Blue Rags in Asheville

June 5, Grey Eagle Music Hall, Asheville North Carolina. From playing Piedmont juke joints to open-mic nights at some of the area's most stalwart venues, the Blue Rags quickly took over the mid-'90s Asheville music scene. Their startling brand of roots-music-on-overdrive earned them packed houses across the country, and a two-record-deal with venerable indie label SubPop. It was their wild ride and Asheville went with them.For details or tickets: http://www.thegreyeagle.com/

2010 Summer at the Wortham Series Begins This Week

June 5, 7PM, Diana Wortham Theatre, Two South Pack Square, Asheville North Carolina. Trombonist Rick Trolsen and his traditional jazz sextet, The New Orleans Po' Boys. The sextet features Trolsen's trombone blending with other front-line instruments, trumpet and clarinet, as they merge with piano, bass/tuba and drums to create contemporary heat in traditional jazz classics such as "Struttin' with Some Barbecue," "Mahogany Hall Stomp," and "The Royal Garden Blues."   Read more...

Gulf Restoration Network Benefit: In light of the current oil spill crisis affecting the Gulf State communities, the WNC Jazz Society is taking this opportunity to support the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN) in association with Sunday's performance and a portion of the proceeds.

Blue Ridge Parkway 75 Event: Swannanoa Shindig

June 4,  SWANNANOA North Carolina. Swannanoa Shindig This night's band will be the Flat Creek Boys. Live traditional Appalachian music and square dance caller; craft booths, children’s games, jamming sessions, and other activities honor the heritage of the original Old Farmers’ Ball near Warren Wilson College. Blue Ridge 75 Event, Milepost 377

Feasting with Brew in Asheville

June 4 - 5, 1847 Blake House Inn, 150 Royal Pines Drive, Asheville North Carolina. Affordable Fun for a Great Cause in Asheville! Angela McKeller is hosting a culinary event, "Feasting with Brew!" this June that is the biggest "Kooking, Jamming, Brewing" event this summer! Pisgah Brewing will be there & another great brewery to be disclosed. Best beer in town and Asheville is the best in the nation for microbrews! Both afternoons, beer pairings with delicious chocolate truffles on Friday & delicious desserts on Saturday (and yes, you get the recipes to take home!) Live music from Davin McCoy & the Coming Attractions.

WNC Chefs Challenge 2010 continues

 June 1, Asheville North Carolina.  WNC Chefs Challenge 2010  Every Tuesday evening local chefs compete and diners judge. The dinners begin at 6:30 p.m. at The Flying Frog Café, which is downstairs from the Frog Bar & Deli, located on the corner of Battery Park Avenue and Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Reservations required, only $39 per person. This week's competition: Pomodoros Greek and Italian Café   VS   The Admiral 

Wine and Beer Tasting at Appalachian Vintner

May 29, 3PM - 8PM, Appalachian Vintner, 2-B Huntsman Place, Asheville North Carolina. Wine Tasting includes:
Domaine Claude Branger Le Fils des Gras Moutons Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie- 100% Melon de Bourgogne, from the far Northwestern portion of France, near the mouth of the Loire River.
Artadi Artazuri Rosé- 100% Garnacha. Faithful to Navarra’s tradition, this rosé is made by means of the accepted system of drawing juice from the must, based on the use of gravity after a short period of maceration saignée.
Au Bon Climat La Bauge Au-Dessus Pinot Noir- 100% Pinot Noir. Jim Clendenen (owner ABC) is by far one of the most animated winemakers in California and in our estimation has one of the best hands in regards to Pinot Noir.
Rabbit Ridge Le Lapin Zinfandel- Paso Robles, California. Rabbit Ridge is one of California’s premier value wine producers. Unlike other “value” producers they almost always deliver flavor packed bottlings that seem unreal for the money.

All North Carolina breweries are 10% off on Saturday and enjoy a free pint of Pisgah Pale with every case of beer purchased. Cheers! http://www.appalachianvintner.com/

Beer Tasting Tomorrow at Hops and Vines

May 28th. 5-7pm, Hops and Vines, 797 Haywood Rd. Ste 100 West Asheville North Carolina. Brews form Brooklyn Brewing Co.:

Brooklyn Summer Ale - Brooklyn Summer Ale is a refreshing rendition of the the "Light Dinner Ales" brewed in England throughout the 1800's right up until the 1940's Come taste this historic brew while it lasts through the early summer.

Brooklyn Lager - One of our best selling canned beers, this refreshing lager is brewed as pre-prohibition style Vienna lager with English Pale malts and European and American Hops. This is one of the few lagers that is actually "dry hopped" in American brewing.

Brooklyn Brown Ale - This award wining American Brown Ale was once a Brooklyn seasonal but is now a year-round brew. This brown is full of malt character and pairs perfectly with food, especially barbeque. http://www.hopsandvines.net

Asheville North Carolina takes the top honors in BeerCity USA 2010 poll.

