Seasons Style & Design

Exceptional time.

As the nation takes a collective pause to deal with the pervasive impact of COVID-19, all of us at Arbor Acres are inspired by all of you doing your part. For most, that means refiguring daily routines and trying to stay put.

For some, like our heroic caregivers helping protect the health and safety of our residents and staff, it means being on the frontline of this epidemic with compassion and focus.

A

T ARBOR ACRES, our residents bring with them

the experience and wisdom of hundreds of amazing lifetimes. So as they adjust to new protocols required during this exceptional time, they remind us of the power of believing in better days ahead.

Please be safe.

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1240 Arbor Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104 | 866 - 658 -2724 | 336 -724-7921 | www.arboracres.org

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Fall 2020 FEATURES

34 The Keeper of the Flame

By Cynthia Adams

Artist and designer Linda Lane finds a permanent haven in Greensboro’s Fisher Park

42 Camelid City

By Jim Dodson

For Michael and Patricia West, Divine Llama Vineyards represents a beautiful marriage of wine and design

50 Fortune Favors the Bold

By Cynthia Adams

At Raffaldini Vineyards, a generational legacy endures

56 Wine & Design

North Carolina vintages have ascended to a new level

70 Hunt & Gather

42 9 From the Editor By Jim Dodson

62

By Amy & Peter Freeman

In the vineyards of rural Stokes County, the family Younts helps grow the future

34

STYLEBOOK 12 The Hot List By Katy Erikson & Leslie Moore 15 The Garden Guru By Cheryl Capaldo Traylor 18 Prime Resource By Tracy Bulla 21 Designers' Choice By Jennifer Bringle 24 Hidden Gem By Cynthia Adams 28 Southern Stylesetter By Cynthia Adams 30 Almanac by Ashley Wahl LIFE&HOME 76 House for Sale By Nancy Oakley 79 The Language of Home By Noah Salt 80 HomeWords By Nancy Oakley

70

58

Cover Photograph by Amy Freeman

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Vol. 5 No. 2 336.617.0090 1848 Banking Street Greensboro, NC 27408 www.seasonsmagazinenc.com Publisher

David Woronoff Jim Dodson, Editor jim@thepilot.com Nancy Oakley, Senior Editor nancy@ohenrymag.com

INSPIRATION BECOMES REALITY

Amy Freeman, Style & Design Director Andie Rose, Art Director andie@thepilot.com Lauren M. Coffey, Graphic Designer Alyssa Rocherolle, Graphic Designer CONTRIBUTORS Cynthia Adams, Ash Alder, Harry Blair, Jennifer Bringle, Tracy Bulla, Lynn Donovan, Katy Erikson, Amy Freeman, Peter Freeman, John Koob Gessner, Leslie Moore, Noah Salt, Cheryl Capaldo Traylor, Bert VanderVeen

h ADVERTISING SALES Ginny Trigg, Advertising Director 910.693.2481, ginny@thepilot.com Hattie Aderholdt, Advertising Manager 336.601.1188, hattie@ohenrymag.com Max Benbassat, 336.520.0354 max@ohenrymag.com

THE TRIAD’S LARGEST MARVIN DEALER

Amy Grove, 336.456.0827 amy@ohenrymag.com Glenn McVicker, 336.804.0131 glenn@ohenrymag.com Brad Beard, Graphic Designer Emily Jolly, Advertising Assistant ohenrymag@ohenrymag.com CIRCULATION Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488 Steve Anderson, Finance Director 910.693.2497

Visit our showroom: 400 West Mountain Street Kernersville, NC 27284 336-497-5429 | salemwindowsanddoors.com

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SUBSCRIPTIONS 336.617.0090 ©Copyright 2020. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Seasons Magazine is published by The Pilot LLC Fall 2020

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STYLEBOOK

FROM THE EDITOR

The Lost Kitchen Nothing’s cooking amid corona chaos

By Jim Dodson

ILLUSTRATION BY HARRY BLAIR

D

uring an ordinary year — is there really such a thing anymore? — a complete kitchen renovation can be an invitation to a slow form of madness. The dust and debris of the demo stage, one hears repeatedly from those who’ve undertaken the process, is often followed by costly surprises, unexpected discoveries and interminable delays that tax patience and pocketbook to the breaking point.

Try doing it in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and you may gain a whole new appreciation for the simple things of life.

When our expensive German-built dishwasher broke down last March, flooding the floor beneath our custom-made cabinets for days before we realized what was happening, I suppose I thought we might be in for a few weeks of inconvenience as we waited for the insurance adjuster and his construction foreman to come assess the extent of the damage.

After a couple weeks of drying machines and dehumidifiers roaring like airplane engines in the kitchen night and day, the news turned out to be even more discouraging. Beneath the existing floor tiles were four levels of old flooring including two layers of asbestos flooring that dated from the house’s midcentury origins. Most of it needed to be removed by a special remediation team. This meant that everything in the kitchen first had to come out — the beautiful custom-made cabinetry and marble counters that wooed my wife’s heart, every appliance, bookshelf and fixture that made the updated kitchen such an appealing space.

The cabinets went to our large screened porch in back.

The refrigerator migrated to the dining room, the microwave to the library and the newly purchased cooktop top and bake oven wound up in the living room foyer. The kitchen’s pub

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table wound up in the den and a new dishwasher sat where it was delivered to the carport. The room was stripped down to the wiring — much of which turned out to be pre-code era and had to be redone once the asbestos team finished its work.

Only the subflooring was left, with several rotted-through spots and gaps that revealed the earth below the room.

Suddenly everything was where something else used to be, including my glasses, wallet and car keys, which were — I swear! — never where I was sure I left them last.

Living on our porch was kind of a kick for a few weeks — at least while it was still springtime and relatively cool. We joked that we were camping out in our own home. Cocktails on the lawn became a thing, even after the heat of summer descended like an unwelcome relative. For a while it was fun to do take-out supper from restaurants we’d never tried before coronavirus and domestic chaos entered our lives. We even broke down and bought a fancy new gas grill in order to actually have the sensation of cooking real food again. Up till then, making coffee in the morning was about as close as we got to cooking anything.

As we waited — and waited — for the crew to return and repair the subfloor, we picked out new Old World tile flooring and even decided to use this out-of-body, in-between time to give our master bedroom a facelift with new paint and Roman shades. Our sympathetic friends who’d been down this winding road ahead of us suggested that we make a small wagering pool about when our kitchen (and lives) would be fully operational again.

I predicted that we would be back in business by Independence Day. My wife, a serious cook of the first rank, guessed her own birthday, July 14. Our friend Terry suggested SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 9

STYLEBOOK

OFFERING A WORLD OF STYLE

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August 1; her husband Patrick laughed evilly and assured us it wouldn’t happen until after Labor Day. I laughed at him, silly me.

As I write these words with the Labor Day rolling into view, our kitchen floor still sits as bare as a baby’s bum. The repair crew apologetically sends word that they have been swamped all summer by similar emergency restoration projects slowed by Covid caution, every one ahead of us in the queue. They assure that they will finally report for duty this coming Friday or next Monday. Or maybe the one after that. Who can say? Will Labor Day be the appointed day after all? Or more appropriately, Halloween?

A lost kitchen, I’d discovered, makes you stop and reflect on the functionality of your home and the small things you take for granted in the daily routines of life. As a kid, my mom’s spotless kitchen was where I ate 10 million boxes of Corn Flakes or Cheerios and wrote away for indispensable stuff from the backs of the cereal boxes, eavesdropped on grown-up conversations and learned to make my mama’s world famous cream chipped beef on toast before I wandered off to college. As a grown-up, it’s where I had hundreds of unforgettable conversations with my own children about everything under the sun before they wandered off into the world. Not unimportantly, the kitchen is where I’ve always hung my car keys by the door so some idiot — i.e. me — can’t remember where he left them last.

Not surprisingly, studies show that kitchens are the most popular and versatile rooms in most homes, especially so during this period of remote work and living. It’s the place where supper is cooked, homework is done and almost everyone gravitates with a glass of vino in hand during the party.

“Happiness,” wrote Alfred Hitchcock in his memoirs, “is a small house with a large kitchen.”

Even the acknowledged Master of Fright appreciated the value of a great kitchen, deadly sharp knives notwithstanding.

For this reason, I’m keeping the faith that the restoration of our lost kitchen will indeed begin in coming days, and that our old kitchen with its new flooring and updated appliances will be worth the wait.

As cooler autumn mornings arrive, what a pleasure it will be to switch on our fancy new gas cooktop and stir up my mama’s world famous cream chipped beef on toast before I wander off to work, forgetting our long hot summer of a lost kitchen. h Jim Dodson is the editor of Seasons and its sister publications, O.Henry and PineStraw.

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STYLEBOOK THE HOT LIST

Shelter Skelter New trends for the new normal in the age of ’rona

By Katy Erikson and Leslie Moore

uDress for Excess. Time to ditch the PJs! Just because we’ve taken “athleisure” to a new level doesn’t mean we can’t spiff up for dinner.

Ulla Johnson’s feminine but casual, comfortable — and flirty — dress ($695) will enhance your evening repast, from hors d’oeuvres to dessert. Rebecca & Co, 1724 Battleground Avenue, Greensboro, (336) 292-2455 or rebeccaandco.com.

pAble Table. Gather round this feat of engineering by interior designer Ray

Booth: the Block Dining Table from Hickory Chair ($12,102). Its honed marble-andsteel pedestal bases support a whopping 108-inch wide surface, perfect for family dinners, online schoolwork and puzzle nights. Priba Furniture, 210 Stage Coach Trail, Greensboro, (336) 855-9034, www.pribafurniture.com.

pFoot Joy. As we transition from teleconference to office,

those fuzzy slippers you’ve been concealing from your colleagues will have to go. How to step up your style without sacrificing comfort? Easy: the Amiens shoe by L’Amour des Pieds ($85). Main & Taylor Shoe Salon, 1616 Battleground Avenue, Greensboro, (336) 851-5025 or mainandtaylorshoes.com.

uFace-Off. Not to be outdone, Monkee’s of High Point has partnered with a local manufacturer to make its own trendy and fashionable masks, including one called “See The Good” ($12). Not a mandate so much as motivation to do good: Its sales benefit local nonprofit High Point Discovered.

(Monkee’s of High Point 1329 North Main Street, High Point, (336) 8820636 or monkeesofhighpoint.com.

tTurn In, Tune Out,

Drop Zzzzs. Not that we recommend hiding your head under the covers, but a good night’s sleep in the Gustavian Abstract Bed from MODERN HISTORY, ($4,770, Queen size), blending classicism with a modern edge, might just make you healthy, wealthy and wise. L. Moore Designs, High Point. (336) 687-4945 or mooredesigns.com.

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tPetal Pushers. A thing of beauty is a joy forever, even the temporal sight and scent of fresh flowers. Consult the creative ladies at Just Priceless and buy some hyacinths — or roses or asters or mums — to feed your soul. Just Priceless, 1313 North Main Street, High Point, (336) 883-6249 or justpriceless.net.

Fall 2020

pThe Eyes Have It. With increased screen time Zooming or ordering from Amazon, you might want a new pair of glasses. Let the windows of your soul shine through a pair of frames from French company Traction Productions ($475), whose mantra, “Creative Originality” has held up for more than a century. The View on Elm, 327 South Elm Street, Greensboro, (336) 274-1278 or text (336) 601-6091; theviewonelm.com.

pMuzzle-tov! Your nose and mouth may be covered but your voice can still be heard. Say it loud and proud with fashionable masks ($18–20) from Greensboro clothing designer Sarah Evenson (Marie Oliver, whose bold but lightweight fabrics make a fashion statement worth paying attention to. Simply Meg’s 1616-H Battleground Avenue Greensboro, (336) 272-2555 or simplymegsboutique.com.

pThe Outer Limits. Think beyond the four walls to the latest travel destination: your own backyard! Enjoy Nature, at her most stunningly beautiful this time of the year, in an outdoor living space courtesy of The Monterey Collection from Summer Classics outdoor furniture. Retail prices vary per item Furnitureland South, 5635 Riveredale Drive, Jamestown, (336) 822-3000, www.furniturelandsouth.com.

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Fall 2020

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STYLEBOOK

THE GARDEN GURU

Native Intelligence

Indigenous plants keep a garden healthy — and beautiful

By Cheryl Capaldo Traylor

N

ative plants are an important part of a healthy ecosystem, but can they also be beautiful additions to our landscapes? “Absolutely,” says Steve Windham, landscape designer and owner of Root & Branch Gardens in Greensboro. “A lot of people are already gardening with natives, they just might not know it.” Many popular landscape plants are North Carolina natives, including purple coneflower, woodland phlox and cardinal flower. They thrive in Southern gardens because they have adapted to our growing conditions over thousands of years.

Windham started his business to focus on landscape designs that included more native plants. He says homeowners often contact him expressly to create more eco-friendly landscapes.

“Do you like birds and butterflies?” he asks them. The answer is almost always “yes.” Once they understand the connection, Windham says it’s not a difficult sale.

Why? Because birds and butterflies, along with bees, bats and moths are pollinators. Noticing their dwindling numbers, gardeners are enthusiastically embracing native plants. Humans need pollinators. Our food supply depends on their work to pollinate the agricultural crops we eat. Habitat loss, climate change and insecticides contribute to their decline. An earlier trend toward exotic ornamentals was also detrimental to pollinators.

