Best Wine in Asheville—A Local’s Perspective

Ian Wasserman
Jun 7, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Sep 18

Asheville may be best known for its impeccable beer, but a savvy traveler knows that the wonders of fermentation doesn’t end there. The Blue Ridge Mountains are host to some of the most idyllic vineyards anywhere in the South and Asheville’s enthusiasm for food and drink has made the best of those conditions.

Tasting rooms and wineries abound here in Asheville, perhaps not in the multitudes of our craft breweries, but with equal enthusiasm. Wine is, after all, the beer of grapes. To discover some of the best places to enjoy the fine wines of Asheville, read on.

1: Five Walnut Wine Bar

Located on downtown Asheville's Walnut Street, just up the way from Pack Square, with Old Europe Pastries (deliciously) on the way, this local joint is just what you need to kick of your tour of the best wine in town.

Furnished with a hand-crafted woodworks made by local artisans, the whole place has a homey, down-to-Earth feel, perfect for date-nights, or a chill wine-tasting with your friends. And whereas said wine may come from abroad, with even New Zealander and Greek bottles on the menu, the snacks can't get more Southern, featuring pimento cheese, Sunburst Farms trout dip, and a charcuterie board furnished with Asheville-made Lusty Monk mustard.

Be sure to check their Instagram for their live music schedule. They've typically got acts playing most nights of the week, starting at 8pm, with occasional earlier sets from 4pm-6pm.

Hours: 2pm to 11pm, every night of the week.

2: Leo’s House of Thirst

This west Asheville wine bar provides locals with not only stellar beverages, but food to match. Sharing a founder with The Admiral and Bull and Beggar (two of Asheville’s most sophisticated eateries), here sommeliers can enjoy a vast spread of wines from pink to amber, alongside breaths of fresh air in their extensive outdoor seating.

As far as the food: charcuterie boards with chicken liver mousse, foie gras toast with fennel jam, steak tartare, prosciutto tartines with strawberries, and beef cheek fusilli. It's enough to make you believe you’re dining in la France. Finish off your meal with a slice of chocolate cake or honey semifreddo, paired with the wine-of-choice, of course.

Visit this wine bar on a Friday or Saturday for their “Prix Fixe” lunches: $25 for a sandwich, soup, salad, and sorbet. On “Tap Tuesdays” all tap wines are only $25 a bottle.

Hours: Monday through Thursday 4pm to 10pm. Fridays and Saturdays 12pm to 10pm. Closed Sundays.

3: The Biltmore Estate Winery

A visit to Asheville would be incomplete without a tour of the Biltmore Estate, especially for first-time travelers. Luckily for wine-lovers, admission comes with a complimentary tasting at their winery in Antler Village, nestled within Biltmore’s placid grounds. Reservations are required on the day of your visit, the suggestion being you set a time for your tasting as soon as you arrive.

The vintages here are made with grapes grown right on the estate. They pair excellently with the winery’s charcuterie boards and locally made truffles, and perhaps a walk about the Biltmore’s grounds beforehand. For those interested in the wine-making process itself, they also offer tours of the facilities.

Hours: 11am to 7pm daily. Open until 8pm on Fridays.

4: Weinhaus

Serving Asheville for more than forty-five years, this family run wine shop is a downtown landmark, sitting on Patton Avenue right between Red Ginger Dimsum and the Thirsty Monk.

A cut above your typical bottle-shop, Weinhaus features stock from around the world, but with special attention to wines made here in WNC. On top of that, they've got their very own in-store wine bar, inviting you to taste the merchandise before making your choice.

Keep an eye on their calendar, to see if your visit to Asheville lines up with one of their many educational tasting events.

Hours: 10am to 7pm, Tuesday through Thursday. Open until 10:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Open noon to 6pm on Sundays. Closed Mondays.

5: Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar

Right on the corner of downtown's Grove Arcade, the Battery Park Book Exchange is both a local landmark, and one of the best places for wine in Asheville. Their extensive collection of used books covers nearly all subjects and genres—a true labyrinth of literature—while interspersed huddles of couches and chairs offer the perfect place to enjoy a drink with your most erudite companions.

Their menu offers champagne flights, sparkling wine cocktails with a literary zeal, cheese boards, charcuterie platters, and espresso. Their pastry cabinet bursts with some of the finest selection of local baked goods. If you need yet another reason to visit, you can call ahead to arrange to sell your own used books for cash or champagne credit, making the Battery Park Book Exchange the only place I know of where you can not only read while you drink, but drink what you read.

Hours: Thursday through Saturday 12pm to 8pm. Wednesdays 12pm to 7pm. Sundays 12pm to 6pm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Businesses Mentioned

5 Walnut Wine Bar

(828)-253-2593

5 W Walnut St, Asheville, NC 28801

Leo's House of Thirst

(828)-505-8017

1055 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806

Biltmore Estate Winery

(800)-411-3812

1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803

Weinhaus