Cypress Bend Vineyards is commemorating its fifth anniversary tonight with a huge party at the winery in Wagram.

While we may not know a claret from a corkscrew, we are aware of how important Cypress Bend has been to Scotland County over the past five years.

As the only winery in an 80-mile radius, the vineyard has certainly put Scotland County on the map as a destination for wine aficionados and folks just looking for a great time.

In addition to the 35 acres of vines, the vineyard features a tasting room and a sprawling patio where guests can mingle with friends or simply drench themselves in the Scotland County sunshine, according to owner Tina Smith, who runs the family-owned business with husband Dan.

What really makes the place such a draw are the wines. In its five years, the Wagram winery has won more than 70 medals in competitions held throughout the world. In fact, the Cypress Bend label is one of the best sellers at the Harris Teeter supermarket in Laurinburg.

For tonight's celebration, the vineyard will present a special edition of “Jazzy Friday.” That means each guest will get a free glass of wine and be treated to a performance by musical guests Jim Morgan and Ray Codrington from his original band. Guests will also share a slice of commemorative cake and get to sample a 5th anniversary wine being formally unveiled in August.

Jazzy Friday, which began in 2006, is expected — as it often does — to pull in hundreds of people from across the state. Our only complaint is that a majority of those patrons are from far away places like Raleigh, Lumberton or Southern Pines. We would hope more of our own residents would take advantage of the unique opportunity in our backyard.

So we urge you to head out to the winery tonight regardless of whether or not you are a wine connoisseur. We think the experience will leave a good taste in your mouth about Scotland County.