Wine & Design offers art, you bring the wine

Friends Emmy Preiss and Harriet Edwards Mills got the idea for the business during a quick trip to South Carolina. There, they spent an evening following step-by-step instructions to paint a picture and enjoyed some wine too. They had so much fun that they decided they wanted to bring the same experience to people in Raleigh.

The concept has proven so popular that Wine & Design has expanded to Cary, Wilmington and (coming soon) the Jamestown/Greensboro area.

Preiss tells me you don't need any artistic abilities at all to paint one of their paintings. Instructors will take you through the painting step-by-step, telling you what to paint, when, where and how. A few of my own friends who have taken a class (and don't have any connection to Wine & Design otherwise) agree. They all had very little or no artistic ability and all came out with paintings that are hanging on their walls now. It's pretty amazing.

All you need to do is bring your wine and maybe some friends. This is a great idea for a moms' night out event or a date night. The cost is $35 to $45.