According to a study in the journal Nature, yards landscaped predominantly with exotic ornamentals had reduced butterfly and moth populations and fewer other insects. Now, more than ever, pollinators need our help.

Having a good proportion of native plants in the garden helps support local biodiversity. About a third of my plants are exotics like hellebores and cyclamen — two of my favorite nonnatives. In my view, exotics that aren’t invasive are fine as long as they don’t displace native species or cause harm to wildlife. And yes, they do exist. Windham, who is also a member of the North Carolina

Fall 2020

Native Plant Society, agrees, citing camellias as the quintessential exotic evergreen that is useful, beautiful and not invasive.

Conversely, some natives are extremely aggressive spreaders.

To complicate matters, a debate continues in the botanical community: whether to use only the straight species of natives or include nativars, plant varieties produced by selective breeding of native plant species. For example, echinacea purpurea “Razzmatazz” is a nativar of purple coneflower bred to transform the single flower of the native into a fancier, pom-pom-shaped bloom. Nativars don’t always offer the same benefits to insects and wildlife as the straight species does. Sometimes pollinators cannot gather the nectar from “improved” plants. In addition, many are sterile and don’t produce seeds, an essential food source for birds.

Gardeners can do their part by creating pollinator-friendly landscapes. Shape and color are also important factors in choosing plants. Bees are attracted to single, open flowers in shades of blue, purple, violet and white. Butterflies are drawn to red, orange, yellow, purple and pink blossoms, mostly of the cluster type. A garden design incorporating these colors creates a polychromatic feast for the eyes and food for pollinators, proving native plants can be both beneficial and beautiful.

Start small by replacing a few exotics with natives, or trade some lawn space to create a new bed. Choose a mixture of natives that flower, set seed and bear fruit throughout the seasons.

And don’t forget to include grasses, ferns and vines. “Diversity is critical,” says Windham. “Plant more plants. If you have weeds, you don’t have enough plants.”

Below is a list of native plants that are beautiful, pollinatorfriendly, long-blooming and grow reliably well in my garden.

The challenge is deciding which native plants to exclude. As Windham says when asked about his favorite natives, “I love them all. There’s too many beautiful plants to choose just one.”

And that’s something all gardeners can agree on.

SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 15

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STYLEBOOK Going Native Lonicera sempervirens (coral honeysuckle): Orange-tipped scarlet trumpets bloom profusely and attract hummingbirds, with other birds devouring the red fruits come fall. A spectacular, well-behaved honeysuckle.

Asclepias: Both A. tuberosa and A. incarnata are essential to the pollinator garden and required host plants for caterpillars of the monarch and other butterfly species. A. tuberosa (butterfly weed) has a profusion of brilliant orange flowers. A. incarnata (swamp milkweed) bears copious clusters of pink-to-rose blossoms.

Passiflora incarnata (purple passionflower): A vine that resembles a rare tropical species with breathtaking, large, fringed flowers in shades of purple.

Blooms are followed by chartreuse egg-shaped fruit.

Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower): Brilliant red flowers appear summer through fall and attract hummingbirds. Occurring naturally along streams and wetlands, Lobelia thrives in a moist spot in the garden. L. siphilitica (great blue lobelia) has light to bright blue tubular blooms.

fall. Butterflies swarm the blossoms and songbirds fight over the seeds later in the season.

Chrysogonum virginianum (green and gold): The bright yellow flowers on this nonaggressive but nicely spreading ground cover light up the woodland garden as nearly evergreen leaves provide a backdrop for woodland plants.

Stokesia laevis (Stokes aster): An underused but superior wildflower. A bounty of lavender-blue blooms emerge above evergreen foliage for most of the summer. Plant near other flowers for vertical support.

Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver’s root ): The perfect vertical accent of this hardy plant can tower to up to 7 feet. Long spikes of white-to-pastel shades of flowers attract butterflies and bees. Dark-green leaves whorl around the stem, adding fine texture.

Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower): Large purple petals surround an orange-gold center in what is one of the South’s most endearing wildflowers.

Drought-resistant, heat-loving and long-blooming, here’s a plant that draws bees and butterflies — and birds when in seed.

Rudbeckia fulgida (orange coneflower) and R. hirta (black-eyed Susan): These old favorites need no introduction to Southern gardeners. The orange coneflower is reliably perennial. Black-eyed Susan flourishes as an annual.

Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush): Small shrub with white-to-pink spikes in summer. It blooms in shade and is highly fragrant, attracting both wildlife and human admirers. h

Monarda didyma (scarlet beebalm): Vibrant red blooms attract throngs of bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. An aromatic herb, it boasts medicinal and culinary uses.

Cheryl Capaldo Traylor is a writer, gardener, reader and hiker. She blogs at Giving Voice to My Astonishment (www.cherylcapaldotraylor.com).

Helianthus angustifolius (swamp sunflower): Stately perennial with a multitude of yellow daisy-like flowers that bloom in late summer and into

For more information: visit North Carolina Native Plant Society, www.ncwildflower.org. Also, Greensboro’s Guilford Garden Center features native trees, shrubs and perennials. www.guilfordgardencenter.com

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Fall 2020

SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 17

STYLEBOOK

PRIME RESOURCE

Primi Piatti

Vietri expands its Pumpkins Collection with new additions drawing inspiration from a walk through Florence’s street markets and reflecting a playful yet sophisticated take on the fall harvest.

North Carolina—based Vietri celebrates the Italian lifestyle

By Tracy Bulla

S

haring and enjoying meals with family and friends with beautifully rendered, artisan tabletop collections is the core of Vietri’s mission. The company’s co-founder Susan Gravely sat down with us at Vietri’s headquarters in Hillsborough to dish on its evolution over the years, the good life and how she likes to entertain at home.

It all began with a trip to Italy. That serendipitous family vacation in 1983 — mother Lee Gravely and her daughters Susan and Frances — led to the birth of Vietri. Staying at the famed San Pietro Hotel in Positano on the Amalfi Coast, the trio promptly fell in love with the hotel restaurant’s colorful plates. Eager to see where they were made, the Gravelys swiftly arranged a visit to the factory located in a neighboring village. “We walked into a menagerie of color and design — flowers and animals and solids — all mixing and matching in blues, reds, yellows, turquoises, oranges and greens,” says Susan Gravely. “The Gravely girls had found their new life!”

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Back at home in North Carolina with plates in tow, a second trip to Italy was planned where they negotiated their first 20,000-plate shipping container. Campagna, their very first collection and the result of that trip, consisting of four whimsical and vibrantly colored animals, as well as a standalone floral pattern meant for mixing and matching.

Susan and her mother took the collection to the New York Tabletop Show in April of 1984, exhibiting in a 100-squarefoot temporary space at the Prince George Hotel. “In walked Neiman Marcus,” Gravely recalls. “Cynthia Marcus sat down and wrote a $14,000 order for immediate ship. It felt like $14 million in those days!”

The company’s name pays tribute to the town where Campagna was created, Vietri sul Mare. It’s also a playful reference to its owners – by transposing the syllables of Vietri into tre vite, which translates in Italian as three lives – Lee, Susan and Frances Gravely.

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STYLEBOOK After that initial collection and based on a fast-growing demand from customers, Vietri began to “set the table” by expanding its offerings to glasses, flatware, candles and cotton placemats, plus napkins. Today, Vietri has evolved from one line of dinnerware to 3,000-plus items still almost exclusively made in Italy — with the same mission of bringing the Italian spirit and style to American homes with joy and happiness around a table.

Gravely believes that both growing up and headquartering Vietri in North Carolina have been a boon for business. “Coming from a Southern culture where Vietri’s outlook on life parallels how the Gravely family and many Southerners have always valued friends and family has been a huge benefit. We have been surrounded by support and pride for what we do and how we have built a womanowned business,” she notes. “Our state worked with our hands. We worked with the earth, like Vietri, creating designs that start with the earth and become plates or glasses or pots or accessories.

Naturally, Gravely loves to gather friends and family around a table set with Vietri designs. Her secret to a great dinner party? “For me, it is the warm environment and the openness to great conversation and original thought that enhances a dinner party,” she explains. “Each guest is welcomed quickly with a drink of choice in a Vietri glass and a cocktail napkin from yet another product line, VIETRI papersoft. There are flowers in the house, soft music, welcoming smiles and laughter, and delicious smells wafting from the kitchen throughout the home.”

For small groups, Gravely adheres to Vietri’s signature mixing-and-matching approach, and not just for the tableware. She may use a single pattern for dinnerware, but choose different colored napkins or glassware. She also loves to mix the guests, including their ages, so everyone has a chance to meet someone new or catch up with someone they haven’t seen in a while.

For larger parties, Gravely often includes name tags and two words about how she and her husband know them. “We add humor — and people really appreciate it,” she observes. Larger gatherings normally call for a buffet with simple, clean and colorfully tasty food for everyone to savor. Gravely’s dinners often come with a special treat for lucky attendees, a takeaway gift, such as a small floral bouquet wrapped in clear floral wrap for each person. “We love to entertain and our goal is for each person to feel comfortable and welcomed in our home.”

That said, Gravely has noticed a distinct difference not only in how people entertain, but also in what’s actually on the table. “Life has gone from ‘serving’ dinner to ‘picking up’ dinner. In our earlier years, people had many seated dinners with heavy food that took at least a salad plate, a dinner plate and a dessert plate as well as water glasses, wine glasses, whiskey glasses and probably an after-dinner glass,” she explained. “Today, entertaining is simple. We use one plate and reuse it for salad and the main course or put it on one plate together. Desserts are finger foods or easy on a napkin!” The idea is to spend less time preparing and more time enjoying each other: “Vietri calls it ‘being around the table’ with friends and family.”

With everything under the sun available on Amazon or other online sources, Vietri maintains its competitiveness in a crowded digital age through exclusive, copyrighted designs and exceptional customer service, among other things.

“What sets Vietri apart is our original designs, our aesthetics to today as well as classic tastes, our functionality and our stories,” she concludes. “Everything that Vietri does has a reason, a story, a nod to design, Italian history or the people who work in the small family-owned artisan companies. Vietri represents friends and families being together, enjoying life and time together, eating and laughing and living it — each person’s individual reasons for loving life.” h

Above: Vietri debuts the Fauna Collection this fall, combining a pheasant with nature’s greenery, common sights during hunting season in Umbria.

Below: Also new for fall, are Vietri’s additions in the Rufolo Glass Collection expressed in lustrous animal print.

With cooler temperatures coming, former Home Accents Today Editor Tracy Bulla looks forward to dining al fresco.

Info: www.vietri.com. Vietri’s much-loved annual warehouse sale will be held exclusively online from October 8–12.

Fall 2020

SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 19

Building E xceptional Luxur y Homes

... Like no other

STYLEBOOK

DESIGNER’S CHOICE

Bloom Where You Are Planted

High Point designers Allen and James grow their business with plants

By Jennifer Bringle

H

igh Point interior designers Patti Allen and Stephanie James of Allen and James Interior Design believe in the power of plants.

Whether to inject color and life into a space or to take their own business to a new level, the designers know plants can be transformative.

“You can really finish a house with plants,” says Allen.

“Everybody loves green, and they see it in their outdoor space and love to see it on the inside of their home, too.”

That’s why Allen and James decided to go beyond simply adding greenery to clients’ homes and opened their own plant shop, Fiddle Figs. Housed in the 100-plus-year-old Sherrod house in downtown High Point — which serves as headquarters for their design firm and home furnishings and accessories boutique — Fiddle Figs adds the finishing touch to round out their business, just as plants do for home design.

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“We wanted to add more of a niche for our company, and I think our clients really enjoy it,” says James. “It opens up the door to design on their patio or their front porch.”

Building synergy between indoor and outdoor spaces is one of the biggest benefits of adding plants to a home, according to Allen and James. The key is to be thoughtful when selecting greenery for each space.

“You can get creative or have the vegetation match to correlate the outdoors with the interiors,” says James. “Some people just pick the basic plants, but we like to mix it up a little differently and have the style of plants match the style of architecture.”

That architectural approach guides the designers’ selection of plants both for clients and their shop. While there’s certainly room for basics like geraniums and daisies, the duo often choose more sculptural plants such as succulents, elephant ears, orchids and their store namesake fiddle-leaf fig — a tall, SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 21

STYLEBOOK dramatic variety with large violin-shaped leaves that can grow up to 6 feet in height.

“I think the scale of the piece is important,” says Allen. “Instead of putting a floor lamp in the corner, sometimes I’d rather have a tall plant. And today there are so many beautiful pots and containers that add that different layer. It’s a different way to accessorize.”

And the process of choosing the right plant for a space is quite similar to selecting furniture and accessories.

“It’s just like a sofa in a home,” says James. “How does it fit? How are they going to use it? Are they going to care for it? It’s all the same thing; it’s just a different product.”

But unlike furniture or accessories, plants don’t require the same monetary investment to transform the look of a room.

“Plants really give you a lot of bang for your buck,” says James. “You can have a tall tree in the corner, and it’s less expensive than most accessories you can buy or a piece of furniture.”

