Metro Wines Blog

Wine Cellar Consultations

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Why consult John about your cellar? 

If you do, your home will have a stash of wines ready for any occasion. Wines you like to drink at a price you love. You’ll save in several ways.

First, you’ll be buying your favorite wines at a price below the average Internet price. And you’ll receive even better pricing with large cellar purchases. Or John will recommend less-known wines that meet the same quality and style of your favorite wines. But because these wines are not famous, their price only reflects the quality of the wine in the bottle.

Second, you’ll be ahead of the game (or “you’ll save”) by not overbuying for your cellar. Overbuying is the most common mistake made by wine lovers. Overbought means overaged wines. And overaged wines mean you’ll be drinking wines that are past their prime. Or you’ll be adding them to your next Beef Bourguignon. Instead, know you’ll always have a ready supply of wine at its peak.

Third, you’ll avoid expensive cellars if you want to. Custom cellars are beautiful and are great at storing your wine. But you can store your wine at a fraction of the cost, or at no cost at all. John will help you find the right place in your home and show you how to set it up for convenient storage.

Fourth, there is no consulting fee. The price of the wine you’re already buying covers the consultation.

So feel free to book a no-obligation conversation with John. We think you’ll be glad you did.

CALL (828) 200-6504

3Day Hard Target Adventure: Detroit

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Another "3Day Hard Target Adventure"
 
So, we went to Detroit. The hard target was the DIA, Detroit Institute of Art. People and publications say this museum is second only to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. And, THAT, it is. But before we dive into the DIA, let me say a few words of introduction. First, when I told friends I was Detroit bound, for the most part, they said "why" or "what's in Detroit?" 
 
I do understand that negative perception of the city. We all know what happened when the financial crash turned the city into a mass exodus, defunct businesses, abandoned homes, in a word, a dump. And that is when most of us left Detroit for dead. But the city rallied. I don't know what I was expecting but it was not what I found! In summary, I came upon a forward thinking city, that respects its origins, that is, it's still the motor city, with a raw "ain't no mountain high enough" attitude that permeates the air and pulls you progress bound with it. 
 
Yes, I get it, I was a tourist staying in the "good part" of town. And yes, not far outside the "greenzone," things deteriorate. But how is that different from any other US city? What IS different is that this city, Detroit, has an above ground public-private effort monorail circling the downtown area giving the CBD a space age look (https://www.thepeoplemover.com),  transporting you all over town, and the ride is free. They are pushing the envelope and you can sense that as the concentric waves of DOING instead of just talking spread, Detroit will continue to push with determination, ENERGY, optimism,  a one for all and all for one attitude, closer and closer to being-back.
 
The trip was meant to be on that day because Gladys Knight was on the plane! A woman with a much older version of that cute nose she had waltzed on wearing a black jacket with Gladys Knight in fushia glitter.  Given the fact that, it is known Gladys lives around these parts, there is good reason to believe that the Motown star!! was riding my plane to Detroit!
 
With regard to Motown (Hitsville), I can tell you that if you have not been on location, you do not, DO NOT, know what you are missing (https://www.motownmuseum.org.) The little 10 by 12 room where all this glorious, timeless music happened is, well, a little 10 by 12 room. You can feel the presence of Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross and David Ruffin and Stevie Wonder and the sheer genius of Berry Gordy soaking through your skin. And the stuff we did not know! Marvin Gaye started as the drummer! And Paul McCartney paid Steinway to refurbish the centuries old piano sitting in that little 10 by 12 room that was the backbone of the beat. Who knew?
 
But you read The Public Palate for wine and food insights, so let's go there. We stayed at the David Whitney. The hotel is a converted medical building. The glass paneled doors still line the hallways. You can imagine a lot of white coats and big outdated equipment behind those doors but you can also imagine detectives with hats and cigarettes. Cool. From my window, I can see a building about 4 blocks away that changes from turquoise to pink all night. Really cool. 
 
I'm hungry. The bag of pistachio nuts on the plane from Charlotte to Detroit (only a little over an hour!) was long ago. The concierge recommends "San Morello" down the street, which is the restaurant for The Shinola Hotel. The place is spacious but cozy, lively, well done. And guess what, the special tonight, the server says, is Frappato! The wine menu is thick and full of promise. We roll through glasses of Frappato, Chenin Blanc and a bottle of Erbaluce that we shared with our server. The sommelier, Kyle, who is wearing a trendy tuxedo-esque suit, introduced himself to us and we chatted a good venti minuti about the wine business up north. 
 
No doubt, we will return to Detroit and San Morello. 
 
On to the DIA. After a day, from 9am doors to 4pm closing time at the Detroit Institute of Art, we headed to Vertical, a "wine centric" restaurant. The wine list was page after page of amazing bottles. Clearly, someone knows their stuff.
 
