BEHIND THE BAR

In the new, regular interview series Behind the Bar, Michael Franco talks to some of the talented men and women who keep the beer, wine and spirits flowing at some of Asheville’s favorite watering holes. Many a bar has been blamed for luring students away from their studies. But in Hank Fuseler’s case, the call […]

Boat drinks

Ahhh tiki cocktails … those sunset-colored vacations in a glass. When done right, they warm your taste buds with exotic spices and unexpected flavors. When done wrong, they coat your tongue with sugary dreck and your head with one mother of a hangover the next morning. Fortunately, in Asheville, there are plenty of places making […]

Small Bites: Owner of 5 Walnut Wine Bar puts on his waders in the River Arts District

Matt Logan, the owner of 5 Walnut Wine Bar in downtown Asheville, has purchased a waterfront lot at 233 Riverside Drive with the intention of opening a business there. "It's about 1.8 acres between the Smoky Park Bridge and the train bridge," he says. "It's a complicated piece of property, because of the flood zone, […]

Small Bites: Falderal Winery offers DIY wine-making, along with wines made on site

A fascination with fermentation started early for Paul Kovacich, co-owner of Falderal Winery in Hendersonville. Kovacich says he began experimenting with the alchemy of sugars and yeast as a boy, when he was about 10 years old. Having received a more formal education in wine-making at Thistle Meadow Winery in Laurel Springs, near Boone, Kovacich […]

Wine tasting 101

Working behind the bar at Santé offers a grand opportunity to talk with folks about wine, and I make my very best effort not to dumb down the descriptions (or, on the other hand, not to sound pompous). It’s my job to make wine accessible and create an environment where people feel comfortable talking about […]

Wine love, anyone?

I admit it. I love wine. Not that I needed proof, but Facebook confirmed this for me after I submitted to one of those end-of-the-year applications whereby a list of your most frequently posted words is generated. My top two for 2010 were “wine” and “love.” Granted, it's a pretty common topic of discussion for […]