Appalachian Vintner

kenm2118

Illinois

4.56/5  rDev -2.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

Wonderful store. Went there around 11 on a Wednesday morning. The dog was there as mentioned before. Met Charles, the owner. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Let me sample all four taps (Rabid rabbit porter, Pisgah pale ale, and 2 other NC beers). The selection was good but not overwhelming. I still spent $60+ there. Had all the local NC beers (Foothills, Olde Hickory, Highland, Pisgah, RR) and a variety of other beers from around the country. You can buy whatever you want and drink it there. Great place. I would definitely go back.

06-04-2011 23:51:11 | More by kenm2118

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

First stop on a trip to Asheville this weekend. It was a little hard to find as it was in a the back of a warehouse section off a side street. Upon pulling up you know you are in the right location with wine bottles hanging up like windchimes at the front door. Upon walking in I was greeted by the two gentlemen working the store (brothers/owners). They were really pleasant to talk to and had a huge knowledge and interest in craft beer. The overall appearance of the building is similar to the location it is in with huge open space with shelves and racks throughout the floor. I quickly made my way over to the local section. Very nice local variety going on here! Pisgah, Duck Rabbit, Asheville Brewing Company, and Olde Hickory just to name a few... Also had a refrigerated section next to the local section that housed some of the locals and some Belgians as well. I was then pointed in the direction of the micro/craft beer section. Wow... Very nice layout and selection of single bottles and 4/6 packs. They also have a very nice bar setup where you can enjoy a brew while you shop. They had the Pisgah Pale Ale and Olde Hickory Black Raven Black IPA (I had this one) on tap while I was there. Great location to stop in and shop around. The prices were pretty much spot on for what I've seen else where with some being a little lower than other places. Overall a MUST stop if you are going to Asheville!

10-18-2010 14:33:21 | More by thagr81us

n2185

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

Went into this place for the first time recently and was amazed. I was greeted at the door and when they learned that it was my first time there, the guy offered me a pour of Hopslam and walked me around the store, discussing what was new and good. It's a wine store as well, so the beer selection is not as good as stores dedicated to beer, but it still had a better selection than nearly every other beer store in Asheville. The selection of local beers was pretty good as well, though they didn't have many of the growler-only beers from Craggie, Green Man, Catawba Valley, etc. Prices were also quite good and cheaper than most places in the city.

All-in-all, a very good beer store and it's my new first stop whenever I make a beer run to Asheville.

02-13-2011 08:47:39 | More by n2185

GJ40

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Appalachian Vintner is tucked away in a nondescript warehouse style building near the Biltmore Village. You wouldn't think to stop in based on the exterior but what a difference on the inside.

It's a large space so at first it doesn't look like a lot. But as you make your way through, you realize how much they have. The outstanding beer selection includes lots of NC locals, other US standouts and plenty from the rest of the world. It's displayed nicely on wooden racks and shelves. I picked up some Olde Hickory (Death by Hops and Imperial Stout) and a Sculpin for my wife. The guy behind the counter was very knowledgeable and helpful.

The selection may fall a bit shy of Brusin Ales (though not much) but the prices are much better! Appalachian Vintner would be my regular in the area.

08-26-2011 22:12:43 | More by GJ40

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.44/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

wow where has this place beer? i had heard there was this store that did not have the greatest selection, but had everything i might be looking for. that being said i made it a special point to make sure i checked it out on my last trip through town.

I have to say i was blown away by the attention shown towards local brewers. simply amazing here. they had nearly everything in stock from western nc, stuff i had not been able to get in the city (bardstown for example), just a fantastic store. warm and welcoming they were quick to show me anything and everything they had.

overall a must stop, now there are just too many stores to visit on my trips up there, but this is a sure thing.

