Mountain Spirits: Wine and Beer this week, January 26

Jan 27, 5 - 7 PM Hops and Vines, 797 Haywood Rd, Ste 100 in Asheville NC - Olde Hickory Brewing, Hickory NC Beer Tasting:  Death by Hops - Winner of the first Olde Hickory ProAm. Ruby Lager - A deep amber hue invokes a refreshing taste in this smooth brew; Appalachian Ale - Originally brewed for Peabody's bottle shop in Boone, NC this smooth drinking "American Blonde" has quickly become one of our favorites at the store.  Jan 28, 3-6 PM - FREE Wine Tasting: La Playa Wines from Chile. La Playa Chardonnay "Un-Oaked" 2011- La Playa's estate is found on the sandy beach-like banks of the Tinguiririca River in Chile's Colchagua Valley;  La Playa Cabernet Sauvignon 2010- La Playa is sustainably grown and committed to respecting the environment;  La Playa "Block Selection" Carmenere 2009 - Hand picked from La Playa's most selective block of grapes, and aged in French and American Oak for 12 months, this is a wonderfully rich and complex Carmenere.

Jan 27, 7 PM until,  Classic Wine Cellar, 20 Church Street, Waynesville NC - Friday Night Live music with Michael Pilgrim and his friends performing with his jazz mandolin

Jan 27, 4 - 7 PM at Table Wine, 1550 Hendersonville Road, Suite 102, Asheville NC -First Winedown of the year welcomes Sour Grapes Distributing and company co-founder and partner Devon Price to the store for a sampling of nine wines from all over the world.  Cost is $5/person or free if you're a Grape Nut.  Jan 21, 2-5 PM - FREE Weekly Wine Tastings: Sample Four Artisan Wines - a "Try Before You Buy" tasting featuring 4 great and affordable wines.  February 9 - There are 20 spots left for the wine and chocolate tasting, featuring six wines (average retail of $30) paired with six different handmade truffles from Blue Moon Chocolatier.  RSVP and pre-payment are required, and this one is filling up fast, so call  at 828.505.8588 to reserve your spot for this seated tasting.

Jan 27, 6 PM - 8 PM, at Divine Wine, 1011 Tunnel Road East Asheville NC . Friday Wine Tastings - It’s not just a tasting, it’s a party and you’re invited. Complimentary tastes of special wines, along with an assortment of hors d’oeuvres. Be sure to try the weekly special wines by the glass, or a cold, frothy, draft brew from the bar.

Jan 27,  4 PM - 7 PM  LaBouteille, 10 N Trade St, Suite A Tyon NC - Complimentary Wine Tastings every Friday. Jan 28 - The last Saturday of each month 3-5 pm is a 10 beers for $10 beer tasting. Bring a dish of food to share.

Jan 28, 3 PM   RagApple Lassie, 3724 Ragapple Lassie Lane Boonville NC - Wine and Cheese Pairing: Chef Jeff Taylor, formerly of the Homestead in Timberlake, will tantalize your taste buds. Enjoy sampling  six Ragapple Lassie wines  each paired with the perfect cheese!   Awesomely good, plus wonderfully educational. Call 1-866-RagApple for reservations. $20.00 per person; Wine Club members, $15.00.

Jan 28,   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. Sample 4 to 6 new wines. Light hors d’ oeuvres will be served and all wines poured will be specially priced.

Jan 28, 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.

Jan 28  , 11 AM - 5 PM  PM at Falderal Winery, 131 3rd Ave, Hendersonville NC.  Free tasting -  Regular Saturday Wine Tasting with all wines made on the premises.

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. Closed for the winter - re-open March 22, 2012Tasting 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