Items filtered by date: April 2025

Tuesday, 19 February 2019 09:52

Ciao Asheville Hosts "The Big Night" at Ambrozia

Ciao Asheville Hosts &quot;The Big Night&quot; at Ambrozia

New Release: Monday, February 18th, 2019

About: Chef Sam Etheridge Presents the "Big Night"

Please join MetroWines and Juniper Cooper of Mutual Distribution on Wednesday, April 17th starting 6pm as "Ciao Asheville" hosts "The Big Night" at Ambrozia. Chef Sam Etheridge prepares and presents the dinner from the movie "The Big Night" together with four paired Italian Wines.

Friday, 26 October 2018 00:00

Alessandro Cellai, "Rock Star Winemaker"

Alessandro Cellai, &quot;Rock Star Winemaker&quot;

What a delightful guy! Alessandro Cellai was interesting, fun and very, very, very accomplished.

Seems like some people are just born with a genetic predisposition to do what they end up doing. Alessandro is one of them. He was, no doubt about it, born with the wine gene. That stands in stark contradistinction to me who was born with the "Watch Mary Tyler Moore Reruns Over and Over Again" gene, a predisposition I can assure you I have fulfilled!

There is so much to tell you about Alessandro but so much has already been written about and by him, all available on the internet and YouTube, I think I will let you focus on the aspects of his life and winemaking that interest you.

Friday, 14 September 2018 00:00

Decero: Stephanie Morton-Small

Stephanie Morton-Small, chief Commercial officer, for Decero in Mendoza, Argentina hosted a sold out Seated Tasting on Tuesday, September 11th. What's the one thing Stephanie wants us to remember? Mendoza is the size of California and, so, not all parts are created equally! Great Wines. Great Speaker. Great Night!

Sunday, 20 May 2018 00:00

Francois Servin Talks @MetroWines

Francois Servin poured his Chablis @MetroWines on Saturday Night, May 19th.

There were over 40 people crowding the bar through the two hours of the tasting so a sit down interview was not possible. This is what I gleaned from Francois as he responded to questions from the crowd.

First, Francois is a lovely and engaging person, with or without great Chablis!

Tuesday, 06 June 2017 00:00

Scot Covington, Trione Vineyards and Winery

We just had a great time hosting Scot Covington, winemaker for the highly regarded Trione Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma. Trione is not a nationwide brand, they are known for their small lot productions. So, I ask what brings Scot to Asheville. "A very small plane," he says.

Scot Covington has an extensive and commendable biography of experience. But, lets be honest here, what we wanted to know was why his name, "Scot" only has one "t." I know. I know. You are thinking shallow. Well, we will get to the wonky stuff but the explanation for the lonely "t" actually turns out to be interesting.

Sunday, 07 May 2017 00:00

Barnaby, Olga, Lexi and The "J Turn"

Barnaby, Olga, Lexi and The &quot;J Turn&quot;

We caught up with Teutonic Winemaker and Owner, Barnaby Tuttle, on his way to Home Grown in Asheville for lunch. Barnaby was eating his way through Asheville! After the Teutonic Tasting @MetroWnes on Friday Night, he went two doors down to Gan Shan downing a bowl of Drunken Noodles and a healthy serving of Bok Choy. He woke up hungry at Midnight and had frozen pizza burned to charcoal on the bottom and cheap BIG BOX beer. Yes, even winemakers DO crazy when on the road!

Barnaby is a Portland, Oregon native. Before his current incarnation, he was an iron worker and worked for an autowrecker that salvaged vintage car parts from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Hold that thought - both jobs become very important later...

Monday, 25 July 2016 00:00

Quincy Steele

I told Quincy that the purpose of these interviews is to get to know the winemaker personally. The truth is that we can read about their wines on their well done websites. And, let's face it, with winemakers also working to market their wines and answering questions from retailers and writers like me! they may have necessarily developed some standard operating answers.

Sunday, 17 July 2016 00:00

Buglioni: The Accidental Winery

The Accidental Winery

"What do we do now?" That's what the Buglioni Family said in 1993 when they looked out the window of their new house and saw a 12 acre vineyard full of grapes a month from harvest.

