Free Italian Wine Tasting - Table Wine - Asheville - North Carolina

545 Tasting This Friday - New Italian Arrivals

I’m really excited about some of the new Italian wines that have come into the store this year, and I’m even more excited to share them with you! We’ll sample 5 newbies to the store that all come from importer Domenico Valentino Selections. This New York based importer is bringing in some of the best Italian juice I’ve consumed in a long time, all from small family owned and operated, sustainably farmerd wineries.

1. Orsolani Erbaluce di Caluso – The obscure Erbaluce grape produces an absolutely beautiful white wine – I’m currently in love with it! Dry and beautifully aromatic, it offers up a notes of white peach and citrus and finishes with honey, mineral and spice notes. It comes packaged in a liter bottle and is my pick for patio/deck drinking during this mild winter!

2. Luca Ferraris Monferrato Bianco “Sensazioni” – Who’s had Viognier from Italy? Me neither, until I sampled and fell in love with this one from a famous Barolo producing zone. White peach, citrus oil, honeysuckle and all of the stuff you expect from Viognier, but this one has fierce acidity and minerality. Yum-Yum!!!

3. Luca Ferraris Barbera d’Asti “Vigna del Martin” – Old vine, single vineyard Barbera for less than $20? That’s hard to find these days, but here you go. Lively, zesty and full of personality, this one will wow some of you with its berry fruit, herb and floral notes. Lip-smackingly good!

4. Gaspare Vinci Nero d’Avola – Here’s another liter offering that I hope you will buy before I drink it all! It is dry, fruit filled and more than interesting with a nice mix of black cherry and raspberry fruit intertwined with subtle clove and allspice notes. Elegant, easy to drink and easy on the budget, this is the perfect all-occasions red wine. Stock up on it for March Madness!

5. Pirro Varone “Vigne Rare di Grisola” – Like Erbaluce, Grisola was a grape I had never experienced until I tried this one. The wine struck me as being Zinfandel-like, with a warm and spicy nose and flavors of jammy cherry, raspberry and blackberry. I predict it will be the most popular wine of the day!