The someone is Jim Lutfy who, together with his daughter compiled this stairway to heaven. Jim started selling wine from his family’s small business, Cloverleaf Market, over 40 years ago. At Cloverleaf, he was recognized by several publications, including Market Watch Magazine, Wine Spectator Magazine, Detroit Free Press, and Crain’s Detroit Business, as an industry leader in the national retail wine business throughout the country.
 
Jim's daughter Rémy Lutfy, spent her summers in high school interning at different wineries in the Napa Valley, including Darioush, Spelletich Cellars, and Schweiger Vineyards. Remy attended the University of California, Davis! Oh yes she did!
 
We tell our server that we want a bottle of Nerello Mascalese, something that does not need much air, that is to say, ready to drink now. As there were three bottles of Nerrello Mascalese on the wine list, our server went the distance and called Jim to ask for just the right bottle. OMG! The recommendation from Jim, a bottle of 2018 Terre Nere Nerello Mascalese, was spot on. Without question, from our experience, one of the best bottles in country.
 
Definitely going back to Vertical.
 
Oh yeah, the DIA, the target. The art. The sculpture, the etc. Even the exposed brick cafe, which served quality wine BTW, was a European Church essentially turned inside out! The collection, from Tiepolo to Tintoretto to Rembrandt to Van Gogh to work from artists in 2022.  I cannot say enough about DIA. We did not have time to visit the Detroit Public Library or Detroit Historical Museum or the art collection at Wayne State University* all within a few blocks but, as I said, we will be back.
 
* What's at Wayne State? Mel Rosas! A Panamian American, Detroit based, Wayne State University Professor, award winning artist. I first discovered Mel Rosas at The Columbia Art Museum in South Carolina where you can find two pieces of his work in their  permanent collection.
 
Detroit is CLEAN, safe and populated with real nice folks. Detroit is the future.
 
That's what's in Detroit! 
 
 
 
 

Cesanese: Hiding in Plain Sight

The Grapevine: Central Italy’s Cesanese Enjoys a Resurgence
By Gina Trippi
 
When in Rome, do as the Romans did! The varietal Cesanese is grown only in Lazio, an Italian wine region located in the central part of the country, also home to the ancient capital Rome.
 
The region has a long history of winemaking, dating back to when the Etruscans originally settled the territory. Evidence of Cesanese, preserved by local monasteries, dates back to the 1400s. And, today, there are only about 1,500 acres of Cesanese vineyards left around Rome.
Wines made from Cesanese tend to have intense aromas of dark cherry, followed by spicy notes of white pepper, black pepper and violet with the ability to age. Our bottle of 100 percent Cesanese, 2021 “Terra di Breccia,” comes to us from Castello di Torre, in Pietra.
 
The vineyards in this medieval village date back to the 16th century, when the land belonged to the family Peretti of Pope Sixtus V. And the cellar for the production and preservation of wine is documented to the 1500s. In the 1930s, the estate was acquired by Senator Luigi Albertini, who expanded the existing cellar and planted new vineyards. The winery as it appears today was renovated in 1999.
 
Located within the Roma wine-making region, the hills are sited in a temperate Mediterranean climate with southwest exposure highly suited to the production of wine. The rich soil, with marine sediments, sand, gravel, silt, lava and ash, is the result of the Lazio volcano dating back to the Pliocene epoch, 5.3 to 1.8 million years ago! The vineyards, situated on the hills overlooking the Roman coast, enjoy a mild, windy climate that protects the grapes from mold and disease.
The winery is officially certified organic. With respect for the land, grapes are grown without genetic modification or chemical additives including herbicides, pesticides or insecticides. Because the winery has fewer weapons to fend off vine diseases, intense attention is required in the vineyard, which naturally translates into better quality grapes.
 
Grapes for “Terra di Breccia” are harvested at full maturity with fermentation in steel. The wine is a garnet red color typical of Cesanese, with a beautiful luminosity. The nose is characterized by small red fruits, Morello cherries and raspberries. On the palate, the wine is fresh with well-integrated tannins, structured though the finish with fruity hints of cherries.
 
This ancient grape fell out of favor, but is hitting shelves again. Wine Enthusiast asked Carla Trimani, the owner of Colacicchi Winery and Trimiani il Wine Bar, why Italy has begun to focus on native varietals such as Cesanese,
 
“In Italy, there were eras,” Trimani is quoted as saying. “In the ‘80s, if you did not grow Cabernet, Chardonnay or Merlot you were nothing. In the ‘90s, if you did not use barrels, you were nothing. At the beginning of this century, if you did not over-mature and over-extract, you were nothing. We finished these eras. We do not need anyone to tell us what to do. We know.”
 
Gina Trippi is the co-owner of Metro Wines, 169 Charlotte Street in Asheville. Committed to the community, Metro Wines offers big-shop selection with small-shop service. Gina can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.575.9525.
 

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Avocado!

Avocado!
avocado

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!

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