My Trip to Madrid: Following Eric Asimov's Wine Trail.
Friday, 01 March 2024 11:40In between following in your footsteps, we had lunch at El Jardín de Arzábal at the Reina Sofia Museum, where we had a Godello. We found Godello to be very popular rivaling Albariño for versatility and broad appeal. I can tell you it was a great pairing to artichokes and monkfish!
Note: We intended to bar hop and visit all nine of your recommendations but once we landed in one, any one! we just could not leave.
The True Health Benefits Of Red Wine: Myth Vs. Reality
Friday, 01 March 2024 09:56Red wine, with its rich and bold taste, offers a symphony of flavors that tantalize the palate and evoke a sensorial journey.
At first sip, one is greeted with a deep complexity that dances across the tongue. The robust notes of dark fruits such as blackberries, plums, and cherries unfold, painting the palate with a luscious sweetness tempered by a subtle hint of tartness. This fruity foundation is often complemented by earthy undertones reminiscent of leather, tobacco, or cedar, adding layers of depth to the wine's character.
Sunday Wine Tasting
Tuesday, 27 February 2024 19:39“Orsini Wines is a go-to for wine enthusiasts. Their selection is vast and their quality is unmatched. They are a top wholesale distributor in the industry.”
The grapes are carefully hand harvested and the winery, spontaneous fermentation takes place with the native yeasts. No winemaking additives are used and the wines are very minimally fined or filtered. The resulting wines are traditional in style, with great balance. The concentration of the fruit comes from the hard work in and great care of the vineyards. Javier Pérez Ruiz de Vergara-Winemaker."
Wine Club @MetroWines
Monday, 26 February 2024 14:44Why our wine club is better than the national clubs.
Is it true? I’m sure you’ve seen the blitz ad campaigns in the Citizen Times, NYT and WSJ. In ¼ to full page ads, you’re offered something special. Something unique. A national wine club selling you something few can. Clean, quality, hard to find wines with no or little additives. And to ease you in, some will give you $100 to try them. I’m sorry to tell you that they’re not giving you the full story. To guide you through this thicket, we’ve devoted our entire newsletter to this one topic. By the end, I think you’ll see why the average member drops their national wine club after 1.5 to 2 years. But most of our club members have continued to stay with us over the last decade. Topic by topic here’s how our wine club compares to the national ones.
Better Value. Right out of the gate, you’re saving about $3 a bottle at Metro. Wine bottles are heavy which makes them expensive to ship. When they tell you it’s free shipping, don’t believe them. You still pay that cost and it’s taken out of the quality of the wine. Metro’s club is always priced at a discount so that the box price is competitive with the average Internet price. And you get further value when we find a great wine at a great price. When we do, you get wines that would normally cost you up to twice as much. Speaking of shipping, don’t forget an adult will need to be home for the day. You’ll have to wait there to sign for your shipment. At Metro, you can pick up at any time we’re open. And we’re open 7 days a week.
Real Wineries! Many nationals tell you their wines are limited or exclusive. Wines you’ll never see in a shop like Metro. And they are partly right – you’ll never see these wines at Metro. That’s because many buy bulk wines. The clubs then slap on their own label. We encourage you - Google these wineries. Virtually none can be found on the Internet. And how exclusive are these wines if they are sold nationally to anyone who joins their club? Metro fills your club box with real wines made at real wineries. They tend to be small wineries, many from family operations that have tilled the land for generations. These are vintners who use no or little additives and take pride in the care of their wine and land. When you buy from Metro, you support these families. And don’t forget. If a national club is not selling you bulk wine, chances are that Metro can get their “exclusive” wine for you too.
Better selection. Besides low quality, the biggest complaint we hear about national clubs is the small selection. Once they’ve shipped you everything they offer, they begin the cycle again with the same wines. And with bulk wines, the nationals can change the labels. But it’s still the same bulk wine in the bottle. Our club offers you all the wines available to Metro from around the world. Importers are constantly adding new wines to their portfolios in a battle for quality. We in turn offer them to you in our club.
You choose the style of wine and price you pay. Metro is competitive with national clubs by offering you the style of wine you like. Just tell us if you prefer a smoother fruit-driven domestic style or a more savory, structured Euro style. That begins your adventure! We select the wines for you. You’ll try grapes you know and those you don’t all in the style you want. In our traditional clubs, you’ll also receive notes describing the wine and pairing suggestions.
Unlike the national clubs, Metro offers you a custom club. You design the club to receive a very specific type of wine as well as decide the number of bottles, the frequency, and the price. Let’s say you want three bottles of Italian Chardonnay each month at $70. Or perhaps a case of rose for $220. We’ll set that up for you. You get the same service as the traditional club except we do not include the notes and pairing suggestions.
Wine Club Details: If you are interested in joining the club, please give us a call at 828-575-9525. Anyone can answer questions. Julie manages your club. She will sign you up and build your box each month. We’ll ask for your wine preferences, put your card information in our encrypted system. After that, your wine club box will be ready on the 1st or 15th of each month. Drop by at your convenience to pick it up. Here’s the details:
Tuesday Night Wine Club: Please tell us whether you want red or white wine in either domestic or Euro style. You will receive either 6 bottles of white or 6 reds. You can receive both white and red if you opt for 12 bottles, 6 bottles of each. Your box will be ready on the 15th of each month (or the frequency you select).
6 bottles for $85 or 12 bottles for $170
Saturday Night Wine Club: Please tell us whether you want red or white wine in either domestic or Euro style. You will receive either 6 bottles of white or 6 reds. You can receive both white and red if you opt for 12 bottles, 6 bottles of each. Your box will be ready on the 1st of each month (or the frequency you select).
