Asheville, NC - Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar

A glass of bubbly!

Nirvana.  I didn't think I'd ever find it.  But I did find it in Asheville, NC, when I walked into the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar.  It's a beautiful and eclectic book store with thousands of old and new books, a chic champagne bar, that's dog friendly!  I simply love this place.  It's compiled of a maze of rooms filled with walls of books, and intimate seating arrangements for individuals or small groups to sip a beverage, browse through books, or work on a lap top.  It simply has something for everyone.  If you have a four footed furry companion, he or she is welcome as well.

Dog friendly!

My husband, my dog Belle, and I stopped by for a celebratory glass of champagne and a tasty cheese board on the first stop of our cross-country trip to our new home in Bend, Oregon. Now that I've left my day job I'll be able to travel more and visit fun places that serve beer, wine and chocolate.  What an amazing way to start this journey.

Next time, the chocolate cake.

The champagne and wine list is extensive with something for everyone's taste and budget, from very expensive, to our sparkling wine of choice, a very reasonable $7 glass of Italian Prossecco. If we had visited later in the evening we probably would have chosen the dessert special,a glass of champagne and generous slice of chocolate cake for $10. They also offered local craft bottle beer and a full coffee bar.  Did I mention water bowls and special treats for the pups? The folks who work at Battery Park love dogs and provide special attention to every visitor.

This establishment has it all.

If you are ever in Asheville, do yourself a favor and stop by Battery Park. Perhaps it will be your nirvana, too. 

Finger Lakes, NY - Wine Tasting by Boat

Wine tasting is always essential when I head back to my home town, Ithaca, NY, located in the Finger Lakes Wine Region on Cayuga Lake.  The lake is dotted with numerous wineries and on this year's trip we added a new twist to our experience - visiting the wineries by boat.

A family gathering at my sister and brother-in-law's lake cottage is always a treat.  On a gorgeous August afternoon, a group of us boarded their sleek speed boat and traveled to several of the most picturesque wineries on the lake.  After an exhilarating fifteen minute trip, we made our first stop, and docked at Sheldrake Winery.

Just docked at Sheldrake Point and ready to taste some wine.

Sheldrake Point Winery

A rare moment when the there isn't a crowd at the tasting bar.

A short walk up a sloping hill brought us to the tasting room.  After finding a place to gather along the esthetically pleasing tasting bar, we selected the wine and cheese pairing.  For $5 you could taste five wines paired with small bites of a variety of cheeses.  The pairings were excellent and added a little extra fun to the wine tasting experience. 

This group is enjoying their wine!

When it comes to Finger Lake wine, I usually prefer the Dry Riesling and Pinot Gris, and this was no exception. Others enjoyed their Dry Rose, Cabernet Franc and Gamay Noir.  After taking a quick tour of the small gift shop which displayed crafts and food from local atrisans, we bought a couple bottles of wine, took in the panoramic view and headed back to the boat for the next stop. 

Heading back down to the boat.

Goose Watch Winery

The next stop was Goose Watch Winery, located high on a hill above the lake.  A quick call ahead and we were met us at the dock with the electric cart to drive us up the steep hill past rows of vines already heavy with purple grapes. 

The Goose Watch vines are laden with purple grapes.

The view from the Goose Watch tasting room is nothing short of spectacular.  A back deck spans the length of the building and offers unparalleled views of Cayuga Lake. On a day as gorgeous as that, the word breathtaking was not a cliché, it was the real deal. 




View from inside the Goose Watch tasting room.

After taking a quick tour of the kitschy gift shop, we gathered around the wrap-around bar to sample the wine.  There are a few gems in their selection.  I particularly enjoyed the sparkling Pinot Noir Brut Rose, the Pinot Gris and Villard Blanc.  Some of the gang decided to drop a couple extra bucks to sample their Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and they gave it the thumbs up. 

Tough choice deciding which wines to taste.

After purchasing a few more bottles, our happy bunch headed back down the hill to board the boat for the cottage.  Perhaps I’ve tasted finer wine, but I have not experienced a more fun-filled wine tasting excursion than this one.  I’m already looking forward to our next visit when we can hopefully check out a few more of the Finger Lake wineries that smartly welcome the boating crowd.



A stroll through the gift shop brought smiles.

Asheville, NC - Santé Wine Bar



The entrance of Santé Wine Bar.

Santé Wine Bar: is a casually elegant, but comfortable bistro in downtown Asheville that offers an excellent wine selection and a variety of tasty light meals.
What did we have: a flight of wine and a local cheese board
What's fun:  a relaxed yet beautiful venue to enjoy wine, conversation and people watching

Lucky us.  On our weekend trip to Asheville, we discovered  a wonderful brew pub, a chocolate lounge, and a delightful wine bar.Santé is located in the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville and offers cozy but elegant seating indoors, as well as outdoor sidewalk tables.  The art compliments the contemporary decor, and there are large windows near the seating area that look out on the folks strolling by.   The hosts at Santé want you to enjoy your experience and try new wine.  They offer interesting flights of wine (four half pours of different varieties), you can either choose their recommendations, or you can design your own.  The focus is on wines from all over the world, many from small production wineries. They also offer local and imported craft beer and a variety of light bites made from locally grown ingredients.

Our flight of wine and cheese board. 

What did we have:  We chose the featured June Flight of "Sun Worshipers" which represented wine from solar-powered vinyards.  It included Left Coast Cellars (Oregon) Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, Tolosa Winery (California) No-Oak Chardonnay, and Wellington Vinyards (California) Syrah.  Of the four we enjoyed the Pinto Gris and Syrah the best. We ordered the Local Cheese Board featuring some of North Carolinas's best cheeses to enjoy with our wine.  Now I wish we had sampled the Chocolate Flight, which included eight pieces of locally hand crafted artisan chocolate.  I guess we'll just have to go back. 

The conversation nook is perfect for a small group.

What's fun: Santé offers casual elegance, relaxed atmosphere, intriguing wine list and fine fare. It's the perfect place for a romantic interlude, conversation with a group of friends, or a relaxing spot to sit alone with a glass of wine. The menu changes regularly, so there is the opportunity to try new and different wines.  It's a class act in a fun and funky town.