AUG 2011
Asheville’s Best Wine & Beer Tasting– Saturday, August 27th, 2011 3PM-7PM http://www.appalachianvintner.com/
We all love a good competition, don’t we? These competitive encounters are all around from TV ads, local and national businesses, sports teams and a variety of others. While most of these are vying for your hard earned dollars, the Vintner’s aim is to enlighten. This Saturday Appalachian Vintner plans to offer a sort of double header, two sets of mammoth wine contenders locked in mortal combat. The winners will forever be known as King and the losers, well the losers will still have their place, albeit on a lower shelf.
~ Asheville’s Free Saturday Tasting ~
Round One– California vs Oregon
David Hill Winery Estate Reserve Chardonnay– 100% estate grown Chardonnay, aged 11 months on the lees. For those who want some buttery flavors in their chardonnay, this nails it. Thick and toasty, yet buttressed with full-on fruit flavors of melon, peach, lemon and lime, it’s forward and appealing. With sweeping views of Oregon’s coast range, David Hill Vineyards is one of the most picturesque wine venues in the Willamette Valley. David Hill Winery is named for its geographical location. The name of the hill we sit on is David’s Hill, for Frederick David, an Oregon pioneer from the 1800’s. In 1965 Charles Coury, along with a few other wine pioneers, came north from California to establish vineyards in the Willamette Valley where they believed they could successfully grow Pinot Noir and other grapes. Some may say that putting an Oregonian Chard vs one from California is unfair because Oregon is known for other varietals such as Pinot Gris, but we disagree. Chardonnay is a malleable grape and both of these regions, or at least these particular products are sourced from areas deeply influenced by the Pacific ocean. National Retail $18 AV $15.99 Special Tasting $14.99
Santa Barbara Winery Santa Barbara County Chardonnay– 100% Chardonnay from western Santa Barbara County from several vineyards (including Scheid Vineyard up in Monterey County) for this multi-vineyard blend. These vineyards met the winemakers standards for viticultural practices and growing conditions suitable to make this full-bodied yet eminently approachable Chardonnay. The Santa Barbara Winery was the first winery in Santa Barbara County since prohibition and was started in 1962 by Pierre Lafond. They would be the only winery in the area for over 10 years, there are now over 100. This area sweeps in from the California coast just about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is backed on its Eastern boundary by the Los Padres National Forest. Not to sway the competition at all, but this has always been a favorite Chardonnay for us. May the best Chard Win! Shelf $14.99 Tasting $13.49
Round Two- Battle of the Argentine Malbce Heavy Weights. Both of these wines were previously imported by the same company, but there was only room for one Sheriff and Marchiori severed ties in early 2011. Both are sourced from family owned sustainably farmed SINGLE vineyards and are 100% Malbec.
Viña Amalia Finca la Amalia Malbec Reserva– In 1922, Adolfo and Tulio Basso together with their partner Emilio Tonnelier started in the wine business. They bought “La Purísima”, a winery in Mendoza where they produced and sold wine in 220 litres wooden barrels. In 1935 Basso and Tonnelier bought “Santa Ana” winery, which was established in 1891. Their descendants, after turning Santa Ana into one of the top wineries of Argentina, sold the majority of the shares in 1996 to a Chilean winery: Santa Carolina. After having sold, Hugo Basso and his sons Hugo (J), Carlos and Octavio together with Adolfo Basso, his wife Lillian Brown and their daughters Federica, Alejandra and Claudia, planted a vineyard of 200 hectares called Los Montes Negros, towards the end of 1996. In 1997 Hugo Basso and his sons acquired and remodeled a small winery in Carrodilla, which they named “Viña Amalia” . Viña Amalia is being run by the expert hand of Carlos Basso. $14.99 best price
Marchiori & Barraud Perdriel Malbec– Andrea Marchiori & Luis Barraud, the winemakers behind Paul Hobbs Viña Cobos($100+), are now producing wine under their own label – Marchiori & Barraud. The duo personally selects grapes from some of the best rows of vines from Andrea’s family’s own Marchiori Vineyard, known in Argentina as one of the most meticulously farmed and highest quality vineyards in the country. Planted with 50-year old vines, the Marchiori vineyard is situated 3,200 feet above sea level in the best part of Agrelo. Due to the age and sandy loam soil profile of this vineyard, the hand-harvested fruit is very low yielding and tremendously concentrated in flavor. Only native yeasts are used and both wines age 18 months in 75% French and 25% American oak barrels, but this is the only intervention the couple believes in, preferring instead to let the fruit and the high quality oak work their own magic. While Marchiori and Barraud continue to be the driving force behind Viña Cobos, their own wines leave no doubt about their talent for crafting some of the highest quality wines in Argentina. It offers tremendous richness and concentration at a good value. Very much worth trying. Appalachian Vintner EXCLUSIVE. National Retail $21.99+ AV Summer Sale $19.99
Tenuta Canale Sangiovese di Toscana
Airlie Winery Müller-Thurgau
Nelson Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Cht. Ste Michelle Indian Wells Merlot– New Vintage!
