Come “wine down” your week with us this Friday in South Asheville with a “mixed bag” wine tasting guided by Anne Kaufmann from The Country Vintner. We apologize for our lack of creativity with this tasting but promise you that we won’t let you down! Anne has been sampling us on countless awesome wines, and this Friday, we’re going to share some of our favorites with you. She’ll be at the tasting bar to sample you on a diverse offering of wines from a perfectly balanced California Chardonnay to a dry and pink Sangiovese that smells like spring. No, we didn’t forget about reds for those of you not in touch with your “white wine side”. We’ve got a super juicy Spanish Garnacha, a meaty, richly fruited Priorat and a luscious Napa Valley Meritage to round things out.
$5/person…..Free for Grape Nuts. All tasting wines are 10% off by the bottle and 15% off if you buy six or more.
The Wines
Prices range from $10 to $26
1. 2010 Stillman Street Chardonnay Alexander Valley
Stillman Street is the “second” label from highly acclaimed producer Stuhlmuller, and we believe it to be one of the great Chardonnay values coming out of California. It is rich, yet zesty with a good mix of ripe tropical fruits balanced by zestier lemon and citrus notes, all framed nicely by toasty oak.
2. 2012 Barnard Griffin Sangiovese Rosé Columbia Valley
Dry Rosé season is in bloom and this wine is always good. Rob Griffin has quietly been making some of Washington state’s best value wines for over 20 years now and he has a masterful touch with his dry rosé. Intensely aromatic and juicy, this one abounds in flavors and aromas of strawberry, cherry, peach and flowers.
3. 2012 Zestos Garnacha Old Vines Madrid
Old vine Grenache from Spain qualifies in our book as one of the great red wine values in the world and this one is right up there with the best. From 40+ year old vineyards, the wine is fermented in a combination of stainless steel and cement to preserve the freshness and richness of fruit. Kirsch, strawberry, pepper and earth burst out of the glass of this surprisingly intense and affordable red wine.
4. 2011 Bodegas La Cartuja Priorat
This stunning, 93 point rated (Robert Parker) red is a blend of 70% Garnacha and 30% Carignan aged for 8 months in new and used French oak. It offers up a stunning nose of mineral, spice and ripe fruit leading into a luscious, creamy textured palate of spicy blueberry, blackberry and black raspberry. All of this for under $20? Yep!
5. 2010 Hill Family Barrel Blend Napa Valley
After three decades of farming grapes for some of Napa Valley’s finest wine producers, Doug Hill and his family decided they should start bottling their own wines. We’re glad they made this decision as this wine is a stunner! Winemaking is handled by Alison Doran who used to make wines at Lewis. The 2010 is a blend of 74% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Zinfandel, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Petite Sirah and 2% Sangiovese. It is plush, concentrated and filled with warm, ripe notes of blueberry, boysenberry, plum and chocolate.