10 Most Awesome Gift Ideas from The Wine Studio of Asheville!

Here are some creative ideas for the wine lovers on your gift list!  Happy Holidays from your friends at The Wine Studio of Asheville!

 

10.  Ticket to Wine 101, $10

Wine 101 is now held here at the studio on a monthly basis.  What a steal for only ten bones! This is a classroom-style tasting of 6 wines with an engaging presentation designed for the person who’s just getting into wine.  The next class is January 27^th at 7pm.

(Wine 101 is perfect for your private group, too! Email events@winestudioasheville.com for info.)

 

9.  The Teardrop Decanter, $10

Unleaded, dishwasher-safe and doubles as a water carafe.  And at this price, it won’t hurt too badly when someone breaks it!

 

8.  Gift Certificates, $??

Our gift certificates can be purchased for any amount and can be used for wine, accessories, beer, or classes and tastings!  Great when you’re just not sure what they like to drink and makes great stocking stuffers!

 

7.  Girls on Grapes Membership, $25

Girls on Grapes is Asheville's best wine tasting group for women!  We began meeting nearly three years ago and membership is the best way to take advantage of all that Girls on Grapes has to offer! A $25 annual membership includes a Girls on Grapes tee shirt, tasting notebook, 20% discount card on all services at Spa Theology, discounts on wine at The Wine Studio and discounted Girls on Grapes tasting fees.  We also hold one or two members-only events each year.  Learn more: http://www.winestudioasheville.com/GonG/GonG.htm

 

6.  The Delong Grape Varietal Table, $35

For the wine geek, the Delong Grape Varietal Table is organized like a periodic table…184 of the world’s favorite grape varieties organized by body and acidity!

 

5.  Wish List Wine, $??

Ask us if your recipient has a Wish List here at The Wine Studio!  If so, finding the perfect bottle will be a cinch!  If you’re interested in creating your very own Wish List, stop in today to begin!

 

4. The Passport Gift Box, $50

This kit includes everything you need to start exploring the world of wine: a copy of The Wine Bible, a soft bound wine tasting notebook, the original aroma wheel from Dr. Ann Noble, 2 stemless wine glasses, the teardrop decanter, and a pull-tap corkscrew (the one the pros use!).  Add on a couple of bottles to complete the experience!

 

3.  The Locavore Gift Box, $50

Here at The Wine Studio we carry lots of local items and this gift box features our faves: mustard by Lusty Monk, a bag of locally-made crackers from Roots and Branches, locally-made, raw and organic chocolate from Raw Shakti Chocolates, a pizza kit from Gallolea Pizza and Organics, handmade doggie biscuits, plus two bottles of wine from the Owl’s Eye Vineyard and Winery!  A $70 value!

 

2.  A month...or two ;) of Six Pix, $60

Purchase a gift subscription to Six Pix for a single month or as long as you’d like.  Six Pix is our monthly wine club designed for the eager and adventurous wine lover!  For more info about the Six Pix program visit: http://winestudioasheville.com/SixPix/SixPix.html

 

1.  The Hundred Dollar Case, $100

This idea came about in response to a challenge: could we assemble 12 different, but equally delicious wines that are clean and sustainably grown, unique and off the beaten path, and oh yeah, could we do it for $100?  Here’s what we’ve come up with!

 

Posted via email from ashevillewine's posterous

New Arrival! Roots & Branches

We are now carrying these new crackers from Asheville's own Roots & Branches - Vegan Specialties & Baked Goods.  They've been a hit at several area farmer's markets this season and now you can find them here!  They are light, crisp and the sesame seeds give a touch of nuttiness.  I think they are the perfect light snack when drinking any wine, really - and make a great partner for the Roots Organic hummus that we feature in the cooler.  Soon, we'll be adding even more locally-made wine accompaniments, so stay tuned!  $4 for 7oz.  -JG

 

Posted via email from ashevillewine's posterous

Quick Taste: New Belgium Lips of Faith - Belgian Style Blonde Ale

Many of you may not know this, but for a brief while, I worked as the Production Assistant for New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado.  I was thrilled when their beers crossed the mighty Mississippi and entered the North Carolina market a couple of years back.  As time passes, more and more of their beers are making their way to Asheville and here is one of my favorite from their Lips of Faith series:  Belgian Style Blonde Ale!

