Exploring The Wine, Food, And Wonders Of Hendersonville, North Carolina

The Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina have an abundance of natural beauty, wine, and dining.

When our planned trip to visit family in Ohio got COVID-canceled, we had to do some quick juggling of plans. We had already arranged for a dog sitter, not an easy feat, so we decided we’d travel elsewhere. Our first thought was a trip to Washington, DC. However, with the uncertainty of whether museums and when museums would be opened, we charted a course for the western part of our home state. Here’s what we discovered…

High Mountain Wineries

We were able to visit four wineries in the Hendersonville-Flat Rock area. Most of our North Carolina wine adventures have been in Yadkin Valley or even closer to our Raleigh stomping grounds, so we really anticipated the opportunity to see when wineries in this scenic area. Point Lookout Vineyards, Marked Tree Vineyard, and Stone Ashe Vineyard are all in the Crest of the Blue Ridge AVA, while Parker-Binns Vineyard & Winery is located in the Tryon Foothills. Each has a spectacular setting near the Eastern Continental Divide.

Parker-Binns Vineyard & Winery, 2275 Whiteside Road, Mill Spring, NC

We arrived at Parker-Binns on a chilly and wet afternoon, so we didn’t have the chance to fully enjoy the beautiful grounds and outdoor seating area at the winery. As we say, it’s always sunny in the tasting room and found great hospitality and super wine inside.

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Parker-Binns is a multi-generational winery founded in 2007. Their focus is growing traditional European grapes and they offer a wide selection of estate wines. They are also well known for The Burger Barn, their onsite kitchen. The burgers will have to wait until our next trip, but we got our share of liquid refreshment as we enjoyed their wine tasting ($15 pp).

I was impressed with the 2020 Reserve Chardonnay which has a deft touch of oak and sur lie aging. It has a creaminess thanks to malolactic fermentation with nice vanilla and coconut components. Petit Manseng is a white grape really gaining traction in North Carolina, and Parker-Binns offers a great one, with intense flavors of apple, tropical fruit, and brioche. We took home a bottle of 2019 Pea Ridge Red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.

Point Lookout Vineyards, 408 Appleola Road, Hendersonville, NC

This winery gets our vote for most dramatic setting for a North Carolina winery. Its slogan is 30-mile views and even longer memories. The vineyard and tasting room are on top of the southeast slope of Point Lookout Mountain. We find that grapes grown in mountain vineyards have an extra level of intensity and complexity, and that certainly is the case here.

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Point Lookout has a beautiful lodge-style tasting room and banquet facility, but honestly, the prize seating area is outside gazing at the panoramic view of the mountains. Point Lookout has expanded beyond wine to include World’s Edge Meadery. The cost of a tasting is $12 for five wines and one mead (or five meads and one wine).

The property has been in owner Mike Jackson’s family for three generations. He piloted the transition from apple growing to grapes, with vineyards planted in 2008. The tasting room opened in 2018. There’s a lot to like here, in particular, we were taken by the 2019 Riesling with pretty floral notes and the 2018 Bliss Cabernet Franc, which offers cranberry notes, smooth texture, and a long finish. This is a premier destination wedding venue.

Marked Tree Vineyard, 623 Deep Gap Road, Flat Rock, NC

This upscale winery located on the Eastern Continental Divide with views of Mt. Pisgah and Mt. Tryon opened in 2020. The stylish tasting room has floor-to-ceiling windows and the winery features some prime sitting areas outside, furnished with Adirondack chairs and an assortment of tables. The view of the hills and the vineyard is relaxing and inspiring.

Marked Tree is a premium experience, so you should plan on making reservations for your tasting. Unfortunately, picnicking isn’t allowed and there is an upcharge for bringing in outside food. Offsetting that, there is a wide choice of really cool food trays including smoked salmon, hummus, and pimento cheese.

The wines are some of the best we’ve had in North Carolina. From our perch outside in our armchairs, we thoroughly enjoyed the tasting ($15) flight. Highlights include the peppery Lemberger and the rich and rocking 2018 Petit Verdot. On the white side, the Chardonel was crisp with a touch of honeysuckle. The sparkling Vidal Blanc added a festive flair to our gorgeous day tasting.

