The Best Free Wine Tasting in Asheville – Friday, August 21st from 2-7 p.m. – The wines of Southern Italy often get overlooked in favor of the those from the more chic regions Tuscany and the Piemonte. That’s a real shame because this part of Italy produces some of the country’s most interesting wines and greatest values. Due to the warmer conditions in the south, the reds and whites tend to be on the richer, fuller side of things. Join us as we pour and explore a tantalizing trio of Southern Italian Wines. Taste, learn, and save up to 20% off on all of the tasting wines.
The Wines
1. 2014 Fontanavecchia Taburno Falanghina del Sannio (Campania, Italy) – Falanghina is an ancient varietal which may have provided a basis for the classical Falernia, a wine that was considered the best in the world during the middle ages. These days, it is one of the most revered grapes of the south, yielding full bodied, exotically fruited, seafood friendly white wine. Fontanavecchia is one of the best producers of the grape, and for two years straight, this wine has been awarded Tre Bicchieri by Gambero Rosso — that’s the equivalent of a 90+ point rating!
2. 2014 Masseria Li Veli Askos Verdeca (Puglia, Italy) – Verdeca, like Falanghina, is another ancient grape of Southern Italy, and Masseria Li Veli is the producer that helped to save it from extinction. We’re glad they did as this is a superb example of Southern Italian white wine. Fuller bodied and packed with aromas and flavors of ripe tropical fruits, pear, spice, and exotic herbs. Whenever we drink this one, it makes us yearn for fresh fish and seafood — think crab cakes, lobster, or shrimp scampi.
3. 2012 Vecchia Torre Salice Salentino (Puglia, Italy) – The Salice Salentino DOC of Puglia is responsible for some of the greatest red wine values in all of Southern Italy, and you can’t beat the version from Vecchia Torre. 90% Negroamaro and 10% Malvasia Nera, all fermented in stainless steel, this one comes off a little bit like a California Zinfandel meets an Italian Valpolicella Ripasso. Richly fruited, spicy, and open knit, it’s perfect for every day drinking and serving alongside comfort foods like pizza, barbecue, and meat loaf.