• Asheville’s Best POT LUCK– Saturday, February 25^th, 2012 1PM-6ish

  
  

  http://www.appalachianvintner.com/

  

  We must apologize for the lapse of communication last week, our schedule seems to be bouncing us all around! Settling down just for a moment here to write our last email from 2-B Huntsman Place is proving to be a task. As many of you are aware (if you are not you should be!) today is Fat Tuesday! This week all over the world people are celebrating their own Mardi Gras in honor of Carnival.

  On other notes while turning the key to open the shop yesterday an all too familiar feeling of nostalgia washed over me. In an off centered way this is a “passing” of the old locale. Passing from one business to another and passing from our daily lives as we’ve turned that key almost everyday for four years. And so in honor of Mardi Gras, loss and rebirth lets party like they do down in N’awlins with one last celebration. C’mon whaddya say?

   

  Charles and I wish to mingle with everyone as well so we are structuring this like a pot luck and are asking everyone to bring a dish. We will fire up the grill and smoker for all natural hot dogs and veggy burgers. Your first glass of wine or beer is on us. To cut down on over-head & clean up we are asking everyone to bring their own accoutrement, serving/eating utensils and plates. Hoping to “lighten our load” for the move almost everything will be on sale. It will also be the Great American Wine Spectator give away, and we will be asking everyone to help us in finishing our giant cork board that has been waiting patiently for four years, we will supply the corks ;). Hope you can make it!! Thanks for everything, we will have more information as to when we will re-open at 745 Biltmore Ave. in the next few days.

   

  All the very best,

  Geoff & Charles Alexander

   

  We have lots of new arrivals, swing on by to check them out!

  
  

Asheville’s Best Wine Tasting– Saturday, February 11^th, 2012 3PM-7PM

http://www.appalachianvintner.com/

 

We have some really great Valentines Gift ideas for that special someone in-stock, check ’em out they are all LOCAL:

Love by the pound with Dynamite Roasting Co. LOVE blend,

Black Mountain Chocolate Bars available in Coffee or Sea Salt,

Le Button Box Handmade Cards, they’re witty and beautiful!

Also try something different, like maybe say a specially paired menu with the perfect wine match. Don’t cook? Order out! There are lots of great restaurants that are more than willing to handle the dirty work for you and your honey. We love helping folks put the wow factor in a wine and food experience, let us know whats for dinner, and we will handle the rest!

 

~ Asheville’s Best Wine Tasting ~

Viña Ventisquero Queulat Gran Reserva Chardonnay– 100% Chardonnay from a sustainably farmed single vineyard in Chile’s Casablanca Valley. Queulat wines take their name from southern Chile’s most spectacular hanging glacier, a sight that is both imposing and elegant. This Chardonnay is crystal-clear with a pale golden yellow color. The nose evokes tropical fruits such as papaya and mango, scents of honey and vanilla. A full-bodied rich white, mild but apparent acidity and a fresh finish of fruit and delicate touches of vanilla. Enjoy with Gruyère and Edam-type cheeses, pastas in white sauce, fatty fish such as salmon, and rock fish such as grouper, tilefish and butterfish. It is also an excellent match cheesecake! National Retail $16 A.V. $11.99

Artisan Winery Palette Reserve Sonoma County Zinfandel– Artisan Wines are crafted from the best sources and selected personally by winemaker/ partner Tom Larson; and produced on the property which has been in the family for over 100 years, Millerick Ranch and Larson Vineyards. The property is located at the cross roads historically known as Schellville, Sonoma, the old juncture on the way to Napa which also carries the Carneros appellation. The Larson vineyard is a 110 acres. Tom also manages 1400 acres for Roche & Paradise Vineyards, Sonoma Coast; Cornerstone & Franco Vineyards, Sonoma– Carneros; Ranco Salinas Vineyard, Sonoma Valley & Franco Vineyard Sonoma Mountain. Additionally Tom owns Ultima Mobile Bottling with three mobile units running around the North Coast. This is a pretty little Zin packed full of brambly red fruit and a soft but lively palate, very drinkable. This would lean toward lighter fair and things like milk chocolate. HUGE value! Shelf $15.99 SALE $12.99

