February 2, 1659 was a fateful day for South Africa. A Dutchman, Jan van Riebeeck, pressed the first grapes grown on the Cape into wine. These grapes were brought to South Africa from vines grown using cuttings from western France. Writing, “Today, praise be to God, wine was made for the first time from Cape grapes.” Jan van Riebeeck gave us one of the few documented starts to a wine region. 365 years later, this small crop of grapes, originally grown to ward off scurvy for passing sailors, has turned into a global trade and a truly impressive wine region. If you've shopped Nautical Wheelers wine selection, it's likely you've had a taste of the incredible artistry of South African wines. What...
EDIT - MAY 5th, 2024 Our bear, Jimmy, has been unveiled! A huge thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us. We truly have such an amazing customer base, and we appreciate the love and support the community showed us at Friday's grand reveal. In case you aren't able to come see Jimmy in person, here's some pictures. The pictures honestly, don't do him justice. He is just beautiful! New Bern local artist, Christine Provard is responsible for Jimmy's incredible look. Click the link in her name to explore more of her beautiful artwork. Jimmy is named and themed after the incredible legacy of Jimmy Buffett. For those who may not know, our shop name,...
Celebrate the Earth with Tidewater Grain Co. and Pamlico County FFA! Mark your calendars! Tidewater Grain Co. is teaming up with PCHS FFA to celebrate the earth, raise money for the FFA, and beautify your garden! Stop by the Tidewater Grain Co. Mill (located at 570 Callison Rd. in Oriental NC) on Saturday April 20 from 10am to 2pm to stock up on your favorite Tidewater products and take home rice hulls for all your gardening needs. All it will cost you for the hulls is a small donation to the FFA to cover the cost of loading. A small price to have a wonderful, eco-friendly addition to your garden and to help the future of agriculture! The Future Farmers of...
We here at Nautical Wheelers are excited to invite you to join us for the annual Oriental In Water Boat Show and Nautical Flea Market. This event will be held April 12th-14th. This event will be held at the Oriental Marina and Inn. Come out and experience The Best Small-Town Boat Show in America, with so many fantastic vendors, and obviously, to see all the boats! The team at Nautical Wheelers is excited to be running a booth where we will be joined by the rice farmers from Tidewater Grain Company. Tidewater Grain Company grows their Carolina Gold Rice just a few miles down the road from Nautical Wheelers and the boat show itself! Of course, we can't let the guys...
It was a beautiful weekend to taste some South African wines! Thank you to everyone who joined us and made these tastings wonderful. March 2024's tasting was led by Andy. who was (as always) such a treat to have. He brought six wonderful wines and his unparalleled knowledge of the regions and the wines produced there. While the red wines are usually the biggest hit, it seems everyone was gearing up for Spring. Everyone showed a lot of love for the Nomoya Chenin Blanc, the perfect white for a light spring meal. With notes of apple, melon, and honeycomb, there is a lot to love here! Some confusion arose with our second choice, Journey's End, "Reign of Terroir" White Blend...
