Al "The Wine Guy" Ienco
Great wine does not originate only in California. While the Napa Valley vineyards are home to some of the most famous wineries, there are distinct flavors close to home – very close to home.
La Belle Amie, literally the beautiful friend, grows some great grapes right here along the Grand Strand. Located in Little River, the quaint little winery opened in 2000 and has hosted tastings, festivals and tours every since.
Guests enjoyed the ambience of the front porch
Last Thursday, La Belle Amie held a free cookout and concert to kick off the 57th Annual Sun Fun Fest. With temperatures hovering around 90 degrees into the early evening, guests sat near the lush front porch with their favorite bottle and took in the two piece jazz ensemble playing nearby.
The vineyards are set in a beautiful area surrounded by environmentally protected Carolina Bay ponds. La Belle Amie is home to three acres of Muscadine grape vines. In all, the grapes produce approximately 19,340 bottles of wine each year, according their resident genius, Al “The Wine Guy” Ienco.
The Wine Guy is a jack of all trades. A pilot, chemist and self-taught pianist, he also leads tours of the grounds with interesting history lessons and logical turns of events. Al is 63, but you wouldn’t know it. With his solid complexion and sans-gray brown hair, he’s supposed to be relaxing on the golf course.
“I’m retired,” he said with a smile, “and sometimes I work 90 hours a week. I must be doing something I like.” He jokingly credits the antioxidants found in the muscadine grapes.
It’s that hidden charm that makes La Belle Amie one of a kind. It’s about family and friends. Say hi to their two dogs Belle and Amie if they roam freely by your legs while you’re taking in the scenery. Or grab a burger from the cook and husband of the owner, Chuck.
Better yet, they all know their wine. Tours are commonplace at Belle Amie. Walk past the old tobacco curing station, that’s now used for storage, and they’ll tell you how tobacco farmers grow more grapes than tobacco (because of health related lawsuits.)
On Thursday, the late evening tour group was slimmer than most, but that didn’t stop Bill and Debbie Basinger from listening intently.
The Charlotte residents visit Little River every year for vacation. They’ve never been to la Belle Amie. Bill found it while surfing the Net and figured he and his wife like wine, and it was close by.
In true La Belle Amie form, when the couple was done with a tasting, they purchased a bottle of wine and headed outside to the front porch to enjoy the setting sun.
“Would you like to join us for a glass?” Debbie queried. “Wine is meant to be shared.”
Try a wine tasting inside the gift shop. The very knowledgeable staff will take you through the different blends and flavors of their wine but will always remind the tasters of one thing. Drink the wine you like, they say. That’s what wine is all about. It’s not about what some sommellerie tells you to drink with fish; it’s what you want to drink with the fish.
Great wine. Great people. Beautiful, untouched scenery.
Breath deep, visit La Belle Amie.
*Join La Belle Amie this Saturday June 7 for an all day festival.
