Interested in enjoying a glass of wine with your books? Battery Park Book Exchange is a used bookstore and champagne bar located in the heart of Asheville, North Carolina, that provides “the marriage of two of earth’s finest pleasures, books and wine, side by side.” 

The gorgeous, labyrinthine two-level shop is lined with curated books in all the expected genres, with impressive sections devoted to North Carolina, American, Civil War, and the American South history. The shop maintains an impressive, ever-changing inventory of books curated through purchases from customers or apparently even trading books for wine.

Semi-divided into book retail space and a bar/music area (along with some nice outdoor seating), visitors are greeted with a beautiful row of leather-bound volumes as they ascend up into the retail side of the space, where they’ll find thousands of books in tall shelves and tucked into a variety of nooks and crannies. Elaborate seating areas are peppered throughout, designed to accommodate large groups or couples. The wine bar and live music space is located toward the left of the entryway, with ample seating from the upper level looking down onto the stage.

Live instrumental music was being played during both of my visits, but not distractingly so for those more interested in enjoying a book or having a quiet conversation. The shop tends to draw an eclectic mix of tourists and locals alike. While enjoying a champagne cocktail in the bar, my traveling companion and I chatted with a nervous former history teacher who was anxiously awaiting the arrival of a blind date – our conversation providing a pre-date opportunity to flex his small talk muscles. His date eventually arrived, and when we left they looked to be deep in conversation. 

The space can accommodate private parties and events, has a menu of lite bites in addition to the wine offerings, and is even dog-friendly. Often ranked as one of the country’s best bookstores, the Battery Park Book Exchange is a wine and book lover’s dream.

Battery Park Book Exchange is located at 1 Page Avenue, Suite 101, Asheville, North Carolina. The shop is open seven days a week.

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