This summer, my family of eight adults and six children ranging from 13 years to 8 months spent a sun-drenched, pool- and beach-centric week in Nags Head, North Carolina, a place I’ve frequented since I was six years old. Since I’ve been married, we’ve spent quality family time in ocean front houses from Corolla and Duck to Kitty Hawk and Nags Head. Go-karting, fishing, playing board games, putting together puzzles, chasing sand crabs on the beach at dusk, finding that perfect shell and more fill up our days and nights with laughter and memories. Other activities? There’s always wine tasting! This year I found a gem hiding in plain sight in the Outer Banks (OBX). Welcome to Sanctuary Vineyards.
The tasting room most convenient to residents and tourists is located at The Cotton Gin in Nags Head, an eclectic shop of beach apparel, gifts, home décor and anything you want or need to remind you of OBX (like Sanctuary Vineyards wine). The complimentary tasting consists of five wines of your choice that include whites, rosés and reds with styles from dry to sweet. The vineyards and winery, however, are located at 7005 Caratoke Highway in Jarvisburg, NC, a small town on the peninsula leading to OBX from Virginia.
Photo Credit: Sanctuary Vineyards
Amidst the Sanctuary vineyards of Cabernet, Syrah, Tempranillo, Viognier, Norton and Muscadine are fields of corn, herons and seagulls that thrive in Currituck. Soil is mainly rich sand mixed with a bit of clay. The diverse weather is a blend of winter snows, nor’easters, potentially dangerous hurricanes, abundant sunshine, intense heat, high humidity and cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean.
For seven generations the Wright Family has called coastal Currituck County home. Much has changed since original settler Jacob Wright shipwrecked on the shores of Duck, but the family still honors the farming tradition established hundreds of years ago, Sanctuary Vineyards is the product of centuries of farming experience and a dedication to a dream – producing world-class wines in Currituck County.
When our ancestors first settled here, vineyards usually consisted of a single muscadine vine in the backyard, the source of sweet fruit destined for jams, juice and the occasional jug of homebrew. However, the popularity of muscadine grapes soon grew, due to their affinity for the Carolina soils and unparalleled flavor. The period between the Civil War and Prohibition was a renaissance for North Carolina, when it led the country in wine production and became world renowned for its sweet elixirs. Sanctuary Vineyards
At the tasting room in Nags Head, I tried several wines and purchased two for beach sipping.
Whalehead White ($25) is of 100% Traminette that offered light, snappy notes of lemon zest, stone fruit and grapefruit. Chilled pours of Whalehead White paired beautifully with freshly caught shrimp, steamed to perfection and sprinkled with just enough spice to match those beach vibes.
2021 Wildflowers ($25) is a full bodied Rosé made with Tannat and Syrah. Refreshing, flavorful and balanced, vibrant acidity and lip-smacking flavors of cherry, raspberry and rhubarb helped make taco night a resounding success.
A visit to Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg should be one of your stops on the way to OBX. It will always be mine.
Cheers! ~ Cindy
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