Viña Ventisquero Queulat Gran Reserva Merlot– This ruby-red Merlot has violet hues and complex, spicy aromas of strawberries, morello cherries, prunes, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate. In the mouth it is full-bodied with a balanced structure, and has a long finish. As far as South American Merlot goes this is one of the best we’ve had for the price, its very similar to the Tenuta Canale Tuscan Merlot we sampled a few weeks ago. Ideally matched with soft ripe cheeses, white meats, fettuccine-type pastas with vegetables, meat and tomato dishes, or pastas such as ravioli or agnolotti stuffed with cottage cheese, vegetables or meat. National Retail $16 SALE $12.99

Saint’ Evasio Brachetto d’Acqui– 100% Brachetto. Literally a little bouquet of roses, this delicious red sparkler is the Piedmont’s answer to chocolate. Known lovingly as the “princess wine” by a Frenchman that sold us this a few years ago, it is always a crowd favorite. An absolute perfect partner to chocolate in all of its many forms, dark, milk or otherwise, this is the quintessential Valentines Day bubbly. Brick red, slightly sparkling and rich with ripe, sweet fruit. Please be careful there is another brand of brachetto galavanting around as the real McCoy, but that wine is mass-produced and is infiltrated with artificial sweeteners. Molto Bene! Shelf $16.99

R.L. Buller & Sons Fine Tawny– Ok so the fortified wines of the Buller estate are hands down some of the greatest sweet wines in the world. From their depth of flavor, monstrous aromatics and mouth-coating texture to the fact that their solera system dates from 1921 and can not be duplicated anywhere in the world, these wines always steal the show. Don’t take my word for it check out these ratings. Pair it with desserts like bittersweet Belgian chocolate, figs, chocolate mousse cake, fine mild cheeses and fresh fruit, pecan pie, dried fruits and nuts. Shelf $18.99

Joan d’Anguera Granatxa

Carlos Basso Dos Fincas Cab-Malbec

St George Cabernet Sauvignon & Chardonnay 1.5Ls

Yalumba Viognier

Château d’Oupia Les Hérétiques

Château d’Oupia Minervois

Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine

Van Duzer Vintner’s Cuvee Pinot Noir

Post House Blueish-black

Nantahala Noon Day IPA

Nantahala Patton’s Rum Porter

Olde Hickory Brewery Death by hops– freshy

Stoudt’s Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout

Stoudt’s Triple

Dogfish Head Tweason’Ale

Dogfish Head Noble Rot

Founders All Day IPA

Avery Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale

2008 Unibroue Quatre-Centième Brassin Commémoratif

Unibroue Chambly Noire– draft

New Holland Blue Sunday

Epic Big bad Baptist

Asheville’s Best Wine Tasting– Saturday, February 4^th, 2012 3PM-7PM

http://www.appalachianvintner.com/

 

February already??!! Geezzzz….. 2012 is soaring by like freight train & to date its stacking up to be a phenomenal year! Thanks to everyone that continues to support us, you make our job so wonderful and fill our store the best positive vibes out there.

 

~ Asheville Wine Tasting ~

Once again we are inviting a wine industry professional to pour wine at the tasting bar and this Saturday its Dan Davidsen from Millennium Beverage. We’ve worked closely with Millennium Beverage for years now, our #1 selling wine for the first two years in a row was one of their products. Join us this weekend for some new favorites!

 

Post House Blueish White– 75% Chenin Blanc 25% Sauvignon Blanc. Elegant and finely crafted blend of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc giving a fruity upfront wine for easy drinking. Light-coloured wine with a tinge of green. A nose of pineapple, guava, citrus and grassy tones. Full and intense but refreshing mouth feel. Serve this deliciously, fruity wine on its own as the sun goes down. Enjoy it with chicken, pasta, seafood and vegetable dishes. Bluish White is also great with Thai curry. Shelf $14.99 Tasting $13.49

