It’s Time to Wine | Cashiers Hotel

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: 2021/12 – December

Just in time for the holiday season, the owners of the sleek new Hotel Cashiers have opened The Wine and Provisions Shop in the hotel lobby.  

Clearly, the shop owners have done their homework, stocking their place with some real finds – employing their shopping expertise to stack the shelves with delightful and handy items for the home, entertaining, and gift-giving.   Among them are an array of offerings from companies built by women – craft bitters and sodas ideal for mixing or simply sipping on their own from The Bitter Housewife, wearable art created by two Highlanders for the Outsider Supply brand, and relaxing luxurious bath soaks from Daughter of the Land. Other treasures to be discovered in the shop’s curated collection are playful hats and socks and vibrantly patterned towels from the Mollusk Surfshop. 

With the holidays comes travel, and the search for a unique hostess gift can be a frustrating experience.  Just the thing might be an heirloom quality fragrance, candle, or blanket from Los Angeles-based former musician Neil Bardon – a “designer’s designer.” Other enchanting gift ideas are handmade leather bracelets and accessories from Lifetime Leather and organic soaps from Bell Mountain Natural.

The wine shop has a definite point of view and an individual characteristic – comforting indicators that you are in the hands of knowledgeable staff.  As in all good wine shops, there is an assortment of distinctive bottles, and the selection of wines is kept relatively small to exemplify the best of a region, grape, or style. Specializing in small production family wineries, the buyers have managed to get a hold of some of the most off-the-beaten-path bottles on the market, and the inventory is constantly shifting.    

Also represented are the wineries favored by the locals, from California’s Davis Family Vineyards and Penner Ash in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  Now that we’re well into cold weather, it’s time to drink some big reds – perhaps the Pozos Family Mendoza Malbec, from a winery owned by a family that lives in Cashiers seasonally, or the highly acclaimed Darioush Caravan Red.  Wine drinkers will be delighted to find among the wine racks two great values – the award-winning Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon and a Rhone Valley blend, the  Domaine Galevan Parole La Femme.  Bubbles from iconic Champagne houses Laurent Perrier and Veuve Clicquot are also featured, as is an intelligent list of white wines.  To pair with the wines is a range of artisan cheeses and savory snacks.

The staff is eager to chat with guests, whether to find a new favorite wine or to advise on assembling a fun and festive gift basket. The store also hosts wine tastings and educational events with local Sommeliers and wine aficionados where they introduce new and exciting pours and wine gift sets.

The Wine & Provisions Shop at the Hotel Cashiers is open to the public at 45 Slabtown Road in Cashiers (next to Chili Loco). The store is open 7 days a week from 9am to 9pm, with longer hours during the season, and is the only non-grocery store on the Plateau offering wine purchases in the evening!

For the most updated store hours, wine tasting events and for more information visit www.hotelcashiers.com or call (828) 743-7706.