Saturday, February 2nd from 2-5pm – Join us for our Free Understanding Rioja Wine Tasting! We’ll pour 5 great wines and discuss the finer points of the region, the grapes, and the producers.
No discussion of Spanish wine would be complete without mentioning Rioja. This region in north-central Spain is home to some of the country’s finest red wines, and the whites ain’t to shabby either. When discussing reds, we’re generally talking about Tempranillo while with whites, the Viura grape is most important. Join us to taste a broad range of wines that are great representations of the various and broad-ranging styles present in the region. Taste, learn, and save every Saturday at Table Wine!
Asheville’s Best Free Wine Tasting – Just stop by – we’ve got plenty of free parking!
Don’t forget, all the featured tasting wines are 20% off by the bottle on tasting day.
1. 2017 CVNE Rioja Blanco “Monopole” – CVNE is one of Rioja’s oldest and most prestigious producers, and I absolutely love their old-vine Viura. Fermented in stainless steel to preserve freshness and purity, it’s floral and fruity, with gorgeous notes of white flowers, green apple, pear and mixed citrus. It’s a great example of modern White Rioja.
2. 2017 Luberri Rioja Orlegi – Luberri owner Florentino Martínez Monje is a farmer at heart, but it is certainly worth noting that he was the original winemaker at Artadi, one of Rioja’s top-tier producers. He made a name for himself and his estate by resurrecting the traditional style of semi-carbonic maceration of Tempranillo, and this is that wine! Offering up lots of fruit and peppery spice on a fresh and inviting palate, this makes for a great house red.
3. 2015 Familia Montana Rioja Crianza – We’re working up the Rioja hierarchy with this gorgeous Crianza next. In Rioja, there are different tiers of wine (Basic Rioja, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva), and these terms refer to how long the wine must be aged before it is released. A Crianza sees 1 year of aging in oak and another year in bottle prior to release, and the version from this old family estate is a great intro to the style. Mainly Tempranillo, with a splash of Graciano, it exhibits savory notes of leather, spice, and dark fruits.
4. 2012 Carlos Serres Rioja Reserva – For Rioja Reserva, the wine has to be aged for a year in oak and 2 years in bottle prior to release. The version from Carlos Serres is one of the best values of its type on the market. This old, traditional estate chooses to age their wines even longer than what is required. The resulting wine (90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano) is mature, evolved and complex. Look for notes of spiced red fruit, roasted herbs, and vanilla.
5. Surprise Wine – What do we have up our sleeves this week. Stop by and find out!
Josh Spurling
Owner/Operator at Table Wine
828.505.8588
josh@tablewineasheville.com