The Buglioni Family was in textiles. All they intended to do was buy a house the family could share. They had not planned on a vineyard, a harvest or being winemakers.

But here it was. Acres of grapes. So they sat down and set a plan.

Friday, 01 July 2016 00:00

Kent Rosenblum

"Don't give up your day job." That's how Kent Rosenblum, veterinarian, explained his venture into the wine world.

While working as a veterinarian in Montana, Kent took a trip to California and was bitten by the wine bug or, as he says, "I fell in love." He started buying grapes and making wines, for the most part, in his basement.

It was a big deal in 1978 when Kent turned out 400 cases. He sold his wines to family and friends. Lots of them. But as is turns out, it was actually All of them. "The wine made a profit so I thought I would make more," Kent says, "but I ran out of friends!"

Wednesday, 22 June 2016 00:00

Poderi Parpinello. Sardegna!

"Paolo, will you live to be 100?" "Probably not. I have stress!"

That's what Paolo Parpinello, Winemaker for Poderi Parpinello in Sardegna, said when asked about the recent outcry that Cannonau, a grape indigenous to Sardegna and the star of one of his most popular wines, is, in essence, the fountain of youth!

I ask Paolo how did this fountain of youth stuff get started? "On the Today Show," says Paolo in a way that lets me know he has been asked this question many times.

Friday, 17 June 2016 09:56

Buglioni: The Accidental Winery

The Accidental Winery

"What do we do now?" That's what the Buglioni Family said in 1993 when they looked out the window of their new house and saw a 12 acre vineyard full of grapes a month from harvest.

The Buglioni Family was in textiles. All they intended to do was buy a house the family could share. They had not planned on a vineyard, a harvest or being winemakers.

But here it was. Acres of grapes. So they sat down and set a plan.

Friday, 10 June 2016 00:00

Suzanne Groth

"We do not hire "rock star" winemakers or wine consultants that pop in and out at Groth," says Suzanne Groth. "We look for dedicated winemakers invested in our wines who will watch the wine through the entire process." Groth winemakers have been working with the winery for three decades. "We make certain that there is a multi year overlap to insure passing down techniques and insuring consistent quality."

Friday, 27 May 2016 00:00

Jesse Lange and Maggie

BIG Night @MetroWines. BIG. Jesse Lange, Manager and Winemaker for Lange Estate Winery, A Wine Enthusiast Winery of the Year, poured to talk about and taste his Pinot Gris (90 Points, Wine Enthusiast) 2013 Pinot Noir ( 91 Points, Wine Enthusiast and 90 Points from Robert Parker) and Pinot Noir Reserve (93 Points, Wine Enthusiast). BIG.

Thursday, 26 May 2016 00:00

Hugues Romagnan, Pol Roger

We were pretty close to a bubbly paradise @MetroWines last week when Hugues Romagnan dropped by, talked, tasted and taught.

Hugues Romagnan has been Export Manager at Pol Roger since 2012. He studied Political Sciences and Economics obtaining an MBA at Lyon Management School and a Master at Dijon Argo Engineer School. But the passion for wine came from his grandfather, a winemaker in the Rhone Valley. When he is not traveling the world bringing the magic that IS Pol Roger to his anxiously awaiting customers, Hugues lives in Reims.

Friday, 06 May 2016 00:00

John Grochau Interview

John Grochau is such a likable, easily accessible guy, that he has been interviewed a LOT of times and told his extraordinary story as many. He has already been asked all the fun stuff: what would you be doing if you did not make wine; what would you drink at dinner aside from one of your wines; what's your favorite wine region apart from Oregon? And he has movie reviews on the Grochau Cellars website. So there!

Saturday, 16 April 2016 00:00

Francoise le Calvez Interview

"It's a family business!" We spoke with Francoise le Calvez as she poured and discussed five of her wines under the Coupe Roses label.

Francoise and her enologist husband, Pascal Frissant, work Coupe Roses in the Minervois Appellation with passion and state of the art technology. But in the end, as Francoise reminds us, a "it's family business."

