A FREE Daily Visitor Guide for the North Carolina Mountains and 50+ NC Mountain Cities

Friday, March 2, 2012

Mountain Spirits: Wine and Beer this week, 3- 2 -12

March 3, 5 - 7 PM Hops and Vines, 797 Haywood Rd, Ste 100 in Asheville NC. FREE beer tasting: Nantahala Brewing Company Bryson City, NC - check out a favorite brewer in NC and taste these fine crafted ales that have made their way to Hops and Vines as one of their best selling growler line ups: Noon Day IPA; Bryson City Brown; Sticky Dog Stout. March 4, 3-6 PM - FREE Wine Tasting: Li Veli Organic Wines from Italy & Raw Shakti Chocolate - taste three wines from Italian wine producers, Li Veli. Li Veli grows certified organic grapes and all workings within the cellar are environmentally friendly. Li Veli "Orion" Primitivo 2009: Primitivo is a wonderful, ancient grape from Italy, named for it early ripening; Li Veli "Passamante" Negroamaro 2009: Negroamaro is the main grape variety planted by Li Veli, and is named for it's deep purple-black color; Li Veli "Primonero" 2009- This wine is a blend of the two varietals previously mentioned, Primitivo and Negroamaro. Recieve 10% off these wines from 3-6 this Saturday.

March 3 , 7-10 PM, Classic Wine Cellar, 20 Church Street, Waynesville NC - A Special Night of original music written and performed by Chris Minick. Enjoy a special Spanish Tappas menu and Mable Alice Rum Cake.

March 3, 4-7 PM at Table Wine, 1550 Hendersonville Road, Suite 102, Asheville NC - Friday Winedown, 545 wine tasting - 5 great new wines from Italy from Barbera to Grisola! You get to sample 5 wines for $5, free for Grapenuts. March 4, 2-5 PM - FREE Wine Tasting: March 5, 7-9 PM 2010 Pinot Noirs From Patricia Green Cellars, 545 wine tasting. Winery co-owner Jim Anderson will be in-store to pour these wines which are always some of the highest rated Oregon Pinot Noirs. RSVP and pre-payment required - limited to 40 participants.

March 3, 4 PM - 7 PM LaBouteille, 10 N Trade St, Suite A Tyon NC - Complimentary Wine Tastings every Friday. Feb 25 - The last Saturday of each month 3-5 pm is a 10 beers for $10 beer tasting. Bring a dish of food to share.

March 4, 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.

March 4, 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.

March 4 , 3 - 6 PM at Falderal Winery, 131 3rd Ave, Hendersonville NC. Home Wine Making Class - Learn the ins and outs of home wine making. For beginners or experienced home winemakers wanting to brush-up on their skill. The event fee includes a tasting, bottle of wine and 10% off all wine making supplies.

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

Take a Hike: Foothills Conservancy Special Spring Hike

March 10 - The Foothills Conservancy is hosting a special Spring hike to the Bottomless Pools, Pool Creek and Cane Creek Mountain. Reservations required - limit of 20 participants.

Meeting Time: 10:30am
Meeting Place: Back parking lot area between the Lake Lure Inn and the business/office building to the left immediately along US Hwy 74-A/64 at Lake Lure
What to bring: Lunch, water, sturdy hiking shoes, and an outdoors jacket/coat.
Hike Length: 2.5 to 3.5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate-to-Strenuous
Estimated Completion/Back to Parking by 1:30pm

Put on your hiking boots and join Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina for a special Spring hike in the Hickory Nut Gorge along Pool Creek, including an opportunity to view the unique, privately-owned Bottomless Pools, as well as portions of Cane Creek Mountain that the conservancy acquired for Chimney Rock State Park. Tom Kenney, Foothills’ Land Protection Director, will guide the moderate-to-strenuous, 3-hour hike. Enjoy the day as you learn about Foothills Conservancy’s continuing efforts to preserve nearby land and protect Pool Creek. Call 828-437-9930 or e-mail info@foothillsconservancy.org for details & registration. Hike will proceed rain-or-shine unless heavy rain or stormy weather occurs.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Christopher O'Riley Performs in Asheville