14 Hands Merlot– New Vintage!
Olde Hickory Oktoberfest– man just close your eyes, take sip and suddenly your in Munich.
The Duck-Rabbit Schwartzbier
French Broad India Pale Ale– French Broads “first” bottled IPA
George Gale & Co. Prized Old Ale 1996
Allagash Curieux– Bourbon barrel aged Triple
Caldera Old Growth Imperial Stout
Caldera Hopportunity IPA
8Wired Hop Wired IPA– New Zealand’s Finest
Stillwater-Mikkeller Our Side Saison– Sampled this last Saturday, amazing beer
Stillwater Existence Black Barrel Aged Saison
Mikkeller BLACK– this is the strongest beer at the Vintner.
Asheville’s Best Wine & Beer Tasting– Saturday, August 20th, 2011 3PM-7PM http://www.appalachianvintner.com/
Appalachian Vintner is stoked to welcome our friend and wine consultant, Patrick Dickinson from Dionysus Distributing back to the tasting bar this Saturday. Patrick will be pouring a delightful selection of Eco-conscious and environmentally friendly wines, some in “alternative” packaging. These wines are fun and delicious, so be sure not to miss this weekends sensational sipping party at Asheville’s best kept secret, Appalachian Vintner. Shh, don’t tell anyone! Just kidding~ we’d be grateful if you could pass the word on to all your friends & family, we have plenty of free parking and a HUGE store, so tasting is always spacious & comfortable. Thanks!
~ Asheville’s Free Saturday Tasting ~
Yellow + Blue Sauvignon Blanc– Chile. The goal of Yellow+Blue is to find exceptional 100% handpicked organic wines from outstanding winemakers around the world and bring it to wine lovers like you.… in a way that’s responsible and affordable. Yellow+Blue organic wines are shipped responsibly and packaged smarter — we’re talking 93% wine and 7% packaging. Their Tetra Pak is perfect for maintaining the wines integrity, light weight and perfect for camping, hiking, rafting or just about anything. This sauvignon blanc is yellowish-green color with aromas of mandarin orange, Key Lime pie and Tangerine. Medium weight, bright acidity with lingering flavors of Lime, Peach and Minerals. Pair it with Grilled fish, cheeses, grilled vegetables and cured meats. Packaged in a full liter, so you receive an additional 250ml for $10.99! Special Tasting Pricing $9.89
Montinore Estate Borealis– 34% – Muller-Thurgau 34% – Riesling 17% – Pinot Gris 15% – Gewurztraminer. Notes from the winery: “Every time we worked with this wine the winery filled with the most beautiful aroma of fresh flowers and tropical fruit. Now that it’s in the bottle that theme has held true. The aroma practically covers the full fruit spectrum with notes of papaya, quince, yellow apple and hints of grapefruit and lime made all the more exotic with whiffs of jasmine and sandlewood. On the palate it starts with a slightly sweet expression of ripe fruit with a crisp acid balance and evolves to a delicious fresh finish of grapefruit and lime. This is a great wine for sipping on its own or pairing with fresh fruit and cheese.” The Montinore Estate follows Demeter Certified Biodynamic farming. National Retail $16 AV $13.99 Tasting $12.59
Yellow + Blue Malbec– Yellow+Blue Malbec- 100% Malbec from one of only two certified Bio-dynamic producers in South America. Profound purple color flecked with hints of persimmon. Bouquet swirls with heady aromas of bright red cherries, chocolate and earth. A medium-bodied wine with fine tannins and a lingering, complex finish. Complements grilled meats, rosemary, garlic and fennel dishes. Argentina’s San Juan Province is the country’s second largest wine-producing region, located approximately 2,000 feet above sea level near the Chilean border. This continental semi-desert region experiences little rainfall but is irrigated by snowmelt from the Andes mountains in the west. The dry, sunny conditions and alluvial, red-clay soil yield exceptional wines rich in terroir. Remember Yellow-Blue=GREEN Shelf $10.99 Tasting $9.89
Steltzner Vineyards Claret– 68% Cabernet Sauvignon 20% Merlot & 12% Cabernet Franc sourced mainly from their estate vineyards in the Stag’s Leap District, Napa Valley. Richard Steltzner established his first Stags Leap District Vineyards in 1965 while concurrently engaging in vineyards management. Steltzner Vineyards’ first commercial release was in 1977, and the Steltzner Family established their own modest facility in 1983, with a 3,000 case capacity high in the Stags Leap District. Dark black fruit, earthy mushroom and leather, round tannins with good acidity to balance everything out. This is an absolutely amazing value from Napa, we are completely thrilled to be pouring it again. While the other wines on Saturdays bill are perfect for just about anything, this wine would pair quite well with red or white meat seared over open flame. Shelf $18.99 Tasting $17.09
Chateau Jalousie Beaulieu Bordeaux Superieur Rouge
Jean-Luc Joillot Crémant de Bourgogne
Masseria Li Veli Primonero– Organic, SALE
McRitchie Petit Verdot Reserve
Anton Ohlig 50 degrees North Sekt
SchlossMÜHLENHOF Riesling Trocken 1L– Sustainable
Ramos Pinto Tawny Port– 100% estate grown
Ramos Pinto White Port– lengthy skin contact creates a really complex white port, very tasty!
Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen
Smuttynose Imperial Stout
Smuttynose Homunculus
New Holland Ichabod
Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale
Brewery Ommegang Mixed 6 packs– Unreal deal for these amazing beers!
Stone 15th Anniversary Ale Imperial Black IPA
Emelisse Triple IPA– now on draft!
Evil Twin Ashtray Heart
Stillwater Chardonnay Barrel Aged Stateside Saison
‘t Gaverhopke Bitter Sweet Sympony Dbl IPA
Van Steenberge Mixed 6 packs– 2 of the beers in this pack have yet to be released.
Evil Twin Brian & The Beaster Bunny Saison
Evil Twin Soft DK Vanilla Coffee Imperial Stout
Asheville’s Best Wine & Beer Tasting– Saturday, August 13th, 2011 3PM-7PM http://www.appalachianvintner.com/
Thanks to all of our great customers for a wonderful summer! All in all 2011 has been our best to date, we are very grateful for all of your support. Thank you!
~ Free Saturday Tasting ~
Don Conde Brut Cava– Macabeo blend from the Penedès, a historical wine region within community of Catalonia, in Northwestern Spain. It is located in the south of the Principality of Catalonia between a large pre-coastal mountain range (Serralada Pre-litoral) and the Mediterranean sea. This is the proverbial home to Spain’s greatest sparkling wine, Cava. Wine has been produced in this region for somewhere around 1,500 years or longer, making it one of the oldest in all of Europe. This particular Cava is a private label produced for The Country Vintner at one of Spain’s largest custom wine facilities: Reserva De La Tierra Group. This place oversees in upwards of 50,000 barrels of wine and has an aging facility of 9 million bottles! These extensive product holdings and vast vineyards allow for premium fruit sourcing, as well as top notch wine making. The Don Conde is aromatically bright and appealing with notes of apple and bready yeast. Very fresh and drinkable on the palate, perfect for hot summer days. Shelf $9.99 Tasting $8.99
Seigneurs de Bergerac Blanc– 50% Sauvignon, 10% Muscadelle, 40% Semillon from Bergerac, East of Bordeaux along the Dordogne river in the Southwest of France. This nervous little wine shows, white peach, banana, lemon custard and fresh cut grass. It has a mild acidity, gorgeous minerality and a long round finish. Perfect for delicate fish dishes, such as poached dover sole or pan fried trout it also offers a lower alcohol level of 11.5%, making it even more enjoyable and food friendly. Shelf $9.99 Tasting $8.99
Sociedade dos Vinhos Borges Meia Encosta Dão– The Meia Encosta Dão tinto is made with the traditional Portuguese grapes, Touriga-Nacional, Jaen, Alfrocheiro and Tinta-Roriz (Tempranillo) from older vines. Bathed by the river of the same name, the Dão region emerges from sloping mountains in the North-central portion of Portugal. Valleys with hills and gentle hillsides are the predominate landscapes. Located in the heart of Portugal, in the Beira Alta province, the Dão region is one of the oldest and most traditional winemaking regions. It extends along practically 1 million acres of dreamlike landscape, encompassing the municipalities of the districts of Coimbra, Guarda and Viseu. We are finding more and more amazing values from the little country of Portugal. Wines with purity and depth that fetch meager price tags. Characteristics that we love to find in the wines we sell! The Encosta shows black cherry, violets, tar and liquorice, man we could smell this for days! The palate is slightly less expressive, but still very enjoyable with a plum wine soaked, dried orange tinge. The finish, well the finish rolls on forever clinging to the tongue and side of the mouth like a velvet sock. Pinot Noir drinkers take note, this is a must try! Shelf $14.99 Tasting Special $12.99