Stone Ashe Vineyard & Winery, 736 Green Mountain Road, Hendersonville, NC

Stone Ashe was our last winery stop of the day, the sun was dropping below the mountains, and the temperatures began to dip. We circled a heating tower on the patio and ordered a tasting flight ($15 for five or $18 for six). According to owner Craig Little, he and his wife Tina sought hillside vines in order to focus on Bordeaux grape varieties. The terrain is similar to the Graves region of Bordeaux.

The winery is brand new (opening in 2020) with a stylish tasting room and inspirational views. The Cab Franc Rose and Sauvignon Blanc are tasty, but where Stone Ashe truly over-delivers is on its elegant reds. The 2018 Petit Verdot is a good example of why this grape is taking center stage in North Carolina.

This is the first in-state winery I’ve seen where they have both Right-Bank and Left-Bank style Bordeaux blends. The 2019 Davenport is a Merlot-driven blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Franc. Our favorite was the 2019 Coppedge Hill, the Cabernet-led (Left Bank) blend with Petit Verdot. This is a deliciously dark wine with deep cherry and chocolate notes.

Hendersonville - Flat Rock Restaurants

I visited Hendersonville once before, for the USTA state tennis tournament. After our matches, we stopped in town for dinner. I was impressed by the beautiful downtown and the abundance of eateries and bars. That really gave me the spark to return and this time we had a chance to enjoy three highly recommended restaurants.

Never Blue, 119 S Main St, Hendersonville, NC

Never Blue is a crazy creative tapas restaurant on Main Street. After hunting for and finally finding some street parking, we enjoyed one of the best dining experiences we’ve had since COVID reared its head. We have mostly been dining outdoors, but in Never Blue, we felt comfortable in the high-ceilinged area off the main dining room. Plenty of elbow room and social distancing.

Our dishes were prepared to perfection: 1) Malbec-brown sugar roasted red beets, chardonnay-ginger pickled golden beets, goat cheese mousse, Marcona almonds, balsamic gastrique, 2) Hand-made, colossal 5 cheese ravioli, smoky chipotle asiago cream sauce, baby spinach served with garlic toast, and 3) Lamb Kofta: Zah'taar spiced, house-ground lamb patties, warm pita, baby greens, feta cheese, champagne pickled onions, house-made dill-mint garlic toum sauce, spiced curry mustard, and house-made lemon garlic hummus. Each sauce and each bite was a masterpiece. Our wines were Prosecco, Sauvignon/Semillon, and Petite Sirah.

Beautifully presented food with an intriguing wine list make this a new favorite for us.

Shine, 202 N Main Street, Hendersonville, NC

Shine is a creative American bistro right in downtown Hendersonville. The décor and friendliness of the staff really do shine, just perfect on the chilly night we stopped.

There's a warm laid-back ambiance and a cool bar scene. The service is outstanding and the food is beautifully crafted. I opted for the short ribs, but they were sold out. I recalibrated to a cup of chili and a savory, comforting French Dip sandwich. My wife got the delectable Mahi Mahi with some Pinot Gris. Shine also provides excellent craft cocktails and rooftop dining is available.

Honey & Salt, 2730 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock, NC

Honey & Salt is located in the Rainbow Row in Flat Rock, a grouping of restaurants and shops a short, scenic ride from Hendersonville. It serves up locally sourced and organically-grown farm-to-table breakfast and lunch dishes.

This restaurant has a small dining room and is popular with locals and tourists alike. There is locally-ground coffee and fresh-baked goods. We stopped for breakfast and loved the vibe and the vittles. The cheddar grits were amazing and the French toast and hash cake filling.

Outdoor Adventures

Cruising around Hendersonville and environs, you are swept up by the natural beauty all around. Two top picks are Chimney Rock State Park and the Park at Flat Rock.

Flat Rock Park, 55 Highland Golf Drive, Flat Rock, NC

This park was a delightful find as we did a windshield tour of the area. the 66-acre park has a flat, open green space and a 1.3 mile perimeter trail that you can walk or run. The park is wonderfully developed with a variety of trails, a picnic pavilion and two playgrounds. We really enjoyed “the Quiet Place,” a small shelter near the wetlands area, a great place to chill and reflect. There is also an open-air nature center with plenty of info on the animals, plants, and history of the area.

