The Best Free Wine Tasting in Asheville – Saturday, June 6th from 2-5 p.m. – Join Brian Bouressa of Mutual Distributing for a free tasting where we’ll be exploring a number of Western European wines. This week, we’ll focus on some of the well known as well as the lesser known wines of Spain and Italy. From Rioja and Tuscany to the Italian island of Sardinia, we’ll pour and discuss wines from these classic growing zones. The tasting is free to the public, and the wines are all worth trying. Stop by any time between 2-5 p.m., taste, learn, and save up to 20% on all of the tasting wines.
The Wines
1. 2014 Argiolas Vermentino “Costamolino” (Sardinia, Italy): Sardinia does wonderful things with the Vermentino grape, and Argiolas (one of the island’s oldest producers) consistently produces one of the most reliable versions. The new vintage is showing all of the hallmark characteristics of the grape with a nice mix of fresh, crisp, and exotic tropical fruits and sunny floral notes.
2. 2011 Bodegas Bilbainas Vina Pomal Rioja Crianza (Rioja, Spain): Like many of the famous Rioja producers, Bodegas Bilbainas makes a good amount of wine. That doesn’t mean it tastes mass produced — far from it, this 100% Tempranillo-based Rioja shows nice complexity and some savory nuances at a very moderate price. Earthy red fruits and spices mix to create a nice, firm style of Rioja for sipping with or without food. 87 points Wine Spectator
3. 2011 Bodegas Palacios Remondo Rioja “La Montesa” (Rioja, Spain): The very talented Alvaro Palacios oversees production at this old Rioja Alavesa estate. It’s a unique Rioja in the sense that the primary grape is Garnacha and not Tempranillo. From a single, organically farmed vineyard and based on a blend of 70% Garnacha, 25% Tempranillo, and 5% Mazuelo, it sees a year of aging in French oak before it is bottled. Supple, plush, and generous, it offers up a nice mix of ripe cherry, raspberry, plum, and vanilla notes. 91 points Wine Advocate
4. 2010 Sella E Mosca Cannonau Reserva (Sardinia, Italy): Like Argiolas (Wine #1), Sella E Mosca is one of Sardinia’s oldest and most respected producers, and this is their flagship wine. 100% Cannonau (aka Grenache), this is a classic Italian red that shows plenty of grip and power combined with a complex mix of earth, spice and herb accented red fruit. Drink this ridiculous value now and over the next 5 to 7 years.
5. Surprise Wine: We like to throw a good surprise your way every once in awhile. Trust us, this is a really good surprise. How’s a 91 point rated, under $15 bottle of Tuscan red wine sound? You might want to stop by.