Realtor Plants a Vineyard

LEWISVILLE

In 2004, when Robin Frost Weant saw a niche in the real-estate business, she planted her own vineyard.

A few years later, she saw another niche, and planted a truffle orchard.

Those experiences have helped her build an expertise in vineyard and truffle-orchard sales. Her real-estate company is Patria Properties. "I wanted a way to stand out among other Realtors," Weant said.

In learning about vineyards, Weant took a year's worth of classes in viticulture and oenology at Surry County Community College. She also made her own wine from the grapes she grows.

She has about 1,000 grape vines planted on 1½ acres of her 14-acre property that she shares with Kelia Coffey.

She has experimented with a lot of different grapes, but currently has planted viognier, chardonnay, Muscat canelli, sauvignon blanc, petit verdot and merlot.

Her 2006 riesling, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Competition held in conjunction with the Dixie Classic Fair.

Now, Weant has her wines made at Westbend Vineyards. She gives wines to her clients as gifts, but is applying for licenses to sell to local restaurants. Typically, she produces only about 100 cases a year.

"I never planted the vineyard to make money," Weant said. "I planted the vineyard so I could say I know what I'm talking about. I've gone from selecting rootstocks, to bottling the wines to winning awards."

When Keith Henn, a horticulture professor in Baltimore, was looking for property for his retirement, Weant helped him find 35 acres in Hamptonville.

"She was very helpful," Henn said. "She could show us places where certain vines were doing well, where vines weren't doing well."

Though Henn was looking for property where he could plant a vineyard, Weant also sold him on truffles. Now he plans to grow both grapes and truffles. "We're going to plant the trees in just a few weeks," Henn said.

Josep Domenech of Davidson County is currently working with Weant to find a vineyard that he plans to run with his brother Jordi Domenech, a winemaker in Lodi, Calif. "She knows a lot of people in the wine industry. And she knows about what will grow well in what areas," Josep Domenech said.

Chris Bolcato of Mocksville is also working with Weant to find a vineyard. He said it's a tremendous help when a Realtor knows what you want, especially when it's vineyard property and you have specific needs. "She knows you want it sloped. She knows you don't want it marshy. She knows what type of land you would want to put a vineyard on," he said.

Weant has always loved to cook, and she has had ample opportunities to learn about food and wine during her previous career as a flight attendant on international routes.

She has a garden with tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, okra and more. "I'm experimenting with asparagus (which takes a few years to produce its first crop)," she said. "I'm really excited about that. Next year I might just forget tomatoes and plant more asparagus."

When she moved to the property, she designed the kitchen with two ovens and a large gas stove. "I just love to entertain. On New Year's Day, I'll have 250 people over and cook them collard greens and black-eyed peas."

She loves cooking pasta dishes and beef stew. A favorite dish is sautéed chicken breast enlivened with a vermouth sauce.

And lately, she's into anything with truffles -- so much so that she orders truffles from Australia as she waits for her first truffle crop. She has planted about 100 filbert, oak and holly trees that are inoculated with truffle spores. But she'll have to wait a few more years until they start producing.

"I found out about truffles when I was taking a land-use class (for her real-estate business). I fell in love with them," she said.

The other day, she made grilled cheese and added a few shavings of black truffles. She uses them sparingly because they are so expensive -- sometimes $50 an ounce for a black Perigord truffle. She also likes them with macaroni and cheese. "With anything cheesy, they're really good," she said. "I just had some people over and we had truffle risotto, and, boy, is that good."

She's starting to find more clients who are interested in starting a truffle farm. "I think North Carolina is going to be the state in the States for truffles," she said. "Oregon may argue with that, but from what I've tasted, the truffles from N.C. are better than the truffles from Oregon."

She's also getting clients who want to start vineyards or buy existing vineyards. Some just want to grow grapes to be made into wine. Some want to start their own winery.

When she gets such a client, she has a lot to tell them. "I make them think what their goals are, who they are going to sell to, what varieties they are going to plant where," she said.

For example, she said that her own vineyard isn't an ideal site because its elevation is low, only 900 feet above sea level.

"A lot of people argue with me, but I think 1,200 to 1,600 feet above sea level is ideal. You need good elevation -- and wind -- especially for certain varieties," she said. This area's humidity can cause disease and rot among grapes. Wind movement at higher elevations helps reduce moisture problems.

"I like to see a property in winter, when there are no leaves on the trees," Weant said. "That way I can really see the topography. I also look at the slopes, drainage, the (sun) aspect."

Weant gets satisfaction in finding good spots for vineyards because she believes in the future of North Carolina's wine industry -- and because it's fun.

"I just love the land," she said. "I still sell houses and condos. But there's nothing I like more than putting on my hiking boots and walking over 100 acres."

Chicken Breast


With Vermouth

Recipe courtesy of Robin Weant.

2 boneless chicken breasts

¼ cup flour

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup dry vermouth

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and ground pepper

4 fresh basil leaves for garnish optional

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1. Place breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper, flatten them slightly and evenly. Place the flour in a plate or wide, shallow bowl. Dust the breasts lightly with the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.

2. Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.

3. Add chicken breasts and sauté, turning as they become golden and are just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warmed platter; keep warm.

4. Pour vermouth into the same pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Deglaze the pan by stirring to dislodge any brown bits. Boil until sauce is reduced by one half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts, sprinkle with the zest and garnish with the basil.

Makes 2 servings.

Truffle Risotto

Recipe courtesy of Robin Weant.

Be sure to remove the butter from the heat before adding the truffles. The truffles should not be cooked. If using broth, you may not need any additional salt; if using water, you probably will.

2 cups rice

Water or chicken broth

Salt (optional)

½ cup mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons butter

1. Place rice in a saucepan. Add water to cover, then salt. Bring to a boil. Stir continuously and add more water as necessary until rice is fully cooked, about 20 minutes. Add ½ cup mascarpone cheese and mix well. Remove from heat.

2. Separately, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Remove from heat; add 1 to 2 ounces fresh or frozen truffles diced. Pour over risotto. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.