Chimney Rock State Park, 431 Main Street, Chimney Rock, NC

The tiny village of Chimney Rock, with its shops, cafes and even a winery tasting room, is the gateway to even more fun. Chimney Rock State Park is a paradise of spectacular views and incredible hiking trails. The main attraction is Chimney Rock, a 315-foot towering rock formation that is 535 million-years-old. From its peak you can see 75-mile views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure.

You can hike to the top or, as we did, you can take a state-of-the-art elevator inside the rock up 21 stories to Chimney Rock. The view from the windy rock is awe-inspiring. We climbed even higher, to the Opera Box overlook in order to snap an iconic photo of Chimney Rock with Lake Lure in the background. There are trails for all levels of fitness, so don’t hold back.

We hiked down the 200-plus stairs and then marched to Hickory Nut Falls, a 404-foot waterfall that was featured in the movie, “The Last of the Mohicans.” After our day of hiking and climbing, we truly had earned a few glasses of wine. Don’t miss this landmark!

SoCa Cocina Latina Restaurant Rocking Raleigh With Eclectic Food And Wine Options

Drawing its culinary inspiration from the region South of the Tropic of Cancer, Raleigh’s SoCa, offers a delightful mashup of Latin and Caribbean inspired street food paired with an outstanding selection of wine.

Elevated International Cuisine

We’re always up for exploring unique restaurant experiences. Last month was Triangle Restaurant Week, so we headed to SoCa, a Latin-inspired Raleigh restaurant that we viewed through the windshield, but had never visited..

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SoCa has carved out a unique culinary perch, focusing on cuisine from locales south of the Tropic of Cancer, a geographic dividing line that runs just north of the equator. That adds up to an eclectic menu that includes dishes from more than 20 different countries. Dishes include Guatemalan Ceviche de Camaron, Jamaican Lamb Patties, Peruvian Tiradito de Pescado and Brazilian Feijoada, to name just a few.

The restaurant is one of just 11 Wine Spectator Award winners in Raleigh. We were all smiles as we saw the finely crafted wine list featuring a wide array of southern hemisphere wines.

Outstanding Vibe And Vittles

SoCa, located at 2130 Clark Ave, Raleigh, in the Cameron Village area, has an inviting energy. Servers whisk past with trays of food, guests unwind with friendly chatter at the bar, wine bottles are opened and food sizzles as cooks work in view of the customers.

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It was a hot summer day in Raleigh (imagine that!) and so we first wanted a drink to chill down. What better way than a sparkling Brut rosé? We selected the Viña Underagga from Chile’s Central Valley. Not only are South American wines delicious, but they are typically great values as well.

I opted for the three-course Triangle Restaurant Week special and my first dish was Caramelized Pear Empanadas, with savory pastry, Manchego cheese, chorizo and toasted almonds. This dish was not only a sweet and savory explosion of flavors, it was artistically plated. It was a treat for the eye and the palate – something that was true for each dish we had at SoCa.

The evening was a bit toasty outside, but we plan to sit out on the patio during our next visit. It looks like an ideal vantage point to watch the world go by while sipping a glass of wine. SoCa also offers free valet parking, something greatly appreciated by us and certain to remove the “do you see any parking spaces” anxiety from your evening.

Done with my ruminations while gazing out the window, I was ready to pick a red wine to go with my entree. We like to try new and different wines (hey, it’s what we do!) but SoCa has you covered even if you don’t. They offer lists of SoCa reds and whites, focusing on countries in their geographic bullseye, but also have lists of global reds and whites featuring outstanding choices from the rest of the world. For example, they feature Cabernet Sauvignon by Sleight of Hand in Washington State and Ty Catton in Moon Mountain, Sonoma, as well as Albariño from Rias Baixas in Spain and a good selection from France.

To accompany my Grilled Adobo Pork Tenderloin I selected the 2015 Alto Limay Pinot Noir from Patagonia. I’ve been wanting to try a Pinot from this up and coming Argentine region. At SoCa I was able to do so by the glass. The pork dish had poblano pepper slaw, charred pineapple, salsa verde and lime. The Pinot had notes of cranberry, minerality and a touch of cocoa. It was a nice pick to go with my entree as well as my wife’s seafood dish.

