Mountain Spirits: Wine and Beer this week, December 1, 2011

Dec 1,  5 PM - 7 PM, Brusin' Ales, 65 Broadway Street, Asheville NC    This week Madison Smith comes to the tasting room to sample some Natty Greene's brews. Buckshot Amber;  Southern Pale Ale; Old Town Brown; Red Nose Winter Ale.

Dec 2,  6 PM - 8:30 PM   Appalachian Vintner, 2-B Huntsman Place, Asheville NC   APPALACHIAN VINTNER'S 3rd Annual Anniversary Party, Charity Fundraiser, & Portfolio Tasting benefiting Mission Children's Hospital. This is always the best wine and beer tasting of the year, no matter where you live Asheville! We will have over 75+ bottles of wine and beer open, many that have never been sampled before. Multiple breweries, distributors and importers will be in attendance. $5

Dec 2, 5 PM - 7 PM Hops and Vines, 797 Haywood Rd, Ste 100 in Asheville NC.
Free Mead tasting Jason Russ, owner of Fox Hill Meadery hosts a tasting of six of his delicious creations. Check out his new Apple Honey Wine made with local honey and apples. All his meads are great for holiday quaffing and for gifts. Dec 3 Free wine tasting - Organic Italian Wines. Alois Sageder Pinot Bianco 2010; Tenuta Sant'Antonio "Scaia" Corvina 2010; Li Veli Primonero 2008.

Dec 2, 4 PM - 7 PM  at Table Wine, 1550 Hendersonville Road, Suite 102, AAA Travel Center in Asheville NC. Friday Winedown - Australia and New Zealand. Rick Bowman of Bordeaux presents Fine and Rare - no critter labels either! $5/person, .Free for Grape Nuts  Dec 3, 2 PM - 5 PM  FREE wine tasting: "Try Before You Buy" tasting featuring 4 great and affordable wines.

Now through - Dec 31 - Deck the Halls  - 13 Surry County wineries and several local hotels and restaurants are participating in the 2nd annual event. Purchase a Deck the Halls passport, from November 12 through December 31 and receive complementary wine tastings from all 13 participating Surry Wineries, a collectable holiday ornament from each winery, a commemorative wine glass, invitation to 2 food & wine pairing weekends with live music, plus other great events at Surry Wineries during the holiday season.


Thanksgiving Weekend through December 31 - Yadkin River Wine Trail is once again hosting its Holiday Wine Tour. Visit five wineries: RagApple Lassie, Sanders Ridge, Divine Llama, Cellar 4201 and Flint Hill for the price of one ticket. Included is the tasting of five wines and a signature collector's ornament from each winery. $40.00 per couple or $30.00 individually. Tickets are available at each of the wineries and can be reserved by calling any of the wineries direct.

Dec 2, 7-10 PM at The Classic Wineseller, 30 church Street, Waynesville NC. Friday Night Live - Now inside the Wine Bar for the winter. This week enjoy Jared Teague.

Dec 2 at 1- 4 PM  Asheville Wine Market, 65 Biltmore Ave, Asheville NC. Free WIne Tasting: Join Bill O'Friel for an informative tasting of four outstanding, and very affordable, hand-picked South African wine selections.2009 Kanu Chenin Blanc; Stellenbosch, South Africa; 2010 Ken Forrester Reserve Chenin Blanc; Stellenbosch, South Africa; 2010 Ken Forrester Petit Pinotage; Western cape, South Africa; 2010 Indaba Merlot, Western Cape, South Africa.

Dec 2, 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.

Dec 2,  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.

Dec 3 19 12 PM - 6 PM RagApple Lassie, 3724 Ragapple Lassie Lane Boonville NC - Listen to popular vocalist, Lisa Woods, visit with friends, relax, have lunch in The Back Door Cafe, sample RagApple's great wines, and check out the RagApple Lassie special collection of great holiday gifts. FREE gifts with the purchase of each case of wine between now and December 31st. Throughout December, RagApple Lassie will be open every day except Christmas Day

Dec 3  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.

Dec 3 , 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.

Dec 3  , 4 PM - 8 PM  PM at Falderal Winery, 131 3rd Ave, Hendersonville NC.   Beaujolais Nouveau and limited-run Thanksgiving wines plus hors d'oeuvres. Nov 19   Free tasting -  Regular Saturday wine Tasting from 11 AM - 5 PM

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.

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".
South Creek Vineyard and Winery, 2240 South Creek Road, Nebo, NC

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