Any folks here from SC, NC or GA USA?

The Biltmore house is very cool, the wines less so (many are actually made with CA fruit, by the way).

I'll ask some friends who were recently in Charleston for suggestions,. And Betsy if she has any restaurant finds in SE NC, where she plays a lot. Be sure to get your BBQ in NC, not SC or GA.

In Asheville area is a place called "The Boathouse". It is pretty good. Can be pretty views depending upon weather.

Also, in Charleston is a place called California Dreaming. Again, fun place, good food but not haut cuisine. Mid priced.

Biltmore= the mansion is delightful, the restaurant adequate. Even if you're on a VIP tour---you will have arrayed before you all the moderately priced selections. Some of the wines are fresh, some was first opened when the Vanderbilt's The young lads & ladies serving do not open fresh bottles unless they have---you are lucky if a manager is called---the manager not too much older then staff will open some inexpensive wines but anything over $20 retail is reserved for potential customers---at the time 1999 they had a lot of flabby hybrids. Their cab or zin was bought in California for the winemaker to use. You have squint a bit to see the California appellation on the bottle. The servers did know Wine 101, but referred to printed material for any questions---when was the vidal picked and at what brix? I might as well be talking in Sanskrit.

Oh yeah, I specialized in East Coast wine---had with me a German importer/exporter. The VIP treatment was arranged by the wholesaler we used in Asheville---there maybe some Rhinefaltz wines still on a few shelves there. About 4 years after I retired the some one called me(area manager for Maryland & Delaware) to see if I was interested in working for them on a commission(low). basis. I told him about my tasting room turn-off. He confirmed what the Carolina wholesaler said---that they were shorthanded that day and the person assigned to us was needed elsewhere---the person in charge made a judgment that sales were brisk & they didn't think we were going to buy and were in the way.

To be fair, I thought the wine sucked before we were dissed. The California juice was worth the $40 price tag unless it was the retail price for a case.

Never have been impressed with Biltmore wines and the grapes that are grown on the estate do not reflect any of the wines in the bottles they sell. I have been put off in the past by the attitude in the wine shop when they are really selling mediocre high priced wine. Biltmore wines are big around here in Southeastern Virginia but not due to their QPR.

Funny, I have lived in NC for about 12 years and have never taken time to go.

I did try a decent Chenin Blanc from them locally in Charlotte at a B & B once. Also a decent Sparkling a ways back to I beleive. Not great but good.

In Charleston, I can recommend Magnolia's. It might be a bit towards the "fine dining" end of the spectrum, but has always had great food, and very good wine. Hope that it has not changed.

Hunt

Fearrington Village near Chapel Hill, NC is worth a look. It's a quaint bed and breakfast with a gourmet restaurant in a farm setting.

My wife (our tour director) has been compiling information gleaned from the internet, tour books, friends and kind folks like you. I think we have a plan.

Dick R. in Apple Valley, Minnesota USA