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News Release: Monday, May 8, 2023
About: Ciao Asheville Event
Taste and Talk Series: Art and Wine
Can art affect and inform winemakers and their philosophy about making their wines and how they want the public to perceive those wines? The answer is definitely yes!
This is an Asheville FIRST! Ciao Asheville and Metro Wines team up with Sarah Newman, art historian and Certified Sommelier with Volio Imports, to discuss the symbiosis between art and wine. This event will take place on Tuesday, June 13, 5:30pm, at Engaged Asheville Event Space, 41 N Merrimon Ave #107, Asheville, NC 28804.
Sarah just returned from a whirlwind trip to Italy, making her way from Piemonte to Sicily, visiting a number of winemakers, and will discuss their favorite artists and the various ways that art fuses with wine.
This event will include a talk by Sarah while everyone tastes 6 Italian wines:
Fantinel Sun Goddess, Prosecco Brut
Berlucchi, Franciacorta Brut Rosé 61
Ilatium Morini (Latium), Soave (2020)
Val delle Rose, Vermentino Litorale (2021)
Rivetto, Langhe Nebbiolo (2020)
Tenuta Argentiera, Bolgheri Poggio Ai Ginepri Rosso (2021)
This is a great opportunity to enjoy the sensory experience of these wonderful Italian wines while Sarah discusses the winemakers’ philosophies, the journey behind the bottle, and lots of “inside information” about these wines and the marriage of art and wine.
Price for the evening is $40 + tax (refundable up until 48 hours prior to the event), which includes the tasting and talk by Sarah. Light snacks will be served. Register online here. For more information call Metro Wines at (828) 575-9525.
All wines featured can be purchased at event pricing this night only.
More about Sarah Newman:
After graduating from Duke in 2007 with an A.B. in Visual Art and Art History, Sarah Newman moved to New York to pursue her masters at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. It was a part-time job at a wine bar while in graduate school where Sarah was first bitten with the wine bug. Her New York restaurant experience includes such iconic places as P.J. Clarke’s, Oceana, Felidias and Artisanal Bistro. While in New York, Sarah also began pursuing wine education. She became a Certified Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers) in 2013 and passed with merit the advanced exam for Wine and Spirits Education trust. She is now pursuing the WSET Diploma, completion of which will make her eligible to become a candidate for Master of Wine (MS).
Here in North Carolina, Sarah worked as a sommelier at the Angus Barn before discovering wine distribution. After working with over 85 restaurants in Durham, Sarah became the Regional Sales Director for Volio Imports and now represents her portfolio in over 10 states, including North Carolina. She is delighted to share her love of Italian wine in her home state.
More about the wines:
* Fantinel Sun Goddess, Prosecco Brut
Region: Veneto, Italy
Appellation: Prosecco
Appearance: straw-yellow with citrine glints. Nose: intense and extremely elegant, giving off fruity aromas recalling especially apple, pear and peach. Palate: a creamy essence and a velvety flavor, revealing a structured body rich in volume and smoothness. Acidity is pleasant and perfectly balanced, for a freshness feeling and a delightful after-taste.
* Berlucchi, Franciacorta Brut Rosé 61
Region: Lombardy, Italy
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Appellation: Franciacorta
Wine Enthusiast – 92 Points. A Wine Spectator “Top 100”. “Bright and savory, this refreshing, polished sparkler boasts alluring aromas of juicy raspberry, wild cherry, baking spice and a whiff of bread crust. The inviting aromas follow over to the vibrant palate along with a continuous refined perlage. A tangy candied nectarine note closes the finish.” – K.O. 9/12/2017
* Ilatium Morini (Latium), Soave (2020)
Region: Veneto, Italy
Grapes: Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave
Appellation: Soave
Fresh and very persistent on the palate, a finish with delicate hints of bitter almonds typical of Soave. It is ideal at any time of day.
* Val delle Rose, Vermentino Litorale (2021)
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Grape: Vermentino
Color: Straw-yellow, with light gold reflections. Bouquet: Intense, fruit-forward aromas that suggest tropical fruits. Taste: Fresh, crisp with well-balanced acids, and an assertive finish.
* Rivetto, Langhe Nebbiolo (2020)
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Grape: Nebbiolo
Appellation: Langhe
An extremely pleasing and drinkable wine and although it has a high alcohol grade this never overpowers its fruity character. Its red color has Bordeaux reflections and the slow trickle from the edge of the glass confirms its optimal concentration and good body. The palate is caressed by a smooth tannin content typical of the Nebbiolo grape and by a warm and enveloping flavor.
* Tenuta Argentiera, Bolgheri Poggio Ai Ginepri Rosso (2021)
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Appellation: Bolgheri
This Bolgheri DOC is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot vinified separately and extracted by soft pressing. A nice wine with defined structure and pronounced concentration. The wine’s olfactory panorama is ample and profound while at once immediate and present. An intense structure characterizes this wine, but with a beautiful softness and a remarkably clean finish. Tenuta Argentiera stands in a magnificent patch of land in the Maremma that blends countryside and sea, suspended between woods and Mediterranean scrub.
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Contact: Gail Rampersaud: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Metro Wines Asheville
Charlotte Street! It's the Next BIG Thing!