09-29-2010 00:52:52 | More by mikesgroove

commis

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

This is my most visited shop in Asheville. It's really more of a wine store but they have a good amount of beer as well. Especially recently, the two brothers that own the place seem to be getting more and more into beer.
The selection is not jaw dropping but they definitely cover enough bases to make it my regular store, and the quality of what they stock is always great. What they don't stock, they will always get for me if it's available to them, they even buy cases of stuff I ask for even when I only want a couple bottles. They are always on point when it comes to keeping their customers happy.
The store has 4 taps and about 8 seats at a nice little bar and Geoff and Charles will hang out and talk beer or wine with you. Next to the bar are a few nice tables and some big, comfy leather chairs so you can grab a pint and relax while you ponder what you might buy. The taps are usually a couple locals and something special. Right now they have Duck Rabbit Baltic Porter, Pisgah Pale and fresh SCULPIN,,,,This is the second keg of Sculpin they've had and this is a market where Sculpin really does not show up in much. The big ass friendly old dog that greets you and the fact that there is a sweet little lounge area in a great store earns the Vintner a 5 for atmosphere in a bottle shop.
Prices are on par with other stores in town except for Bruisin Ales which is very pricey. I buy kegs from these guys every few weeks and the prices are as good or better for barrels than Hops n Vines, which is also one of my go-to's.
Overall this is my favorite shop in town. Charles is working on building a beer engine that will be put to use at some point in the future and at that point I may never go anywhere else.

04-23-2011 14:54:21 | More by commis

Jenkster4

Pennsylvania

4.36/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $

Finally got to check this visit this place, and I definitely recommend it to anyone passing through Asheville. The place is very open and has a nice ambiance. Right when you walk in is their glassware selection. A pretty nice one at that. They had some impressive brews smack dab in the middle ( probably staff picks , or recent arrivals. The main selection was pretty impressive. Lots of variety, and a large mix a six selection. Good amount of German brews, and a decent amount of Belgians. Overall a must go for any beer lover.

11-20-2011 17:56:45 | More by Jenkster4

dbhall

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev -8.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

upon first walking in it was a massive store as far as beer goes. everything was spread out to maximize the space. the service is good and laid back, mainly because there was noone else in the store but us. the store has a great selection of local breweries with pisgah, olde hickory, and foothills making a good showing. this was all i went into the store for, and i was not dissapointed. the prices are good too. if you want something in the asheville area that bruisin ales doesnt have then this is the place to go. also the glassware selection is huge. go there.

06-01-2011 20:42:29 | More by dbhall

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev -11.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

The big store, on Biltmore in the south side of Asheville. As an added bonus, French Broad is right around the corner.

Atmosphere: A big store, bright thanks to the large windows on Biltmore. The main entrance deposits you in the wine section, along with comfy couches and a bar smack dab in the middle of the store. The beer area occupies the back right corner with some trickle into coolers in the rear left. The bar, wooden, has seating on 3.5 of the four sides (the beer area overruns part of the bar).

Quality: Clean, bright, easy to peruse. The couches are a nice touch, as ksak retreated to one during one of our two visits.

Service: I spoke for almost 10 minutes with the beer manager (over a pint of Delta dry-hopped Table Rock pale ale from Foothills), taking his recommendations for the best local beers to take home. Very informative and helpful, offering a frank opinion on an overpriced beer that wasn't worth it.

Selection: We have a winner, best selection in AVL. The local focus is evident, as is a Belgo-Scandinavian one. Olde Hickory bourbon brown ale? Check. Saison Gee? Check. Holland Oats and Table Beer? Check. Evil Twin, Fantome (!!!), Allagash, Ommegang, Foothills, Olde Hickory, Dark Horse, all are prominent. I ended up with some Olde Hickory, Stillwater, French Broad, and Foothills. They also have 10 beers on tap (including the Table Rock) and coolers with pre-filled growlers (seems to be the SOP here for growlers).

Food: N/A.

05-29-2012 13:28:58 | More by akorsak

dirtylou

Washington

4/5  rDev -14.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Nice clean store - crappy parking situation.

Visited App Vintner for the first time immediately prior to stopping at Bruisin Ales. At least on this particular day, Bruisin had a vastly superior selection.

The selection was a little unorganized - we peaked into cases scattered throughout the back of the store in search of whales, with no such luck. The shelves were highly dedicated to pretty bleh breweries like Epic, DFH, etc. Dusty fantome bottles were practically hidden from consumers.

Most local breweries were well represented - Pisgah (Valdez & Baptista - Vortex II was available at bruisin), Highland, French Broad (only 1 beer!), and a variety of local growlers.

Service was fine - tap selection was small, but had a few nice options from Catawba and Nantahala.

I'll definitely come back to this place, but I much prefer Bruisin for selection, convenience and the overall shopping experience.

01-01-2013 18:04:40 | More by dirtylou