Recently married (or know someone who is)? Asheville Wedding Guide is accepting submissions from people married in the past year for its new issue. Through Jan. 4, submit photos + stories from your big day, plus your engagement, wedding shower, reception + more. See the full submission guidelines here. |
News Release: Friday, September 7th, 2018
August Wine Focus Group WINNER!
The growing demand for dry rosé from its established customer base has led to the launch of Backsberg Estate Cellars’ maiden Pinotage Rosé. Made from the superb 2017 vintage, the Backsberg Pinotage Rosé 2017 is produced from grapes grown on the Backsberg Estate on the Paarl side of the Simonsberg, arguably South Africa’s premier wine-making address. This is the second rosé in the Backsberg range, complementing a semi-sweet wine made from Grenache and Shiraz.
Grapes for the Backsberg Pinotage Rosé were picked at 21 degrees balling, just before optimal ripeness and so as to capture the bracing acidity and freshness required by this style of wine.
“The sweet spot for rosé is in allowing the juice sufficient contact with the red grape skins to give colour and a whiff of tannin complexity, but not enough of these to overpower the delicate composition and fruit profile this style of wine requires,” says Back.
As a result, the juice was drawn from the skins after six hours’ contact after which it was handled like a white wine, fermentation taking place in cooled stainless steel tanks.
“If there is one concept used internationally to describe the requirement of a dry rosé, it is freshness,” says Back. “This is what makes rosé so popular among consumers, together with the fragrant summer notes of berry-fruit and the slight complexity on the palate.”
Backsberg’s Pinotage Rosé 2017 exudes fruit flavours of cherry and strawberry, with a minty freshness, due to earlier picked fruit. The salmon pink coloured wine is lightly tinted from the red wine skins, but fruity and juicy on the palate, with subdued tannins. Delightful flavours of melon, ripe tropical fruit and strawberry are found in this wine, which is best served well-chilled.
For food pairings, look at seafood dishes and salads. Light meat lunches such as quiche and pastries. Mediterranean platters of olives and cheese, ham, French bread or ciabatta.
| R/S: 3.6 | pH: 3.37 | TA: 5.7 | Alc: 12.76% |
Andre Mack is @MetroWines for a Pop Up Hard Target Tasting
Tuesday, June 12th from 4 to 5 to pour his
"Love Drunk Rose"
and signing bottles until the ink runs dry.
If you have not met Andre Mack,
you DO NOT DO NOT want to miss this opportunity!
Who is Andre Mack?
After a successful career with Citicorp Investment Services, André Hueston Mack decided to pursue his passion for wine. While working as a sommelier in San Antonio, Mack was awarded the prestigious title of Best Young Sommelier in America by the highly regarded Chaine des Rotisseurs.
This recognition propelled Mack to sommelier at Thomas Keller’s world-renowned French Laundry in Yountville, California and then to Head Sommelier at Keller’s Per Se in NYC, where he managed a 1800 selection award-winning wine list.
Mack has been featutured in major publications including Food&Wine, Wine&Spirits, The New York Times, Women’s Health, Ebony, and Wall Street Journal. Mack was honored in 2007 with The Network Journal’s 40-Under-Forty Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to business
What is Love Drunk Rose
The 2017 Love Drunk is an intoxicating rosé. Andre mack says: "Much like new love, it clouds the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise, and lips to pucker. Provocative aromas of strawberry and raspberry, followed by refreshing flavors of wild strawberry, watermelon rind, and a hint of kiwi."
News Release; Monday, June 4th, 2018
Great Rose Tasting: June
Event Pricing (10% off any bottle) in RED
L'Espigoutte, Rhone: 60%Grenache, 20%Syrah & 20%Cinsault
Family owned, Domaine L'Espigouette offers this fresh Rose with hints of citrus and mineral finish making it perfect as an aperitif or with a summer meal. The sandy, clay soils provide an elegance and depth to the wine. Grapes from estate Cote du Rhone vines averaging 45 years. Leaner, old school style.