Admittedly, most plants require ongoing attention to ensure they continue to enhance a space rather than detracting from it. With that in mind,

Allen and James partnered with Pam Rogers, a master gardener who helps source plants for the boutique and provides guidance for plant owners to keep their greenery alive and well.

“She’s the expert — she’s been doing this for a long time,” says Allen. “Stephanie and I are the experts on knowing what the best pot is and what style we like.” But it’s Pam Rogers who takes it from there. With her help, Allen and James provide care sheets detailing how to maintain the vegetation. And they even add alerts to clients’ smartphones to remind them to water their plants.

For clients who are really serious about their plants, Allen and James sometimes help them adjust a room’s design to accommodate the vegetation.

“To bring in proper light, I’ll just do curtain panels to the side where it’s not covering the window,” says James. “We even once took off the stained glass on the front of a house and opened it up to allow more light to come in.”

And outdoors, there are even more factors to consider when adding plants to a space — not only light, but also heat and other weather conditions.

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STYLEBOOK containers with trees and topiaries,” says James.

“But then you have to take into consideration the wind. We had to put down 160 pounds of stone in each pot to weight it. There’s Mother Nature as your outdoor objection you have to overcome — it’s not just about the look, there are other factors involved.”

With so many sources for plants from local nurseries to big-box retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot, Allen and James knew there would be a fair amount of competition for Fiddle Figs’ business. The designers work to set themselves apart by offering distinctive plant varieties not available elsewhere, as well as healthier plants cultivated to last longer. And unlike those other outlets, their boutique offers the service of an interior design firm to help customers not only choose their plants, but also install them in the home or yard.

“Now there are so many people who love to have their patios done, and they want someone else to come in and do it,” says Allen. “There are a lot of people who have nice nurseries and plant stores, but they don’t want to come to your house to do the planting. Our clientele likes that we offer that.”

But Fiddle Figs isn’t just for interior design clients. The shop — along with the home furnishings and accessories boutique — is open to the public, and Allen and James see it as a way to offer their services to customers of all budgets.

“We want everybody to be able to come in here and buy a plant,” says Allen. “A lot of our clients come in here and leave with a plant because it makes them feel good. It’s something small you can change around in your home.”

When they embarked on this venture just a year ago, the designers weren’t sure what to expect. But so far, even with the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, Fiddle Figs has been a success. And more than that, the business has been an opportunity for Allen and James — 20-plus-year veterans of the interior design industry — to explore something new and push themselves outside their comfort zone.

“One reason we did this is because it was a new challenge,” says James. “We know a lot about furnishings and about spaces, but getting to know the plants and what lives where and even having the containers big enough for the root systems, it’s just a different thing that we can enjoy.” h Jennifer Bringle has written about home design for nearly a decade, most recently as editor-in-chief of Casual Living magazine. She also admits to having a pretty green thumb, caring for dozens of plants throughout her Greensboro home.

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STYLEBOOK

HIDDEN GEM

A Pretty Face

Label maker Wright of Thomasville creates magic outside the bottle

S

By Cynthia Adams ometimes it’s a mere 3 x 3 inches, sometimes a fraction more on the wine bottle. Inconsequential, you may think. Hardly, says Don Wright, who heads Wright of Thomasville, a creator of labels for wines, spirits, liquors and more.

Wright insists there “is an art to making wines, and an art to making a label.”

He goes further: “The label sells the first bottle. The product sells the second. If you don’t know a name, you have to be attracted by what you’re seeing on the package.”

Stephanie Bolton — once a chemistry coed at Wake Forest University and now director of research and education for the Lodi Winegrape Commission in Lodi, California — agrees.

“In retail settings, many American wine consumers choose a wine bottle to purchase based on the price and their attraction to the label — just like judging a book by the cover,” Bolton explains.

The label, a mere understudy, ascends to stardom.

“The less we know about our variety and regional preferences, the more likely we are to let the label guide our selection.”

Consider it a minute billboard, the creative expression of the winery, which poured years of effort into each bottle on the shelf.

In other words, a piece of paper affixed to a bottle may motivate a shopper to put the wine into a shopping basket — or leave it on the shelf. More surprisingly noticed Bolton, who has worked in wine education here and abroad, a label can even influence how the drinker experiences the wine once in the glass.

“I’ve observed that most consumers are more likely to enjoy a

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wine if they love the label artwork,” she says.

What’s more, she says, labels can turn us off to a wine that may be perfectly delicious and of high quality: “For example, I’m really put off by wines with labels featuring photos of pets!”

“Wine labels absolutely affect purchases,” insists Stacey C. Land, certified sommelier for 1618 Midtown in Greensboro. “A pretty label is as good as a pretty face.” She says she’s watched her customers and coworkers fall in love with that appeal: “Even after describing two wines to them with the ‘dull’ label being described as the better wine for their particular taste profile, they still want to taste the ‘fun’ label,” she has observed. “One of the reasons I like to blind taste is that I know for myself that a label can affect me,” she adds. Land also oversees the 1618 Book Club, their playfully named wine club. She’s seen label appeal at work.

This is all old news to Don Wright, one of four descendants running the family-owned Wright business. The company began producing wine labels in 1995 when their dad saw opportunity and diversified. “Our father, Bill Wright, was a graphics designer,” he says. “Label design really appealed to him, much more from an aesthetic basis.”

Eleven years ago, industry standard Furniture Today magazine marveled how Wright of Thomasville finessed labels for everything from mattresses to wine, beer and liquor bottles.

“Label this a success,” the industry publication quipped.

Founded in 1961 on Main Street in Thomasville by brothers Bill and Tom Wright, Wright began the year Don was born. “I came out a chunky, fat kid, and dad got nervous he Fall 2020

STYLEBOOK wouldn’t be able to feed me and started a company,” he jokes.

For the first 15 years, Wright produced graphics, mattress and furniture tags. Then North Carolina’s wine industry began emerging — and the Yadkin Valley, the state’s first viticultural area, was at their back door.

Shelton and Raffaldini “were very, very early customers,” Wright recalls.

RayLen, too.

Wright produced Childress Vineyards’ labels from the beginning, he says.

Approximately 25 wineries in North Carolina alone became customers.

“There were some tax dollars and state assistance to farmers turning over tobacco crops — that’s where the Yadkin Valley appellation came from,” says Wright. “You own printing equipment, and you can print anything. We just happened to be there.”

Closer to the coast, Duplin Winery, in Rose Hill, is a good example of what labeling can do for an up-and-coming company. Brothers Dan and David Fussell began bottling muscadine wine in 1976 — not in bottles but in Mason jars.

Bill Wright became convinced that a new label could make a difference in the Duplin Winery’s sales. He acted.

“Dad just dropped in while commuting between Wilmington and Thomasville. We had just gotten into the wine business. He went in and met with them, and being as creative as he was, he said, ‘You know, I think we can make this look a little bit better.’”

Bill returned to the Thomasville plant on Prospect Street and set to work.

Duplin’s redesigned label leaned heavily upon their coastal proximity. “He got an artist to paint the logo — the Cape Lookout lighthouse and a seagull — and it significantly impacted their business. They are crushing it.”

Evidence of its success?

“Within the first year, just changing the label itself, unit volume increased six times. And they were able to raise their pricing by 20 percent,” Wright recalls.

So, what makes for a great label? “The real magic happens when you are

Fall 2020

hopefully able to convey the personality of the business,” Wright says, “the company you’re representing, the people making the product.”

The label must begin with a conversation with the makers, Wright says, telling a story in little space. (The standard label size is typically 3.5 x 4 inches.)

“I want to talk to the guy who grew the grapes, made the wine, and have him tell me his story.”

But the story has to be short, he says. “It has to happen in a one-tenth of a second — the average amount of time a consumer has to register while shopping, processing and making a determination to explore more or pass it up.”

For a shopper with no knowledge of the vintner, there is little to drive a choice but visuals.

“If you don’t know a name, you have to be attracted by what you’re seeing on the package.”

Late in 2019, Wine Enthusiast suggested design guidelines.

“Your label should not look cheesy,” the wine publication intoned. “It should be readable, not feature things like dark type on a black background.

Also, labels with technical information should be accurate and communicate something of value to the consumer, not just a bunch of boilerplate blather.”

Wright himself is partial to “that little thing that catches your eye,” he laughs. “I’m a huge fan of foil stamp. People claim I’m a magpie because I like shiny objects.”

Land notes that “a well thought out or super creative label may not contain something serious (Chablis or Bordeaux) but it can be something more fun, groundbreaking or even just rule breaking.”

Wright agrees. “You can go traditional, or can create an image that you’re new and young and fresh and different, or put yourself in the design category and look like you’ve been around a long time and have provenance . . . that’s all about design. Because no one knows until you sell that first bottle!”

Examining the die cutting, screens, embossing, design, color and, configuration Wright weighs execution scanning bottles on the wine store shelf.

SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 27

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“I drive myself crazy, looking at the bottle from the vantage point of how did they make that label?”

He drinks in the stimuli, he says, and slacks his thirst by studying the marketplace.

Irene Moore, a Southerner, is a veteran wine and food writer. She leads the Miami chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, a society of professional women in food, fine beverage and hospitality. (Wine lover Julia Child was also a member.)

“The label is the first thing that we see that makes us pay attention to a wine. Do wineries miss out on sales because their label is unappealing?

Often they do.”

She says “U.S. drinkers first pick a wine by the grape variety they like, and then by price.” Beyond that, Moore says label appeal likely depends on “age and gender.”

“I always go for the ‘pretty’ label or one that suggests a lifestyle that appeals to me. A male might choose a more ‘masculine’ label.”

Fall 2020

Some labels whisper to exclusivity and cult vintages. Those wines seem to demand decanting, the proper glass, and accoutrements. Wright marvels at the culture that surrounds certain wines.

“The unspoken, unwritten rules as to how wine gets consumed; these rituals,” Wright sighs, who is a wine lover himself. “But the reality is, there is some good juice in the bottle, and am I going to get with friends and experience it?”

He notices that over the years, the wine industry has learned not to take themselves and their wines so seriously: “It has lightened up and said, ‘Hey, let’s have fun! When it started, it was heavy. And we were competing with California. Now (North Carolina vintners) know they have their own story, and are comfortable in their own wine skins!”

Moore has a special pick, and it relates to a lighthearted spirit. “One of my favorite wine labels is ‘La Vie en Joy,’ by Famille Gessler.”

She is taken with the fact that the label denotes happiness. “I would always buy their wine because of their label and because it suggests joy in life to me.”

Wright recalls the last bottle he bought simply because of the label’s appeal.

“I just bought a really nice bottle of champagne for a gift. It was BillecartSalmon, French. Like Veuve Clicquot, but it is a rosé color.” He grows animated discussing the label’s savory specifics. “It has a screen print, raised varnish; almost like a fingernail polish!”

Then he reminisces about spying a bottle bearing a Wright-made label, one with its own special detail, sitting behind a bar or on a retailer’s shelf, telling its story in miniature.

“That’s us!” he recalls happily. “We did that!” h Cynthia Adams is a contributing editor to Seasons’ flagship, O.Henry.

SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 29

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La Dolce Vita Living the sweet life right now

By Cynthia Adams

A

n officemate neighbor with a small business favors Italian shoes and clothing, and European wines and delectables — la dolce vita. The expression is also the title of a 1960 Fellini comedydrama, which translates to “the sweet life.”

When it comes to matters of the table, Cliff is living the sweet life, which means he isn’t stuffing the good things inside a cupboard to molder for a special occasion.

Today is the occasion.

Cliff likes to cook but believes entertaining requires more than good food and wine. Even pre-Covid, he placed posies at each place setting, which were set with his best linens, silver and china.

His girlfriend and her mom noted the special touches. After hosting them for dinner recently, the mother lavished praise, comparing him to a handsome TV lifestyle guru named Colin Cowie, who grew up in South Africa. Known to consult with luminaries like Oprah, he is a stylish event planner.

But Cliff protested self-consciously. “Can’t you compare me to Brad Pitt?” he complained.

“But it’s true,” he admitted laughing. “I like to make it special.

“Make it —” he broke off.

“An occasion?” I offered.

“That’s it!” Cliff smiled. “An occasion.”

Afterward, I rolled his words around: “An occasion.”

If one thing has become radiantly clear in 2020, then surely it’s the need to make the most of our lives.

It was a wakeup call for me, who grew steadily more like Pizza Fall 2020

Rat than Colin Cowie, languishing in a pandemic decay. But the pleasures of sweatpants-living had worn thin. Moreover, when I learned my athletic young nephew had Covid-19, I began to pull out treasures. What was I waiting for?

Out came my good earrings and favorite capri pants. I vowed to set a proper table and stop eating Nutella from the jar. I would get a grip.

Moment-marking had begun.

The people in my circle said this: “When I want to feel special, no matter if it’s just me, or me and Clark, my partner,” says Larry, “I get out the nice china.”

“The crystal. The silver. I put at least one flower out. And I light a candle . . . and I think of someone who’s gone.”

This has long been his habit since 1987, when the global HIV/ AIDS epidemic struck and Larry lost his close North Carolina school friend, James Franklin Mitchell, who became well-known modeling for Calvin Klein and other fashion houses, later founding the design business J. F. Mitchell & Company. “When he was so sick at Sloan Kettering and I couldn’t go see him,” says Larry, “I would phone him. He asked me to light a candle and think of him.”

