Asheville’s Best Wine & Beer Tasting– Saturday April, 30^th 2011 4PM-7PM https://www.appalachianvintner.com/

I believe that we missed a few of you on Tuesday for the Vintage 59′ tasting! We are very sorry that you couldn’t make it, the wines were outstanding we also had a fun time pairing them with food. Not to fear though, we still have plenty in stock and we’d love to share what we’ve learned from the importer. Swing by sometime soon to hear all about them.

Don’t forget about today’s beer tasting with Olde Hickory Brewery. See info below.

 

 

TODAY! Friday, April 29^th 5PM

OLDE HICKORY BREWERY

2011 Irish Walker Barleywine RELEASE Party

Olde Hickory Brewery has been hand crafting artisanal malt beverages since 1994. Making them by far one of the oldest breweries in the state. Years of brewing experience have positioned the beers of OHB to be some of the most well made and exciting bottlings made in the Carolina’s. In our very humble option, their Irish Walker is one of the most dynamic English Style Barleywines in the country. Its the tawny port of brews, ages like one too. Blend that with a well hidden abv, vintage dated, waxed finished bottle and you have a beer geeks dream.

In addition to the 2011 we will be re-releasing a few select bottles of 2010 Irish Walker, signed by the brewmaster Steven Lyerly and tapping a ¼ barrel of 2010 as well. Steve, Joe and the gang will also have a few of their other beers on hand to sample too! We hope you can swing by to meet these guys and grab a few for the cellar, you won’t find a more humble, gracious brew team.

New Arrivals~

Domaine de Couron Vin de Pays des Côteaux de l’Ardèche Rosé– last years best selling rosé is back and better than ever!

Charles Bove Vouvray

Château Haut-La Péreyre Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge

Mas Des Dame Côteaux du Languedoc “La Dame” Rouge

Bodegas Beronia Gran Reserva Rioja– great price for a Gran Reserva!

Bell’s Brewing Oarsman

 

~ Free Saturday Tasting ~

This Saturday our tasting will take on a new twist that’s sure to test your taste buds. A blind tasting! That’s right for the first time in almost three years we will have a selection of vino from around the world neatly wrapped in fashionable brown bags. Completely concealing all label information and price, leaving only the wine in the glass for your review. Think of it like the wine lovers Olympics, except if you win this competition you won’t get a medal. Prizes will be given however to anyone that can guess the country of origin AND the varietal. No pressure of course we want this to be as fun as possible, which is what wine tasting should be.

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter, we are grateful for your support. If you haven’t been to a tasting here in a while we hope you can find time to join us soon. Have a great weekend!

Geoff, Charles & Ridge Alexander

Tuesday April, 26th 4PM-7PM

As you may have read in previous emails we are hosting Vintage 59′ Imports and their East Coast Sales Manager, Debra Lewis tomorrow. Appalachian Vintner is thrilled to have another conscientious, eco-friendly importer at our tasting bar. In addition to these amazing wines Appalachian Vintner is also offering a small selection of hors d’œuvre. This is a free event however donations will also be accepted.

 

Importation is one of the most important facets of the international wine trade. While markets mostly drive demand, these importers are pivotal players in deciding what wines make it to US soil. Finding portfolios that are literally packed with products from small family producers, such as Vintage 59′, with a clear mind for sustainability is a refreshing change from decades past.

 

Supporting these importers is key in maintaining a steady stream of great wine and helping keep money in small communities around the world. By purchasing these wines you the consumer are telling the world what you want. This is the same in all markets and applies to all products. We are living in a wine & beer renaissance, and the golden age has just begun! What a wonderful time to be an enthusiast of fine libations.

Notes from the importer:

E. Barnaut Rosé Authentique Champagne– Edmond Barnaut was one of the first pioneers in Champagne to create his own brand outside of the controlling centers of Epernay and Reims. In 1874 he set up shop in Bouzy, where he owned vines and where he married Appoline Godmé-Barancourt (there’s a name!), heiress to additional vineyards in the village. With its sister village of Ambonnay, Bouzy lays claim to having the finest vineyard sites for Pinot Noir in the appellation of Champagne. Its 833 acres of vines grow up the rolling foothills of the Montagne de Reims and face due south, ensuring the best possibility for ripening every year (Ambonnay’s vineyards, following the mountain, begin the turn to the southeast, thus on paper anyway have the potential for more elegance). The result is Champagne’s richest and fullest-bodied wines—the Latin counterpart to the Côte des Blancs’ Nordic austerity, if you will. Rosé Authentique: Saignée method rosé from Pinot Noir, with 10-15% Bouzy Chardonnay added for freshness. Powerfully marked by Pinot Noir, this is a rosé Champagne made unapologetically for the table. It spends 18 months on the lees, the shortest length of time chez Barnaut, before being disgorged.

