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Peabody’s Charity Wine Tasting Expo Brings 300 to Turchin Center on Saturday; ‘The New Venue was Stellar’

A capacity crowd turned out for Peabody’s Charity Wine Tasting Expo on Saturday. Photo by Ken Ketchie

Nov. 19, 2012. On Saturday, Nov. 17, Peabody’s Wine & Beer Merchants of Boone hosted its 34th anniversary Charity Wine Tasting Expo. This year, the event was held at Appalachian State University’s Turchin Center for the Visual Arts for the very first time.

Previously held at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center with 500 annual attendees, only 300 tickets were made available this year. Peabody’s co-owner Jeff Collins said prior to the event that he thought having less attendees would provide a better, more intimate atmosphere for the event.

“I think the new venue was stellar and everybody told me it was the best expo ever,” Collins said on Monday after the expo. “They loved everything about it.”

Collins said he hopes that the Turchin Center will become the expo’s “permanent home,” adding that from what he had heard so far, all the feedback the Turchin Center got from attendees was positive. 

This year there were 209 wines from all around the world available and the event also offered beers from Olde Hickory Brewery, food samples from local restaurants and live music. Those in attendance were also able take advantage of guide books available at each tasting table that better explained the wines offered and allowed them to choose their favorites.

The expo also made for a lively downtown Boone after the event, according to Collins. 

“Every place I went afterwards was packed with very familiar faces,” he said. “I think it did downtown very well to have it have there.”

This year’s event, as with many past expos, saw a sold-out crowd. 

For more information about Peabody’s, visit peabodyswineandbeer.com or call 828-264-9476.

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