The only alcoholic beverage I consume is an occasional bit of red wine. I was on Halls Mill Road this morning covering a farm festival, and on my way home — since I was so close anyway — I stopped at Bedford County’s local winery, Tri-Star Vineyards and Winery, for a bottle of Bedford Red.

Perry and Elaine Casteel, the proprietors, recently announced their plan for retirement. This will be the last season for the vineyards; the winery will remain in business for two or three years until all existing stock has been aged, bottled and sold. They’re fine folks and I wish them well in retirement, but it’s sad that there won’t be a winery here anymore. They don’t want to sell the operation because they live on-site and don’t want to move.

Being only an occasional wine drinker, I’m an idiot about the stuff. I tend towards something that’s a little bit sweet (not sweet enough to be a dessert topping, but sweeter than the dry stuff the real wine experts prefer). It’s been a few years since I had any of the Bedford Red, but I remember it being terrific. It’s classified as “semi-dry.” I probably won’t get to enjoy any this evening — I’m going to Nashville for a journalism awards banquet.