The Grove Park Inn recently held a series of gala events to introduce its new branded wines: a crisp, oak-free 2005 chardonnay and a richly berried 2004 cabernet sauvignon, developed by Grove Park in partnership with master winemaker Kerry Damskey of Sonoma County. Speaking at a dinner last Friday night, Damskey took pains to distinguish the product from a private label, stressing the high-end hotel’s emphasis on quality and plans for widespread distribution. And there’s more to come: Damskey said he’s looking forward to the upcoming debut of a Grove Park Inn pinot noir.
Former marriage therapist Barbara Swell has decided to dispense with the Freudian niceties and pass along tips that can really save a relationship: her recipes for black-raspberry cherry and lemon-cake pies. Swell, who runs Log Cabin Cooking Classes in East Asheville, is offering two single-sex pie-making classes this summer. For the gals, there’s “How to Get a Man (Or Thrill the One You’ve Got)” on Saturday, June 23, at 1 p.m.; for the guys, there’s “I Can Make My Own Dern Pie, Thank You Very Much!” on Thursday, July 26. Each class costs $35, and includes a copy of Swell’s The Lost Art of Pie Making. Call 298-2270 to register.
Twig‘s successful run as a boutique restaurant snapped with its sudden, recent closure. The restaurant, which opened earlier this year in downtown Asheville’s Princess Anne Hotel, served painstakingly prepared three-course meals on Friday and Saturday nights. Although chef Mary Lane’s menu of organic and locally gathered ingredients was well-received, (the Citizen-Times called it an “excellent, elegant choice”) a hotel clerk said she didn’t know of any plans to reopen the dining room.