Van Duzer Vintner’s Cuvee Pinot Noir– This lively blend of seven Pinot grape clones shows itself in all-out fresh fruit aromas of raspberry, blackberry and cherry. To the taste, a berry patch of flavors introduces spice cabinet notes of cinnamon, clove and cardamom, all in agreeable balance, moderate tannins and a finish capped by a touch of ginger. Van Duzer is located on a scenic hilltop amidst 82 acres of vines, the family estate winery practices sustainable farming and has been endorsed by internationally recognized LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe. 91 points Stephen Tanzer…..more Shelf $22.99 Tasting $18.99

 

Anglim Winery Cerise– 43% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 18% Petite Sirah, 12% Mourvèdre, 2% Roussanne. VINEYARD: Cass Vineyard, Paso Robles; Fralich Vineyard, Paso Robles; Hastings Ranch, Paso Robles; Sunset Ridge, Paso Robles; Vista Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles. Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Mourvèdre destemmed but not crushed and cold soaked for 1 to 3 days. Delestage of Syrah and Mourvèdre (for rosé program. Syrah and Grenache were tank fermented and pressed at dryness. Mourvèdre and Petite Sirah were fermented in 1.5 ton open top fermenters and punched down. Aged 36 months in neutral French oak barrels Roussanne was barrel-fermented and aged on the lees, with regular stirring early in the aging process. Moved to tank and blended just prior to bottling. Cerise is true to its name in flavor and color, exhibiting dark cherry, blackberry and blueberry framed by spice box and earth. Cajun spice seafood, Grilled lamb or pork, Roasted duck, Goat cheeses. National Retail $24 AV $19.99 Tasting $15.99

Anglim Winery Central Coast Syrah– 100% Syrah from the Fralich Vineyard, Paso Robles & Jack Ranch, Edna Valley. 330 cases produced. The fruit was de-stemmed and gently crushed, preserving some whole berries. Fermented separately after a short cold soak in open-top bins. Moved to barrel dirty, then barrel-aged 30 months in 100% French oak (approximately 20% new), then blended and bottled. This Central Coast Syrah is a perfect blend of Syrah from warmer-climate Fralich Vineyard in Paso Robles and cooler-climate Jack Ranch in Edna Valley. Talk about Rhone Rangers, this is dead on Cotes du Rhone from Paso! Ripe, yet funky blackberry and blueberry fruit with raw, earthy tobacco and spice, dusty tannin and earthiness on the lingering finish. It’s a great food Syrah due to solid acidity and overall balance, and should age nicely, so snag some for the cellar. Serve with, Dry jack cheese, Eggplant dishes, Smoky red chili, Lamb, pork, or beef chops…… more National Retail $24 AV $19.99 Tasting $15.99

Post House Blueish Black– 32% Shiraz 32% Pinotage 18% Cabernet Sauvignon 18%Merlot. The vineyard is planted on the foothills of the Helderberg Mountains in South Africa. Until the early 1980s, the Post House site had a mix of tobacco and bush vines, where after it was systematically planted to vines. The name refers to a stamp collecting term when describing color variations. A dark, blueish-black wine with good intense flavors. A nose of mulberries, red currant and ripe strawberries with a hint of pepper and tobacco. Shelf $14.99 Tasting $13.49

Domain de Boissan Gigondas V.V.

JAM JAR Sweet Shiraz– its here!

Apaltagua Envero

Lioco Charles Heintz Chardonnay– OK this is probaly the best un-oaked Chard we’ve ever put in our face. Hazelnut, for days.

Salmon Run Petit Noir– NY Finger Lakes

Round Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo– 1.5L magnum of earthy delight

Red Cliffe Pinot Noir– grab it while you can

 

Ballast Point Victory at Seas

Olde Hickory Eiraphiotes

Terrapin MOO HOO

Founders Dry Hopped Pale Ale– freshy batch

New Belgium Biere de Mars

New Belgium Cocoa Mole

Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca

New Holland Night Tripper

Smuttynose Baltic Porter

McRitchie Dry Hard Cider

McRitchie Hard Cider

Thomas Creek Pumphouse Porter

Pisgah BACON Stout– growlers

Avery Maharaja

Heavy Seas Black Cannon