A Wedding Road Trip

This weekend my lovely sorority sister got married in Asheville, NC. Her ceremony was at Lake Junaluska (which is actually in Waynesville, NC) and it was so beautiful. The lake is absolutely gorgeous, as was the adorable stone chapel where the ceremony was held. Of course, I cried.

Lake Junaluska

The wedding reception was held at a trendy venue, aptly called The Venue. Highlights of the reception included a dance off between the Groomsmen and Bride and Bridesmaids and a mashed potato bar. I have been hearing that mashed potato bars, were the new "thing" when it comes to wedding reception food. This is definitely a trend I support. I am a fan of anything that allows me to add my desired amount of bacon and cheese. Another sorority sister's husband joked with us that we should have a bacon bar where you can add small amounts of potato, chives or cheese to your bowl full of bacon. Again, another amazing idea! I'm pretty sure all good ideas start with bacon.

As a North Carolina native I am sad to say this was the first time I had ever been to Asheville. We didn't get to spend a lot of time touring the city, but we did make the time to eat somewhere cute and shop. The main reason I like going ANYWHERE is to eat and shop! Come to think of it, I live to eat and shop!

The Bride and Groom had thoughtfully created little goody bags for guests staying overnight in Asheville and included a list of their favorite places to visit. Tupelo Honey Cafe and The Early Girl Eatery were on the list and the concierge at our hotel also recommended having brunch at one of these places. Unfortunately (or fortunately as it turned out) both of these places had long wait times and so we bravely ventured out to try something else. By chance we parked near a place called Chorizo. I did a double take when I saw the name. I love chorizo about as much as I love bacon! We were seated right away and it was toasty warm inside, since it was very chilly outside this was a huge perk. 

Morgan ordered the homemade chorizo and a "cheesy pancake" served with apples and eggs. I had the tortilla plate with bacon, cheesy grits and the freshest pico de gallo, black beans and guacamole I've ever had! I was very thoughtless, my dear readers, and starting hogging in all this good food without even thinking to take a picture for you. With just a few bites left, I remembered so here you go:

The best part was really the pico. I don't know how in the world they had still had such fresh tasting tomatoes this late in the season. I'm just crazy about tomatoes and let's face it, the kind from the grocery store never taste as good as the home grown kind. The guac and beans don't look that appetizing, I know, but I promise they were yummy! I ate all of my food and what was left of Morgan's. 

Being the material girl that I am, I just couldn't leave town without purchasing some sort of memento from my first visit to Asheville. I got two adorable pairs of earrings (made in the USA, can you believe?) and some books from a super cute bookstore. Jewelry, food and books, yep my day was complete!

I will leave you with this last photo of the awesome wall decor at Chorizo. 

Wine 101

Award winning wines at Hanover Park Winery.

The very first wine I ever had was Boone's Farm. Go ahead, you can laugh! After only consuming Strawberry Hill and the like, my first job as a wine reporter for a small newspaper was very enlightening. As a reporter in a small town you have to be a jack (jill?) of all trades. From house fires to car accidents and the annual gingerbread house contest, I photographed and wrote about it all. Reporting on wineries and new bed and breakfasts, where they fed the reporter during the interview, were certainly the best perks of the job.

Having a job where tasting wine was a requirement made a huge impact on my life. I am now an oenophile and a big proponent of this growing industry in my community. The Yadkin Valley Wine region in North Carolina is still very young, but it is continuing to grow and mature. There are currently 17 wineries in the Yadkin Valley region and a total of 112 wineries in the entire state. (My goal: Visit them all!)

Many farms that produced tobacco for years are now growing grapes and many people in the bible belt who used to think drinking wine was a sin are now enjoying a glass with their evening meal! For me, it wasn't exactly something I took to right away. Sure, the sweet wines were one thing, but sampling those dry reds for the first time wasn't always a enjoyable. When you visit our local wineries, they will begrudgingly tell you that their sweetest wine is their biggest seller. I say there is no reason to be ashamed of that. The locals (and even some visitors from exotic metropolises like Charlotte) are still growing into this wine thing too! Believe me, I drank a lot of muscadine wine before I was brave enough to drink more than a sip of a merlot or cabernet. 

Bottom line, I say drink what you like, but don't be afraid to try new things. As I continue to visit my favorites and some of the 112 NC wineries I have yet to explore, I will share my thoughts with you here. Please come back and visit soon. 

Whether you are an NC native looking for a relaxing weekend or planning a visit to our great state to sample the wines, be sure to check out www.visitncwine.com. 

Cheers!