The Best Free Wine Tasting in Asheville – This Saturday, August 15th from 2-5 p.m. – If you shop with us with any sort of consistency, you know we love our small family estate, classic French wines. Made by hard working farmers with traditional, artisan techniques, these are wines of immense appeal, heart, and soul. You drink them, they taste great, they don’t cost a ton of money, and you can feel good knowing that you’re helping a small farmer continue to practice his/her craft. Stop by, taste some wines, learn, and save up to 20% off on all of the tasting wines.
The Wines
1. 2014 Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre et Maine “Sur Lie” (Loire Valley, France) – Marc Ollivier is one of the top producers of estate bottled Muscadet, the classic white wine of the Western Loire Valley. He farms organically, hand harvests, and ferments with native yeasts to create this bone dry, super crisp white wine that is the perfect foil to oysters on the half shell. Often referred to as “Poor Man’s Chablis,” it is a white wine of choice for “mineral head” white wine lovers.
2. 2014 Chateau Pradeaux Cotes de Provence Rose (Provence, France) – The grand old estate of Chateau Pradeaux is one of the gems of Bandol, one of the top appellations of Provence — they’ve been making wine here since 1752! Their 2014 dry rose is 70% Cinsault with 30% Mourvedre, and it is everything you’d ever want out of a Provenacal rose and more. Very light in color, but intense and assertive in aroma and flavor, this would work well with everything from grilled fish and vegetables to lamb.
3. 2013 Domaine de Piaugier Sablet Rouge (Rhone Valley, France) – This is a new wine from one of our favorite Cotes du Rhone producers, and we’re huge fans! 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah, the wine is fermented in cement and some older barrels, and the resulting product is classic Cotes du Rhone all the way. Pure black cherry, cherry liqueur, and peppery, earthy spice inform the nose and full bodied, supple palate of this sensational Southern Rhone.