With Valentine's Day just around the corner, you might be looking for something special to do with your sweetheart. One very romantic option is available in our area and pairs two Valentine favorites: wine and chocolate. At Woodmill Winery in Vale, February is always "Wine & Chocolate Month," and visitors to the vineyard can enjoy pairings of six different, locally available chocolates with six to seven wines from Woodmill.
"We have a special wine called 'Mon Amour' that is especially good with chocolate, so we always feature it," says Woodmill owner Larry Cagle, Jr. "We also have a number of other wines that pair well and make for interesting combinations with chocolate. We try to make this a really fun and unique experience for a Valentine date."
Many people in the area are already familiar with Woodmill Winery. After retirement Cagle, motivated by his father's deteriorating heart condition and by a long family history of cardiovascular ailments, searched medical journals and university studies for articles on cardiovascular health.
His research led him to discover Resveratrol, a molecule found in the Muscadine grape. Resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound with antioxidant properties that is proven to reduce or prevent heart disease. Studies from
NC State University indicate that red and white Muscadines have Resveratrol concentrations 40 times higher than any other grape ever tested.
"The typical American consumes only two or three servings of fruit and vegetables a day," says Cagle. "A single one-cup serving of muscadine grapes would more than double the average person's antioxidant intake. Wine is the perfect host for preserving the unprecedented levels of antioxidants found in Muscadines, Scuppernongs and blueberries. By preventing oxygen exposure, the antioxidant compounds are protected from disintegration."
Eventually this research led Cagle to establish Woodmill Winery, featuring wines made from Muscadines. Today this three-generation, family-owned-and-operated winery produces both red and white Muscadine wines and a total of 22 different varieties of wine made from native American Muscadines, Scuppernongs, blueberries and blackberries.
Reservations are not required for Woodmill's "Wine & Chocolate Month" wine tasting. The cost for the tasting is $6 per person, and includes a logo wine glass.The winery's regular hours are: 12 p.m. -
6 p.m. Tuesdays - Fridays; 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Saturdays; and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
For more information, visit the winery's web site at www.WoodmillWinery.com, search for "Woodmill Winery" on Facebook, or give them a call at 704-276-9911.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Special to Community First Media