Start Planning Travel Now!
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200611-pico-iyer-on-the-secret-of-immersive-travel

First Step in immersion is to get a head start NOW vicariously.
Call our Vicarious Travel Expert,
Andy Hale, Director of The Asheville School of Wine,
and plan a customized class!
(828) 575-9525

The planning process calls for a wine that is exciting, slightly exotic but mainstream.
You must remain reasonable and keep your wits about you yet stretch.
Both Brett and Andy agree this bottle of white is the ONE!

Cantayano Verdejo 2017 

This delivers a deep, complex bouquet with bags of personality, revealing a nose of pear,
peach stone, wild fennel, beeswax, saline and a nice herbal touch of lemongrass.
On the palate, wine is pure, focused and very full-bodied for Verdejo, with a rock solid core, excellent minerality, fresh acidity and outstanding length yet with a youthful finish.

You may call young winemaker, Manuel Cantalapiedra, a rebel or even a freedom fighter
but most importantly he is a farmer with a clear vision for the style of Verdejo he wants
to make in Castilla y Leon. He shares a passion for this grape with his father, who he named
the winery after, and with his neighbors, but this is where the common interest ends
and the rebellion begins. Harvesting later, organically and from single vineyard plots,
his wines demonstrate power and finesse in equal measure. 

*** $19.99 ***

** Prevention Magazine Selects 10 Best US Wines **



Prevention Magazine selected Willamette Valley Vineyards' Whole Cluster Pinot Noir
as one of the "10 Best Red Wines Made in the United States to Buy in 2020." The article 
highlights resveratrol, an antioxidant found in the skins of wine grapes.
Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned wine grape that develops the antioxidant resveratrol
as a natural defense to botrytis (mold) in the Willamette Valley's moist, cool climate. 
Willamette Valley Vineyards obtained permission in 2005 from regulators to include resveratrol
on the Whole Cluster Pinot Noir label, making it the first wine in the United States
to include resveratrol content and its origin.  

Whole Cluster Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley Vineyards’s Whole Cluster Pinot Noir is certified sustainable
and incredibly versatile. The winemakers call it 'liquid fruit salad in a glass' because
it opens with aromas of ripe black cherry, strawberry, black currant, and raspberry.
It’ll go perfectly with any BBQ dish this summer.
-  Devin Tomb, Prevention Magazine, 5/24/2020

Lush and rich, balanced by firm texture. Dark berries and a touch of oak
come through from start to finish. 91pts Wine Enthusiast

To Your Health! $24

From the "MetroWines Book Review" Department
and The Metro Wines "You Just Never Know" Department



At the height of World War II, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was home to 75,000 residents,
and consumed more electricity than New York City, yet it was shrouded in such secrecy
that it did not appear on any map. Thousands of civilians, many of them young women
from small towns across the U.S., were recruited to this secret city, enticed by the promise
of solid wages and war-ending work. The purpose of this mysterious government project
was kept a secret from the outside world and from the majority of the residents themselves. 

“Kiernan has amassed a deep reservoir of intimate details of what life was like for women living
in the secret city...Rosie, it turns out, did much more than drive rivets.” The Washington Post

Denise Kiernan is the author of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal bestseller 
The Last Castle. Her previous book, The Girls of Atomic City, is a New York Times,
Los Angeles Times, and NPR bestseller. Kiernan has been published in The New York Times,
The Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Ms., Reader’s Digest and Discover.
She worked in television as head writer for ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 
during its Emmy award–winning first season and producing for media outlets
such as ESPN and MSNBC. She has been a featured guest on NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” 
PBS NewsHour, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 
and a customer @MetroWines!
Denise says: “The gang at Metro Wines is fun, friendly, and boy do they know their stuff.
We are so lucky to have them as a part of our Asheville community,
especially during these trying times."