A Sweet Ending

It was no contest for the dessert selection. The Restaurant Week menu offered Choco-Latte which, by its description, promised to raise the bar on decadence. Videri dark chocolate cake is topped by whipped mascarpone and Brazilian brigaderos (a chocolate fudge ball!) and accompanied with raspberry purée and chocolate chunk coffee ice cream.

The dessert delivered in spades. Rich chocolate accented with tart berries and creamy coffee goodness – an outstanding way to end our dinner.

There’s a lot to like about SoCa. The cuisine is at a very high level: well prepared and beautifully presented. The menu is also thoughtfully composed with surprising and inviting dishes, most of which you won’t encounter elsewhere and certainly not all together. The wine list is well designed and contemporary in style. Other restaurants may have more voluminous lists, but they likely don’t have some of the great selections featured at SoCa. It has everything to make a wine lover keep filling glass after glass.

SoCa Cocina Latina gets our highest recommendation. Whether you want to explore the world or just have a great meal, head south of the Tropic of Cancer!

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Vidrio Dishes Up Style Along With Tapas And On-Tap Wine

Looking for the “wow factor” in Raleigh dining? Look no further than Vidrio, a Mediterranean restaurant that delights the eye and the palate.

The Art of The Meal

Deciding to avoid conventional choices, we recently opted to try out Vidrio on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. It was a memorable evening for all the right reasons.

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Vidrio means “glass” in Spanish and you won’t wait long to discover why it is an appropriate name. The feature attraction in the expansive main dining room is a soaring wall of more than 350 glass discs created by an Ohio artist.

In every direction it is a visual treat with unique lighting fixtures, a hanging rope sculpture, intriguing textures and a setting that exudes style. Even if we didn’t eat a bite, a visit to the restaurant would be satisfying.

Of course, we were there to eat (and drink). So we did.

Tip Top Tapas

We are tapas aficionados. The main reason being that you end up with what amounts to a tasting menu. In some restaurants if you don’t like your entree, you’re out of luck. You can come back in a month or two and try something else. With tapas, if you don’t care for one small plate you can sample one of the other four or five dishes.

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The Vidrio mantra is “earth, flavor and wine” and we were ready to experience it all. Although it took a while to get service and wade through the many options, our ticket was soon on the way to the kitchen. Our picks included green chickpea humus, Moroccan beef skewers, charred octopus and a fig flatbread.

I told my wife that I wanted to treat her to dinner at a very special restaurant – and Vidrio met that expectation. Of course, the fact that Vidrio also has more than 50 wines on tap was certainly at top of mind!

There are a couple of problems with wine by the glass in restaurants. First, you are usually much better off buying a bottle because if you each have two glasses, you’ll pay more and get less ordering by the glass. The second disappointing problem is that in many restaurants partially consumed bottles sit around in less than ideal conditions, sometimes for days.

Enter wine by the keg! Wine by the keg dispels those issues. The kegs are pressurized so each glass should be good to the last drop. I also like the sustainability angle. There’s much less packaging involved with a reusable keg versus a glass bottle, label and cork for every 750 ML of wine.

Tapping The Wine

For the hummus and octopus, we went white. With the flexibility of the wine on tap program, and very reasonable costs ($8 for a 6 oz. pour of many great wines and half that for a 3 oz. pour), we went by the glass.

The charred octopus was stellar! When in Spain, the octopus I tried was cut into medallions, usually served with olive oil and potatoes. At Vidrio, the tentacles were charred whole and we sliced them to enjoy with our chorizo vinaigrette and beans. We started with a glass of Greek Asyrtiko and French Muscadet. My wife assumed that the Muscadet would be sweet, but this great wine made from Melon de Bourgogne was fresh, delicious and off-dry.

For our later plates, we enjoyed a glass of Truth or Consequences Wahluke Slope (Washington) Merlot and a glass of Spanish Garnacha. Each of the glasses we enjoyed was fresh, fresh, fresh! Like a new bottle was just opened.

The tap system serves not only the bar on the first floor, but also runs up to the bar on the second floor. No matter what unique space you enjoy at Vidrio, you’ll have the freshest wine. There is also a wealth of craft cocktails and craft beer available.