Domaine Alain Normand Mâcon La Roche-Vineuse– Alain Normand is a grower in the Mâconnais who began his career by taking over an abandoned vineyard with a métayage contract, a common agricultural practice in France whereby the landlord is paid in wine. Today, Alain works the vineyards, makes the wine, and sells off the landlord’s portion to négociants. He keeps the finest for himself. He works eleven hectares (27 acres) in La Roche-Vineuse, an old village nestled on the steep flank of the huge limestone outcropping that gives name to Vineuse. This village sits astride the small pass that cuts through the Mâcon ridges and leads to Cluny, the seat of power for the Benedictine order of monks in their Medieval heyday. He farms according to the pragmatic principles of lutte raisonnée, or reasoned fight. He plows his vineyards rather than using herbicides, and he doesn’t use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. In every way, his methods are the antithesis of the cooperatives whose wines dominate the Mâcon trade. Mâcon La Roche-Vineuse: This comes from roughly five and a half hectares of vines and is made in a distinctly artisan style with native yeast in vat and an extensive upbringing on its fine lees (that spicy zesty quality in the finish of the wine comes from this lees contact). The bottling is usually in the summer following the harvest, but can easily wait until the autumn. This depends on the fermentations; nothing chez Normand is rushed.

Charles Bove Vouvray– The Charles Bove company was founded in the 19th century in Montrichard, in the Loire Valley. Its base of operations was, and is, an enormous rock quarry, abandoned after it had been quarried for building the Loire Chateaux. This old quarry is now composed of 15 kilometers of underground cellars, with hardly varying temperatures of 12°C, summer and winter. The humidity inside is ideal for making and storing wines. Wines from the Vouvray region have been on French kings’ tables since the 14th century. The wine is made up of 100% Chenin Blanc; Vouvray wine is steely and vivacious when young and ages magnificently for decades because of its dynamic balance between acidity and sweetness.

Château Haut-La Péreyre Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge– NBA-tall Olivier Cailleux makes this delicious wine from vineyard parcels in the small appellation of Haut-Benauge. This appellation is reserved for whites—Haut-La Péreyre is AC Bordeaux Supérieur—but the zone is one of the best in Entre-deux-Mers for both red and white varieties. The vineyards grow on the high ground inland from the historic river town of Cadillac, and drainage and exposure are excellent. On the other side of the Garonne River lies the appellation of Graves. A little over 4,000 cases of this wine are made each year from a blend of roughly 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. Unlike the vast majority of petits châteaux, Haut-La Péreyre is not filtered. Its flavors are consequently broadly dense and richly concentrated. It is, however, this wine’s graphite aromatics that really set it apart, followed by its depth and length, all balanced by refining minerality. Haut-La Péreyre is one of the finest values in our book.

Château Coupe Roses Cuvée Bastide Minervois– Françoise Le Calvez and her enologist husband Pascal Frissant (a.k.a. The Poet from the Loire) work their domaine with passion and acumen high in the Mediterranean hinterlands. Their vineyards are in Le Causse and Le Petit Causse, names referring to exposed rock and garrigue and designating the two highest zones in the Minervois appellation. At 750 to 1,350 feet above sea level, these zones have relatively cool nights and the growing season is the longest in the AOC (domaines down on the plain often begin harvesting a full two weeks earlier). The wines from Coupe Roses have excellent acidity and freshness, which Françoise adores, without any plodding, overripe character, which she avoids like the plague. Most of Coupe Roses’ vineyards are on the plateau above the cliff, an arid, windswept place of scrub and rock–calcified limestone that microorganisms living in the threadbare soil eat into, creating pockets for water, soil and roots. Pascal is fond of taking visitors up to the plateau to show them vineyards that appear to be growing in pure rock. He points out the odd olive tree here and there, the remnants of an ancient Roman road, and the fiendish rabbits that eat his young vines. Then he tells everyone to hush and listen. There is nothing to listen to; the silence is overwhelming. If you want to go crazy, he says, this is the place to do it. A cool bit of trivia is that since 1991 a friend and colleague of Françoise and Pascal, one François Serre, has been the consulting enologist at Coupe Roses. For an even longer period, Serre has been the consulting enologist at Château Rayas in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Minervois Cuvée Bastide: The first of four Minervois cuvées, Bastide is made of roughly equal parts Carignan and Grenache, with around 5% Syrah. The élevage is done in tank. A great buy for an eminently honest wine (that is, one made without modern cellar shenanigans and without any additives–has anyone ever told you that the hugely popular Aussie wine named after a yellow marsupial is not a healthy beverage?). In Bastide, you can often find high-toned blueberry notes underpinned by Carignan’s tarry black fruits.