Buy the Book Here: 
https://www.malaprops.com/book/9781451617535

"Read it With Wine" 
Pierre Marie Chermette Beaujolais 2018, $18.99

Brimming with bright, fresh raspberry, this is a wine of purity and finesse.
It absolutely shines, even among the scores of lively Beaujolais bottling available. 
Pierre Chermette and his wife Martine have produced some of the best vintages
in Beaujolais over the past two decades. The farm follows organic, natural, and biodynamic
wine-making practices. Vines have low yields of extremely high quality, ripe Gamay fruit.
Fermentation in oak foudre using only natural yeasts found on the grapes,
no use of sulfur and unfiltered. The wine is violet-blue in color and slightly cloudy
in the glass, with aromas of berries and wet earth. The wine is rich and fresh
on the palate with fresh fruit and mix of minerals and acidity. Versatile with food or solo. 
Serve with a slight chill. This is a great warm weather wine.

Want to Keep UP with Denise Kiernan?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeniseKiernanAuthor/
Instagram: http://@iamdenisekiernan
Twitter: http://@DeniseKiernan>
Website: https://www.denisekiernan.com

Reprinted from 50 Plus Linving in WNC Magazine

By Gina Trippi

Avocado is back on the table and on the walls!  The all white kitchen is yielding to the resurgence of the celebrated 1960’s color and the avocado itself is showing up with everything from toast to dessert.  The color palette is your call but we can help with the avocado, the fruit, palate pairing.

The relatively mild avocado, indigenous to Central America, with its creamy texture started as an aphrodisiac! By 1871, the avocado had found its way to California. Hass and Fuerte are the two most easily accessible varieties. While Hass has more oil content and Fuerte more fiber, the two are similar in taste and interchangeable for recipes and for our purpose of pairing.

Got a great recipe and the wine ready but the avocado is not yet ripe? Put no more than a few avocados in a paper bag with an apple at room temperature. The apple emits ethylene gas, a ripening agent. And to stop the avocado from turning brown, a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice helps the fruit retain its lovely green color.

Most of us think of the avocado as uniquely suited to Mexican dishes but this versatile fruit is holding its own in many other cuisines. You have no doubt encountered western style sushi known as the California Roll. So, now the avocado is surround by cucumbers instead of black beans and salsa! And the avocado is a welcomed addition to any dish with the heat turned up as the natural fat tempers the heat and calms the spices. Avocados are now in ice cream, sweet drinks and vinaigrette.

But for all its virtues, the Avocado has a bad reputation for wine pairing. Natalie MacLean, author of Red, White, and Drunk All Over says: “I put them in a category I call ‘Green Wine Stalkers’ because their natural compounds don’t marry well with many wine styles.”

Look for a white wine with high acidity to cut through the sweetness and fat in the fruit. A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc such as Kim Crawford or Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige would be good matches. If you prefer red, avoid tannic wines and opt for Domaine Depueble Beaujolais or California Pinot Noir such as Bodan Roan. 

Depending on the heat level of the recipe, the pairing may require a demi-sec Vouvray such as La Vigne Des Sablons or a domestic sparkling like Roederer Brut. And in case of doubt, call for backup! A middle of the road Rosé works with almost anything almost anytime!

Finally, many fear the avocado for its fat content. But rejoice! It is, as they say, the good fat. Avocado is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, the kind that doctors say can lower the bad LDL cholesterol and maintain levels of the good HDL cholesterol.

Pick up avocados and let us pair a wine to your recipe @MetroWines.  

Painting the walls is up to you!

Big WHITE of The Week
CEP Sauvignon Blanc 2019, $24

Hopkins Ranch, Russian River Valley, Cloverdale, California

Our Sauvignon Blanc is unique and may be easiest to understand
by comparing it to other regions. It does not have the fruity sweetness found
in New Zealand or the melon and gooseberry oak inflected fatness
of most California Sauvignon Blanc. It is also not grassy like a typical
Sancerre but there is bright acidity, mineral, citrus and green notes.

This Real Thing by Edvard Munch is fading!
Scientists say “The Scream” is fading due to human breath.
With the museum closed, the painting is getting needed social distance. 

