You could be forgiven for having modest expectations for wine at All Souls Pizza; even venerated wood-fired establishments can harbor wine lists that stake out territory between apathy and cynicism. Factor in Asheville’s status as the epicenter of craft brewing in the Southeast, and the anxiety heightens, but co-owners Brendan Reusing and David Bauer bring equal diligence to dough creation and wine selection. All their flours and polenta are regionally sourced and organic, with an emphasis on heirloom varieties; their wine list shares this spirit, hopscotching up the Italian boot from Sicily to Austria via affordable small-estate wines like Valle dell’Acate Frappato and Paitin Roero Arneis. Things are kept concise with eight pizzas and a handful of appetizers and sandwiches, though that doesn’t necessarily make decisions any easier—local chèvre and mushroom ravioli, or a clam, mozzarella and chile pie? As for the crust, it’s a marvel, replete with a zing that’s echoed in the house-made raspberry buttermilk ice cream, leaving you wondering how to say denouement in Italian (it’s risultato).
175 Clingman Ave., Asheville, North Carolina
Pizza
828-254-0169
This story appears in the print issue of December 2013.
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