Asheville’s Best Free Wine Tasting – Superstar Spanish Wines – Friday, May 15th from 2 to 7 p.m. –
Stop sitting in traffic and come taste some wines with us each and every Friday at Table Wine! We know that Hendersonville Road traffic can be a drag, especially on Fridays, so get out of that mess, come taste some wines and hang out until things start flowing again (usually by 6:00). After you taste, feel free to order a glass of wine or buy a bottle to share with your friends in the store, and we don’t even charge corkage! And last, but not least, don’t forget that all of the tasting wines are 10% off by the bottle, 15% off on mixed six packs, and 20% off on mixed cases.
This week, we’ll pour a terrific trio of new arrivals from Spain, and you’re not going to want to miss your chance to try one of the wines we get the most excited about every year. It’s pink, it’s a little bit fizzy, it’s completely dry, and it’s 100% delicious. Along with that one, we’ll pour one of the best Rioja values in the marketplace, and a Tempranillo-based Ribera del Duero from one of the region’s greatest producers. Stop by, taste, learn, and save every Friday at Table Wine.
The Wines
1. 2014 Ameztoi Rubentis (Getariako Txakolina, Spain): From the far northern, Basque region of Spain, this is a wine we look forward to receiving each and every year. Importer Andre Tamers of Chapel Hill based De Maison Selections brings small quantities of this very popular dry, slightly spritzy rosado into the United States each year. Composed of equal parts Hondarribi Beltza and Hondarribi Zuri from vineyards that range from 5 to 150+ years of age, it tastes of zingy red fruits infused with lime and a touch of mineral. High in natural acidity, it leaves your mouth watering and thirsty for another sip.
2. 2013 Rio Madre Rioja (Rioja, Spain): On paper, this sound like your basic, simple Rioja, but it’s not! Composed entirely of Graciano, one of the native grapes of Rioja, the grape is often compared to Petit Verdot due to it’s intense dark color and dark fruit character. Aged for ten months in French oak, this fuller styled, more intensely flavored Rioja combines power, finesse, and moderated complexity at an affordable price. 90 points – Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media
3. 2013 Vina Sastre Ribera del Duero Tinto (Ribera del Duero, Spain): Vina Sastre is one of the oldest and most respected producers in Spain’s Ribera del Duero region, an area highly noted for it’s Tempranillos. Vineyard manager and winemaker Jesus Sastre is committed to organic and biodynamic viticultural practices, and you can taste that “TLC” in his wines. His Tinto is far from a simple wine. 100% Tempranillo from vineyards in the 15-20 year age range, the wine enjoys a long soak and is then aged in French oak for nine months. The resulting wine is full bodied, full flavored, and complex with a mix of dark fruit, violet, roasted coffee, and smoky mineral notes.