An international team of scientists used X-ray light and other techniques
to investigate the reasons for the deterioration of the paint in the iconic canvas.
The scientists determined Munch accidentally used an impure cadmium yellow paint vulnerable to low humidity. It can fade and flake because of human breath!

As a result, bright yellow paint that Munch had originally used
for the sunset background, and the neck area of its tortured protagonist,
has gradually degraded into an off-white color tone. The thick yellow paint
that he used for the lake above the screaming figure’s head is flaking off.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH
I need a glass of wine!  But what? Not a lot of vineyards in Norway and almost no export of wine.

We know there is at least one vineyards growing Rielsing in Norway:
https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/kellers-most-northerly-riesling-project
Wall Street Journal on Wine in Norway:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/chateau-viking-climate-
change-makes-northern-wine-a-reality-11572366566

Contemplate screaming about The Scream 
and our own upcoming HOT days with a German Dry Rielsing.

Delicate fragrance of white peaches, apricot and juicy pears.

Impressive smooth palate, lasting flavors. Classical Riesling in expression and elegance.
At least you don't need to scream about the price: $17.99

BTW, Need a Challenge? The world's most northern vineyard for sale!
https://abcnews.go.com/International/
believed-northerly-vineyard-world-norway-sale/story?id=57450940

From The MetroWines Book Review Department



Photographer Christopher Herwig first noticed the unusual architecture
of Soviet-era bus stops in 2002. Over the next 12 years, he covered more than 18,000 miles through 14 countries in the former Soviet Union hunting down these bus stops! The local bus stop proved to be fertile ground for local artistic experimentation in the Soviet period, and was built seemingly without design restrictions or budgetary concerns. The result is an astonishing variety of styles
and types across the region, from the strictest Brutalism to exuberant whimsy.
https://www.malaprops.com/book/9780993191107

I bet you're thinking a bottle of Russian Wine to Read it With
but the Russians are not exporting a significant amount of bottles.
The varietals in country include Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Read all about Russian Wine:
https://londonwinecompetition.com/en/blog/insights-
1/the-evolution-of-the-russian-wine-landscape-267.htm

And Pair it all With 
The BIG RED of The Week

Bing cherries and red currant in the nose with numerous subtle undertones.
These are carried forward to the palate with bright, mouth-filling fruit with just the perfect hint of tannin. Winemaker Kent Rasmussen truly believes that
the North Coast has the perfect terroir for growing Cabernet Sauvignon.

*** $19.99 ***

Prepare for The Next Isolation!

In 1945, the owner of "Gino" an Italian red sauce joint, commissioned
Flora Scalamandré, wife of legendary textile house founder, to design wallpaper
for his drab Manhattan restaurant. When it came to covering walls,
the primary goal of Gino Circiello was to hide the splatters of marinara sauce
on the walls! The zebra design is now available in many colors. The pattern has endured because of the way they hop so unexpectedly into relatively
conformist rooms. The motif, says NYT, is a go-to choice for enlivening
powder rooms, foyers and hallways. SanFrancisco designer Maria Haidamus said:
"It adds whimsy to an otherwise sober setting."
Rooms covered in Scalamandré zebras have made cameo appearances
in movies including "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Mighty Aphrodite."
https://www.decoratorsbest.com/products/
scalamandre-zebras-masai-red-wallpaper

Your Celebrate and Decorate with Scalamandré Wine:
La Quercia Montepulciano Riserva 2015

Here's a solid, straightforward red that opens with aromas of sour cherry
and a whiff of new leather. The ripe fruity palate exhibits juicy blackberry,
raspberry and a hint of anise. It's easy drinking, with soft tannins.

*** $22 ***

And a BIG can of Stanislaus Red Sauce, $14.99!

Tired of Watching the Detectives?
Want to Be a Detective?



