Rice Family in China

As many of you know, the Rice family has relocated to China with Derrill's textile job. Although physically separated, the family heart remains with Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery, home, friends, and family. Austin, Derrill's 14-year-old son now attending Shanghai American School, recently completed a creative writing assignment that we though you would enjoy reading - a son's story of our family vineyard experience.

A Son's Story: Grassy Creek

Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery is my family owned business, with many fond memories. I remember traveling down the shop-filled North Bridge Street on my way there. As we finally turned left onto Klondike Road, I could see open spaces, trees, ponds, a creek, and many rolling hills. On my left I saw acres of grapevines while on the right there are acres of tobacco plants. Once we turned left onto a dirt road, I was finally there.

As I entered the property, I instantly saw many beautiful grapevines, ponds, woods, and rolling hills. There was a white barn and a red barn. Our neighbors were horse riders, so I always had the pleasure of seeing horses and hearing their roaring neighs. Occasionally I would have to put up with the delightful smell of fresh horse droppings. Just past the horses was our white barn. It had two tall silos behind it until we cut them down last year. Inside the white barn were many things. My family's red four-wheeler and my green Kawasaki KLX125 dirt bike were both kept there. The vineyard was the best place imaginable to ride it with all of the hills, ditches, and massive jumps. One of the best parts about riding my dirt bike there were the awesome trails through the woods. If there wasn't a trail, my dad and I made one. I still remember the rush of adrenaline when I sped my bike at 55 miles per hour and the feeling of cold wind in my face. One of my most fond memories of riding my dirt bike was when I tried to cross the creek for the first time so that I could get to the trails in the woods. I got stuck on a rock and the bike toppled over on its side, causing me to get soaking wet. I was freezing for the rest of the day because that occurred during the winter. The most joyous feeling I have had while riding my dirt bike at my vineyard was when I cleared the tabletop. At the vineyard we also have cabins for rent. One of the cabins has a back porch but it serves as a 15 foot long tabletop and after many attempts, I finally cleared. The feeling of rejoicing as well as fear shot through my body, as I knew I would make it. I was in mid-air and if anything went wrong, I could have been dead.

The white barn was also where we kept all of our un-bottled wine. It was in barrels and large five hundred or one thousand gallon tanks. The wine was kept there until it was finally ready to be bottled. Every once in a while, after harvest, there would be a large "tub" full of grape juice, sitting in the middle of the room fermenting. The smell of wine filled the barn, downstairs and upstairs. However, upstairs was not wine. Upstairs was where things were stored, there were bags of grow tubes, nets for the vines that kept birds and deer away, and extra chairs, tables, and tents for different events. I will never forget the insane party that my sister had for Halloween in the top floor of the white barn two years ago. The decorations and light effects that my dad and I had set up were absolutely amazing. The sound system was also astounding and the music that was played got everyone on their feet and dancing. It was quite a thrilling experience, as it was my first real dance.

The white barn is one thing, but the actual vineyard surpasses it by miles. The vineyard is exceedingly beautiful with its perfectly parallel rows, running along the curves in the hills. Harvest was one of my favorite times in the vineyard. I usually ended up with the fun job of either driving the four-wheeler with a small open trailer to pick up full buckets of grapes and dropping off new ones to people that needed them, or I was the one handling the buckets. I love stealing a grape every once in a while and eating it. The sweet, juicy grape tastes outstanding, and the feeling of the sticky grape juice running down my arm after I take a bite is spine-chilling. One of the few bad things about the vineyard was the briars. When I worked in the vineyard and I didn't wear long pants, I would either get stuck with a briar or stung by a bee. Another bad thing about the vineyard was getting sunburned. The feeling of a burning on the back of your neck and nose was the absolute worst. On the other hand, everything was amazing about the vineyard, whenever you weren't slaving in it for hours in the hot sun.

Then there is the red barn. This used to be an old horse barn but my family had it renovated to use it; it's now our tasting room and it looks amazing. There is a massive stone fireplace that was made out of rocks from our own creek, known as Grassy Creek, which is partially why our vineyard and winery got the name Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery. There are two deer heads hanging on the wall with massive horns that my dad's partner - Jim - shot while hunting. They seem to look right at me as I walk through the door as if they hadn't been shot yet. Then you turn to the left and there are racks of multiple wine bottles. On the other side is a small bar that can be used as a stage when we have events with entertainment. All in all, the red barn is a gorgeous place.

Finally there are the cabins. These are wooden log cabins that have horsehair as cement to hold all of the logs together. These are truly remarkable. There are many dead animals hanging on the wall like trophies because the log cabins use to be used as hunting lodges. Now they are used for rent and for big events. One of the most popular event at the cabins are weddings. There are so many weddings at our cabins because the land is truly stunning. With a perfect view of our lake, and the immense dam, it makes breathtaking scenery.

The Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery is one of the places that I have spent the most time at as a child. I have many memories, both good and bad, as well as stories from others' fond times there. The vineyard isn't only a place for work and wine, but also many fun events. I wish I could spend every day there.

-- Austin Rice

Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery featured on North Carolina Weekend!

Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery was honored to be featured on UNC TV's syndicated TV show, North Carolina Weekend! We are proud to present the four-and-a-half minute clip highlighting the winery, our wines, Grassy Creek, and the Klondike Cabins below:

Tours and tastings are currently available to the public by appointment.
Our wines are also available for purchase in our store.

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Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery
Mailing: P.O. Box 703, Elkin, NC 28621
Winery: Tasting Room Drive off of Klondike Road, 235 Chatham Cottage Circle, State Road, NC 28621
Tasting Room Hours: Thursday through Saturday 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
or by appointment (January - February weekend hours only)
Business Telephone: (336) 835-4230 | Tasting Room Telephone: (336) 835-2458
derrill.rice@grassycreekvineyard.com | jim.douthit@grassycreekvineyard.com

 Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery. All rights reserved.
Website: Tincknell & Tincknell.