Mas des Dames(farm of ladies) Côteaux du Languedoc “La Dame” Rouge– Mas des Dames translates as Farm of Ladies. It was christened by current owner Lidewij van Wilgen of Holland upon learning that her three young daughters were the third generation of daughters to be raised on the Mas in recent memory (the farm dates from 1750). Lidewij—Lee to us—abandoned a world of advertising in Amsterdam in favor of the French countryside in 2002. It was an idyllic dream, one she put into play. The criteria were simple: a small farm with vineyards in walking distance. She found Mas des Dames tucked back on a flank of a hill outside of Murviel-lès-Béziers. Murviel is a forgotten medieval village with narrow, circular streets spreading concentrically outward, and it sits on a point of high ground in the hinterland behind the ancient Mediterranean city of Béziers. Today, the girls go to the local school, and Lee works the vineyards with one employee. Beginning with the 2008 harvest, she has worked organically. On her hillside she has 22 vineyard parcels surrounding the house, comprising 32 acres. She has taken yields down to around 35 hectoliters per hectare (AOC regulations permit 50 hl/ha for red and rosé, and 60hl/ha for white; Vin de Pays rules allow up to 80 hl/ha). She kept the old winery—an old stone barn—and invested in a state-of-the art press and sorting table, plus she bought a handful of new concrete tanks. Côteaux du Languedoc “La Dame” rouge: Based on Grenache, with Syrah and Carignan, this is the domaine’s flagship. It is a fresh, supple (what silky texture!), classy wine, one rich with Languedoc’s thyme.

 

Friday, April 29^th 5PM

OLDE HICKORY BREWERY

2011 Irish Walker Barleywine RELEASE Party

Olde Hickory Brewery has been hand crafting artisanal malt beverages since 1994. Making them by far one of the oldest breweries in the state. Years of brewing experience have positioned the beers of OHB to be some of the most well made and exciting bottlings made in the Carolina’s. In our very humble option, their Irish Walker is one of the most dynamic English Style Barleywines in the country. Its the tawny port of brews, ages like one too. Blend that with a well hidden abv, vintage dated, waxed finished bottle and you have a beer geeks dream.

In addition to the 2011 we will be re-releasing a few select bottles of 2010 Irish Walker, signed by the brewmaster Steven Lyerly and tapping a ¼ barrel of 2010 as well. We hope you can swing by to meet these guys and grab a few for the cellar, you won’t find a more humble gracious brew team.

Asheville’s Best Wine & Beer Tasting– Saturday April, 16th 2011 4PM-7PM $20 per person https://www.appalachianvintner.com/

 

~ Slow Food Asheville Benefit ~

This Saturday we are absolutely thrilled to host Slow Food Asheville, and a whole slew of amazing artisans. Beginning at 4PM and continuing until 7PM, each vendor will open their tables to you, our very special guests. Current vendor list: Simple Bread, Take the Cake, Jack’s Nut Butters, Sour Grapes Wine Distribution, Looking Glass Creamery, Farm & Sparrow, Victor Chiaizia Artisan Cheese, Colin’s Creatures, Chuck Blethen Viticulture, Mountain Farm, Carolina Ground & Black Mountain Chocolate.

Each vendor will have multiple products available for sample. The wine feature for the evening will be the Wiengut Zahel Gemischter Satz Classic 2009 from Vienna, Austria. The Gemischter Satz style of wine is the ONLY wine in the world endorsed by Slow Food International, all of the varietals(up to 24) are picked the same day and fermented together to express true terroir.

Cost for the evening will be $20 per person. All proceeds will benefit Slow Food Asheville. This will be a great chance to meet some very talented folks and support a staple non-profit in the local food economy. We hope to see you there!