Francoise began her journey into wine with her father. The PH of the soil in the vineyards was not optimum. Her father found a soil researcher who concluded that "the roots were not going deeply enough to have the best expression of the soil." The problem was resolved but it is a constant labor of love. "We are always working on the soil," says Francoise, because when you get right down to it, "it's all about the soil."

Sunday, 03 April 2016 00:00

Bruwer Raats Interview by Skype

I met Bruwer Raats two years ago at a wine pairing lunch. His commitment to his winemaking was immediately obvious but, as the conversation went on, his commitment to his land, his community and his family were equally obvious. And by the time that last Cabernet Franc blend crossed my palate, you could say with certainty that RAATS Wines and RAATS were class acts.

We talked with Bruwer Raats on travel by SKYPE from Stellenbosch @MetroWines on April 2nd. He, with his son in tow, had pulled over on a tree lined road to take the call and talk with his fans. Now, that's dedication and just down-right nice! Bruwer lead us through a tasting of Chenin Blanc Original, Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Red Jasper, Cabernet Franc and his mega-HIT, Compostella.

Tuesday, 13 October 2015 00:00

Interview with Robert Fiore Kral of Robert Walter Selections

How does a bottle of wine go from a small French farm to a small retail shop in Asheville? Robert Fiore Kral of Robert Walter Selections tells all.

“Pairing wine with the right food and creating a total experience. This is my passion.” That’s what Robert Fiore Kral of Robert Walter Selections, an Asheville wine import company that focuses on wines from small family farms, said when asked why he does what he does.

Robert was always around good wine. “My mother is German and my father is Austrian. I was raised in Germany where wine is part of the fabric of the country,” Robert says of how his interest in wine started. “We traveled around Europe and wine was just part of life.”

Friday, 22 May 2015 00:00

Tupaq, Bob Marley and Rotie's Sean Boyd

Tupaq, Bob Marley and Rotie&#039;s Sean Boyd

A significant number of wine customers as well as critics believe that winemakers just plain take themselves too seriously. It's not like winemakers are navy seals trying to capture ISIS leadership or emergency room doctors trying to save a child victim of a drive by shooting. Customers are starting to want to know more about who made the wine. So, what we try to do in Unfiltered is reach the real winemaker, to go beyond the wine tech talk and website dry goods, and let you know who made the wine.

Saturday, 02 May 2015 00:00

Dinner with Valle Dell'Acate

It is rare to sit down to dinner with a winemaker, even more rare the winemaker being Italian, and extraordinarily rare for your winemaking dinner guest to be a sixth generation Italian woman winemaker from Sicily, a place Eric Asimov called "one of the most exciting wine regions in the world."

But so it was on one recent night at Cucina 24 in Asheville. I had the honor and pleasure to share a bottle of Grillo and Frappato with Gaetana Jacono Gola, the owner of and winemaker for Valle Dell'Acate in Sicily. Gola divides her time between her home in Milano that she shares with her husband, an architect in the city, and "the farm in Sicily."

Saturday, 21 February 2015 09:25

Mike Merriman Interview

Mike Merriman was @MetroWines on February 19th. He poured his Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir. The very first barrel of wine bottled by Merriman received 90 points from Wine Spectator. And his wines have just continued to garner higher ratings and smashing reviews.

Mike was a good sport and agreed to an interview. In what we hope will become a regular feature here @MetroWines, check out the first interview for "UNFILTERED":

Interview with Mike Merriman, owner of Merriman Wines. He joined us here @MetroWines in Asheville, North Carolina, for a tasting of Merriman Chenin Blanc, Cummins Road Pinot Noir 2012 and Merriman Estate Pinot Noir 2012. His beard was gone and he had new glasses. Here’s the rest of the story:

Monday, 17 November 2014 09:28

La Jara Prosecco BRUT

Many of you have asked for an "upscale" Prosecco. We heard you. Pure Italian 100% Glera, this Prosecco BRUT is made from certified biodynamic vines grow in atony, gravel soil. The winery says this of its award winning sparkling wine:

Realized with Glera grapes, this famous wine is today one of the most important sparkling wines in Italy. The preparation has been obtained for natural refermentation in autoclave. (Charmat Method).

Page 17 of 17