March 3, 8 PM at the Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 S Pack Square in Asheville NC - Pianist Christopher O'Riley. Brilliantly entertaining piano playing from the host of NPR's From The Top. Christopher O'Riley presents a whole range of repertoire, including works celebrating virtuoso pianist-composer Franz Liszt, O'Riley's centenary commemorative arrangement of film composer Bernard Herrmann's Psycho soundtrack, as well as the very latest from his own reimaginings of songs by Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Tori Amos, and others. Catch Christopher O'Riley, one of America's leading pianists, for one night only. Get a link for the Diana Wortham Theatre HERE.

Click here to listen to Christopher O'Riley interviewed by Duncan McFadyen of WCQS 88.1 FM.

Grandfather Mountain's Guided Hike Season

Four Featured Hikes headline Grandfather Mountain's 2012 Guided Hike Season. The Guided Hike Series, now in its second year, has four pre-planned hikes to showcase the wonderful scenery and wildlife of the mountain. The hikes are scheduled for May, June, July and August and offer opportunities to explore Grandfather’s backcountry while learning about the ecology and history of the Mountain.

The Series begins with the half day “Spring to MacRae” hike over 0.9 miles, using cables and seven ladders to gain almost 600 feet in elevation. The second hike, the “Ridgeline of Diversity”, is 2.4 miles, traversing large boulders, climbing ladders and gaining 700 feet in elevation. The “Grandfather’s Attic” hike is a challenging endeavor involving a trek to Attic Window Peak and Indian House Cave over the most rugged terrain on the mountain. The Series concludes with the “Nature on the Edge” hike, showcasing the resiliency of plants and animals in the adverse conditions of the mountain. Throughout the journey, interpretive rangers will discuss the needs for habitat and point out signs of survival.

Get more details about Grandfather Mountain's Hike Series and other mountain events HERE.

The Blue Ridge Parkway at 469 miles long is the nation's longest scenic rural parkway. Now 70 years old it is administered by the National Park Service and host to approximately 20 million visits annually. It connects the Shenandoah Valley National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. Along the route are opportunities for lodging, dining, camping, hiking and simply enjoying breathtaking views from easily accessible overlooks and picnic areas. For additional information visit :The Blueridge Parkway Association

The River Arts District is open year around with the opportunity to meet artists in their studios. Schedules are available online. This unique area along the French Broad River is home to more than 165 artists with working studios located in 18 turn-of-the-century industrial buildings. The artists of the River Arts District welcome you into their studios to talk with them, see their latest artwork, watch demonstrations, and experience for yourself the magic hidden inside the time-worn factories and warehouses along the French Broad River.

Chimney Rock Park is named for a 500 million-year-old giant granite monolith overlooking Hickory Nut Gorge. Visitors are awed by the breathtaking view that spreads 1200 vertical feet beneath them and 75 miles across the Carolinas. The now state owned park encompasses 1,000 acres offers the best of the mountains in one place with spectacular 75-mile views, hiking trails for all ages, a 404-foot waterfall, a variety of special events and much more. Chimney Rock NC

The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The program is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. Since 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has provided funding for almost 1500 state and nationally designated byway projects in 48 states. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.

Tsali Recreation Area is an outdoors lover's paradise. Probably the most popular features of Tsali Recreation Area are the 39 miles of trails suited for mountain bikers and horse-back riders, as well as hikers. The 4-loop system offers a variety of landscapes. You can climb 1-foot wide rugged paths or travel flat, well-beaten roads. The four trails--Right, Left, Mouse Branch, and Thompson Loops--meander through mixed pine and hardwoods on a peninsula stretching into Fontana Lake. Near Bryson City NC and Robbinsville NC.