Up Coming Events~

Tuesday April 26th 4pm-7pm ~ Vintage 59′ Imports Tasting with Debra Lewis. Mrs. Lewis is a dynamic wine personality with deep knowledge of the small family estates imported by her employer, Vintage 59′ . We are currently working on a small menu for the evening, more information will be available soon.

New Arrivals ~

Fudo Myoo Nigori Sake

Momokawa G Joy Sake

Ozeki Taruzke Wood– sake aged in cedar.

Tenuta Canale Chianti Classico Basket Bottles– same amazing chianti packaged in the traditional husk wrapped bottle!

Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc– New Lower Price!

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc

Tuttobene Tuscan Rosso

Vercesi del Castellazzo Pezzalunga

David Hill Reserve Chardonnay

David Hill Farmhouse White– conundrum-ish for half the price

Apaltagua Envero

Guilhem Pays d’Herault Rosé– organic $8.99!

Guilhem Pays d’Herault Blanc– organic

Cederberg Bukettraube– new low price!

Viña Cobos Marchiori Chardonnay

Great Divide 17th Anniversary oak aged DIPA

Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti

Moylan’s Hopsickle

Moylan’s India Pale Ale

Olde Hickory Death By Hops– new batch

Boulder Brewing Kinda Blue

Stillwater Saison Darkly

Stillwater Of love & regret

Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza

New Holland Envious

Avery Joe’s Pilsner– cans!

Avery India Pale Ale– cans!

Achel 8

Kitsch Fabrics in West Asheville is holding a Art Bra contest for Ladies Night Out, a wonderful program for women that provides free health care based services. The lovely Shelley Friesland has a created a true work of art, bra that is, themed around wine! Please give her your vote: http://www.kitschfabrics.com/kitsch/Vote_for_Artful_Bras.html#40

Thanks!

Asheville’s Best Wine & Beer Tasting– Saturday April, 9^th 2011 4PM-7PM https://www.appalachianvintner.com/

~ Free Saturday Tasting ~

 

Shadow Mountain Vineyards Pinot Gris– 100% Pinot Gris from property on the East slope of the Oregon Coast Range, looking out toward the Coburg Hills. The vineyards are all Salmon Safe and LIVE certified (LIVE uses international standards of sustainable viticultural and enological practices in both wine-grape and wine production.) The Cooper family has been suppling the Pacific Northwest with some of the healthiest Christmas Trees for decades. After their son Jonathon graduated from OSU, with a degree in agriculture they located a portion of land on their farm that was perfect for the cultivation of grapevines (not so much for Xmas trees!). The grow only Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris, two of the most well known varietals in Oregon. Coconut, citrus, apple & pear dominate the nose. The palate is fresh and full with good acid, and a spicy finish. Shelf $15.99 Tasting $14.39

David Hill Winery Estate Reserve Chardonnay– 100% estate grown Chardonnay, aged 11 months on the lees. For those who want some buttery flavors in their chardonnay, this nails it. Thick and toasty, yet buttressed with full-on fruit flavors of melon, peach, lemon and lime, it’s forward and appeal-ing. With sweeping views of Oregon’s coast range, David Hill Vineyards is one of the most picturesque wine venues in the Willamette Valley. David Hill Winery is named for its geographical location. The name of the hill we sit on is David’s Hill, for Frederick David, an Oregon pioneer from the 1800’s. In 1965 Charles Coury, along with a few other wine pioneers, came north from California to establish vineyards in the Willamette Valley where they believed they could successfully grow Pinot Noir. Many of the vines still exist. There are approximately 6 acres of old vine Pinot Noir and 2 acres of Riesling. There is also Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Semillon and Sylvaner that were planted at that time as well. David Hill Winery is home to the Willamette Valley’s oldest Pinot Noir Vines. National Retail $18 AV $15.99

Waterbrook Winery Merlot-Cab– Waterbrook Winery was founded in 1984 by Eric and Janet Rindal and is located in Washington State’s lovely Walla Walla Valley. This name was chosen to complement the translation from Nez Perce Indian dialect for the name Walla Walla, meaning “running water”. Production has slowly increased to a total of 30,000 cases annually. 56% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 18 months in 22% new oak barrels. An aromatic spice box marries with black currant, cherry and strawberry followed by a hint of mint. Leather, bing cherry, fig and tobacco lead to a long finishing wine with continued fruit development smooth and polished, gleaming with raspberry and red plum fruit, nicely framed with hints of coconut, clove and red pepper flavors that linger gorgeously on the silky finish. Shelf $12.99 Tasting $11.69