VISUALS is the natural wine, cider and aperitif project from the people behind Burial Beer Co., poured seasonally at the VISUALS Rooftop Bar atop Eulogy Music Hall at 10 Buxton Ave, on Burial’s South Slope campus in downtown Asheville, NC. It’s an unusual entry in a wine-tour lineup — no vineyard rows, no rural drive — but for a group that wants something genuinely different from a standard tasting room, an open-air rooftop pouring native-fermented wines and ciders is exactly that.
Born Out of a Brewery
VISUALS grew out of Burial Beer Co., which was started in Asheville in 2013 by Tim Gormley and Doug and Jess Reiser, transplants from the Pacific Northwest craft beer scene who opened their first brewery and taproom in a converted transmission shop on South Slope. Burial’s co-founder and creative director Tim Gormley — whose background includes sour beer production — built VISUALS around a similar mixed-fermentation approach applied to wine, cider and aperitifs rather than beer. The wine program’s grape wines are made in Geyserville, California, largely from Sonoma and Mendocino County fruit, under head winemaker Evan Lewandowski, using minimal-intervention techniques and native yeast fermentation. The ciders, by contrast, are produced in Asheville using mostly North Carolina apples. VISUALS’ production and winery operations are based at Burial’s Forestry Camp location at 10 Shady Oak Dr., which opened in 2019 on the historic grounds of a former Civilian Conservation Corps property and also houses Burial’s production brewery. (Source: Burial Beer’s own site.)
What to Taste
VISUALS’ lineup spans wine, cider, and an aperitif program Gormley describes as built on a long-running fascination with aromatized wine and amaro — herbaceous, bittersweet sippers meant for before or after a meal, some blended with neutral spirit infused with dozens of botanicals. Recent releases have included a Rosé of Grenache, a carbonic red, a Chardonnay, a Gamay, and a Nebbiolo, alongside seasonal one-offs tied to the calendar. As with any small-batch, vintage-driven program, exactly what’s pouring changes constantly — check VISUALS’ current list before you go rather than planning around a specific bottle. The rooftop bar also serves craft cocktails, locally sourced snacks, and a curated list of guest wines for anyone in the group who wants something outside the house program.
The Setting and the Experience
The VISUALS Rooftop Bar is open-air, perched above Eulogy Music Hall, and built specifically as a space for what the brand calls “education and socialization” around natural wine — a noticeably different vibe from a typical vineyard tasting room, closer to a stylish rooftop lounge than a rural winery. It operates seasonally, and recent listed hours have run Tuesday through Sunday afternoons and evenings, with weekly deals that have included half-priced bottles and pre-show can specials timed to Eulogy’s concert schedule. The rooftop is also available for private events and gatherings, with a range of package options. No pets are allowed on the rooftop.
What Else Is Nearby
Because VISUALS sits on Burial’s South Slope campus, it’s a natural stop to combine with Burial’s original South Slope taproom at 40 Collier Ave, just a short walk away, or with any of the other breweries and taprooms packed into the same few blocks. This is a case where a private vehicle really pays off — you can start the evening on South Slope, work your way through a few stops on foot, and not have to think about who’s driving home.
Planning Your Visit
Asheville is roughly 86 miles and about 2 hours 8 minutes from Boone via US-221, and a comparable distance from Banner Elk or Blowing Rock — plan this as a full-day trip rather than a quick evening out, factoring drive time both ways into your schedule. Because VISUALS operates seasonally and its hours and rooftop calendar shift, confirm current hours, age requirements and event schedules directly with Burial Beer before you go.
Wine Tour Transportation to VISUALS Wine
Ashe County Livery offers private, chauffeured wine tour transportation to VISUALS Wine from Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson and across NC’s High Country. Our VISUALS Wine trip-planning page covers drive times, tasting-room hours, group sizes and pricing.
Travel in a luxury SUV, sedan, or Sprinter van with a professional chauffeur — everyone in your group gets to taste, nobody has to drive. Plan your VISUALS Wine tour or call (336) 484-1350.
Other High Country wineries we serve: Urban Orchard Cider Co. · DSSOLVR · Biltmore Winery — or browse every High Country winery, cidery and meadery we provide transportation to.
Explore More from Ashe County Livery
- High Country Wine Tours — Mountain winery shuttle service
- Yadkin Valley Wine Tours — Explore NC’s premier wine region
- Wine Loop Shuttle — Hop-on hop-off winery tours
- Wedding Transportation — Luxury shuttles for your big day
- Wedding venues we serve — 40+ High Country venues
- Airport Shuttle Service — CLT, AVL, GSO & TRI transfers
- Airport shuttles by town: Boone · Blowing Rock · Banner Elk · West Jefferson · Linville · Beech Mountain
- Ashe County Livery — Premium transportation in NC’s High Country
- Request a free quote — or call (336) 484-1350
🍷 Planning a Wine Tour in the NC High Country?
Ashe County Livery offers private, luxury wine tour transportation throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. Skip the driving and let our professional chauffeurs take you from winery to winery in comfort and style.
Serving Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, and all NC High Country destinations • (336) 484-1350
You Might Also Like
