The Yadkin Valley was the first designated AVA in North Carolina. Kristen Wile/UP

Q: My girlfriend is visiting me in October and I want to take her to a nice winery. Do you have any suggestions?
UP: Yes! North Carolina still has a ways to go to beat back that sweet wine stereotype, but I have a few wineries in mind for you. I tend to lean towards the Yadkin Valley wineries. One of my favorite wines is Shelton Vineyards‘ Tannat, a heavy red with lots of tannins. It’s also a beautiful property with a great restaurant — definitely make this your lunch-time stop if you’re putting together a tour. Raffaldini is another gorgeous one, and they have a wine that benefits rescue dogs! If you’re more of a white wine drinker, Jones Von Drehle has a great lineup. Childress Vineyards, of course, is probably the most popular winery around, and puts on an educational tour. My absolute favorite, however, is Junius Lindsay. Run by a veteran who went to Europe and fell in love with wine, this place just outside of Lexington has a fantastic rosé, though the outdoor tasting room isn’t as high-end as the others.

Q: Why does Clean Catch not list the prices of their fish in the store?
UP: This is a great question! We’ve reached out to Clean Catch Fish Market for comment on this; we’ll keep you posted here next week on what we hear. As for our thoughts, there’s no denying that Clean Catch has high prices. That probably has something to do with it; I’m sure it would cause sticker shock to see all of the prices per pound up there. The other possibility is that it’s just annoying to write the prices each day when the selection is always changing. But back to the prices, we reached out to a couple people we’d consider experts, and they say that the quality of the fish at Clean Catch really does warrant the high price point — and that they do a stellar job cleaning the fish. Just be sure to ask for a fish’s price before you get it — a surprise $75 fish order is never a good surprise — and be clear about how much of it you want.

Q: Any great new places to take a friend for her birthday this afternoon? Thinking cocktails and small plates.
UP: There are lots of new places, but great definitely limits the selection! We’ve been repeatedly impressed by Bar Marcel, which isn’t surprising given much of the staff from Aix en Provence is now there. Peppervine is fantastic, though as much as they have tried, it still has a somewhat sterile SouthPark vibe. The Artisan’s Palate just started serving its nighttime small plates menu, too, and has a great vibe for girls’ night. Hope your friend has a great birthday!

Have a question for us? We’re here to help you make the most of drinking and dining in Charlotte. Send us an email with what you want to know, and we’ll get back to you next week!