This is your chance (and mine!) to be the best, Sherlock Holmes.
New York Times says "Dear Holmes" is "an epistolary mystery experience."
It works like this: A series of missives addressed to Sherlock Holmes arrive
in your mailbox asking for your help on a case. The sender could be
a Conan Doyle regular like Inspector Lestrade or someone new to you.
The first dispatch sets up the scenario by outlining the details of the crime
or conundrum, with observations about the suspects or events.
Over the month, more letters and clues arrive.
 https://www.dearholmes.com
I have already signed up for 6 months. If any of you decide to play along,
let me know so we can compare notes! The game is afoot!

BUT TO DO IT RIGHT......
OK. You will need a quiet space, preferably a rainy day, a candle for mood
And, of course, it's elementary, a bottle of sherry to sip while you solve.

Auguste Dupin was Sherlock Holmes before Sherlock Holmes, a genius detective who first appeared in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” by Edgar Allen Poe,first published in 1841. In that story, the first locked-room mystery,
two women are dead and only a bloody straight razor, two bags of gold coins
and some tufts of hair are found in the room with their bodies.
Even Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock, acknowledged Poe's influence."Where was the detective story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it?"
So it is only fitting for us to choose a bottle of Amontillado Dry Sherry
a la "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe.

*** $21***

The Not AS BIG RED of The Week
Rickety Bridge Pinotage 2017 $26
First, mea culpa, we did not realize how popular this wine would be
and did not buy enough the first time around.
We then, and you (sorry) had to wait, literally for the boat.
But, finally, it's back. Come and get it!

Western Cape, South Africa. Red fruit forward with black and blueberry flavors
in the background while the light oaking accentuates flavours of red currants
and blue berries. A velvety palate with well-integrated tannins
which are supported by subtle smokinessleading into a lingering finish.
Perfect for wild game, spicy foods and Indian dishes.

*** $19.99 ***

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

After the smashing success of the visit
from The Reel Molloy Fish and Chips Food Truck this past Friday,
*** The British Are Coming BACK ***
Friday, June 26th from 11am to 2pm
in the "car park" @MetroWines.
You can order on location or online ahead:
https://www.thereelmolloysavl.com/#FqiZok

And we will have a selection of beers and wines ready to GO!

BORED Out of What's Left of Your Mind?
Get Colorful and Creative. 

Tie-Dye! It's Back! 
with Vegetables
https://www.marthastewart.com/1518254/natural-dyes-
from-vegetables-and-plants
and with Wine
11 Weird Ways to use Wine from Bob Vila including fabric dye!
https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/11-weird-ways-
to-use-wine-51080#wine-marinade

Your Tie Dye it With Wine should be an organic, land conscious wine
but celestially influenced (read: biodynamic!) and value minded!


From Catalalinia, Marc Isart is head winemaker at the much acclaimed Bernabeleva,
where he is spearheading the property’s transformation to biodynamics. Isart works
on “getting back in touch with the home soil, nature and farming.” The La Maldición label
(translates to “The Curse”), named for the laborers’ struggles to reach and then work
the land at this secluded property in Valdelichia, Madrid. These vineyards are located
in the Arganda del Ray sub-zone within the Viños de Madrid DO.

Tinto de Valdilecha is a blend of 75% mature-vine Tempranillo and the local white grape,
Malvar, making up the balance. Both varieties are co-fermented with natural yeasts,
on skins for 20-25 days, and aged in cement and stainless steel tanks. Pure, pleasant weight, floral-tinged, cherry/cola fruit, lined with wispy tannins and refreshing acidity.
A delicious,high-grown yet generous country red and an absolute bargain.

*** $15.99 ***
$13.59 when you buy any 12 bottles.

Get in the Tie-Dye Mood with The Fifth Dimension
and "Age of Aquarius- Let the Sunshine In"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILSr9BbhoJQ

But for those who want to go totally authentic, The Fifth Dimension
combined these two songs, scattered throughout the play, from the musical "Hair" (1969).
The original "Let the Sunshine In" was not preceded by "Age of Aquarius" 
but rather by a song titled "The Flesh Failures." 
Remember, this play was about a developing culture,
race relations, sexual identity and politics and well, Viet Nam.
Warning: This combination is, shall we say, a little different than The 5thD!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYDrgLRK_p4

But lest you think tie-dye is all about counter culture,
maybe it WAS but now it IS Chanel
https://www.chanel.com/us/fashion/news/2019/12/tie-dye-metiers-art-2019-20.html
and Versace and Proenza Schouler and Louis Vuitton and...

