How to Spend a Perfect Weekend in Asheville: The Asheville Wine and Food Festival Day 1

 

 Destination Asheville for a weekend of local food and mountain vistas.

So looking forward to The Asheville Wine and Food Festival.

In a mere 3 hours and 25 minutes my partner in crime and I arrived at The Renaissance in downtown Asheville. The drive was easy and beautiful with the mountains looming in the distance. We dropped off our belongings and hit the streets for a late lunch. The location of the Renaissance is perfect for the downtown restaurant, music, and art scene.



First stop: Curate

We sipped on a Garnacha blanco and feasted on jamón serrano fermin, jamón iberico fermin, jamón Ibérico de bellota, and croquetas de pollo.

 Second afternoon stop: French Broad Chocolate Lounge

We ooed and ahhed over all hand dipped French Broad confections (one of only a handful in the world to make truffles from bean to bar chocolate) and decided on a (giant) slice of flourless chocolate truffle torte. Then we made noises of extreme pleasure akin to an herbal shampoo commercial. It was that good.

Junction's The Local Sage cocktail- beautiful, layered, sage-y, delicious.

 

 Our event for the evening: Elixer- a craft cocktail competition of The Asheville Wine and Food Festival with 12 mixologists competing for the prize. The difficult part for these cocktail makers was the necessary inclusion of Angry Orchard hard cider in their glass. The event was lively and convivial. In addition to the cocktails in the competition, there were many local distilleries to sample. I had my first taste of Defiant Whiskey from Blue Ridge Distillery, a trend that colored my weekend.

View from judge Mackensy Lunsford's seat

Autumn in Asheville from OneFiftyOne a crowd favorite including Shrub and Co. Tart Apple Shrub and Troy and Sons Blonde Whiskey. Tasted like fall. I finished my glass and my friend Monica's.

Winner Kyle Beach from MG Road. His 100 Proof Heartache was a smoky, savory concoction worthy of praise with mescal, apple brandy, ginger, chili, lime... On Friday night I visited MG Road and asked him to make a few cocktails and talked about inspiration. He is Paul Calvert-esque behind the bar- charming, inspired, and clever with his ingredients. He asked my style and I explained in literary terms. What I received in return was exactly the flavor profile I was seeking.

Final stop of the night: The Imperial Life

A favorite of mine and on this night chock full of many of the bartenders who competed in Elixer. I was able to sit with good friends and eat Jacob Sessoms locally inspired food. We sampled much of the small plate menu full of all things raw, cured, and aged, like house-made charcuterie, artisan cheeses, raw oysters, sashimi, tartars. Cynthia Turner was a genius and a pleasure behind the bar. Another place where it is good to say "make me something with____ please." We strolled home under a giant moon satiated and happy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asheville Wine and Food Festival

View from Biltmore Estate back porch

Travelers hungry for an authentic food experience need look no further than the Foodtopia nestled between the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains. Asheville embodies a social and environmental consciousness that permeates throughout the community. The significance of supporting and appreciating where and who food comes from is everyday life in this region where traditional ways of cooking, preserving, and curing never went the way of convenience. The words "farm to table" are not necessary here. Farm to table just is in Asheville.

In addition to a great diversity of local and regional ingredients grown and raised in fertile soil, Asheville is home to a bevy of talented chefs, distillers, brewers, farmers, and artisans from around the world who collaborate with purpose on maintaining the viability of the local food system. With its bourgeoning food scene, Asheville is both a food destination and mountain refuge. Raft in the rivers, hike through Pisgah National Forest, take a walk through George Vanderbilt's Biltmore, discover the 100 year old Omni Grove Park Inn, and also check out the tailgate markets, a sustainable chocolate factory, hundreds of independent restaurants, and scores of microbreweries fed by pure mountain water.

Mark the weekend of August 22-24 on your calendar for a food driven fete showcasing the connectedness of farm, table, and community in beautiful Western North Carolina. In its 5th year, The Asheville Wine and Food Festival is bigger and better in the US Cellular Center. Presented by EDISON at The Grove Park Inn, here is what you can expect:

 

Elixer

This mixologist competition highlighting many craft spirits from the region (Troy and Sons Moonshine, Cardinal Gin, Carriage House Apple Brandy) includes samples of tipples and hors d’oeuvres on Thursday 8/22.

Jael Rattigan of French Broad Chocolates

Sweet

Sweet on Friday evening will be a sampling of the tastes of local bakers, chocolatiers, pâtissiers, wine vendors, and distillers who will line the corridors of the historic Grove Arcade in downtown. Expect to hear wonderful phrases like "...with sorghum molasses from Doubletree Farm" or "infused with Mountain Farm's lavender."

Jacob Sessoms of Table Restaurant and The Imperial Life

WNC Chef's Challenge

The region's celebrated chefs compete Iron Chef style with the finale happening during the Grand Tasting on Saturday 8/24. Proceeds benefit Eliada, helping children and families of Western North Carolina. You can follow the food fight that has been going on since February here.

 

Grand Tasting

This is the main event including, cooking demos, more than 300 wines, dishes from local restaurants, craft beer & spirits, and sample of artisanal products from the region. Meet the farmers, chefs, restaurateurs, brewers, distillers, and producers while you mingle. This bright finale, culminating the three day culinary gathering, will integrate the members of the Asheville landscape and show the long standing relationships between purveyors and community. And then you will be back to taste Asheville again and again.

General Admission
Saturday, August 24, 2013
1-5 p.m. | $55
U.S. Cellular Center | 87 Haywood St., Asheville

VIP
Saturday, August 24, 2013
12-5 p.m. | $75
U.S. Cellular Center | 87 Haywood St., Asheville
Tickets can be purchased here.