Drink, Dine, Stay, Discover
Alex Munroe, owner of Cape Fear Vineyard and Distillery, radiates a charm and charisma that is immediately captivating—and I couldn’t help but feel immediately welcome in the warm glow and great vibes of this extraordinary destination and the many people that play a part in bringing it all together.
Located about two hours southwest of New Bern in Elizabethtown, this unique 14-acre boutique resort is a wildly eclectic combination vineyard, winery, distillery, restaurant, tasting room, art gallery, wedding / music /theatre venue, cottages, gift shop (and wait for it…) petting zoo.
It’s an almost alarming amount of fun.
This delightful place is Alex’s dream come to life—the result of a fearless visionary with a fascinating life journey.
Alex grew up in Whiteville, NC and was a Journalism major at UNC Chapel Hill. Straight out of college, with a sparkle of wanderlust in his eye, he had hoped to become a travel writer. But at the time, with the economy in the dumps, and he had trouble finding work as a journalist, so he packed up and went backpacking in Africa and the Middle East. Upon returning home, and finding that the economic situation hadn’t improved, his father encouraged him to start his own business.
So Alex, with his love for animals, decided to get into the ostrich business, raising birds and selling ostrich eggs. But the ostrich egg trend died out, and he began searching for another venture.
While visiting with his grandmother and concerned for her failing health, he wondered about the effectiveness of the local emergency services. If she needed to call an ambulance, how would they find the house from the street? His solution was connect a strobe light in her front window, triggered by her telephone when she dialed 911. The invention led to his security business, specializing in car alarms and various security products, then subsequently a plastics factory, which was located in Elizabethtown.
At the time, Alex had an Irish setter named Dan, who he used to bring to work with him. The vineyard, with its beautiful, tree-lined lake, was immediately adjacent to his factory, so he would take his pup out to play in the water when they needed to take a break. One day he thought: “I wonder if I could buy this land?” That very afternoon, he learned that the property was about to go into foreclosure and he immediately purchased it. When he returned back to see it again with new eyes, as the new owner, there was a rainbow above the lake. “It was a sign, like meeting the love of my life. For me that’s the vineyard. I tried to leave it once to take a golf tour around the world, but after only one day I felt the vineyard pulling me back to it. So I got back on the plane and flew home.”
That was eight years ago.
He remembers dreaming about what the property could become. He started asking people in town: what do we need as a community? The vineyard was already established, but the area needed more lodging and a restaurant. “I visited a friend of mine around this time and he was in his garage making moonshine. It was so hot, like unbearably hot. So I offered to move it onto the vineyard property. And so the distillery began. I think people forget that making any liquor is really just making moonshine. That’s how we started.”
Fast forward eight years, and Cape Fear Vineyard, Winery and Distillery is thriving with 45 employees, supporting the local economy and bringing delight to people of all ages and walks of life.
“The support from the local government was awesome,” says Alex. “The most helpful and influential person was Chuck Heustess, who is the Bladen county economic development commissioner. He provided introductions to people in financing and lawyers, and helped pave the way for grants for water and sewer. Most amazingly, the city annexed the land so they could get an ABC license. I give huge props to the city for demonstrating that people can work together and support one another to create a win-win situation. It’s an inspiring story.”
It’s good to know that institutions are made of flesh—and that there is still good faith and verifiable collaboration between government and small businesses.
But many other people from the surrounding area have had significant parts to play in the success of the resort, such as Paul Boswell, the Head Executive Chef of the Cork Room restaurant. “Many of the dishes utilize the spirits and wines created on our own property, which is very unique. We use locally sourced vegetables and a farm to table concept,” says Paul. “My favorite dish to make are the short ribs, which are so tender you can cut through them with a fork, but unlike a pot roast they are held together and are nicely plated with a bourbon marinade. Our wines make a great reduction with fresh fish and we have some terrific Sunday specials, like our French toast bread pudding, finished with rum soaked granny smith apples.”
While visiting the resort last week, I enjoyed the blue crab dip, fried green tomatoes, and an awesome ribeye—perfectly seasoned, with a crusty char from the fire and an expertly prepared medium-rare center.
