We are very excited (and extremely humbled) to announce that Asheville Wine Tours, which is a Van in Black company, has been nominated as a “10 Best” wine tour company in the United States by USA Today. Asheville Wine Tours is the only North Carolina company to make the list of 20 wine tour companies. … Full Story
This could also be titled “A Hike With Your Wine?”. Either way you title this, I think you know where I’m going with this. Yes, there are a lot of wineries in the areas of North and South Carolina that we service but there are also miles of hiking trails (literally thousands of miles) that … Full Story
Sure Spring weather can be fickle –a little sprinkle of rain, intermittent sunshine, some clouds, and maybe some serious gusts of wind that send you running for that jacket buried somewhere in the depths of your car, and now you are seriously rethinking the plans you made for a weekend of enjoying wine and the … Full Story
Our three employees who recently completed their WSET Level 1 in wines certification have now moved up to Level 2. They successfully completed the instruction and testing to achieve a Level 2 in wines certification from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust (WSET) organization. Two of our employees passed their exam with merit and one … Full Story
As one of the leading providers of wine tours (maybe even THE leading provider) in Western North Carolina, we end up at wineries often, very often and we’re super stoked about it! We have vehicles at the wineries constantly from the vineyards around Asheville, Hendersonville, and Tryon up to the Appalachian High Country, and way … Full Story
A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step Lao-tzu. The Way of Lao-Tzu – Chinese Philosopher (604 BC-532 BC) And so it was this week at the NC Wine Academy, Asheville, where some of the Van in Black team, together with individuals representing various aspects of the hospitality industry, took a single … Full Story
And they’re off and running to celebrate the arrival of spring in Tryon and to honor its vibrant horse heritage dating back to 1917, with an “influencer” as he would be known today, Carter Brown. Arriving from Michigan, he opened the Pine Crest Inn, where northerners could spend their winters on horseback or playing golf. … Full Story
The Tryon Foothills experienced several inches of snow and freezing temperature during the month of January. As a consumer of wine, WSET Level 1 Certified, and having a budding interest in vineyard management, I was curious as to how weather, specifically, the latest blast of winter, has impacted the local vineyards and what vineyard management … Full Story
Congrats to our three employees (myself included) who have successfully completed their WSET Level 1 in Wines certification. What is WSET and what does this certification mean to our customers? I am glad you asked! What is WSET? WSET in an acronym for the Wine & Spirt Education Trust. This is a global organization, headquartered … Full Story
It may seem hard to believe, but the holiday season (the most wonderful time of the year!) is just around the corner! With this season comes all of the fun, excitement, tradition, and good times that everyone welcomes and always looks forward to each year. A newer event that has quickly turned into a holiday … Full Story