The votes are in and counted and Asheville emerged as the clear winner with 7389, 38.8% of  the 19,040 votes cast. Last year's tie with rival Portland Oregon is now a thing of the past thanks to the spirit of local beer enthusiasts.  The BeerCity USA poll coincided with American Craft Beer Week and ended with an outpouring of votes for the relatively smaller city of Asheville North Carolina. Read more about the BeerCity USA Poll...

There are 9 breweries in Asheville, NC according to the Brewers Association’s directory of U.S. Breweries.

• Asheville Brewing Co, 77 Coxe Ave., Asheville, NC 28801 Microbrewery
• Asheville Pizza and Brewing, 675 Merrimon, Asheville, NC 28804, Brewpub
• Craggie Brewing Co., 197 Hilliard Avenue, Ashville, NC Microbrewery
• French Broad Brewing Co., 101-D Fairview Rd., Ashville, NC Microbrewery
• Green Man Brewing Co 23 Buxton Ave., Asheville, NC 28801 Microbrewery
• Highland Brewing Co 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste H, Asheville, NC 28801 Regional brewery
• Lexington Avenue Brewing - The LAB PO Box 7303, Asheville, NC 28802 Brewpub
• Oyster House Brewing Co./Lobster Trap Restaurant, 35 Patton St., Asheville, NC 28801 Brewpub
• Wedge Brewing Co., 129-B Roberts St., Ashville, NC Microbrewery

Memorial Day Weekent Event: Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibit

May 29-30  ASHEVILLE  North Carolina.  Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibit: The annual Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibition features award-winning roses of every color and size.  Experts will be on hand to answer questions and provide resources about selection, care and history of these beautiful garden plants.

WNC Chefs Challenge 2010 in Asheville

May 25, Asheville North Carolina.  WNC Chefs Challenge 2010  Every Tuesday evening local chefs compete and diners judge. The dinners begin at 6:30 p.m. at The Flying Frog Café, which is downstairs from the Frog Bar & Deli, located on the corner of Battery Park Avenue and Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. This week's competition: Corner Kitchen VS. Sunset Terrace, Grove Park Inn

Asheville Weekend Events

May 20 - 23  Biltmore's Antler Hill Village Grand Opening
May 21         Downtown After Five
May 21         "Pickin' on the Parkway"
May 22         7th annual Montford Music and Arts festival
May 23-24   Grovewood Gallery’s 11th Annual Charity Sale
May 22-23   Kenilworth Artists Association Open Studio Tour

Alternative Summer Whites Wine Tasting

May 22, 3PM - 6PM, Hops and Vines, 797 Haywood Rd. Ste 100 West Asheville North Carolina.
Free Wine tasting this Saturday:  Alternative Summer Whites. With spring in place and summer on the way, lighter eating and drinking calls for white wine. However, this does not mean that you have to resort to the same old Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio standbys. This week we’ll be exploring three alternative varietals that will be sure to excite both your palate and your friends at the next get together!

Featured Wines:
Peirano Viognier - Fast growing in popularity, Viognier is similar in body to Chardonnay, but offers more distinctive fruit characters such as ripe apricots and honeysuckle.
Sur Torrontes- Argentina's flagship white varietal has a very aromatic nose with scents of exotic flowers and orange blossom. On the palate, it delivers flavors of tropical fruit and spice. Pairs beautifully with Spicy Thai and Mexican cuisine.
Shooting Star Aligote- Second most planted white grape in Burgandy (to Chardonnay that is). It is usually lighter in weight than Chardonnay and has aromas of green apples and lemon peel.  http://www.hopsandvines.net

Vote for Asheville - "Favorite Beer City USA"

Now through the end of American Craft Beer Week on May 23 you can help make Asheville North Carolina the sole winner of the title, Favorite Beer City USA. Last year's vote ended in a statistical tie between Asheville and Portland Oregon. BeerCity USA 2010 is a chance for local beer communities to express their enthusiasm and support for their local breweries and local better beer bars, restaurants, stores and distributors. Most of us now understand the value of buying local for food. Shouldn't it be the same for beer?  VOTE NOW

Asheville currently offers 10 microbreweries,  a rocking beer tour, a world-renowned specialty beer store and five annual beer festivals. Need more? Check out the complete scoop on Asheville’s beer scene. 

Annual pops Concert Unforgetable

May 22, 8PM - 10PM, Diana Wortham Theatre, Pack Square, Asheville North Carolina. The Asheville Choral Society and Music Director Lenora Thom present the annual pops concert: "Unforgettable". For Lenora's farewell concert, the choir will perform a lively sampling of America’s best popular music, from the 1930s to today. Songs include: Duke Ellington, Harry Connick, Jr., Nat King Cole, Joe Cocker, Billy Joel, Jason Mraz, The Beach Boys, Michael Bublé, Frank Sinatra, Kelly Clarkson, and more!