Ever since, Larry has continued to do this in memory of his friend.

“Now, whatever I do to make my little world beautiful is important to me,” Larry says.

My friend Minta does things Texan style big — hosting big gatherings with endless platters of food, offered up with an artist’s eye for beauty.

Minta creates occasion, prone to offer a dusting of social SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 31

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magic. The magic is not confined to the table. One wintry night she lit a roaring bonfire following the dinner, and guests moved outside with coffee to gasp at the brilliant stars in a crystal-clear sky.

In warmer months, the fun sometimes spills outside to the pond and dock behind her historic, comfortable country home. Minta says occasion-making is straightforward: “First the guests (good mix) and conversation is the main ‘course’ of the memorable event,” she reminisces.

“True that the ‘splendid’ table setting and space (perhaps background music) create ambience. Simple preparation or take-out, catered, fresh and attractive food display will allow host and hostess not to be overburdened so can achieve No. 1: ‘food for conversation’ and ‘right relationship.’”

Cowie apparently agrees with Minta on the right mix of relationships, writing on his website that he seeks always to “balance the energy at the table.”

“It’s not the food, it’s the person you have the meal with,” offers Larry. He cites the example of a much-admired client and friend.

He shared a memorable exchange with Mrs. Margaret Brooks, wife of Thornton Brooks, a prominent Greensboro attorney whose sprawling house on the corner of Irving Park’s Sunset Drive and Briarcliff Road was named a Guilford County Landmark late last year. Larry remembers Margaret — who lived to the ripe old age of 103 — as possessing proud carriage and great character. She was a tastemaker.

“She drove this big old blue Cadillac,” Larry recalls, “and she often wore a pale blue suit — and always carried a patent leather pocket book and wore gloves.

She came to see me one time after I had just moved into my house, as I was having my first get-together.”

He remembers being rattled when he answered the door of his just acquired Sunset Hills home, which she duly noticed. “She said, ‘Oh, Larry, you seem discombobulated. Is everything OK?’”

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He explained he had 25 people coming for dinner. He wanted it to be perfect.

“She said, ‘Larry, listen to my words. I’m going to tell you something my mother told me that has served me very well. It’s not who’s at the table, but who’s in the seat.’”

Larry said she explained the energy at a gathering mattered far more than anything else, including the food or the setting.

It was a teachable moment for Larry, one who collected imported antiques from Britain and valued beautiful things from childhood.

But Margaret reminded him that in the passage of time, his guests and their happiness would be the reason it would become memorable.

It changed his view of what makes an occasion meaningful.

Even so, the ceremony of creating an occasion is something he still enjoys. He adds he has learned it isn’t even complicated. My friend Julia agrees.

Julia, who lives in Napa Valley, California, works with wine writers in order to promote the valley’s famous juice. Despite her many experiences of the Golden State’s finest vintages and fabulous food, a favorite occasion wasn’t memorable for either. It was far simpler.

On her granddaughter Lyla’s fifth birthday late last year, a singular color made the day delightful. The celebrants marked Lyla’s big day in yellow.

“It’s her favorite color (or was that day!) We wore yellow clothes, had yellow decorations and ate yellow cake. It was pretty special,” Julia recalls.

As we emerge from long months of social distancing, we seek out ways in which our lives can grow more memorable and meaningful.

In wearing yellow for a little girl, lighting a candle for a departed friend, getting the silver out for a friend’s mother, or placing a flower on the table, we seem to have found it. h

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SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 35

The Keeper of the Flame Artist and designer Linda Lane finds a permanent haven in Greensboro’s Fisher Park

By Cynthia Adams • Photographs by Amy Freeman

36 SEASONS •

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& DESIGN

Fall 2020

F

rom the outside, the Bob and Linda Lane home has a friendly, grab-a-seat-and-enjoy-the-shade, sort of vernacular. “Simple, not too showy,” in the words of Benjamin Briggs, executive director of Preservation Greensboro.

The Mediterranean revival, two-story, brick 1924-era home, is set back from the street with granite block curbing. (That curbing is a historic Fisher Park feature, defining the district’s period homes and streets.)

Captain Basil J. Fisher, namesake of the land he donated in 1901, would likely approve of today’s picturesque parklands and homes, all lovingly preserved within one of the Gate City’s most popular neighborhoods, long part of the National Register of Historic Places.

Former swamplands have been transformed into stone-lined waterways, acFall 2020

cented by quaint stone walls and bridges within the park — set against a backdrop of luxurious trees, flowers, trails and an abundance of granite. It comprises the heart of the neighborhood, and the Lanes are in close proximity to the park.

With ample porch space for neighborly entertaining, Linda Lane says this open space is a wonderful extension. “The porch serves as our foyer,” she notes, speaking like the designer she is.

The front door opens directly into the main room, which is flooded with natural light. The room’s large granite fireplace also bears the distinctive grapevine mortar work, another Fisher Park signature.

Although the house built by Dr. Denis Roscoe Wolff nears its centennial, it is still robust: solid, honest and unpretentious as granite. Unpretentiousness matters to the Lanes.

SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 37

So did the home’s provenance, given Linda’s volunteer work on the Greensboro Historic Preservation Commission.

“We both have been addicted to looking at houses since forever.” Bob is a Realtor. The couple has previously renovated and flipped homes, living in them before selling.

“Neither of us had in mind to be actively looking. We were clearly going to sell our [Starmount] house but didn’t know when. We ended up looking and falling in love,” says Linda.

And no wonder. This house hadn’t been “ruin-ovated.”

It had four bedrooms — spacious — especially considering it was designed for a family of three. Wolff built the home in 1924 around the time of his marriage to Sanford “Sandy” Thomas Wolff. The eight-room house cost a whopping $13,778 to build according to the permit that ran in the newspaper. Then again, adjusted for inflation, that would be $206,584.59 in today’s dollars.

Many Greensboro residents of a certain age have fond memories of the couple’s only child, George Thomas Wolff, known for his wit and kindness. He became a beloved, highly respected family physician like his father.

Denis died in 1941. His bride, Sandy, survived him for 52 years. George Wolff died in 2016. Now, the Lanes, empty-nesters with a hankering for historic architecture, are nestled into the former Wolff family’s foursquare.

With small projects and tweaks still under way, the house is immensely comfortable, colorful and almost modern in its first-floor open plan. But as a designer, Linda finds one’s own home is the hardest project of all.

38 SEASONS •

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Fall 2020

That, in part, is because deadlines aren’t exactly deadlines.

Her personal projects often come after clients’. And they are closely deliberated, despite the seeming informality.

The Lanes bought the house in 2015 while still living in Starmount.

The Fisher Park house as they found it was spacious and perfectly livable, Linda admits, a wry smile on her lips. The kitchen had even been recently updated.

Foursquare homes — two-story, with a rectangular footprint and a front porch that runs along the full width of the house — are the most commonplace residences in the historic district, with 60 listed in the Fisher Park inventory. However, this house wore Italian Renaissance features, says Briggs.

Meaning what? Although foursquare in form, Briggs explains, the defining Mediterranean style is revealed by “the icing, the decoration.”

The “icing” here is visible in the “dark brick, the wide overhanging eaves with exaggerated brackets and the massive porch supports.” Briggs calls it “a style that was elegant and sophisticated, yet simple and not too showy.”

The Wolff home could possibly have been designed by architect Harry Barton, he speculates. Clues of this, he offers, are the overall “design, wire-cut brick, and scale of the house.” (Barton, a successful rival of prolific architect Charles Hartmann, left his own imprint on Greensboro, particularly on the campus of Woman’s College, now UNCG.) Yet . . . by current standards, the house was lacking.

“The reason the house sat on the market is because it had so few bathrooms,” says Linda. In fact, it had only one, an upstairs bath. That single bath did have a charming original tub and freestanding marble shower, all in excellent condition. The separate shower was a pleasant surprise. It even has excellent water pressure, as Linda later discovered.

“We kept coming back and looking at it,” she remembers.

“I was hedging. Then we realized it was perfect for what we would need.” As it turns out, they were thinking of downsizing anyway. “This was the downsize,” she says, “but it’s still big.” There was even a partial third floor, which became an informal retreat. A great nest for storage, a TV, or, well, empty-nesting.

The house now has 2,800 square feet by Lane’s guesstimate. Not exactly small, yet smaller than the Lanes’ former Starmount home.

“We were in a house that was 4,500 square feet. Which was way too much,” Linda says.

“I used to think when I was younger, and people said they were downsizing, they were having financial straits.” She laughs. “Now, it’s so redemptive and freeing. Now I see it totally differently.”

But initially, of course, Linda wasn’t quite sure. The updated kitchen needed better flow, in the designer’s opinion. And they would have to address the lack of bathrooms.

Experience was on their side. So was a layout that would mean they could incorporate underused space without building out. Linda’s wheels turned immediately.

The Lanes had been flipping houses since their years in Washington, D.C., where they renovated four row houses on Capitol Hill, the city’s largest historic district. Linda, who was born in Beirut but raised in the United States, spent her formative years working as a designer for a large Washington firm.

At the time, the district was a dodgy area; it hadn’t yet become the wildly expensive neighborhood it is today.

Before leaving Washington in 1999 to live in Greensboro, Linda says, “the Fall 2020

world was having a good economy but Washington was a drug-laced city. I (still) loved living on the Hill, and all the work we did.”

Renovation became irresistible to Linda, whose dreams are filled with houses and streetscapes. She dreams of being a bird in flight, zipping through an urban area, “looking down on a street at buildings.”

And, of course, the artist and designer dreams in color.

Linda remains excited by the work of restoration, of “taking something that has been beaten up and discarded, and refreshing it. That is the most rewarding thing we do.”

She discusses repurposing objects, like the marble they removed in the upstairs bath. About avoiding change without purpose. “I’m more careful about what walls have to come out. There is a justification to make it bigger. It can be done (thoughtfully).”

The leitmotif in Linda’s work is grit, she says. “To tear out walls, do renovations, restoration. I loved getting dirty. The real nuts and bolts.”

She once thought about working in architecture rather than design. Now she toys with getting a contractor’s license. As she has done numerous renovations, she says she has learned to become a project manager.

“I call myself an interior designer, because that was my schooling,” she says.

But she’s also evolved into an artist of sorts and “an artisan of other skills as well.

I can do a working drawing of a piece of furniture as well as a layout of a kitchen.”

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home. “That’s when everyone who knows me starts laughing. Everybody who knows me says, ‘Yeah, right.’”

Linda admitts she was soon daydreaming about the floor plan.

“The kitchen wasn’t functioning well. We made the decision to do that change before we moved in . . . we’re used to having lived through projects before.” For instance, when they bought the Wolff house Linda was project manager on Hillside, the iconic Fisher Park property built by the president of the Jefferson Life Insurance company, Julian Price. For Linda, the restoration was a career highlight.

“To be involved with such an historical gem . . . I was really bonded with the history of the house.”

For many, a high-profile restoration, plus buying a house that needed a kitchen makeover would be daunting, but not Linda. “I get in a zone, and that’s the way it is.”

She laughs. “I don’t mind it. I don’t mind getting dirty. I just love having workmen and the sound of buzz saws around me.” Linda shrugs, “Then, I’m happy when they pack up their tools.”

She had the house’s original oak floors refinished in a darker stain, a tweak that had surprising and immediate impact.

The kitchen was the primary focus of change. Plus, the couple agreed on adding an extra full bathroom at the same time.

“We took the pantry, existing kitchen, and the porch into the existing layout. The porch is not considered part of the square footage when unheated.

When we brought the footprint of the porch into the house, it became our laundry/new bathroom. That really was a godsend.

“It ended up being a beautiful rectangular space; functional.”

Cosmetics, like painting and refinished original floors were the other fixes.

“Nothing changed, other than the kitchen/butler’s pantry/porch.”

Except for the addition of a powder room. This year the Lanes refurbished the second-floor bath. By removing a slab of marble from the existing shower, it opened the space. The slab became a countertop for a new vanity.

“The tub is original; the slab of marble is original,” says Linda. “The fixtures

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stayed in place.” Paint, window treatments and décor all evolved.

The third-floor retreat was left much as they found it. A family heirloom, a pendant light with slag glass, hangs above the third-floor landing.

The granite fireplace with grapevine mortar in the main room, however, is most prized.

“I just love sitting in my living room, and even had a fire just by myself…it is the most beautiful fireplace I’ve ever had. Not something that goes unused.”

The refreshment of the Lane’s home was largely done by the beginning of this year.

As renovations drew to a close, Linda enjoyed the last bits, just “fiddling with details.” Some of the details Linda values are vintage, consignment shop finds, or things repurposed from the couple’s former homes.

In the dining room, original Parisian chairs found on 1st Dibs surround a dining table discovered in a reseller’s shop.

“It was in its natural state of oak. Real traditional,” she says. “With tiger graining. Exaggerated lion paws feet! It was an extension table; it is mechanically brilliant.” (Describing how the aprons pull out and the table extends, Linda marvels at its design.)

She refinished the table in darker tones for heightened effect.