This is a strong golden ale, light in color, with moderate body and a crisp finish.  A traditional Belgian yeast strain produces banana and clove notes on the nose.  It's terribly inviting and approachable with a decidedly adult 8.5% alcohol content!  Tasting it reminds me of a creamy, smooth, Russian River chardonnay!  A great food beer!

We have a few sample bottles open today - come on down and get you a taste!

Posted via email from ashevillewine's posterous

The Phantom has arrived!

Good Winesday to you all!

We're excited to announce that the new release of the Bogle Phantom has arrived!  This is a wine that has established quite the cult following over the years and has come to be a benchmark standard for the full-bodied, old-vine stylistics of California field blends.  As in past vintages, this wine is predominately petite sirah and zinfandel, rounded out with a bit of mourvedre.  Excited to open a bottle and see what the 2007 had in store for us, this is what we tasted: Lush berry, fierce spice, black pepper, black fruit, juniper, toasty cinnamon, and nutmeg.  This is a highly-coveted wine that will only be around a short time.  Get one to enjoy with all the fall fare that's about to hit our tables and save one to drink in a few years!

Posted via email from ashevillewine's posterous

South African Vintage Guide

Download now or preview on posterous

South_African_Vintage_Guide_2010.pdf (163 KB)

I am crazy for South African wines for so many reasons!  Maybe its the romance of 350 years of winemaking, the world's most ancient soils, the incredibly diverse flora, fauna, sub-regions...or maybe it's the value, the friendliness and the overall quality.  I'm sure it's all of this and more.  Here's a fun vintage guide that addresses the past few years.  A fun read.

 

Posted via email from ashevillewine's posterous

Certified Organic Sake - New Arrival!

The folks at SakeOne have given us a USDA certified organic premium sake that retails for only $10!

From their website:

"Lush fruit and spice aromas layer their way to big fruit flavors packed in a complex body and long, clean finish."

Sounds kinda like a wine description, doesn't it?  And with premium sake, we assess flavor profile much in the same way we approach wine - by using our "5 Ss": sight, swirl, smell, sip and savor.  We also serve them chilled and most often in a white wine glass!

If you'd like to learn more about sake, join us Saturday evening for a tasting of 6 premium sakes complete with a presentation that walks us through quality-levels and the sake-making process.  As always, Jess is in the business of bringing us closer together by facilitating a sipping experience that is unforgettable!  And even more fun: BYOSushi!!

The cost is $15.  Please call us at the studio (828.255.5955) or send an email to jessica@winestudioasheville to reserve your spot! 

Posted via email from ashevillewine's posterous

Ique Malbec

Hey malbec lovers!  We are excited about our latest arrival to The Wine Studio - 2009 Bodega Foster "Ique Malbec" from Lujan de Cuyo, a subregion of Mendoza that is regarded as the birthplace of the movement that catapulted Argentine malbec to the international stage.

The people of Bodega Foster farm 50 acres of grapes from ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines, many of which were planted in the early 20th century!  Irrigation is by canals that were built by the Huarpe Indians a thousand years ago to divert melting snow from the Andes! 

They're also big on "gravity flow" winemaking techniques, which eliminates the need to pump the wine from each stage of the wine making process to the next.  To Bodega Foster that equals superior quality malbec and I'd say the proof is in the bottle!

They made under 7,000 cases of the 2009 Ique Malbec.  It sees no oak, and is intended to drink upon release.  The wine has some fun aromatics of violets and dark fruit, is fairly full-bodied, with soft, lush tannins.  Can you say BBQ wine? ;)  A real value at $12!

Posted via email from ashevillewine's posterous