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Weekly Scoop (April 29-May 5) - When Wine Geek Meets Foodie In Asheville


When Wine Geek Meets Foodie In Asheville

For Melissa Ward and Patty Wright, the owners of Rustic Grape Wine Bar in downtown Asheville, everything happens for a Riesling.
 
When Ward, a self-proclaimed wine geek, met Wright, a foodie with a love of baking, in Asheville, she didn’t know it would be the start of something bigger than she could have ever imagined.

The two became quick friends, but soon enough fell in love and married. And while on a romantic vacation in Charleston, they couldn’t help but become inspired by their visit.
 
“We were inspired by a couple of charming wine bars there and the Italian family traditions of breaking bread and drinking wine with family, friends and community,” Ward said.
 
This inspiration turned into what is now Rustic Grape Wine Bar — a charming, rustic, chic “wine nook” located in downtown Asheville.

 

Sip, taste, gather at the cozy and intimate Rustic Grape Wine Bar.

“The combination of smaller production farm-to-table storied wines combined with local cheeses, charcuterie, desserts and local coffee are hard to find all together,” Ward explained. And now you can find it all at their local wine bar.

Their focus is on place-driven, small-production, farm-to-table wines from creative winemakers and family-run wineries across the globe. And when it comes to food, Ward and Wright decided to serve sustainably produced cheeses and charcuterie — many made right here in Asheville — artisan local breads, hearty gourmet spreads, house jams and a rotation of local sweet bites.

“Patty is really the creative force behind our food program,” Ward said. Rustic Grape is becoming known for their local award-winning pimento cheese and fluffy buttermilk biscuits. And the wine bar actually just released a new dessert menu, including a red wine infused chocolate salted brownie baked by Wright herself.

As local business owners, Ward and Wright also strive to connect with and give back to the Asheville community in more ways than one, including hosting the Community Women & Wine Networking event the last Tuesday of every month at Rustic Grape, sponsoring the WNC Cheese Trail, and volunteering at Manna Food BankEblen Charities and WNC Alzheimer's Association whenever possible.

“Asheville local businesses are so collaborative and charitable,” Ward said. “We're growing in our involvement with giving back to the local community which is very important to us.”

Rustic Grape Wine Bar is the perfect, cozy spot to drink wine and break bread on a beautiful Asheville day. Check out their Dig Local profile to see events, new menus and more.

Below you will find one locally curated Scoop chosen for each day this week — but make sure to check out all the Scoops this week on our Dig Local Scoop Calendar.

Monday, April 29

Vortex X Chemist Coffee Cocktail Throwdown
at Antidote
Bartenders and baristas are invited to compete in a fun coffee cocktail competition using Vortex Doughnuts coffee and Chemist spirits. This event is open to the public!
More details.
More to do Monday.

Tuesday, April 30

Bar Take Over: Women of 1618
at The Waterbird
The bad ass women from 1618 Restaurant Group — Ellen Moore, Evans Nowlin, Casey Clanton and Emma Smith — are taking over the bar at The Waterbird.
More details.
More to do Tuesday.

Wednesday, May 1

Herb of the Month Club
at Asheville Dispensary

Each month, AVL Dispensary goes over a specific plant in depth to help develop a closer connection to our plant allies. This month that plant is the passionflower — an ancient herb that offers a plethora of benefits when ingested.
More details.

More to do Wednesday.

Thursday, May 2

New Architectural Exhibit Opens
at Momentum Gallery

Experience a mixed media exhibition called Dissolution, featuring individually created and collaborative works by two artists, Seth Clark and Jason Forck, that explores the notion of deteriorating architecture.
More details.
More to do Thursday.

Friday, May 3

25th Anniversary Party
at Highland Brewing

Say happy 25th anniversary to the oldest brewery in Asheville with a blowout event, featuring live music, food trucks and a ton of new beer releases. Grab tickets.
More details.
More to do Friday.

Saturday, May 4

Asheville Herb Festival (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)
at WNC Farmers Market
Spend your weekend at the 30th year of the largest herb festival in the United States and Canada! Choose from native, Chinese, medicinal and ornamental herbs, perennial vegetables, and other ethnobotanicals.
More details.
More to do Saturday.

Sunday, May 5

Uncommon Market
at New Belgium Brewing
Visit Asheville's largest market for the old, the bold, the creative and the unexpected. Uncommon Market gathers quality curators of antiques, craft, vintage decor, objects, art, jewelry and home furnishings for a massive flea market.
More details.
More to do Sunday.
For all of this week’s Scoops and more, visit DigLocal.com or download the Dig Local AppKeep digging local!