Over the years, we have all learned that
a badly made Chardonnay is JUST PLAIN BAD.
Irredeemable. You can't even use the thing to make salad dressing.

This is White Burgundy from France at an unbelievable price.
JUST PLAIN GOOD.

Third-generation Burgundian vigneron Pierre-Emmanuel Sangouard spotlights
the classic clay-limestone soil to craft this white Burgundy. A green-glinted golden
color in glass, Sangouard’s 2018 brilliantly expresses its Mâconnais origins
with white Burgundy aromas of clay-limestone soil, lemon zest, and white peach skin.
Crisp, brisk, and stony on the palate blending yellow plum, white peach,
and Meyer lemon fruit with mineral undercurrents, lively acidity, and complex undertones
of browned butter, and raw hazelnuts. Vinified and aged in stainless steal to preserve its minerality. Long finish with echoes of calcareous terroir. Sustainably Farmed. 13%ALC.

Unbelievable Value at $17.99.

 Head for Space!
https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#public

Hey, everybody is doing it!
Jeff Bezos said: "The only way that I can see to deploy this much financial resource
is by converting my Amazon winnings into space travel." He also said we need to go to space because we are destroying the earth. Let's put aside the fact that his great wealth
could be spent on efforts to cure cancer, get kids out of poverty, feed the hungry,
does Bezos see his part in the destruction of the environment?
HINT: Shipping. Shipping. Shipping. And every aspect of it.

Back to the Point. * SPACE*  
Engage. Commit. Lift Off
With Grape Abduction from Slovenia


Imported by Phillipe Bourgeois. Grape Abduction Rosé is a slightly darker pink
than typical of the South of France. Bursting with ripe wild berries, wild strawberries,
and a hint of freshly picked violets. The darker hue comes from the red grape Žametna Črnina, one of the oldest grapes in Slovenia. On the palate, the wine is round, fruity,
with a refreshing acidity that carries all that red fruit aromas across the tastebuds
to a long and smooth finish.  $15.99. 10% discount on 6. 15% on 12.

BIG "Red" DEAL of THE WEEK
Tarima Monastrell, 2017, Alicante, Spain


The image of the Passion Flower was chosen for Tarima because the blossom
never ceases to amaze and entice people around the world. The vivid colors
and complex structure draws you in for a closer look just as the colors
and aromas of this wine attract your attention. Made from Monastrell grapes
grown on gnarled vines in the rugged, arid climate of Alicante, Tarima blossoms
in your glass with notes of licorice, chocolate and a hint of dark violets.

*** $11.99 ***

*** Big RED of The Week ***
H. Mynors 2015 from Sean Minor

$14.99 @MetroWines
This is not a new bottle to the shop but when we looked online and found
an "average price" of $17.99 going as high as $24 for a bottle,
we thought we might remind you of this price to quality ratio winner!

Does Bi-Lingualism Make You Smarter?
This will certainly be hotly debated.


https://www.wsj.com/articles/does-bilingualism-make-you-smarter-11590080303

Debate over a bottle of "bilingual wine."

What? Lieu Dit is California wine from French grapes with a French name.

"We're committed to making balanced, lower-alchohol wines, no matter what the grape.
To achieve more balance in our wines, we harvest our fruit early." Lieu Dit

Melon de Bourgogne, originally from the Loire Valley in France,
grown and made wine in Santa Maria Valley, just north of Santa Barbara. 2018. $19.99

And Lieu Dit Chenin Blanc, a varietal native to the Loire Valley as well,
grown and made wine in Santa Ynez Valley. $19.99



Magnifique! Yowzer! (bilingual)