Now it’s a “java-toned oak,” she says, lingering. “When closed, it’s a 50-foot square. I always wanted a square table; the room is square. With a square rug.

The symmetry was important.”

The custom chandelier above it is an example of rule-breaking, Linda says.

Repurposed from Linda’s own lamp and a Raleigh designer’s Murano glass, the collaborative design is meant to be noticed. “Overscale on purpose.”

Linda made an intentional calculation, making the room dramatic by so doing. “It’s breaking the rules, (for a chandelier), but her work inspired me to go bigger.”

Furnishings in dining room include an orange, French Bombay chest from the Historic Newport Collection created by North Carolina company EJ Victor, says Linda. Its twin is in a guest room. The pair has been used in prior homes.

Orange is Linda’s accent color: her “popping” color.

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“I love the color orange. The dining room has a neutral palette other than the pop of orange and the chandelier. The draperies are a muted plum. I love plum/lavender/purples.”

How would Linda describe the interiors?

“I love the period of the ’30s. It’s not quite Art Deco,” she says. “The dining chairs speak to me for being 1930s, maybe early 1940. The vendor on those chairs specialized in Art Deco chairs from France. That’s the historical footnote.” The main text is filled out with a Louis XV cabinet, chinoiserie — 1750s, versus Art Deco. “That’s where it becomes this intertwining of periods.”

Linda stays with that theme of interlacing elements as she discusses the dining room.

“The influence of the chinoiserie is important to me; I have those huge jardinières near the radiator. They came from a designer who had done lots of travel in the far East before China was in everybody’s face,” she says, waxing enthusiastic. “They’re old chinoiserie. Then I realized I have to pull it back — I can go overboard.” She laughs.

“Louis XV had a lot of chinoiseries in the period,” she adds.

Her taste for the ornate French style can be traced back to 1978, when Linda joined a six-week program in Paris at what is now Parsons Paris, studying under the school’s dean of students, Vieri Salvadori. The students had free access to the Louvre.

Counterpoint to the grand — the chinoiserie and gargantuan table with lion paws — is the straightforward — a sideboard Linda describes as simple/modern. The impresario used contrast in order to compose a unique narrative within the room. (For all interesting rooms convey a story, as she explains.)

“The push and the pull of the story you tell visually,” Linda notes. “You do it with words. I do it with things . . . And I don’t want to explain it,” she says and laughs.

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There’s also more of Linda’s designs than she initially discusses. Her fabrics.

The fabric in the downstairs bath featuring Asian cranes is one among Linda’s textile designs still very much in use.

“Century Furniture still runs that fabric in a beautiful aqua color. They just reordered it.”

Upstairs, Linda stops before a pier-style mirror on the landing. In order to use it here, she was forced to have it cut down in order to fit.

The bed in the guest room “is a classic mahogany four-poster with a canopy design; I reglazed into a real pretty green. I love taking old classic stuff and giving it a tweak. Give it a new life. It’s so fun.”

As Linda walks through her home, she openly admires the tradespeople she works with on projects. She asks, “Where are you being the mechanic, where are you being the artist, and where are you being both?” In managing design projects and restorations, her work is often a collaboration with tradespeople; she “speaks their language.”

“You know that book, Steal Like an Artist?” she asks. I do. The book by Austin Kleon sits on my bookshelf, a gift from artist William Mangum. It is, in fact, much favored by creatives.

Steal Like an Artist is a roadmap for navigating a creative life. Linda says she feeds her creative self by doing things like taking a recent drawing class. She also likes to go old-school; she still hand-colors her renderings — whether for a room design or a fabric she is developing.

This book gave Linda the confidence to finally say, “You know what? I do know what I’m talking about, and I am an artist.”

The Lanes’ historic home is proof.

Despite multiple past renovations, during which Linda and Bob would renovate while in place, then move to the next project, she says the Fisher Park home is different. It proves “to be the keeper.”

And a good thing, given the pandemic that resulted in the cancellation of Fall 2020

the High Point Market last spring, a move that rattled designers nationwide.

But again, Linda proved resilient. “I’m quietly happy to be at home. I’m a real homebody, and my home means a lot to me. And I feel like I shouldn’t be so happy I’m at home? I don’t get cabin fever.” Lane admits to feeling a bit guilty.

She describes a subsequent conversation with her daughter.

“She’s 30, and this is their first 9/11, so to speak. And you start thinking of chronological events, how her friends may lose their business in Chicago. But we may be on the verge of an innovation.”

Disruption as innovation; Linda toyed with the idea.

All that nesting in the time of a pandemic has made her reflective and she harked back to her student days, recently unearthing a folder from her time studying in Paris.

“We were studying the history of French architecture from the 1500s to the present day,” Linda recalls. The other half was spent on the interiors program of decorative arts and interior design.” Apart from some travel to the Middle East, Linda said she had not been exposed to Europe.

The Paris experience built upon her prior training and lent significance and context for certain maxims.

“Why do pairs make you feel better? What is symmetry?” Linda asked. She studied “the correlations that become so important in your work.”

The observations — from architecture to paintings — changed her. Rather than handing down hard maxims, her immersion in French style empowered her to break them. Challenge them.

“Design becomes almost a sixth sense when it becomes all-consuming,” she says. “My whole life has been observing as an artist.”

She quoted an influence who said, “decorating is the art of decorating comfortably.”

She muses about how comfort is created; “It either happens or it doesn’t. It’s an innate gift,” And as the weather turns cooler, she might build another fire. h SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 43

Camelid City For Michael and Patricia West, Divine Llama Vineyards represents a beautiful marriage of wine and design

By Jim Dodson • Photographs by Amy Freeman

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verything here,” says Michael West, “ is connected – the llamas to the land, the land to the grapes, the grapes to the wine. By design, it’s almost impossible to separate one from the other, a life that evolved out of our love for special animals and the pleasure of making good wine and a passion for creating an architectural overlay to enhance it.”

West, the versatile owner with wife Patricia of Divine Llama Vineyards in East Bend, knows a great deal about effective design. A native West Virginian who began his career in architecture at Virginia Tech and Philadelphia before relocating to Winston-Salem in the 1980s and joining the respected firm of Calloway, Johnson and Moore, West worked his way up to senior partner and president in the firm that had fingerprints on projects across the nation and internationally.

From his sketch board came notable structures like SciWorks of Winston-Salem (Kaleideum), BB&T Ballpark (recently named Truist Stadium), the Virginia Museum of Natural History and the spectacular U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville. West’s more recent designs include Forsyth Humane Society, Samaritan Ministries and a new office building rising above the first base line of First National Bank Field in Greensboro, home of the Hoppers.

In time, however, West realized something was missing. “After years of growing the firm to 120 employees in five offices, getting on and off airplanes and constantly traveling, I was only designing at night and on weekends. I was worn out and needed a major life change at 50,” he says.

In 2006, he sold CJMW to the firm’s junior partners and formed a boutique firm called West & Stem and Architects based out of an 1898 restored mill in Bethania, which allowed him “to get back in touch with the art of design and “something,” as he puts it, “that changed all our lives.”

That something was a deep – if unexpected – love for llamas, the domesticated South American camelid widely used as pack animal and fiber source in Andean culture. Recently, according to Smithsonian Magazine, researchers have discovered antibodies present in certain kinds of llamas that may even result in effective treatments against Covid-19. More important to the Family West, these docile and highly social creatures, which work well in a herd and produce incredibly soft lanolin wool, became almost as beloved as family members.

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Their part of the family story dates from 2003 when the Wests and their three daughters resided on 15 rolling acres in a dream house Michael designed west of downtown Winston-Salem. “As the girls got older, I had this idea that we could start a small farm. They loved the idea, particularly the possibility of getting horses.”

West had other ideas, though. Family friends raved about owning pet llamas.

“I knew absolutely nothing about them,” he explains, “but I started researching them and discovered that they’re about the coolest animals and would probably work out very well for us. But I wasn’t sure the girls would agree,” He remembers the night around the supper table he presented the idea to his female brain trust, using a clever ploy. “I proposed that we start raising buffalo. You should have seen their faces. They were stunned, basically thought the idea was nuts. ‘OK,’ I said, ‘I have a second idea. How about raising llamas?’

They quickly warmed to the idea of llamas but they still wanted horses. So I proposed a compromise – mini horses for them and llamas for me. And that’s where all of this really began.”

West relates this amusing tale of familial compromise while seated on the deck of thriving Divine Llama Vineyards with a glass of his Mustang Sally wine in hand, a delicious white made from traminette grapes and named after one of their llamas. The sun is setting below the horizon of the 91 hilltop acres that provide an almost mythic view of Pilot Mountain a dozen miles to the north, tumbling hillsides that produce a dozen different varietals of grapes resulting in 8,000 bottles of Divine Llama brand wine each year.

West acquired the property for growing grapes and a llama herd in a bend of the Yadkin River in 2006 with the intent of designing a new house and farm.

The property that included a new log home and a ramshackle farmhouse he didn’t quite know what to do with until he, Patricia and the friends who purchased the log house decided to grow grapes and maybe make a little wine.

“It started as a casual conversation,” he recalls. “We shared a love of drinking good wine and thought it might be fun to make some wine. Having become a serious student of wines in college, I knew absolutely nothing about growing grapes and making it. I’m an architect because I am good at math and

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art. Winemaking is about biology and chemistry overlaid with creativity.”

Their first step was to sign up for classes at the Center for Viticulture & Enology at Surry Community College, studying on Thursday nights and weekends for a year. In April of 2007, the Wests planted their first vines, 10 acres of cabernet franc, traminette, chardonnay and merlot grapes.

Two years later, in May of 2009, West and his partner offered six wines for sale to the public, with labels they designed featuring — what else? — llamas.

By then, the architect had transformed the ramshackle farmhouse — which Patricia originally invited the East Bend Volunteer Fire Department to use for a controlled burn — into a beautiful rustic tasting room, welcoming his first customers strictly by word of mouth. “In the beginning this was not a business venture. It was about a love of wine and, increasingly, the llamas,” he insists. “It couldn’t have worked out better. They eventually took over our lives.”

Today, the Wests boast a growing herd of 90 llamas — including five national champions — that they breed and show in competitions that rival the Westminster Dog Show in terms of style and sophistication, making them the largest llama breeders in the Southeast. A “silky” llama named Versailles even served as groomsman at daughter Addison’s wedding in 2012.

“They’re such remarkable creature, incredibly calm but fierce guardians against dogs and coyotes. They’re also gorgeous to look at. We found them to be the perfect complement to what we were doing with the wine – a natural magnet for people.”

As West points out, llamas led to the land, the land led to the wine, and the llamas brought the customers, who show up for picnics, proposals, wine tastings with pals, for weddings and special events, even to take two-hour guided treks with their own personal llamas.

“You can see how it all flows together.”

To this day, West has never spent a dime on advertising – or needed to.

Divine Llama’s social media following is second in the state.

“Once people heard about the llamas, they began showing up in droves to see for themselves and found out how good our wines are in the process.” On any given weekend, even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the vineyard’s Fall 2020

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parking lots are full of cars and food trucks while visitors stroll the property to take in the long views of Pilot Mountain and commune with llamas. There are also seven miniature horses and one miniature donkey in residence.

With growth has come changes, however. In 2019, best friends Leslie Messick and Paul Baumbach purchased the original partner’s ownership in the vineyards. Together, the partners have expanded the business with the addition of a superb outdoor tasting room, a line of related products (including skeins of llama wool) and the planting of more than 3,300 new vines in early 2020.

For six years in a row, the Wests hosted a cycling event that raised $40,000 in 2019 for Samaritan Ministries and serves the homeless population of Winston-Salem. Owing to Coronavirus this year, the event has been postponed. As of this writing, the vineyard’s popular annual Crafty Llama Art Craft and Vintage Show that features 60 local artist and crafters is still scheduled for the first Saturday of November.

Like others across North Carolina’s vibrant homegrown wine industry, Divine Llama has carved out its own special niche by blending exotic animal appeal with a dozen reds and whites that have claimed half a tasting room wall of impressive competition medals but don’t come close to explaining the charm of a few hours spent sampling fine wine in the company of llamas.

“There’s a little bit of architecture in everything we do,” insists West, who remains an active designer at a youthful age of 62, but spends long days doing chores around the busy property even as he’s thinking about newly planted vines and different blends of European grapes he’s eager to create. “Some work quite well, others we try for a while and wait for the customers to give us the verdict. Every year I do a new wine, and if it works – great. If not, we let it go.”

A fairly recent surprise, he says, was a blend of traminette grapes with peach concentrate called Versailles (“Si” for short) that became a runaway hit, espeFall 2020

cially with millennial women. “About 60 percent of our visitors are Millennial women,” he points out with a laugh. “If you are a single twenty-something male looking to find a date for the weekend, this may be the place to do it.”

Another wine called Merlina – 95 percent merlot and five percent blackberry essence — was also a surprise hit. Not long ago, West introduced a refreshing sparkling white wine made from traminette grapes that has quickly found a following. All of their wine blends are named after their llamas, like national champion “Mandarb,” a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot.

“If you would have told me 30 years ago that we would live in the midst of all of this, I probably would have laughed at you. But I can’t imagine any other life and neither can our daughters and and their husbands — all of whom have close connections to the wine and the llamas.”