Cantina Enrico Serafino Nebbiolo di Roero– 100% Nebbiolo from the Piedmont’s outstanding Roero wine zone, which is a seamless succession of hills on the left bank of the Tanaro River, between Monferrato and Langhe below the towering Alps. This gentle yet wild territory reaches elevations of over 1300 feet. The main center of Roero is Canale di Alba, a farming town with a rich history documented from the early Middle Ages, and home to Cantina Enrico Serafino which was founded in 1878. Roero Nebbiolo, while not nearly as well known as its closest brethren Barolo & Barberesco still produces quality wine with generally lower prices. Some of the same characteristics are present here as well. This wine begs for air, upon opening it is tight as a drum, so if you need to enjoy it immediately grab some Taleggio, Robiola or Toma cheese. Ideally though an hour or so in the decanter will yield a much more approachable wine. Great cellar candidate, get this one by the case….While it lasts! National Retail $19.99 AV $14.99 Tasting $13.49
Owen Roe Lenore Syrah
Chateau Jalousie Beaulieu Bordeaux Superieur Rouge
Castle Rock Paso Robles Cab
Carmelo Patti Malbec– these are some of the greatest wines in all of South America, very old world and very natural.
Carmelo Patti Cabernet Sauvignon
Nelson Bay Pinot Noir– exceptional New Zealand Pinot for pennies!
Bodegas Castano Hecula Monastrell– Super Sale!
Chateau Haut-Monplasir Cahors– French Malbec at its finest.
Emelisse Triple IPA– now on draft!
Evil Twin Ashtray Heart
Stillwater Chardonnay Barrel Aged Stateside Saison
‘t Gaverhopke Bitter Sweet Sympony Dbl IPA
Van Steenberge Mixed 6 packs– 2 of the beers in this pack have yet to be released.
Evil Twin Brian & The Beaster Bunny Saison
Evil Twin Soft DK Vanilla Coffee Imperial Stout
Thomas Creek DoppleBock
Thomas Creek Red Ale
Thomas Creek Porter
Sierra Nevada & Dogfish Head Life & Limb– 750ml corked
Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison
Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin Wild
Asheville’s Best Wine & Beer Tasting– Saturday August, 6th 2011 3PM-7PM http://www.appalachianvintner.com/
¿Qué es un Tincho? Well to be honest thats a very good question, what exactly is a “Tincho”. Well for starters tincho, is the nick-name of Valentin Eduardo Bianchi, the grandson of the creator of Bodegas Valentin Bianchi Winery in Argentina. The Tincho has become the most popular cocktail in Buenos Aires and was originally created by Eduardo many years ago from his now famous, New Age White, an off-dry effervescent wine based on the Argentine grape Torrontes. This Saturday we will be serving up Tincho’s as a drink special along with our normal tasting, we hope you will join us to get the full recipe, we promise it is sure to quench your parched palate from the blistering summer heat!