6 bottles for $121 or 12 bottles for $242
Custom Club: You tell us the style, price and number of bottles. Your box will be ready on the 15th of each month (or frequency you select).
Call Julie at (828) 575-9525!
French Wine 7 Dinner at Table!
Saturday, 10 February 2024 14:34Only 12 guests!
$145 per person, including tax and gratuity.
Reservation: Text 984-312-5315
Further details including Cancelation Policy and Payment process, go here: https://contrasttours.com/dinners/
Wines will be available for purchase at great pricing from Metro Wines.
Please note:
* Given the farm to table nature of the restaurant, some minor changes may occur to the food menu.
* Chef inspired Vegetarian option available upon request.
MENU:
* 6 NEW BRUNSWICK OYSTERS Heidi's Bread, House Cultured Butter.
DENIS VERVIER POUILLY-FUISSÉ CLIMATE LAMURE, 2019
100% Chardonnay
CHATEAU FARLURET, BARSAC-SAUTERNES, 2016
90% Sémillon, 10% Sauvignon Blanc
Two rather upscale pairing with these oysters, the Pouilly Fuissé is a very delicate Burgundy wine from one of the finest plots in the appellation, in one of the top climates (appellation with particular merit within the appellation). A delicate minerality and notes of apricots. This Sauternes with oysters is one of my favorite pairings, marrying the saltiness of the oyster with the relative sweetness of the wine, they cancel each other, letting the palate enjoy a more flavorful oyster magnified with a firework of savors from the Sauternes.
* WOOD ROASTED PORK Heirloom Grits, Early Spring Vegetables
DOMAINE RICHEAUME, TRADITION 2018, Red, Biodynamic
Syrah 47%, Grenache 43%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%
PATRICK GALANT, CAIRANNE OLD VINES 2016 and 2017
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah. 12 months in small oak casts
The Domaine Richeaume Tradition is a fleshy and fresh, wine from Provence, exhibiting definite savors of plum and black currant. The Cairanne Old Vines, has velvety tannins infused with violet savors, leather, garrigue spices. Both will enchant your palate with this dish.
* BLACK FOREST CAKE Cocoa-Cherry Frosting, Amarena Cherries
CORINNE DEPEYRE AMITIÉ 2015, Organic
100% Late Harvest Grenache Rouge
This wine is amazingly unique, it evokes Banyuls, but in a substantially drier and fresher variation, loaded with cherry savors, a wine made for chocolate pairing, especially a Black Forest of this magnitude.
Cyprus Wine Tasting!
Friday, 09 February 2024 14:25Dotted around the region are our nine vineyards, covering approximately 20 hectares of land; half privately-owned and half through dedicated partners. The core of the vineyards is situated around Pelendri and Agros between 700 and 1440 meters, where the temperate climate and demanding terrain have guided us in forming some spectacular landscapes.
The downside was that Cyprus was useful not just as a trading post. It was also desirable as a strategic military stronghold. Over the millennia Greeks, Romans, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians and Venetians ruled the island. Later both the Ottoman and British empires added Cyprus to their conquered lands. Several hundred years later, Madeira served merchants and armies in the eastern Atlantic in a similar way.
Commandaria and Cyprus Sherry
When the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem arrived on Cyprus in the late 13th Century, fleeing defeat in the Holy Lands, Cyprus's vinicultural history began in earnest. The knights arranged their land ownership according to strict social hierarchies, the top level of which were the commanderies. The Grand Commandery was the collective property of the knights themselves, and this was where the majority of medieval Cypriot vineyards were located. From this tranche of history, Commandaria dessert wine derives its name.
The arrival of Islamic rule with the Ottoman invaders in the late 16th Century slowed Cyprus's wine production almost to a halt. This lasted until the British Empire took control of the island in the 1870s. The British began to replant the once-prolific vineyards to produce fortified wines known as Cyprus Sherry (sherry was not then a protected name of origin).
Phylloxera-free
The phylloxera louse which was decimating vineyards in mainland Europe at that time fortunately never made it to Cyprus. Even today the vines here grow on their own original rootstocks. The fear of inadvertently introducing phylloxera to the island delayed Cyprus's experimentation with the "international" varieties as they swept around the globe.
Rise Over Run Wine Tasting
Friday, 09 February 2024 13:48About: Wine Tasting with Rise Over Run
White / Blanc et Fils Apremont Willy
White / Maison Yves Duport Bugey Blanc Chardonnay 2022
Rose / La Cave du Prieure Rosé 2022
Red / Domaine Rolet Arbois Trousseau 2020
Even down to our name, the inception of Rise Over Run emanated from a passion and respect for distinct and often challenging viticultural microclimates. Many are viticultural marvels, and the finished wines are expressions that could not be recreated elsewhere. Our book is a compilation of these wines that have stories to tell, and we are excited to be the ones doing so.
Chris studied art before becoming obsessed with the subject of wine and its endless details. This gave rise to a career in the restaurant business spanning over twenty years. Originally from Detroit, he’s lived and worked in Savannah Georgia and Portland Oregon. Chris has spent his career advocating for small, family run wineries who practice low intervention viticulture and the people who make these places function. Chris lives in Canton North Carolina with his beautiful wife and three boys.
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Contact for MetroWines: Gina Trippi
Metro Wines Asheville
Charlotte Street! It's the Next BIG Thing!
"Big Shop Selection. Small Shop Service"
(828) 575-9525
How And Why Time Enhances Wine Flavor
Tuesday, 06 February 2024 15:52Gathering with friends over a glass of flavorful wine is a timeless and cherished social experience. The rich and nuanced taste of a well-selected wine adds depth to the conversation and enhances the overall enjoyment of the moment.