For their part, the Wests literally reside in the midst of their Divine acres in a unique house he designed with an attached barn and a novel breezeway running east to west through it, a beautiful 2,800-square-foot, post-andbeam house with northern views of Pilot Mountain, surrounded by lush vineyards and pastures full of llamas. “Literally, Mandarb lives in part of the house – just through the doorway into his part of the barn,” West says.

“That comes in handy when the babies start to arrive in the fall.” This fall, 21 births are due.

“It all connects and flows together,” the architect of Divine Llama repeats like a mantra as a trio of his happy customers — two smiling millennial women with their mother drift past, relaxed and smiling, wine-glasses in hand — “almost by design.”

Want to visit? Divine Llama Vineyards is at 4126 Divine Llama Lane, East Bend, NC, 27018. (336)699-2525. Wine priced $19 to $36 per bottle SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 51

ILLUSTRATION BY HARRY BLAIR

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No Wine

Before Its Time North Carolina vintages have ascended to a new level

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here was a time in the decades that followed Prohibition when pairing the words “North Carolina” and “wine” was unthinkable. And in the minds of sophisticated palates, who eschewed the state’s sweet, muscadine-based wines, undrinkable. European varietals? Fuggeddaboudit. Conventional wisdom declared N.C.’s soil and humid climate too unforgiving to grow vinifera grapes.

But bucking convention in 1972, Jack and Lillian Kroustalis planted their first European varietals in Westbend Vineyards in Lewisville and the North Carolina wine industry literally took root.

Bolstered by a study out of Virginia Tech that deemed the loamy soil and microclimates of the Yadkin Valley conducive to growing vinifera, the fledgling winery was successful and forged the way for others: The Neely family who established RayLen in Mocksville; Richard Childress; Ed and Charlie Shelton, Lenna and Frank Hobson of RagApple Lassie. With skilled winemakers such as RayLen’s Steve Shepard, a.k.a. “the godfather” who lured fellow “cellar rat” Mark Friszolowski from New York to Childress Vineyards and mentored Hanover Park’s Michael and Amy Helton, North Carolina’s viticultural reputation was on the rise.

Vintners such as Jay Raffaldini and Sean McRitchie added their know-how to the equation. Younger generations, savvier about food, travel and wine have increased demand for local wines. Today the industry is in full flower, ranking 11th in U.S. wine production with 1.1 million cases produced in 2017.

The state’s five viticultural areas contain some 500 acres of vineyards and nearly 200 wineries (up from around 50-some 15 years ago). Garnerning kudos, awards and recognition for their efforts, some echo the ambiance of Italy and France, while others combine various aesthetics — all with a Tar Heel twist. As hosts to festivals, wine trails, dinners, concerts, art exhibits, wine clubs and weddings, they’re fusing the agricultural with hospitality, and were recreating a pre-pandemic impact of $1.97 billion. It’s a natural evolution from Westbend’s fledgling vines back in the early ’70s, though some might credit the hand of providence. For a sampling of wine by design, we present a handful of wineries in the Piedmont that strike our fancy. There are far too many to include among these pages, so we suggest consulting Visit Winston-Salem (visitwinstonsalem.com ) or the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council (ncwine.org) to, er, uncork more information. And enjoy.

Santé, y’all! — Nancy Oakley

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Fortune Favors the Bold At Raffaldini Vineyards, a generational legacy endures

By Cynthia Adams • Photographs by Amy Freeman

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R

affaldini Vineyards “is a beautiful dream.”

With a stone-gated entry and Italianate villa on a hill, the winery emerges on approach just as Barbara Raffaldini describes.

Visitors with food hampers contentedly sip beneath tents on the piazza or the villa balcony as rain falls. In the glass, an Italian-style vermentino — dry, crisp, sipable — is a departure from North Carolina’s signature sweet wines. So are the Montepulciano and a rosé called Girasole.

The rains lift, offering an intoxicating view of the Blue Ridge rimming the winery. A child carrying a teddy bear sings, “look for the rainbow.”

Barbara Raffaldini, who is general manager of the winery, insists her brother, Jay, was the impetus, and the winery his brainchild.

Earlier Raffaldinis in Cortona, Italy, had made wine as early as 1348. But Jay was a Wall Street guy; Barbara, a Chicago attorney.

“We knew nothing about it [winemaking], but we said yes.”

Twenty years ago, they determined to make wines in the same style as their ancestors and bring to North Carolina an Italian experience.

They looked at 40 to 60 sites, buying an initial parcel. The idea, Barbara says, “was to do sangiovese, in that the grape liked the area.” Now 30 of 100 acres are planted in vines.

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She left Chicago once the vineyard was under way, balancing vineyard management with her legal practice.

“Jay wanted to create a place where you’d be transported away.”

The first tasting room, built in 2004, was near the current villa, built in 2008. They stayed in the tasting room when they were working. The vines took three long years to mature. It was, she observes, “a long time to profitability” considering the time from vine to bottle.

The duo planted various reds.

“Jay likes the big reds,” says Barbara. “The climate differed from northern Italy,” she adds. Three times since, they have replanted, finetuning. As far as she is concerned, “we are just starting.”

She smiles in describing older brother, Jay. “He’s intrepid.”

The siblings are 14 months apart in age; their Triad homes are merely 10,000 feet apart.

Jay’s dog is named Nero, and hers is named Dolce. Nero is a reference to the fierce Roman emperor. Dolce, means “sweet” in Italian.

“It has been really fun to be in business with my brother,” she smiles.

On the grounds, 12 acres await an Italian restaurant and cottages, which “will touch the vineyards,” says Barbara. The Raffaldini family motto, Audentes Fortuna Luvat? “Fortune Favors the Bold.”

Their wines were presented to the President of Italy by the White House in 2008. A 2017 Montepulciano rated 97 in a national compe-

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PHOTOGRAPH RIGHT BY LOUIS FREEMAN

tition for best non-Bordeaux in wines priced over $30 per bottle. The just-released 2019 Montepulicano, Barbara adds, is “lovely.”

Using steel vats and traditional wooden barrels, non-oaked, the juice ages six to nine months, working its magic under N.C.-native winemaker Chris Nelson.

Meantime, they adapt to Covid, offering virtual tastings to their roughly 1,500 wine club members, and restricting tastings for visitors to whole bottles.

“If you’ve never been here, come during the week, because you can have a more intimate experience,” advises Barbara. Know too that “we do dry, Italian-style wines.”

Fall is a favorite of wine lovers who can watch the grapevines turn saffron. It is also Barbara’s favorite.

The Raffaldinis have found their rainbow. h For More Information: 450 Groce Road, Ronda, NC. (336 ) 835-1829.

Raffaldini Vineyards is open Monday 11 a.m.– 5 p.m.; Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m.— 5 p.m.; and Sunday noon–5 p.m. Though closed on Tuesdays, the winery is open on all holidays except for New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Check its events calendar for additional information about special events throughout the year at raffaldini.com.

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Shelton Vineyards

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n the drive into Shelton Vineyards, with dramatic views of the surrounding mountains, grapevines line both sides of the road and beginning in late summer they are ripe for harvesting — by hand. As far as the eye can see are row upon row of European varietals: cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot, malbec, tannat, petit verdot, riesling, sauvignon blanc and viognier.

This stalwart of the North Carolina wine industry has come a long way since 1999 when Mount Airy brothers and successful developers Charlie and Ed Shelton planted the first vines in the unique clay loam soil. In fields that once sprouted tobacco and pastureland where dairy cows grazed, 72 acres of land was transformed and is tended by a vineyard crew of seven, all of whom are still at the winery 20 years later. One of the largest estates on the East Coast, the winery’s management has been passed on to the next generation of Sheltons, Mandy Shelton Houser and Charles “Chip” Shelton, Jr, who serve as co-presidents. Over the years Shelton wines have garnered more than 450 awards, including 13 best in show.

For the last two vintages, winemaker Ethan Brown has brought a lifetime of Yadkin Valley wine knowledge and experience to Shelton. Prepared in a gravity-flow facility with three barrel rooms, the wines age in French, American and Hungarian oak. For $10, you can sample three whites, four reds and three wines of the week. Of particular note are the Bourbon Barrel Chardonnay and

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Family Reserve Claret 2017, as well as a rarity in North Carolina, Port. Brown’s personal favorite? The Two-Five-Nine Tannat, an elixir of dark fruits and a hint of spice — with a deliciously long finish. But don’t overlook Shelton’s whites, which have historically been popular, as are a recent addition, wine slushies, especially enjoyable on the outdoor patio adjacent to the tasting room.

It’s fair to say Shelton has become a destination winery, given its on-site restaurant. The Harvest Grill serves up “sophisticated comfort food” such as pimento pups and fried green tomato stack appetizers, pulled pork entrées, sandwiches and wraps. Under Chef Frances Draughn’s direction, the seasonal menus of mainly locally sourced products are conducive to wine-pairing. A crowd favorite are the Murder Mystery Dinners, which sell out quickly.

Alternatively, you can enjoy the beautiful backdrops of a stream and a lake for picnics and wine sipping. The Shelton at Sunset Summer Concert series draws attendees from all over the East Coast and weddings are hosted at three locations with receptions held at two. Space for private and corporate retreats is available and can accommodate up to 100 people. The Hampton Inn & Suites at Shelton offers lodging for all events including package deals for the concerts with shuttle service for worry-free transportation, though if we had our druthers, we’d prefer to stay till the cows come home. h— Lynn Donovan Shelton Vineyards, 286 Cabernet Lane, Dobson, (336) 366-4724; Harvest Grill, (336) 366-3590, sheltonvineyards.com Fall 2020

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LYNN DONOVAN

From milk to mother’s milk

Roaring River Vineyard & Winery

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n the banks of the Roaring River in Traphill, a little slice of French-German heaven is nestled not far from Stone Mountain State Park. Roaring River Vineyard is a combination mountain resort, vineyard and restaurant inspired by co-owner Joséphine Silvey’s childhood home in the AlsaceLorraine region of France. Joséphine and her husband and co-owner, Tom, fell in love with the property and bought it in 2001. Once occupied by Brewer Mills, this historic site dates back to 1870 with the tasting room and restaurant built on the foundation of the gristmill that once stood there and burned down around 2000. Standing on its cantilevered deck, you can see the ruins of what was once a sawmill across the river, and along either side of the banks stand the remains of the dam that was destroyed in the great flood of 1940. Initially planning to turn the site into a family retreat, the Silveys’ vision changed when they decided to plant a few grapes after attending a viticulture seminar at Surry Community College.

The Silveys next acquired a partially finished house alongside the mill site that they renovated into upscale lodging space. Able to accommodate up to 14 people for events, the rooms and suites are available to rent through VRBO. Guests have access to loads of amenities including an outdoor fireplace, decks on the river, a private beach and some of the best trout fishing in North Carolina. A multipurpose event space features a Pavilion, Party Place and outdoor wedding pergola, all on the river. The Pavilion is a large covered dance

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floor and stage with the Party Place providing a small, intimate indoor facility.

The small cottage near the wedding site serves as the perfect honeymoon suite.

This picturesque place officially opened in 2016.

Chez Joséphine’s occupies the same space as the tasting room and offers a fusion of American and French-German foods. Enjoy cozy indoor seating complete with a fireplace or eat — or just have a glass of wine — outside on an expansive three-story covered deck overlooking the river.

The grapevines occupy the top of a hill, where the Silveys live, along with their three vineyard dogs. The first vines in this boutique vineyard were planted in 2009 on the 50-acre site and as you enter the beautiful ivycovered stone entrance, you can see them covering the hillside: chardonnay, viognier, traminette, merlot, chambourcin, cabernet sauvignon and Norton.

Before the manicured vineyards occupied this spot, Catawba Indians once trod this land; remnants of their presence occasionally appear in the form of pottery pieces and arrowheads. Tucked away in the woods are the ruins of a moonshine still, one of many that dot the hillsides. Added to Tom’s patient cultivation of truffles — which he anticipates harvesting any day now — one wonders what kind of vintages this varied and historically rich terroir might produce. h— Lynn Donovan Roaring River Vineyards, 493 Brewer Mill Road, Traphill; (336) 957-2332, roaringrivervineyards.com.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY LYNN DONOVAN

A taste of rusticity

Cellar 4201

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riving down a winding country road just off Highway 67, you’d be hard-pressed to notice Cellar 4201, a small gem nestled among the rolling hills of East Bend, were it not for a sign bearing the boutique winery’s distinctive label: an arrowhead set against a brilliant orange-red background. The logo, explains Donna Carlyle Hutchins “came about from my Cherokee heritage.”

But it wasn’t her ancestry that prompted Donna and her husband, Greg, to produce their own wines so much as a trip to Italy. Favoring the country’s tendency toward lighter vintages, because, as Donna notes, “they are so foodfriendly,” the two returned to N.C. and in 2003 planted some chardonnay and merlot grapes on a 5-acre plot of land just 15 minutes from downtown Winston-Salem. It’s a convenient location not only for local oenophiles but also for Donna, who works full-time during the week, operating her hair salon, D. Carlyle.

