By the third full day on the beach, some people probably start to get bored, but not us. Hubby and I had finally let the stress and preoccupation with life back in DC melt away, although whether that was due to the heat, to the escape from cell phones/BlackBerries, or to the general enjoyment of vacation, I’m not sure. We spent our third day in Duck the same way we’d spent our first and second day—on the beach reading, swimming, and relaxing. The water was much colder on Wednesday, which meant that I stuck my feet in the water, but rarely did more than that. The water, though, was actually calmer on Wednesday than on Tuesday, so we were fortunate enough to see more dolphins in the morning. It was a great way to start the day.

After spending a solid 7 hours on the beach, we went to dinner. Admittedly, by this dinner, our dining experiences were discouraging me. I had grand visions of great food and delicious wine, but most of the food was mediocre and all of the wine lists were unimpressive. Unfortunately, the Roadside Raw Bar & Grill was no different. At the Roadside, we started dinner with steamed shrimp, which tasted fresh and was nicely seasoned. For entrées, Hubby had the blackened tuna and I had the jambalaya. Both were surprisingly bland for food that is supposed to be flavorful and spicy, which ultimately made for a dinner that was ok, but not great.

Once we finished, we headed to the Harris Teeter in Kitty Hawk to grab a few essentials. As soon as we walked in, I spied the wine racks, which were proudly displaying a section full of beachy-looking bottles of wine. Admittedly, I’m an occasional sucker for marketing and fun labels, so I couldn’t pass up buying a 2007 Starborough Sauvignon Blanc and a Moselland Lighthouse Series Riesling. I put both bottles in to chill as soon as we got back to the house.

I opened the 2007 Starborough Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) first, and it represented everything I’ve come to expect from and enjoy in a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It was a clear, greenish-yellow with light legs. On the nose, there were ripe green pepper aromas, followed by gooseberries, fresh cut grass, and some citrus. In the mouth, the green peppers dominated. Behind them, there was a nice mixture of gooseberry, lemon, and passion fruit flavors, which were followed by a strong lime-filled finish. The wine had good acidity and slightly more body than I expected.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $13, this wine is a simple, fun summer wine that gives a nice mixture of flavors while still being bright, crisp, and fresh. I enjoyed the wine on its own, but I imagine it would also be food friendly. For a snack, it could probably go nicely with some guacamole and chips, and for dinner, it could pair well with a grilled chicken or fish that has been seasoned with a citrus-marinated.

Overall: 3