Shelf Price: $21.00 Event Price: $14.99
Copain, North Coast, Santa Rosa: 88%Pinot Noir and 12%Syrah
Salmon pink in glass. Watermelon, grapefruit, lemon blossom, satsuma orange on nose. All this and tart cherry, strawberry, Meyer Lemon and Granny Smith Apples on palate. Moderate acidity. Mendicino County is all the rage!
Shelf Price: $ 13.99 Event Price: $11.99
Rustenberg, Stellenbosch, South Africa: 100%Petite Verdot
The newest edition to Rustenberg Wine Portfolio, this dry Rose' exhibits elegant flavors of strawberries and rose water. We are not aware of any other winery that makes a 100% Petite Verdot Rose!
Shelf Price: $13.99 Event Price: $11.99
J.Mourat, Loire: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Negrette & Gamay.
Flavors of white peach, raspberry, hint of orange peel. Long on the palate with great acidity makes this Rose perfect for spicy foods like Thai Curry. Mourat is also available in splits and wine kegs.
Shelf Price: $14.99 Event Price: $12.99
La Villa Real, La Mancha, Spain: 100%Tempranillo
Dry Rose presenting flavors of raspberry, strawberry cherry and violet. Perfect with pasta, paella and machego cheese! Classic Spanish style.
Shelf Price: $7.49 Event Price: $6.99
Leverano, Puglia: 80%Negroamaro and 20%Malvasia.
The winery dates back to the 16th century. Popular around the world including Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Czech Republic, Leverano is a direct import of Haw River Wine Man in NC, cutting out the middle man and keeping the price low. Also available in a really big bottle!
Shelf Price: $8.99 Event Price: $7.99
We can't help you with your attendants or guest list @MetroWines BUT for nearly everything else, like wine, beer, venue, even comedians!! yeah we got that!
"Weddings Start @MetroWines!" Call brandie at (828) 575-9525.
DEAR ABBY: I have an extremely difficult decision to make. I recently got engaged to the love of my life. However, with this comes the decision of who should be my maid of honor.
Until a couple of years ago, the choice was obvious – my cousin. Over the past couple of years, though, we’ve become distant. She’s an extremely flaky person and can’t be counted on for much. Now, I also have a best friend who is always there when I need her, but we’ve been friends for only a couple of years.
My immediate family says I should still ask my cousin to be my maid of honor because her feelings will be hurt if I don’t. Abby, I don’t want to give such a special title to someone I can no longer depend on. She has hurt my feelings countless times by not being there. She shouldn’t get the honor just because I’ve known her forever. Please help. -- STUCK AT A CROSSROADS
DEAR STUCK: Talk to your cousin and also your best friend. When you do, remind your cousin there are serious responsibilities that go along with being a maid of honor and ask if they would create a problem for her. Tell her that if it’s too much for her, she could be a bridesmaid. If she says she wants to be maid of honor, give her the chance. However, if she flakes EVEN ONCE, ask your best friend to step in.
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| Grillo: Dry, Italian White Grape Makes "Top 20 Under $20" by NYT Eric Asimov If you shop @MetroWines, you know ZAGRA. We have been fans of ZAGRA and all wines from Valle dell'Acate and owner Gaetana Jacono Gola since we opened the store five years ago. Our interview with Gaetana during her most recent visit to Asheville. https://metrowinesasheville. unfiltered-2-dinner-with- What Eric Asimov said about ZAGRA "In recent years, I have seen more dry whites made from grillo, a grape once known as the backbone of sweet Marsala or for making big, blousy dry wines. This one — from various coastal vineyards in eastern Sicily — is young, fresh, floral and refreshing, with lingering earthy notes. Delightful."
