best free wine tasting asheville, north carolina

Blind Pinot Noir Showdown

Join us this Friday at South Asheville’s top wine shop as we explore the wonders of Pinot Noir, the grape capable of producing some of the most elegant and sensual wines on the planet. The grape is of the thin skinned variety and tends to produce wines that are abundant with red fruits, low in tannin, and typically lighter in color. The tasting runs from 4 to 7 p.m. this Friday, October 28, and the cost is $5 per person………it’s free if you’re a Grape Nut!

We’ll sample five of them from all parts of the world, and you will be the wine critic for the day. All of the wines will be “brown bagged”, so you won’t know what the wine is, what the label looks like, or how much it costs. All you have to do is taste it, rate, and if you like, buy it. The lineup of wines is below, and there will be one mystery wine in the bunch – it might be Pinot, it might not. Here’s the lineup:

1. Remi Jeanniard Bourgogne Rouge, France – Remi Jeanniard is a small grower/farmer/producer based in the village of Morey in Burgundy’s northern region. This is a textbook example of Red Burgundy at a great price – lively cherry and cranberry fruit with undertones of earth, mushroom and black tea.

2. Clifford Bay Pinot Noir Marlborough, New Zealand – This relatively young family owned winery is producing some dazzling values in both Pinot and Sauvignon Blanc. The Wine Advocatesaid “they are selling their wines into the USA well below the New Zealand recommended retail prices, because if the prices I’ve been given are correct then this Pinot from Clifford Bay offers amazing value!”

3. Dante Pinot Noir, California – Michael Pozzan inherited vineyards in Sonoma and Napa from his grandparents about ten years ago, and this is quite possibly the best Pinot Noir we’ve ever tasted for under $10. It abounds in rich and ripe cherry and strawberry fruit with just a kiss of toasty oak.

4. Jelu Pinot Noir Patagonia, Argentina – The high altitude, cool temperature, sun drenched vineyards in Patagonia are perfectly situated for the cultivation of great Pinot Noir. This onereminds us a little bit of a Pinot from California’s Carneros district with a core of ripe plummy fruit, delicate spice and an overall juicy personality.

5. Mystery Wine – What will it be? You’ll have to stop by to find out.