Vidrio is a destination restaurant. You can hang in the downstairs bar, which opens to the night air, soak in the aesthetics in the main dining room or explore the upper regions. Meals are artfully prepared and the vibe combined with the great food and drink means we’ll be returning to Vidrio in the very near future.

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Brewery Bhavana Bolsters Raleigh Dining Scene With Curious Blend Of Food, Beer And Atmosphere

Do a brewery, bookstore and florist shop belong together? Heck, yes! Brewery Bhavana has burst on the Raleigh dining scene as one of the country’s best new restaurants.

A New Triangle Destination

One of the reasons we relocated to the Raleigh area is the great dining and entertainment scene. So we were delighted when friends Linda and Eric invited us to check out Brewery Bhavana, the hottest new eatery in North Carolina’s Triangle region.

So difficult is it to get reservations, that our reservations were at 5:15. So funky is Brewery Bhavana that arriving at an early hour with time to browse around is a good thing.

Brewery Bhavana, owned by brother and sister duo  Vanvisa and Vansana Nolintha, combines a tap room, flower shop and book store. The restaurant opened in March and has been named one of the top new restaurants (number 10) in the United States by Bon Appétit. The Nolinthas are the team behind the popular Bida Minda Laotian restaurant next door.

Floating Zen Garden Of Tranquility

Now, I’m not sure there is such a thing as a floating Zen garden of tranquility – but that’s what the interior design of Brewery Bhavana brought to mind. It has a clean aesthetic with round lighting globes and an organic looking chandelier. Even the tap room has smooth granite lines with tap handles protruding from the wall sans tacky beery advertising. The flower shop and book store blend seamlessly into the dining space, bringing strikingly beautiful flowers and quirky and fascinating books into the dining experience.

We enjoyed the chic but not ostentatious setting while waiting for Eric and Linda. They got hung up in traffic, and so we browsed the book selection and ordered a couple of beers.

Beers at Bhavana are brewed under the guidance of Patrick Woodson at their private production brewery down the street. They have 10 core beers and a slew of provisional beers to round out their 40 taps.

I started with Plow, an American Pale Ale that they term a “gracious pale ale.” The Green Dragon opted for the Sow, a Belgian Pale Ale. These were fresh and frothy, just what we needed to take the edge off a long day.

Dim Sum Dynamics

The specialty of Brewery Bhavana, aside from its beer, is dim sum. Dim sum is Chinese “small bites” usually served in steamer baskets or small plates. In other words, they are perfect for tapas-style sharing.

When the rest of our party arrived, we ordered a first round of dishes. When visiting tapas restaurants, we’ve found its good to order a few dishes to start – if it’s obvious that everyone is famished and the food is disappearing rapidly, you can order more. What we like about dim sum and tapas, is that it is more social. Everyone is trying the same thing as opposed a meal where everyone gets one dish and someone might get stuck with a bummer entrée.

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Our first volley included pan-fried shrimp and corn cakes with ginger and a chive sauce, edamame and ginger dumplings, chicken curry bao and Jiaozi chicken dumplings. Perfectly hydrated with ample beers, we began to sample the cuisine. All the dishes were impeccably plated and our eyes enjoyed the artistry before we dug in. We gamely tried the chopsticks, but for some of these dishes, they needed an assist from the knife and fork.

The shrimp and cork cakes were winners as was the chicken curry bao dumplings. The chicken curry dish offered a pop of heat at the end, and so was a great match with our beer (who knew?). Eric is a fan of heartier beers and his selections included the Imperial Stout, deep and dark with a slightly sweet taste. Linda tried the Wilt, a cherry-smoked quadrupel beer with an enchanting smoked flavor.

We had a second round of dim sum and this time our choices included spinach curry puffs and my favorite of the evening, scallion pancakes with oxtail in bone marrow and coconut-soy jam. This latter dish pushed all the right buttons. The marrow was artfully blended with the jam to create an explosion of flavor that was a spot on pairing with the pancakes.
The pancakes provided a contrast in flavor and textures.

The food, service and décor of Brewery Bhavana strikes the right balance of being upscale, but accessible – a cool place for outstanding craft beer after work, or the destination for a special dinner out. We raise our chopsticks in salute and give our hearty recommendation.