Mountain Spirits: Wine and Beer this week, September 29

September 30, 4 Pm - 7 PM Hops and Vines, 797 Haywood Rd, Ste 100 in Asheville NC. Brown Ales, Perfect for the changing seasons: Bell's Best Brown - A smooth, toasty brown ale, Best Brown Ale is a mainstay in our fall & winter lineup.; Duck Rabbit Brown - An American brown ale brewed with loads of hops from start to finish (it’s hoppy and beautifully bitter).; Avery Ellie's Brown - This beautiful, deep russet brew has the sweet and somewhat nutty character of Barrett's shop dog and best friend, for which it is named. October 1, 3 PM - 6 PM Free Wine Tasting: Gouguenheim Wines by Valle Escondido Mendoza, Argentina: Gouguenheim Cabernet Sauvignon 2009- The Gouguenheim wines from Mendoza, Argentina are some of our best selling wines in the shop; Gouguenheim Syrah 2008 - Another reason for the success of Mendoza as a region is the extreme temperature shift from day to night, and the late onset of winter;

September 30, 4 PM - 7 PM at Table Wine, 1550 Hendersonville Road, Suite 102, AAA Travel Center in Asheville NC. Friday Winedown -  Seven 90+ point rated wines with an average cost of about $17/bottle. See you at the tasting bar, and special guest Mike Kolker will be in-house to help  pour. $5 per person, free to Grape Nuts. Oct 1, 2 PM - 5 PM - Free wine tasting of 4 new wines at Table Wine every Saturday.

October 1, 3 PM - 8 PM at Appalachian Vintner, 2-B Huntsman Place in Asheville NC - Asheville's "Best" Wine and Beer Tasting: (FREE) Elizabeth Spencer Special Cuvée Mendocino Sauvignon Blanc- This certified organic Sauvignon Blanc is so balanced it will make your head spin! Spencer Graham and his wife Elizabeth are both wine industry buffs; Hamilton Russell Vineyards Hemel-En-Aarde Valley Chardonnay- Hamilton Russell Vineyards, one of the most southerly wine Estates in Africa and one of the closest to the sea; 06' Maison Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée- Not from the greatest producer, not from the greatest vintage, but from one of the greatest vineyards in all of Burgundy, if not all of France; Corrina Rayment Expatriate Shiraz- Expatriate Shiraz was sourced from 65 year old vines yielding a meager 1 ton per acre of fruit; 05' Domaine Albert Mann Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg- From the importer- “Aromas of baked apple, candied lime peel, honey, and brown spices mark the 2005 Riesling Schlossberg more of its vintage than its variety or site. Appalachian Vintner will be closed next Saturday, October 8th in honor of Charles' marriage to his lovely fiancé Michelle.

October 1 , 11 AM -  5 PM at Falderal Winery, 131 3rd Ave, Hendersonville NC. A rotating selection of wines, all made on the premises.

Sept 30, 6 PM at The Classic Wineseller, 30 church Street, Waynesville NC. Friday Night Live - Live music and wine. Oct 5 from 5:30- to 7:30, WOW - Wine on Wednesday:  5 wines plus hors d'oeurves. $8.00

October 1  at 7 PM  Asheville Wine Market, 65 Biltmore Ave, Asheville NC.  Join Tim Peters of Empire Distributing for an informative tasting of four autumnal wine selections. Four wines from producers that own their own vineyards: 2010 Caposaldo Pinot Grigio; Veneto, Italy; 2010 Peter Lehmann Layers White, Adelaide, Australia; 2009 Caposaldo Chianti DOCG, Tuscany, Italy ; 2008 Peter Lehmann Shiraz; Barossa Valley, Australia. Special tasting prices: 10% off the bottle and 15% off by the case, mix or match unless already discounted via a special price or sale price.

September 30, 6 PM - 8 PM, at Divine Wine, 1011 Tunnel Road East Asheville NC . Friday Wine Tastings - complimentary tastes of special wines and beer, along with an assortment of hors d’oeuvres. Each week we celebrate with a different theme and a few surprises.


September 30, 4 PM - 7 PM LaBouteille, 10 N Trade St, Suite A Tyon NC - Complimentary Wine Tastings every Friday. The last Saturday of each month 3-5 pm is a 10 beers for $10 beer tasting. Bring a dish of food to share.

October 1  RagApple Lassie, 3724 Ragapple Lassie Lane Boonville NC -  Be wowed by Nita B & Bucky Jazzy Blues Duo, playing and singing the blues of Mississippi, New Orleans, and Harlem's Cotton Club. Noon to Six.  And remember, The Back Door Café serves lunch each Saturday and Sunday from Noon to Four!!

October 1,  2 PM - 5 PM  The Wine Guy, 555 Merimon Ave and 1200 Hendersonville Rd., Asheville NC. FREE Saturday tastings are a great way to sample new favorites in a casual setting. Every week we sample 4 to 6 new wines. Light hors d’ oeuvres will be served and all wines poured will be specially priced.


October 1,   12 PM - 5 PM at  Vino Vino Wine Market, 178 Weaverville Rd., Asheville NC. Every Saturday anytime between 12:00 and 5:00pm enjoy a sampling of wines from around the world. A 10% discount on each of the wines we are featuring.

Tasting Rooms:

Biltmore Winery, located on the Biltmore Estate, Asheville NC.  Daily tasting and tours with Estate admission. Special events and tastings throughout the year. Enter Biltmore's Wine Sweepstakes ( until Sept 30, 2011) - for a chance to win a prize pack of NC Biltmore wines and wine accessories worth $200*

Old North State Winery, 308 North Main Street, Mount Airy NC. Hours of operation are: Monday-Wednesday 11am-6pm, Thursday-Saturday 11am-9pm, and Sunday 12pm-6pm. Sample  wines and browse the gift shop featuring wine related and gourmet gift items.

RagApple Lassie, 3724 Ragapple Lassie Lane Boonville NC   Tours are "on demand" noon to six PM daily. Tastings are available noon to six PM daily and include up to 11 varieties of wine.

Calaboose Cellars, 565 Aquone Road, Andrews NC. Tasting room summer hours: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from Noon to 5:00. This week check out the "Warden's White".

Daily Tastings at Wedge Brewing Company, 125 B Roberts St. Asheville NC. Micro-brewery regular Tasting room hours: Monday - Thursday 4 PM - 10+ PM; Friday 3 PM - 10+ PM; Saturday and Sunday 2 PM - 10+ PM.

Daily Tastings at Greenman Brewery, 23 Buxton Ave., Asheville NC.  The tasting room is open seven days a week at 4 o'clock, or maybe earlier