A year after their initial planting, the couple tried their hand at cultivating sangiovese. “Not many people were growing it when we first planted,” Donna recalls. “Now we know why: It’s a very temperamental grape!” she adds with a laugh. Nonetheless, it has become a signature among Cellar 4201’s roster, living up to its Italian etymology, “Blood of Jupiter,” with a healthy burst of fruit and a hint of spice. “I think that’s a reflection of the soil,” Donna says. Not to mention the Hutchins’ commitment to rigorous pruning of the vines.

All of the wines on the vineyard’s menu are, true to Donna’s taste, “food-friendly.” The stainless steel chardonnay, for example, has a crisp bite, begging to be paired with cheese or seafood, while the rosé — a combi-

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nation of all the grapes grown at the vineyard except sangiovese — tickles the palate with flavors of berries . . . and sets a nice stage for grilled salmon or a plate of barbecue. A newer addition to the menu and another nod to Donna’s native heritage, Warrior, is a dry blend of merlot and cab franc, whose cherry notes and oak finish would easily wash down any steak or marinara pasta dish.

In fact, the winery takes pains to demonstrate how adaptable its wines are to food — particularly locally or regionally produced fare. Partnering with artisanal chocolatier My Sweet Chocolates, based in the Sandhills town of West End, Donna demonstrates how a cab/merlot blend Cherokee Red, enhances pieces of dark chocolate mixed with espresso, pistachio and coconut. “It’s our top seller,” she says of the full-bodied wine.

As the summer shifts to fall — in what has been a challenging year that has included a temporary shuttering in the early days of the pandemic and late frosts impeding a harvest — Cellar 4201 will open its tidy patio to wine lovers seeking Cherokee Red and chocolate, or some other equally inviting combination.

Dotted with brightly colored umbrellas and a profusion of greenery spilling out of several planters and framed by nearby rows of neatly pruned vines, the space is vaguely reminiscent of those of the lush balconies so common to Tuscan hillside towns — set to a distant soundtrack of the rushing Yadkin River. h — Nancy Oakley Cellar 4201, 4201 Apperson Road, East Bend, (336) 699-6030. Open weekends only. For scheduled events please check the wintery’s website, cellar4201.com.

Fall 2020

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LYNN DONOVAN

Ciao time!

JOLO Winery & Vineyards Burgundy in the Foothills

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obody goes to the Louvre and comes back and says, ‘Did you see the frame around the Mona Lisa? It’s unbelievable!’ So my painting is the grapes — it’s what God gave us, and the weather. It’s history in a bottle.”

Such is the philosophy of winemaking — terroir taking precedence over barrel-aging — according to J.W. Ray, co-owner, along with his wife, Kristen, who serves as the winemaker and vineyard manager of JOLO Winery & Vineyards. Though perched quite literally at the base of a beloved North Carolina icon, Pilot Mountain, whose distinctive rounded dome looms over the slopes of 80 acres of vines and Cox Lake, the winery produces vintages reflecting Ray’s love of wines much more distant: French burgundies.

Having grown up in the restaurant business in his native Boston and running his own restaurant for a time, Ray became a self-taught oenophile.

After 20-odd years working in the software industry in Florida, he and Kristen bought the property around Pilot Mountain about 10 years ago and moved just as their sons Joey and Logan — the winery’s namesakes — were entering fifth and sixth grade. It was a giant leap of faith, considering Ray “didn’t know a soul” in the area. But he soon found an “instant friend” in Sean McRitchie, who had a wealth of experience making wines in Oregon, California, and Alsace-Lorraine, before establishing his own concern, McRitchie Winery &

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Ciderworks, just north of Elkin.

“He let me shadow him for a couple of years,” Ray explains. Meantime, his own vines were growing, and construction had started in converting a nearby house to the restaurant to be named End Posts, plus a tasting room. In 2013 Ray had his first harvest and produced 864 cases of wine. By 2018, that number had jumped to 8,200, as JOLO “caught fire.”

And all because Ray stayed true to his commitment to terroir. He doesn’t let the grapes languish in their skins, a point he makes when discussing petit verdot, which he presses after just three days, retaining the fruit’s dark color while removing “all that bitter junk.” Nor does he allow any whole cluster pressing, meaning that he removes all the stems — a seemingly slight gesture but one particularly evident in the clean, crisp finish of his whites, such as the vidal blanc/traminette-based Golden Hallows imbued with hints of peach and melon. Perhaps most important, especially for the reds, Ray ages his grapes for a scant seven months or less — and in brand-new barrels made of Italian, French or American oak. Unlike Napa’s winemakers, who require about 18 months to “tame” their bold, jammy grapes, Ray trusts the flavors from his terroir, creating complex, balanced wines teeming with mineral notes and flavors of the earth.

The ever-popular Crimson Creek made from chambourcin with its velvety Fall 2020

texture, contains notes of violet and cherry, while, Jolotage, a bolder blend, explodes with echoes of berries, prompting some patrons to refer to the wine as “Joltage.”

JOLO’s fans flock to the winery — even during the covid-restricted era, thanks in large part to devoted members of a wine club, not to mention top-rated food and service from a staff of locals Ray trained himself. And of course, the numerous awards heaped on the wines in recent years have helped spread the word.

For two consecutive years JOLO’s pièce de résistance, Pilot Fog, has won the prestigious Jefferson Cup in the category for red nonvinifera wine. Made from the cynthiana or norton grape (which Ray likens to a syrah), its flavors of blackberry and cherry subtly unfold on the palate into an elegant elixir. This is not just history in a bottle but art . . . as enigmatic and enchanting as the Mona Lisa’s smile. h— Nancy Oakley JOLO Winery & Vineyards, 219 JOLO Winery Lane, Pilot Mountain. Reservations are required for tastings and lunch. For information on events, such as vertical food pairings, call (336) 6140030 or visit jolovineyards.com.

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Childress Vineyards Race to a long finish

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ince I came here almost 20 years ago,” says Childress Vineyards winemaker Mark Friszolowski, “the population of North Carolina has grown by 850,000 people. These are folks who came here from all over the country and discovered not only what an amazing place this is to live, but the wines made in this state can hold their own with anyone. That’s how much this region’s reputation has grown.”

Friszolowski knows what he’s talking about — in part because he’s been one of the leading forces in “growing” the state’s reputation as a producer of fine wines since he arrived in 2003 to become NASCAR Racing Team legend Richard Childress’ winemaker at Childress Vineyards, following a career of helping put Long Island wines on the map, North Carolina had fewer than 20 wineries. Today, there are more than 200 (see intro on page 57).

“Even more important than the size,” says Friszolowski, “is the quality.”

From the very beginning, Childress was determined not to just produce highquality wines but to elevate the overall reputation of the state’s wineries.

As he says this, the award-wining winemaker pours a visitor a glass of a “new” sparkling wine made just days before from three different French varietal grapes — a light, delightful wine so new it doesn’t even have a name.

In some ways, this new unnamed “sparkler” is simply a metaphor for

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Childress’ success as one of the industry’s key leaders, annually growing grapes and producing more than 100 different wines for its own brand or smaller wineries. Childress’ award-winning Reserve red and white wines are considered to be some of the most respected in the East, available exclusively at the Vineyard’s gift shop due to their popularity.

Not surprisingly, the Vineyard’s beguiling Tuscan-style campus has become a destination for wine drinkers across the region and East Coast, known for its popular restaurant, The Bistro. Also popular are its wine dinners and special culinary events, weekend “Music in the Vineyard” gatherings on Saturdays and Sundays, and a robust wine club whose members hail from all over the map. There is even a fine hotel nearby that caters to members with special weekend rates.

“In some ways,” says Mark Friszolowski, “we feel like an anchor for the winemaking industry in the state – happy to have been an early part of the amazing growing of good wine made in North Carolina.”

We can all raise a glass to that. h— Noah Salt For more information: 1000 Childress Vineyards Road, Lexington, (336) 236-9463 or www.Childressvineyards.com.

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Grove Winery & Vineyards Days of wine and song

“T

his is a great latitude for growing grapes, the same as South Sonoma,” says Max Lloyd, owner of Grove Winery & Vineyards near Gibsonville. The former high-tech entrepreneur who fell in love with wine culture during a business trip to Sonoma in 1992 and transformed himself into one of our region’s most respected winemakers.

Part of the reason behind his success is indeed the set of characteristics of the land where Lloyd produces grapes for a limited production of roughly 3,100 cases of high-quality wine a year. The unique microclimate of his main 44 acres of vineyards in the agricultural heart of the Haw River Valley — the state’s third federally designated American Viticultural Area — features splendid draining soil that is high in mineral content with elevations that make growing European varietal grapes a natural.

After a decade of learning the craft and experimenting with various grapes on family land in Virginia, Lloyd planted the first vines of his Gibsonville estate vineyard in April of 2002. Almost two decades later, the grapes in cultivation include cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese, nebbiolo, merlot, cabernet franc, chardonnay, traminette and tempranillo grapes.

Lloyd has not only served as a judge in important competitions around the

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country, but has also written for a host of important industry publications and taught classes on the art of making wine.

As one of the state’s earliest wineries, the proof of Grove’s enduring success is in the quality of its pressings. Since rolling out his first estate bottled wines in 2005 — which won a gold medal — Grove has claimed more than 200 medals in local and national competitions, making the operation one of the most awarded wineries on the East Coast.

The firm’s award-winning 2015 Reserve Malbec and 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon may arguably be the headliners of Grove’s impressive variety of hand-made European-style wines, but its wildly popular Jug House Blush — a semi-sweet rosé that’s Lloyd’s answer to traditional white zinfandel — is a people-pleaser that perfectly captures the laid-back charm that makes this unpretentious boutique winery just 7 miles from the city limits of Greensboro such a hit with its large and loyal fan base.

Part of that appeal, Lloyd acknowledges, comes f the versatility of the setting and diverse outdoor entertainment Grove has become known for over the years, such as outstanding monthly concerts that feature many of the region’s finest musical and comedy acts. Not surprisingly, the winery is also a popular gathering spot for area cycling clubs and canoeists paddling the nearby Haw Fall 2020

River. It even has a hitching post for customers who choose to come by horse. Special events, family reunions, private parties, vineyard walks and lakeside weddings are also commonplace happenings.

Since reopening from the coronavirus crisis, the winery is staging weekly evening concerts — overlooking Lake Cabernet — from 7 to 10 p.m. every Saturday, from now to November.

“Normally we would have anywhere from 400 to 600 people come out for a concert,” Lloyd explains, “but now — even with safe-distancing — we can accommodate 140 visitors at tables with no problem. Folks will be safe and have great time.” h — Jim Dodson Grove Winery & Vineyards is located at 7360 Brooks Bridge Road in Gibsonville and suggests calling ahead at (336) 584-4060 for updated information of scheduled concerts and events. For more information: grovewinery.com.

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336.218.6706 408 C Gallimore Dairy Road Greensboro, NC gso_kb Greensborokitchenandbath.com

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HUNT & GATHER

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A Family Affair In the vineyards of rural Stokes County, the family Younts helps grow the future

By Peter and Amy Freeman

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egular phone calls to coworkers during the turmoil of Covid crisis have become something of a challenge in current work life. But after I was recently unable to reach one of our talented young architectural designers who lives rural Stokes County, my wife Amy and I were eager to see for ourselves how he was faring and what was happening in his neck of the woods.

Prior to the virus, Worth Younts made the 40-minute trek to our High Point office on a daily basis, but our calls briefly went unanswered.

“Hi Peter, sorry I’ve been out-of-pocket for a few days,” he explained when he finally reached us by phone. “Eric and I are just coming off the river. I think I told you about his bachelor party, and I really needed to wash up before I called you back.”

His mention of a bachelor party reminded me that Worth and brother, Eric Younts, whistle their own tunes in life. Rather than the traditional raucous late-night celebration that most of us are accustomed to among marrying city friends, these brothers of the north country and a couple of close friends chose to venture out and explore the historic river that carves through their own backyards. If there are any wild oats to sow, they are content to do so in an actual watering hole, one that runs right under their noses.

“We paddled all 42 miles of the Dan through Stokes County,” Worth explained, a tale of wonder that involved four days of rustic male bonding on the water, all the elements of a stag party in the wild.

For what it’s worth, the coming nuptials are also deeply planted in Stokes soil. Eric plans to be married under the same pair of walnut trees where his parents tied the knot some 30 years ago. The shaded hilltop off Fowler Road near Walnut Cove is adjacent to the site of the Fowler family homeplace, the home in which their mother, Tina Fowler Younts, grew up. But don’t be fooled by simple nostalgia, because in this neck of Stokes County, tradition and innovation walk hand-in-hand.

Bruce and Tina Younts shared a new vision and direction for this ancestral tract when, in 2011, they became vested in North Carolina’s newly emerging viticulture scene. The Younts Wine Farm was born. Today, over 5 acres of select vines are cultivated on the property. As a wine farm specializing in growing grapes, not a winery, family heritage informs every aspect of the vineyard’s diverse operation.

Wife Amy, son Louis and I made the trek to the winery and Younts’ homeplace to see for ourselves, a place full of surprises and hints of the shape of things to come. Under the direction of the next generation Vigneron, son Eric brings a heightened technical savvy to the endeavor of growing grapes and making wine. As with all of the Yountses, versatility is a family trademark. Eric was trained at the noted viticulture and enology program at Surry Community College, and his influence is clearly visible. New processes and an assortment of high-tech tools, however, nestle charmingly among antique wine presses

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and other traditional farm implements, a tribute to the past. But don’t be fooled by this mix of new and old technologies! The proof is in the variety of highly drinkable wines and popular ciders they make. On the day we came to call, for example, we witnessed firsthand the bottling of delicious Rosebud dessert wine.