~ Free Saturday Tasting ~
Bodega Valentin Bianchi New Age White– San Rafael, Mendoza Argentina, 90% Torrontes, 10% Sauvignon Blanc. A light yellow/green colored wine, with fruity and floral aromas that are ultra ripe and leap from the glass. Crisp acidity leads to soft, off-dry and slightly effervescent flavors and prickly mouth feel. Picked by hand from the Valentin Bianchi Estate vineyards, the grapes are crushed and are separated from the lees through cold decantation and go through must fermentation by inoculating with selected yeasts. Half-way through fermentation process the wine is centrifuged (spun) to halt fermentation, the grapes leave about 30g/l of natural grape sugar and retains of sparkling natural carbonic gas from fermentation through to bottling. New Age white has become one of the best selling Argentine was in both the US and Argentina. Shelf $10.99 Tasting $9.89
Fredric Chaudiere La Paradou Viognier– 100% Viognier from the Cotes du Ventoux just South of the Rhone Valley. Sourced from two properties whose soils are quite unique, the wines carry the name of the centuries-old farmhouse, Le Paradou, belonging to Fredric’s family. The vines, ranging in age between 40 & 80 years old, are grown in accordance with the the laws of Terra Vitis, an organization that ensures that properties respect the environment I n which the vines are grown and stress the benefits of sustainable farming. This wine is crafted exclusively from estate grown fruit and are completely hand harvested. No wood is used in the production, leaving the vibrant fruit to shine on and on. Shine it does! This is one of the most expressive Viogniers we’ve sampled. Organic. Shelf $9.99 Tasting $8.99
Altos Del Cuco– 40% Monastrell, 30% Syrah and 30% Tempranillo from Jumilla. The El Carche vineyards cover 63 acres in the DO area of Jumilla in eastern Spain, just south of Valencia. At 2,300 feet above sea level, the vines are protected from the excessively warm summer temperatures and an arid climate leads to low yields with very concentrated berries. The Monastrell vines are planted at a very low density with an average in vine age between 30-40 years. Abundant aromas of mature blackcurrant & cherry with smoky herb and cured meat qualities adding complexity, nuances of vanilla and cinnamon as well. Slightly tannic and fleshy on the palate, slightly on the wild side, offering deep dark fruit flavors and a distinctly smoky character. Very Old World in style and a fantastic value, this wine is suitable for everyday consumption, but can be enjoyed with a wide variety of dishes from roasts and grilled meats to casseroles and rice dishes. Shelf $12.99 Special Tasting Price $10.00
Klinker Brick Farrah Syrah– 100% Syrah from a 17 year old single vineyard named after the owners daughter, Farrah, in Lodi, California. Steve and Lori Felten, fifth generation grape growers in the Lodi region, continue the tradition of cultivating “Old Vine” vineyards that their ancestors planted in the early 1900’s. With roots in Germany, Russia and later the Dakotas, the family finally settled in Lodi, first producing watermelons. Recognizing that the soil and climate were ideal for growing grapes, they began to plant varieties that included Zinfandel, Tokay, Carignane, and Alicante. For over one hundred years, the family has cultivated the land with the aim of producing top quality fruit. Zinfandel was one of the first grape varieties to be planted in the Lodi appellation, although it had also been established in other parts of the California. After a rise in popularity with Shiraz in the early nineties the couple decided to plant a few acres of their own. While Shiraz slowly became bastardized over the years the Felten’s held strong with their vines. This faith is now paying off, with the Farrah Syrah become a cult classic and selling out every vintage. This is all California here, with oodles of big saturated fruit and warm vanilla accents from American oak. If you like your Syrah as thick as cherry pie, this one’s for you! Only 5,000 cases produced, very limited. Shelf $20.99 Tasting $18.99
New Arrivals~
Owen Roe Lenore Syrah
Nelson Bay Pinot Noir– exceptional New Zealand Pinot for pennies!
Bodegas Castano Hecula Monastrell– Super Sale!
Viña Amalia Reserva Malbec– single vineyard from Carlos Basso.
Catena Visa Flores Malbec
Waters Winery Forgotten Hills Syrah– single vineyard Walla Walla Syrah.
Waters Winery Loess Syrah
Domaine de BoissanVDT “Cuvee du Sommelier”
Wilfrid Rousse Chinon “Les Galuches”
QUO Macabeo-Chardonnay
Seigneurs de Bergerac Blanc
Owl’s Eye Blackberry Wine– very tasty fruit wine from Shelby, NC.
BEER
‘t Gaverhopke Bitter Sweet Sympony Dbl IPA
Van Steenberge Mixed 6 packs– 2 of the beers in this pack have yet to be released.
Evil Twin Brian & The Beaster Bunny Saison
Evil Twin Soft DK Vanilla Coffee Imperial Stout
Baird Carpenter’s Mikan Ale– brewed with hand picked local Japanese citrus.
Kulmbacher MönchshofKellerbier 5L mini keg– Lager’s answer to REAL ale
Epic Brewing Copper Cone Pale Ale– new brew from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Epic Imperial Red
Epic Hopulent IPA
Epic Brainless Belgian Ale
Thomas Creek DoppleBock
Thomas Creek Red Ale
Thomas Creek Porter
Nøgne ø #500 IPA– Norway
Weyerbacher TINY Imperial Stout– corked 750mL
Weyerbacher Merry Monks Triple– corked 750mL
Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA– 4packs in stock, 750mL coming soon
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin
Sweetwater Motor Boat–
Kind Beers Oatmeal Stout– NEW 750ml corked bottles
Kind Beers Imperial Pale Ale– 750ml corked
Duck-Rabbit Dopplebock
Rogue Dead Guy Ale
Great Divide Double IPA