Food and Drink

What’s happening in Charlotte’s evolving wine, cocktail and beer landscape?

Stories by Charlotte Observer journalists, with AI summarization

This collection of stories explores Charlotte's dynamic wine, cocktail, and beer scene, revealing fresh additions and trends.

In Charlotte, a food hall for craft beer is launching with four North Carolina breweries featuring zones for Divine Barrel Brewing and Heist Brewery.

Meanwhile, a new wine bar in Dilworth, Emmy Lou’s, is opening with a focus on community and shareable plates.

Bruce Moffett’s Sala, a neighborhood cocktail bar, aims to channel Charlotte’s prohibition-era vibe with intimate spaces, while KT Winery, a local woman-owned wine company, is now served on American Airlines’ long-haul flights.

Read the stories below.

A meal from Foxcroft Wine Co, coming to Birkdale Village in May. By Foxcroft Wine Co.

NO. 1: CHARLOTTE RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR NOW OPEN IN BIRKDALE VILLAGE. TAKE A LOOK INSIDE.

A popular local spot for wine lovers opened its fifth location in the Charlotte area. Here’s what to expect. | Published June 17, 2024 | Read Full Story by Chyna Blackmon

Lenny Boy Brewing is known for serving traditional beer and sours, plus organic, non-alcoholic kombucha. Charlotte Regional Visitors Association

NO. 2: TRENDS COME AND GO, BUT THE ESPRESSO MARTINI IS FOREVER: TOP 10 CHARLOTTE FOOD TRENDS IN 2025

When it comes to predicting national food trends locally: One size does not fit all. Here’s what Charlotte restaurateurs have to say. | Published January 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Samantha Husted

NO. 3: WINERY WITH CHARLOTTE TIES TAKES TO THE SKY: NOW YOU CAN ORDER IT ON LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS

How friendship and a love for wine evolved into a business with international reach. | Published January 16, 2025 | Read Full Story by Samantha Husted

Colleen Hughes, bar director at Supperland, moved from New York to Charlotte and got a job working at Growler’s, where she started making connections in the local bar scene. This was before craft cocktails were as popular as they are now, so she had to search for knowledge. By Alex Cason

NO. 4: SHE WAS MIXING THROUGH CHARLOTTE BEFORE COCKTAILS WERE COOL. NOW SHE’S UP FOR JAMES BEARD

“If you don’t genuinely enjoy talking to people, you have no business in the bar industry, really.” This is Colleen Hughes of Supperland, a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. | Published January 30, 2025 | Read Full Story by Heidi Finley

The historical villa of the late Charlotte socialite Blanche Reynolds-Gourmajenko is located on Providence Road in Charlotte. Currently home to restaurants and a salon, Sala will open late this spring or in early summer in the former Toccare Day Spa space. By Google Street View

NO. 5: BRUCE MOFFETT’S NEW COCKTAIL LOUNGE CHANNELS CHARLOTTE’S PROHIBITION-ERA PARTY SCENE

Sala, Italian for lounge, brings European-inspired wines, cocktails and bites to the former villa of the late Charlotte socialite Blanche Reynolds-Gourmajenko. | Published February 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lee

Colleen Hughes, shown behind the bar at Supperland, works with the U.S. Bartenders Guild. There, she’s helped to shape the industry landscape for people who have alternative learning styles by figuring out how to ”help people wrap their heads around how to make more inclusive spaces,” she told CharlotteFive. By Alex Cason

NO. 6: CHARLOTTE’S COCKTAIL SCENE JUST GOT NATIONAL PRESS (AGAIN). HERE’S WHAT’S TRENDING.

Curated cocktail menus with an entertainment component are making headlines nationally — and we know just the place to go here in our backyard. | Published February 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Heidi Finley

Distro Beer Hub is opening at 2412 Distribution St. in Charlotte. By Google Street View

NO. 7: A FOOD HALL FOR CRAFT BEER? IT’S OH-SO-CHARLOTTE, AND YES, IT’S COMING TO SOUTH END.

Soon, some of the state’s most innovative breweries will come together in one spot. | Published March 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Heidi Finley

Andres Kaifer and Alex Bridges have been working in the restaurant industry together since 2019. By Courtesy of Customshop

NO. 8: NEW WINE BAR ALERT IN DILWORTH: COZY VIBES, SHAREABLE PLATES FROM DUO BEHIND CUSTOMSHOP

“This is always what I’ve wanted to do”: A comfortable ambiance + great food. | Published March 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kayleigh Ruller

Andres Kaifer and Alex Bridges have partnered with Southwick Architecture and Interiors to create a cozy ambiance and design at Emmy Lou’s that’s shown in this rendering. By Courtesy of Emmy Lou’s

NO. 9: THE SWEET STORY BEHIND THE NAME OF CHARLOTTE’S NEWEST WINE BAR, EMMY LOU’S

This new Dilworth wine bar’s “dip-y” menu will surely have Charlotte talking when it opens later this year. | Published May 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kayleigh Ruller

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.