KHK blogger Brian Tress on the Sanctuary Vineyards Voyage.
(Credits: Top–Erin Porter, Bottom–Jessica Bargamin)
The small passenger boat bobbed patiently at one end of the dock as a smartly casual crowd, dressed for sipping vino, began to gather at the other. Anticipation hung in the air — along with humidity and a salty breeze, both common in the early evening on the Outer Banks. As passengers milled about on the Duck Boardwalk, waiting to embark on Kitty Hawk Kites’ 2.5-hour Sunset Sanctuary Vineyards Voyage, small but rapid waves slapped against the dock and the waiting vessel.
It was time to go. The passengers made their way along the dock to the boat, about twenty in total, a diverse mix of ages and genders — a group of young women on “girls’ night out” who had left their husbands with the kids, two retired couples, middle-aged parents with their teenage daughter, and more — all on vacation on the Outer Banks.
Once everyone was on board, Captain Jordan provided a safety briefing while handing out plastic ponchos, advising everyone to put them on unless they wanted to get wet. At first, the ride was very pleasant — with a warm breeze washing over the boat and Three Little Birds by Bob Marley playing on the audio system, it almost felt like the Caribbean. The real excitement began when Jordan picked up speed and the bow started slapping against the waves with increased force; passengers rushed to slip on their ponchos as water splashed over the sides of the boat. Through the loud din of flapping ponchos, we could barely hear Kokomo playing on the audio system.
Passengers made their way to the boat; once on board, only one failed to follow Captain Jordan’s advice to put on a poncho. (Credit: Brian Tress)
Captain Jordan eased up on the throttle as we passed by Dews Island. With no other boat in sight, and the marshy shoreline undeveloped except for the historic Dews Island Hunting Club, now closed, we could have been approaching Jurassic Park.
Upon reaching the mainland, the group hopped onto an open-air 4×4 safari truck and set off for Sanctuary Vineyards in nearby Jarvisburg. We traveled along dirt roads through wetlands and farm fields of soybeans and corn. These eventually gave way to rows of vines heavy with blue-black grapes, striking against their leafy green backdrop. We had arrived at the vineyards!
The open-air safari truck was an immersive experience through wetlands, farm fields and the vines of Sanctuary Vineyard. (Credit: Brian Tress)
Inside the winery’s tasting room, the group sat down at several tables and eagerly awaited the first pour. The lineup began with the whites, then a rosé, then the reds and finally a few sweet wines, for a total of nearly a dozen wines. Erin, one of the young women who had come with her girlfriends, joked, “You know it’s a great wine experience when you can’t remember if it was a great wine experience.”
From the whites, one highlight included a semi-dry Sauvignon Blanc with herbaceous background flavors accenting citrus and mineral qualities. From the reds, Dark Sails was a favorite, a smooth Cab-Tannat blend, with smoky undertones of dark cherry and chocolate.
Partaking of the noble grape — tour members tasted nearly a dozen wines. (Credit: Brian Tress)
The vineyard’s general manager, John Wright, explained, “All of the reserve wines are made from estate-grown grapes, and about 80% of the remaining wines are also from grapes grown right here.” With that, he invited the group to the bar to sample any wines not included in the official tasting.
On the boat ride back to Duck, everyone was in a great mood. The chop in the sound had lessened, making for a much less eventful journey, and the sun was trailing downward through a translucent sky toward the vineyards behind us.
After a much calmer ride back to Duck, well-poured passengers disembarked as the sun set behind them. (Credit: Brian Tress)
Written & crafted by Brian Tress.
For more of Brian’s experiences, see his articles here.
If you want to book a Wine Tasting on the Sanctuary Vineyards Voyage,
see available times here!
