First Wine/Beer Specialty Shop to Open in Asheboro Since Alcohol Vote

ASHEBORO, NC (Feb. 22, 2009) – Since Asheboro voters approved the sale of beer, wine and mixed drinks on July 29, the heart of downtown is taking on a new look. A specialty wine and beer shop has opened – and it’s the first one to do so.
Lumina Wine and Beer will be holding its grand opening on Friday, Feb. 27 with a ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. A wine tasting and reception will follow until 6 p.m. A wine tasting will be held on Saturday from 2-4 p.m.
The shop has a cozy bar and serves wine only. Beer may be purchased and consumed off the premises.
Owners Jennifer Parrish, 37, her brother Tim Moss, 24 and girlfriend Emily Hieronymus, 24, fashioned their store after a similar one in Sylva, N.C. “It’s a great place to relax after work and features an interesting selection of wines,” said Parrish. “Our store carries wines you typically don’t find at chain stores. And we’re the only specialty shop within a 20 mile radius of Asheboro.”
Parrish explained they chose the Sunset Avenue location because of Asheboro’s charming downtown. “The building was exactly the right size, with a great corner location and plenty of parking. It has this amazing hand painted floor which gave us real inspiration for how we wanted the shop to look and feel.”
She added “Tim and I visited Sonoma a couple of years ago and had kind of joked that if ever Asheboro legalized alcohol, we'd open a wine shop. This past summer, the three of us decided that we should if we ever wanted to do…now was the time!”
The three owners are no stranger to entrepreneurship and hard work. Hieronymus grew up in a family seafood and restaurant business in Wilmington. She later managed a boutique there and a restaurant at Wrightsville Beach.
Parrish brings 15 years of retail sales management and marketing to the table. She says her brother is the “jack of all trades,” having supervised construction crews in Wilmington.
Lumina Wine and Beer is located at 152 Sunset Avenue. Doors are open Tuesday and Wednesday 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. and Thursday – Saturday 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Wine tastings will be held every other Saturday from 2-4 p.m.
For information, call 336.610.1060.

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New Agritourism Resource Available on LinkedIn

Cutline: William Alexander sells fresh produce from his road side stand in York, South Carolina.

ASHEBORO, NC (Feb. 3, 2009) – Operators of vineyards, farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-pick-it farms and anyone else involved in the agritourism industry now have a new online tool to exchange ideas, ask questions and learn from others. A discussion group specific to “agritourism” has been created on the social networking site, http://www.linkedin.com/.

Tourism writer and consultant Greta Lint, of Asheboro, N.C., came up with the idea while working on another agritourism project. “I needed to know more about some of the issues surrounding the operation of farmers’ markets, roadside stands and u-pick-it farms. Not much showed up on the Internet, so I created a platform for discussion,” she explained.

The group, called simply “agritourism,” is open to anyone who has an interest in that particular industry. “This includes performers, crafters, promoters, organizers and teachers. Eligibility includes people who manage fairs, festivals and tourism-based attractions or who teach agriculture and horticulture business classes. This portal should help tourism product developers and promoters too,” Lint said.

Those who wish to sign up for the group must first join www.LinkedIn.com. There is no fee to join. “And you’re not bombarded with spam or unwanted emails,” Lint explained. “Once you’re a member, you can then do a search for groups in agritourism and join in.” For more information, contact Greta at greta@gretalint.com or call 336-626-0527.