(YIKES! ZAGRA sold out yesterday. Back in stock on Thrusday after 2pm. In the meantime, try another great Italian White Wine @MetroWines) |
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100% Petite Verdot, Stellenbosch Hand Picked. Steel Tank Fermentation Tasting Notes: This rosé exhibits aromas and flavors of red fruits: strawberries, cranberries and red cherries rounded by a fresh clean palate and food friendly palate weight. Awards: Gold Medal Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2017 Silver Medal International Wine & Spirits Competition 2017 |
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| Corvina is the main grape in "Valpolicella" And Monte Tondo is 100% Corvina! Pasta and Clams? Bring it ON! From Small Vineyards, $13.99 To create the classic Valpolicella cuvee, the noble Corvina is typically blended with other varietals such as Molinara and Rondinella. Monte Tondo’s Veneto IGT is the extraordinarily rare 100% Corvina wine crafted from vines that could wear the more recognized Valpolicella label. Transparent garnet in the glass, Monte Tondo’s Corvina is redolent of pie cherries, orange peel, potpourri, mint, and star anise. Brisk on the attack yet round and satisfying, Monte Tondo’s Corvina conveys suggestions of violets, white pepper, and ruby red grapefruit notes wrapped around a bright, vibrant core of sour cherry fruit. Bitter herbs and fine tannins join the wine’s chewy core of red fruits to make this an exceptionally versatile and table-ready red wine. Pair this over the coming two years with just about everything but shellfish, oily fish, and delicate freshwater fish preparations.
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| ALERT:
ZOE, the fabulous Greek Rose that won the |
If you shop @Metrowines, you KNOW Zagra. Review from way back here!
We have been big fans of not just Zagra but all wines from Valle dell'Acate and owner Gaetana Jacono Gola since we opened the store five years ago.
In an interview with Gaetana, she told us that outisde of the US, her biggest market is Japan. Why? Because her Zagra and Frappato GO with anything! Interview here!
Color: Bright straw-colored yellow
Aroma: Complex with distinctive aromas of white flowers and minerals
Flavor: Large, velvety but alive, with great structure and persistence with strong flavor and minerality
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| Gathering Recommended!
Los Monteros CAVA Apple and peach aromas are clean at first but struggle to stay vital. |
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| WSJ Talks Summer Vacation Deals https://www.wsj.com/articles/ Can't go? Travel vicariously through wine. Shop bottles or plan a private tasting @MetroWines. You are going? Be ready! Be the wine who knows the wine. |
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| Great Rose Tasting @MetroWines Saturday, June 2nd @MetroWines from 10am to 7pm 6 Bottles from around the world "on the taste" and "on the house" As Featured in Carolina Epicurean http://carolinaepicurean.com/ |
Could there be a better wedding bottle? Shop Love Drunk @MetroWines.
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| "Love Drunk" by Andre Mack Provocative aromas of strawberry and raspberry, |
Just IN. Wedding Perfect!
 Search by Varietal or Name:
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PORTUGAL Gateway Vinho Verde Rosé
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| Vineyard: | From selected vineyards within the Amarante sub-region, higher altitude than in the other parts of the Vinho Verde apellation. |
| Soil Type: | Dominated by granite soils. |
| Vine Age: | |
| Irrigation: | No irrigation |
| Harvest Date: | |
| Yield: |
This is a blend made of the typical regional varieties; 60% Touriga Nacional and 40% Espadeiro.
The grapes are selected from the best Vinho Verde vineyards within the Amarante sub-region.
Each grape varietal is picked individually at optimum ripeness so that the finished wine has the best balance between the richness of the fruit and the natural acidity.
Pressed at low temperature, the must is then clarified and
fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at 12 to 14ºCentigrade. Before
bottling, the wine is filtered and cold stabilized.
| Color: | Bright pink. |
| Nose: | Lively strawberry and red currant complemented with floral notes. |
| Palate: | In the mouth it is well balanced with good acidity and fresh fruity notes, young, crisp with a smooth and delicate finish. The slight fizz on the finish adds a thirst quenching effect. |
| Other: | It is brisk and luscious, a perfect summer wine that will enliven the palate on a hot summer day. |
| Alc (%): | 10.5 |
| RS (g/l): | 15 |
| TA (g/l): | 6.5 |
| pH: |
Meghan and Harry have asked people to give to charity, through their Gift Registry, as a gift for their wedding. We do that @MetroWines and have been doing it for two years! We have four Asheville charities, Our Voice, Habitat for Humanity, Brother Wolf, Full Moon Wolfdog Sactuary, listed on our Gift Registry or we can collect for one of your choosing.
