it felt more like old friends sitting in a kitchen catching up on life. During our tasting another pair of ladies came in and it became a group conversation - we were even sharing cheeses off our respective boards. It was a rather glorious afternoon.

We left with a lot of wine, and the best part is the tasting is FREE if you buy a bottle of wine. We love this business model! Also, we love their design. This is often not a part too focused on in wineries and if the wine is good, it is easily overlooked. But going into a place with a great design, you see how much it does make a difference. The logo is great, the wine labels are nice, the tasting bar is inviting and not cluttered, and they have a good website. We were so impressed with the people, wine, and tasting room, and are excited to keep up with Kefi Estate Winery as they grow!

Seriously you all should check out this place - we recommend the Negro Amaro and the Epiphany (at least thats what we walked away with)!

Cheers!