I also was able to do a wine tasting with both red and white flights. The highlights for me were the Head Parrot Pinot Gris (a balanced white wine with tones of apple lemon grass) and the Cape Fear Reserve Red Blend (a complex red with seven varietals, dry, earthy, with undertones of cherry and mushroom). These wines are two of the driest that the vineyard makes, which suits my palate, but if you enjoy sweeter wines, the winery really shines with those varieties, and in particular with a desert wine called the “I, Swanee.” The sweetness comes from the fact that the only grapes from actual Cape Fear Vineyard are muscadine, but other grapes are brought in from western NC for blends to create more varietals.
But the wines are really just the beginning. If you enjoy spirits, brace yourself for some highly unique, totally unbelievable, award-winning choices from the distillery.
Judith Scott, Distillery Manager, leads in the creation of the Cape Fear spirits, and she gave me a solid education on the process as I tried them. Here is the lineup: Gamefish Vodka, a smooth, 80 proof grain vodka with a mild finish, perfect for a martini or mixer. Maritime Gin, a 80 proof showstopper, with a citrus base, lavender, and a gorgeous creamy finish, ideal on the rocks or for a craft cocktail. Cape Fear Rum, an 80 proof instant hit with a molasses base, buttery mouth-feel, coconut and hints of holiday candy. Frying Pan Shoals Bourbon, a 94 proof mash of corn, barley and rye, aged for 2 years in oak barrels, with a little bite on the finish. And finally, the Solera Whiskey, a 90 proof, six years in the making, cascading oak barrel masterpiece.
And there’s more!
The Art Gallery, decorating the walls inside the restaurant is no ordinary collection. It’s not what you might be imaging—not the typical dark, ominous collection of European masters that all begins to look the same after 30 minutes. Nope.
Alex’s gallery is simultaneously spectacular and unpretentious, eclectic, fresh, inventive and playful – like a reflection of Alex himself. The theme here is that all of the pieces of art are created by famous people, names that you immediately will recognize, but works of art that you have most likely never seen. This is perhaps the largest collection of celebrity art anywhere in the world. Most of the artists are famous musicians or actors, such as Sir Ringo Starr, Sir Paul McCartney, Alice Cooper, Billy Bob Thornton, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, James Dean, Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, Brittney Spears, and many more. In addition, the collection also boasts an original Renoir, four pieces by Picasso—and some of Elvis’ treasures, depending on what floats your boat.
But nature here is also the art. When you first pull into the vineyard, you will see horses, mini donkeys, llamas, baby chicks, bunnies, peacocks, a koi pond, waterfalls, the lake, lush landscaping and flowers everywhere.
With all the beauty, the vineyard is becoming a much sought-after location for weddings, musical acts and theatrical events. Most recently, White Umbrella Limited brought in Jo Dee Messina and Joe Nichols. Uncle Kracker will be playing July 9, 2021 with tickets available online through the vineyard website at www.capefearwinery.com.
In June there was a pretty groovy touring display of Artwork that Rocks! featuring the work of Bernie Taupin (lyricist to Elton John), as well as pieces by John Lennon and Grace Slick, with original paintings and hand signed limited editions available for purchase.
Art displays and entertainment will be rotating by the season, so check the website for details.
So what else does Alex have on the horizon? “We currently have a 2000 square foot gift shop under construction which will feature jewelry by local artisans, and all kinds of creations from our local North Carolina community of artists. We are proud to offer up their work. And after all the eating, drinking, entertainment, shopping and fun, the next day should include some recovery time. So we are creating a spa.”
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. A spa. Just that word alone makes all my nerve endings tingle with joy.
And we’re talking massage, bourbon facials, wine baths, the works.
Yes, please.
Watching the sunset at the end of an amazing day, I wondered how one man, who started off selling ostrich eggs at 21 years old, has created such a thing of beauty. His answer touched my heart. “It’s serendipity. The right things came together at the right time. Everything that we do here is made from love. I don’t think about risk. I think about living out my dreams, imaging, and self-actualization. The bible says, ‘What you bring to me in prayer, will come to be.’ I live that truth.”