"Big Shop Selection. Small Shop Service"
(828) 575-9525
Go here to reserve your seat, or call 828-575-9525
A Deeper Dive into Wine Styles and Regions, Winemaking and Wine Tasting
Hosted by the Asheville School of Wine and Metro Wines :
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday October 23rd/24th/25th: Part One, Two & Three - 9:30am - 4:00pm
Friday, October 27th: Exam - 9:30am - 11am
Course price: $850
Registration closes on October 6th
See link below to sign up
Perfect for Tasting Room, Restaurant Service Professionals, and Wine Enthusiasts
Coming to Asheville (at Asheville School of Wine) Saturday, October 28th: Course & Exam - 9:30am – 5:00pm.
Course price: $350
Registration closes October 11th
See link below
About: Ciao Asheville Continues its Cooking Class Series with Ricotta Gnocchi
Ciao Asheville teams up again with Metro Wines and Asheville-based q.b. Cucina for a ricotta gnocchi cooking class. You’ll get hands-on instruction from Sarah Ubertaccio of q.b. Cucina. This event will take place on Sunday, April 16, 2023, from 12-3pm, at a private local residence in the Beaverdam area with mountain views (address to be provided with registration).
You’ll work alongside Sarah as she demonstrates the skills to make this delicate gnocchi, plus a sauce perfect for a springtime pairing. What an ideal way to kick off spring! The class will conclude with enjoying the gnocchi and sauce you’ve made, a fresh salad, and wine.
Ciao Asheville and Metro Wines kick off 2023 with an “on the house” tasting of Raffaldini Vineyards wine. The tasting is Wednesday, February 8th, 5:00-6:30pm “at the bar” at Metro Wines, 169 Charlotte Street, Asheville.
Raffaldini is located in Ronda, North Carolina, in the rolling foothills of the Swan Creek Wine Appellation within the Yadkin Valley. This family-owned winery brings Tuscan charm to North Carolina. Known widely as “Chianti in the Carolinas” Raffaldini currently produces only classically dry Italian style wines ranging from reds like Sangiovese Classico, whites like Vermentino and a sparkling Prosecco style wine.
This is a great opportunity to meet Raffaldini’s winemaker who will present several wines to taste and discuss the Italian varietals they grow. They also use an old winemaking method from north eastern Italy, called appasimento, to dry the grapes before crushing to create wines from North Carolina with more depth and character in this notoriously wet climate.
This event is free and no registration is necessary. For more information call Metro Wines at (828) 575-9525.
WSET Level One, Two and Three Award in Wines Classes
Coming to Asheville School of Wine
The MWWine School, an approved program provider for the globally recognized WSET,
will offer the certification classes, perfect for wine and food professionals and wine enthusiasts,
live and in-person, starting January 23rd
Asheville, NC – November 30th, 2022 – MWWine School, an approved program provider for the globally recognized Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) certifications, today announced that WSET Level One, Two and Three Award in Wines classes will launch in Asheville, North Carolina in January 2023. The WSET certification courses, which are offered in partnership with the Asheville School of Wine, are among the most prestigious wine industry qualifications in the world and are ideal for beginners, connoisseurs, and wine and food industry professionals.
The WSET Level One Award in Wines class will take place January 31st with Level Two taking place January 24th, 25th and January 30th in Asheville. The classes offer foundational principles for wine tasting, and wine and food pairing, as well as key knowledge about winemaking, viticulture, and the wine regions of the world.
“I am so impressed with the enthusiasm and knowledge of the students who attended my seminars in Asheville this August and am thrilled to be bringing these world-class certification courses to this world-class food and wine city,” said Webber. “I am also pleased to continue my partnership with The Asheville School of Wine as we further expand access to a curriculum that will not only enhance wine professionals and enthusiasts’ love of wine, but that will also increase their wine knowledge, further develop their palates and help them achieve professional certifications.”
Classes will be taught by MWWine School Director Melanie Webber, a WSET certified wine educator and sommelier. Melanie holds the Diploma in Wine and Spirits from WSET, as well as the Wine Scholar Guild’s (WSG) French Wine Scholar and Spanish Wine Scholar certifications. She recently taught two sold-out wine tasting and food and wine pairing seminars in Asheville through the Asheville School of Wine and has taught in Paso Robles and Los Angeles since 2018, helping hundreds of industry professionals – from winemakers, to chefs to tasting room personnel – and wine lovers achieve their WSET certifications. Her MWWine School is also an approved program provider for the WSG’s Spanish and French Wine Scholar courses, which will be offered in Asheville later in 2023.
The Classes
Level One Award in Wines is a beginner level introduction to wine suitable for those starting a wine career or pursuing an interest in wine. Students will explore the main types and styles of wine through sight, smell, and taste, while also gaining the basic skills to describe wines accurately, as well as learning food and wine pairing, wine service and etiquette. It includes tasting of 10 wines. Go Here to Register!
Level Two Award in Wines is for individuals seeking a core understanding of a wide range of wines. This qualification explores the major grape varieties of the world and the regions in which they are grown. Through a combination of tasting and theory, students will explore the factors that impact style and quality and learn how to describe these wines with confidence. The course includes tastings of over 30 wines. Successful candidates receive a certificate and lapel pin for the internationally-recognized WSET Level Two Award in Wines. Go Here to Register!