Not surprisingly, commitment to sustainability and a “local first” mentality are deeply ingrained in the Yountses, not to mention a subtle but genuine ecofriendly mindset. Two generations of the family are Eagle Scouts (Papa Bruce and both sons), reflecting a passion for the great outdoors symbolized by a replica of a Scout cabin from former Camp Bunn Hackney that Bruce built on the farm, memorializing the cherished Boy Scout Camp of the Uwharrie Council. The simple structure features passive ventilation, rustic building materials and recycling.

Building and rebuilding things is clearly in the Younts’ bloodstream. In a nearby storage barn, for example, sits a classic Austin-Healey among several vintage motorcycles, each one at a different state of completion. Under the winery’s attached shed, one finds a re-purposed wine press sitting among old-fashioned tractors and other farm vehicles in the state of being restored to life.

Given this marvelous world of hands-on ingenuity, it’s no wonder that Worth Younts gravitated towards architecture and graduated at North Carolina State University’s College of Design. Like his father and brother, he likes to have a finger in many pies. In addition to practicing fine architectural design, for Fall 2020

example, his interests have led him to seek better opportunities for those around him by re-imagining a community theater in Walnut Cove and developing new ideas for more affordable housing in and around Stokes County.

Another of his creative interests, developed by Worth and business partners Miles and Tiffany Montgomery, is something called The Daily Basket, a successful retail venture that brings sought-after local and regional products to downtown Germanton. A curated collection of homegrown craft foods and beverages are sold alongside seasonal organic produce, meats, baked goods and various locally made crafts and artifacts.

To our great pleasure, The Daily Basket offered the perfect ingredients for the quintessential Hunt & Gather picnic basket. In almost no time, the Freeman clan had selected an assortment of tasty local favorites and went in search of an al fresco feasting spot.

With a chilled bottle of crisp Younts cider and delicious mobile feast, it was great to land back at the walnut trees of the family birthplace to hear more about this dynamic creative force in the rural heart of Stokes County – and, of course, the approaching family wedding. h Amy and Peter Freeman include among their pastimes mindful wandering. Amy, a photographer, and Peter, an architect, are perpetually in search of new gigs, fresh digs and fun swigs.

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LIFE&HOME

HOUSE FOR SALE

A Touch of Hollywood A Contemporary Gem in New Sherwood Forest

By Noah Salt

E

very now and then we come across a house that leaves us politely gobsmacked in the best sense of the word. Such is the case at 853 Buttonwood Drive in Winston-Salem’s leafy New Sherwood Forest neighborhood, a stunning contemporary home owned by respected designer Bruce Anderson that we visited two years ago and have never forgotten.

With its cool, curvilinear stucco exterior and glass block windows, this 1981 Edwin Bouldin design, tucked into a glade of splendid hardwoods, recalls the elegance of 1930s Hollywood but is every bit a retreat for these times, a contempo home that offers 3,200 sqaure feet of open concept living space that invites the outdoors in with gorgeous hardwood floors, built-in cabinetry, floor-to-ceiling windows and curving glass walls, skylights and the aforementioned glass blocks. Filtered light flows throughout, imparting the look and feel of a cozy art gallery highlighted by a gourmet kitchen, study/library, greenhouse/sunroom and a spacious master bedroom with an exquisitely remodeled bathroom.

The property is designed — literally and figuratively — for highbrow entertaining, both indoor and out, and includes a massive three-car garage with glass doors and its own catering kitchen opening onto an Asian-inspired patio/courtyard area that stays remarkably cool beneath the trees, even on the hottest summer evenings. Over an elegant arched sky bridge lies the property’s beautiful surprise — a charming two-level

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Japanese tea house that seems to float among the trees just steps from the master bedroom, perfect for one’s morning meditation or next tea party with your Zen master.

Given the house’s serene lines and full immersion in nature, it’s almost easy to forget that you’re surrounded by a city that never sleeps, a quality that makes this contemporary jewel utterly one-of-a-kind and something of a steal at $789,000 h

LIFE&HOME

Want to find out more? Contact John-Mark Mitchell at Mitchell Prime Properties, 514 S. Stratford Rd., Suite 200, Winston-Salem, NC, 27103 Phone: 336.722.9911 Website: Gomitch.com

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& Resource Guide Style

AREA

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www.areamod.com 336.370.1050

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GUILFORD GARDEN CENTER

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www.edgefieldplantstone.com 336.662.0081

www.metrugs.com 336.659.1400

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www.guilfordgardencenter.com 336.299.1535

www.pribafurniture.com 336.855.9034

www.bowenfurniture.com 336.765.1360

www.hartappliancecenter.com 336.854.9222

www.vivid-interiors.com 336.265.8628

Fall 2020

LIFE&HOME THE LANGUAGE OF HOME

The Art of the Tart America’s melting pot gave us melt-inyour-mouth apple pie

By Noah Salt

E

very year, as surely as leaves fall and the temperatures drop, my wife the baker goes into serious apple pie— making mode.

Quite rightfully she’s known for her spectacular cake- and bread-making prowess. But in terms of creative kitchen fun, making apple pies for the holidays is her annual autumnal passion. Every year, it seems, she comes up with a new twist on this American classic, selected from her tattered and bulging notebook of proven pie recipes or — more likely of late — dug out of a vintage cookbook and updated with her own clever touches. Some of the best apple pie recipes, she says, come from the grandmothers of friends, bakers who passed their pie-making knowledge and expertise down through the generations.

So, as the weather turns (or so goes the phrase), all of this raises a question: Is there anything as quintessentially American as apple pie? Probably not — but maybe not for the reasons you may think.

Apple trees, in fact, are native to Europe and Asia and were brought to North America by an Anglican priest, William Blaxton, in 1625 in the form of seeds that were planted and cultivated across the Massachusetts colony. A century later, as immigrants pushed west into the North American frontier, apples traveled with them, becoming a versatile staple of life that was consumed raw or dried and preserved for use in cooking.

Some, of course, were made into cider, brandy and applejack, useful backcountry trading commodities. Two centuries after the Pilgrims arrived, something like 14,000 different varieties of apples were being grown across America. The vast majority of these heritage varieties are long gone, but several hundred survive and are being brought back into circulation by heirloom growers who value their connection to our national cooking traditions.

As for the hackneyed phrase “As American as apple pie,” as food historian Libby O’Connell wryly notes in her terrific book The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites, “the phrase is only misleading to those who forget that, except for American Indians, we are all transplants on this continent, just like apple trees.”

Whatever else may be true, the first American pies bore more allegiance to the rural cooking of the British Isles than anything that turns up at the Thanksgiving table or on the Fourth of July picnic table today. Pies of the Colonial era tended to be far more savory than sweet, featuring a thick, chewy, tasteless but highly durable crust made from suet, rough flour or cornmeal that created a vessel for simply transporting the ingredients. Tellingly, Brits Fall 2020

referred to these largely inedible crusts as “coffyns.”

It wasn’t until French immigrants and chefs introduced butter to baking recipes in the late 1700s that pie crusts became light and flaky and flavorful, a quantum leap in American pie-making. Ditto sugar and cinnamon, which were often prohibitively expensive to procure until the early 19th century. Food historians also note that the use of fresh fruit and spices by Dutch and German cooks elevated the pie to its beloved status today.

Food blogger Kimberly Kohatsu points out that by 1860, “the phrase ‘as American as apple pie’ was already in use, though cooks seemed well aware of the pie’s foreign roots.

In her 1869 novel Oldtown Folks, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote that ‘the pie is an English tradition, which, planted on American soil, forthwith ran rampant and burst forth into an untold variety of genera and species.’’

As the modern pies grew more popular and elaborate, she says, “a 1902 newspaper article proclaimed that ‘No pie-eating people can be permanently vanquished,’ part of a marketing campaign by apple producers, whose efforts also popularized the phrase ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away.’”

Other apple-loving phrases soon evolved. During World War II, soldiers who were asked what they were fighting for commonly replied “for mom and apple pie,” which in turn gave rise to the cliché “as American as motherhood and apple pie.”

Regardless of how it entered our taste buds and lexicon — even if it isn’t truly a North American native — apple pie remains America’s favorite pie by a wide margin, according to numerous consumer studies.

That’s certainly the case around our house come the holidays, where there always seems to be a new and slightly different version of this great American classic coming hot and bubbly from the oven, ready for a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, which most Americans inaccurately believe was also invented in America.

In fact, 18th-century Quakers brought ice cream to this country, simply proving that our national diversity is as all-American as a slice of my wife’s apple pie.h SEASONS • STYLE & DESIGN 79

LIFE&HOME HOMEWORDS

Rain Man

And the stuff that deferred dreams are made of

By Nancy Oakley

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he handle of the snow shovel had rubbed blisters on my thumbs as I stood in ankledeep water, bailing gallons from spring’s continuous déluge swirling in my father’s basement workshop. It is part of an addition to the house that he and my mother have inhabited since they were young marrieds 60-odd years ago.

It’s not large but the basement’s porous cinder block walls and unsealed floor collect moisture.

Complicating my task is the sheer amount of stuff filling every nook and cranny, some of it methodically arranged, some of it cast any ole’ where, reflections of my 92-year-old Dad’s personality.

“We hit the trifecta,” says my elder sister, who frequently relieved me from bailing the excess water from the spring monsoons. “Think about it: Frugal Yankee.

Depression-era baby. Accountant.” Which is how, in this unusually wet season as we were sheltering in place with our parents, we began referring to our father as “Rain Man.” Normally the snow shovel leans casually against the wall by the door. Just above hang pruning shears that date back to my grandfather’s day, jagged handsaws and lawn accouterments. The cord to a fluorescent light, cleverly configured so that its pull string is within reach of the door, stretches to a power strip mounted on pegboard opposite; this, filled with hammers arranged by size. Nearby a workbench is littered with sandpaper, balls of twine, paper towels, old terry-cloth hand towels, various tubes of epoxies, an empty bottle of Goo Gone, and an avocado-green plastic tray that once held dinner utensils. To Dad’s way of thinking, you never know when these things might come in handy.

I’d look at this veritable museum of artifacts: the radio console from the 1950s atop of which stands a dust-covered dual cassette tape player from the ’80s. Half-used cans of paint, pieces of 2x4s and tarps are totally inaccessible because of the lawnmower, shop vac, hand truck and raccoon trap shoved in front of them.

The centerpiece of the workshop is my dad’s prized DeWalt power saw, another relic of the postwar era. Somewhere

80 SEASONS •

STYLE

& DESIGN

nearby are the original instructions with an illustration of a Brylcreemed man in plaid shirt and high-waisted, pleated slacks, smiling as he glides a piece of wood through the circular jagged blades. A far cry from Dad’s muttering and cursing, like the time he installed the blade backwards. Still, I’ve got to give my old man credit for cranking out some impressive items: bookshelves; toy boxes, birdhouses, a dollhouse; a puppet theater; and rocking horses for all three of my sisters and me, one painted red, the other two blue and yellow. (My mom still laughs at my sisters’ reenactment of the Holy Family’s flight from Bethlehem on those horses, wherein my eldest sister commanded out to her younger sister — the one helping me shovel water — who was cast in the role of the Christ child: “Jesus! Get back in that cradle!”)

Originally, Dad had wanted to make toys for a living, perhaps an ancestral calling of his Yankee cabinetmaker forebears, but my grandparents steered him toward a profession — considered more respectable at the time. So he deferred his dream, making stuff on weekends when he wasn’t obsessed with his sliced golf swing. Now frail and bent, he does neither . . . but still curses and mutters on occasion.

My eye next fell on a black painted cupboard, and I decided to take a peek inside, nearly tripping over a broken director’s chair (because, you never know when the wood might come in handy) and an old metal chair with a vinyl sit-upon that my sister made when she was a Brownie back in 1960-whatever.

The cupboard contained a couple of heavy metal hand drills (which frightened me as a child because their thin whine was so similar to the dentist’s drill). I was actually hoping to find a white jewelry box my father had repurposed. I’d shed it during prepubescence because it suddenly wasn’t cool anymore. It featured a loopy illustration of a girly-girl and the case’s delicate pink velvet lining cradled a stack of my dad’s finishing nails — presided over by a tiny ballerina in a white tulle tutu, who once had spun around to a tinny rendition of the theme from Love Story.

But it wasn’t there. Perhaps, in an uncharacteristic moment of purging, Dad had tossed it. Or it lay hidden somewhere under layers of sawdust amid the detritus of our lives — rocking horses, dollhouses and a puppet theater — props from a love story, told by the roar of a saw blade against wood, the whine of a drill and the whack of a hammer.

“Damn!” I muttered, as I closed the cupboard door, wincing as my sore thumbs gripped the snow shovel once more, while torrents of water gathered at my feet. h When she isn’t bailing water from her dad’s basement, Nancy Oakley is filling buckets of it from her apartment’s leaky ceiling.

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