Call Brandie at (828) 575-9525 to start your Gift Registry headed in the right direction. "Weddings Start @MetroWines!"
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have named seven charities they have chosen to benefit from financial donations in lieu of wedding gifts.
Many of them are small, little known organisations, including a Bristol-based children’s HIV charity with just four part-time employees and a charity for bereaved Armed Forces children.
The only foreign charity chosen is the Myna Mahila Foundation, which supports women in Mumbai’s urban slums and which Ms Markle visited last year before writing about the experience for Time magazine.
Kensington Palace said the couple, who will wed on May 19, did not have any formal relationships with the seven charities but wanted to chose those which represent a range of issues they are passionate about.
In asking guests and well-wishers to donate money rather than give them presents, the Prince and Ms Markle follow in the footsteps of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who asked for money to be donated to their own charitable fund, which supported 26 charities of their choice, when they got married, raising more than £1million.
One of the charities chosen by the couple is the Children's HIV Association (CHIVA) which supports more than 1,000 UK children growing up with HIV and their families.
A spokeswoman told the Telegraph: “We only found out a couple of weeks ago that we have been chosen, it’s a huge honour and will make a huge difference to us.
“We are a very small charity so it’s a massive deal.”She said Prince Harry had been aware of their work since members of their youth committee spoke to him at the International AIDS Conference in Durban in 2016 and that a group had subsequently met him at Kensington Palace.
Another one of the chosen charities is Scotty’s Little Soldiers, inspired by the experience of war widow Nikki Scott, which supports children who have lost a parent while serving in the British Armed Forces.
Mrs Scott, who met the Prince at Buckingham Palace last year, said: “I know that the Armed Forces and looking after the children our heroes have left behind is close to his heart.”
She said to have been personally chosen by the couple was an “incredible honour” and that she was extremely grateful.
100% Montepulciano. Lovely. Light. Versatile. Rose is the strong, silent type!
UPDATE:
Meet at shop at 4:30. Park @MetroWines.
Come on in and Share a Glass of Bubbles
UBER (not includd) picks up at 5 and drives group to Great Harvest.
Enjoy Sourdough, Brie and Bubbles, Make Sourdough.
UBER drives you back to pick up uour car @MetroWines.
DONE!
Or you can just meet us there!
News Release: March 8th, 2018
Pinecrest Bed and Breakfast in historic Montford is the perfect place for your guests and YOU to stay for your wedding in Asheville. Pinecrest, a beautifully restored 5 bedroom inn built in 1905, is conveniently located in Montford, an easy one mile walk to downtown Asheville and just minutes from the Biltmore Estate. Plan your day’s adventure over a sumptuous breakfast served at 9am and upon your return, enjoy a freshly baked dessert and beverage. Innkeepers Dan & Diane invite you to experience relaxation, privacy and pampering at our premier Asheville bed and breakfast. Read more here.
News Release: Thursday, January 4th, 2018
About: "Bird Bliss"
Please join us for The Opening Reception of "Bird Bliss" by local artist Lisa Casperson on Thursday, February 8th from 5 to 7pm @MetroWines.
"This is the third exhibition by Lisa Casperson @MetroWines," says Gina Trippi, co-owner of MetroWines. "As her work is both engaging and affordable, Lisa is back by very popular demand."
Multi-media artist, Lisa Casperson, will display petite paintings @Metro Wines from Thursday February 8, through Sunday, February 12, 2018.
The pieces will revolve around the theme of birds, some of which belong to a series the artist is presently working on, "Birds of North Carolina." These are not Audubon style bird representations; Casperson has combined several techniques to produce very unusual likenesses of our North Carolina song birds.
"Smaller framed prints mean more affordable art, just in time for that perfect Valentine’s Day gift," says Lisa. "A bottle of wine, a unique piece of art. Who knows where that could lead?"
More about Lisa and her work here: www.playswellalone.com.
The Opening and Wine Tasting are on the house. Glasses of wine are $5 all evening.
Photos Attached. Photo Credit to Lisa Casperson
"Dream Bird"
"Little Bird Sings"
