Asheville’s Best Free Wine Tastings – California Classics on Friday and Springtime Favorites on Saturday! We’re the only wine shop in Asheville to hold two free wine tastings every weekend, and it’s the perfect time to taste, learn, and save on some really delicious, premium wines. We put a lot of thought into the wines we stock and the wines we pour, and both of this week’s samplings feature some exciting, high quality, small production new wines that are completely unique and not available at the big box stores.
For fans of small batch, boutique California wines, especially those made with the classic varietals that the state is known for, you’re going to want to stop by this Friday, April 1oth any time between 4 and 7 p.m. We’ll start with the 2013 True Myth Chardonnay from California’s Edna Valley, specifically the Paragon Vineyard, one of the best sites in the AVA. Rich, full bodied, and loaded with orchard and tropical fruit notes framed by toasty oak and vanilla cream, it is a ridiculous value in high quality California Chardonnay. We head north to California’s Sonoma Coast for the next wine, the 2013 Barrique Pinot Noir. Plush, silky, and fuller in style than many under $20 Pinots, it exhibits ripe cherry and strawberry fruit with complex background notes of vanilla, black tea and spice. To finish up, we’ll pour you a real treat, a beautifully aged, 300 case production Alexander Valley Cab. The 2009 De Lorimier Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking beautifully right now. The five years of bottle age have smoothed this one out, and it’s showing like a $50+ bottle, but it doesn’t cost nearly that much.
California Classics Wine Tasting — the lineup!
Saturday’s Free Tasting Wines — Springtime Favorites.
Stop back by on Saturday, April 11th any time between 2 and 5 for our other free wine tasting to sample some of our favorite new wines to stock up on for springtime sipping. We’ll start with the 2013 Huber “Uber” Gruner Veltliner, a custom cuvée put together by Austrian importer Carlo Huber. This beautifully dry, crisp, and peppery Austrian white wine is super refreshing. Even better, it comes in a liter bottle (that gets you an extra 1/3 of a bottle) that sells for less than $15! The second wine is the 2012 Conti Formentini Pinot Grigio from Italy’s Collio-Friuli region, where many of the country’s best Pinot Grigios are made. Ripe and creamy, but still fresh and nicely dry, this well balanced white shows off notes of spiced apple, pear and white peach. To finish up, we’ll pour you a shot of the newest wine from the Wagner (Caymus) family of wines, the 2012 Beran Zinfandel. Super rich and laced with jammy raspberry, blueberry and black cherry fruit along with a nice does of spice and vanilla, this is perfect for spring and summer cookouts and barbecues.