First, BRAVO and THANK YOU to our January Asheville Wine Focus Group! The group really GOT IT! They played wine shop owners for the night and they made decisions. In the end, the group almost unanimously liked one of the whites and one of the reds best of the four we tasted. The winners for the evening were a white blend from New Zealand called "Hunky Dory Tangle" and "Broadside Cabernet Sauvignon" from Paso Robles. Thanks to our astute group, you will see both on shelf @MetroWines!
The group of 10 was tough but fair. They were asked to say whether they liked the wine, whether we should we offer it in the shop, and what the bottle should cost. The group also offered their opinion on whether they liked it, thought others would like it, thought it best for a party, with food or alone. They also focused on the quality to price ratio. The group was working!
"Hunky Dory Tangle" is a blend of 10% Riesling, 55% Pinot Gris and 35% Gewurztraminer. The winery says the wine presents honeysuckle, jasmine, quince, lime and lemon on the nose with ripe apple, lychee and mandarin flavors on the palate. What the group liked about "Hunky Dory Tangle" is that it presented as a wine everyone could like. Whether you enjoy Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, you could find something to like in "Hunky Dory Tangle" served with or without food.
Broadside is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 14 months in neutral French and American Oak Barrels. The group found that this Cabernet was lighter and more complex than many of the Cabernets coming out of California which they thought to be too big and bold. Broadside, they said, would stand up to heavy flavors but at the same time would not overwhelm food and, could, unlike many other west coast Cabernets, be enjoyed without food.
Broadside says:
Broadside produces wines focused on purity and true varietal expression. Our winemaking favors a natural approach in that our wines are minimally handled to best express the grape, site, and vintage. The 2015 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a vintage marked by frost, wind, drought, and the resulting record low yields from our vineyards. So low, in fact, that we elected to use all of the fruit originally intended for our vineyard designate and Ephemera bottlings in this 2015 Paso Robles Cabernet. Low yields of flavorful fruit, produced a serious, concentrated, yet still elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh boysenberry, peppercorn, and sweet tobacco notes highlight ample fruit in the nose, complemented by subtle notes of toasty oak vanillin and cigar box. Cassis, green olive, and fresh berry acidity greet the palate with an underlying current of fine tannin, coalescing in a dry, persistent finish.
The Asheville Wine Focus Group meets the first Wednesday of every month. Seating is limited to 10. If you want to join us, call (828) 575-9525 as soon as possible! There is no charge. We value your opinion.
Our FIRST gathering of Asheville Wine Focus Group will be hosted by Advintage Distribution! Details TBA.