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Winestore and Charles Smith Wines
Posted by Winestore about 9 hours ago
We'd like to thank our friends at K Vintners / Charles Smith Wines for the shout out on the blog recently. The wines from Charles Smith are some of our favorites - and their people are really cool too...

http://kvintners.blogspot.com/2010/03/winestore-charlotte.html

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Winestore, Charlotte

So I have mentioned some stores I like in Seattle, but I thought I would go a little outside the norm today to give a shout out to the guys at winestore in Charlotte, NC. I like the owners 1) because their names are both Matt so it's easy for me to remember and 2) they have a super cool, ultra modern store with kick ass wines and a shitload of stuff I would drink on their enomatic winespout dispenser things (including many of ours).

Their site is really easy to navigate, even for someone with technical challenges such as myself, and they make it really REALLY easy to click and buy. Their stores are even easier. And they have some of the most competitive pricing I have seen on our wines. I like that they are hip and they can share really cool stories with people in new and exciting ways--a lot of what they do totally aligns with our philosophy here at K and CSW. Plus, they are friends with another cool dude I love, Doug Frost.

Check 'em out: http://winestore-online.com/wines/1583
Posted by K Vintners and Charles Smith Wines at 3:59 PM
One Day Lyeth Blowout Sale!
Posted by Winestore 1 day ago
One Day Lyeth Estate
Super Sale!
Monday March 8th, 2010
TODAY ONLY!

We've carried the wines of Lyeth Estate since the day we opened - and that is why we are super excited to be able to offer you these prices! This is a ONE DAY ONLY offer - and the number of bottles available is limited - so call us ASAP if you are interested. All prices listed are the lowest in the US. Here are the deals we are able to offer!

2008 Lyeth Estate Pinot Noir - only 12 cases available at this price
Regular Price: $19.99
SALE Price: $12.99 (net)
SAVE 35%

If you are a Pinot Noir lover, you are going to want to jump all over this deal. We LOVED the Lyeth Pinot even at $20 and at $12 it has the opportuniy to be an extremely high quality Pinot Noir at an price we like for our "everyday" wines.

2007 Lyeth Meritage
Regular Price: $14.99
SALE Price: $10.99 (net)
SAVE 27%

Our third best selling wine this year - at nearly 30% off. It's go time...

2006 Lyeth Estate Zinfandel - only 6 cases available at this price
Regular Price $13.99
SALE Price: $8.99 (net)
SAVE 35%

We had to throw in a little love for all you Zinfandel lovers out there. Rich, fruit forward and smooth as silk 100% Zinfandel at a very friendly price.

The wines will arrive tomorrow, Tuesday March 8th. To Order you can:

Call Southpark: 704-442-4024

Call Blakeney: 704-443-2944
Amazing Deals!
Posted by Winestore 4 days ago
Amazing Deals!
Get while the gettin' is good!
We'll be tasting them this Saturday!

We've said it before and we'll say it again - if you are really into wine there is not better time than now to be a wine consumer. The deal flow coming from around the world is at an all time high and we are always on the lookout for the best possible deals available. This weekend we will be tasting a few of the latest deals we have recieved - but we promise with these prices they will not last long!

2001 Niepoort "Redoma" - only 42 bottles available
Release Price: $49
Winestore Price: $29.99
6 pack Price: $24.99
Save 50%

Dirk Niepoort is the madman of Portugal; he really is. His escapades have become legendary, but his wines excuse all scandalous behavior. His wines are serious good...and at this price the Redoma may be amazingly good! Oh, did we mention this bad boy already has 9 years of bottle age - outstanding!

2007 L'Aventure Cote a Cote - only 36 bottles available
Winery Price: $85.00
Winestore Price: $72.00 (net)
6 Pack Price: $69.99
Save 18%

Our friend Robert Parker said it best about this wine - "Another blockbuster and decadently rich, extravagant expression of winemaking is the 2007 Cote a Cote, a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, and 20% Syrah. An incredible wine, it tips the scales at 15.9% alcohol but is loaded with melted licorice, black currant fruit, sweet, jammy cherries, forest floor, and a bit of pepper and fruitcake notes. Deep, full-bodied, and layered, it is voluptuous, with relatively low acidity and velvety tannins. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. Wow!"

2006 Domaine de la Janasse Vieilles Vignes
Release Price: $130.00
Winestore Price: $94.00
6 Pack Price: $79.99
Save 38%

Janasse is one of those estates where Parker and I converge (doesn't happen a lot). We both think it's pretty special and in 2006, they prove utterly reliant. If you like the easy virtues of 2006, you'll love this. But if you like balanced and aged wine, you'll still love this. Janasse is a great producer of southern Rhone wines, combine a brilliant producer with a great vintage and you have this delightful drink.

2005 Domaine de la Soumade "Cuvee Confiance" - only 36 bottles available
Release Price: $40
Winestore Price: $34.99
6 pack Price: $29.99
Save 25%

Could it be...a 2005 Rhone wine for 25% off? Holla! Soumade is one of our favorite producers in the Rhone if you like thermonuclear fruit bombs...and we do...2005 was a beautiful vingtage in southern France and this wine at $29 is a beauty. Enjoy!

So, in addition to the Orin Swift tasting we'll have these deals running. Don't miss out on these beautiful bargains!

To order right now you can:

Call Southpark @ 704-442-4024

Call Blakeney @ 704-443-2944
Taste the Wines of Orin Swift!
Posted by Winestore 5 days ago
Orin Swift Tasting!
Saturday March 6th
11am-8pm

If you love really big, gigantic wines then you've probably had some of the wines from Orin Swift. The winery was founded in 1998 by Dave Phinney and has become a sensation here in the US - culminating in the sale of two of Phinney's brands, The Prisoner and Saldo, to Huneeus Vinters (owners of Napa Valley's Quintessa) two months ago. We love these wines - aside from their awesome look (although the Papillon is a little scary) these wines are fascinating if not a bit over the top. There is something for everyone in this line up:

For the "I want a little bit of everything in my wine"
2008 Prisoner - $32.99 (net)

This wine has everything but the kitchen sink in it - 46% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 2% Charbono, 1% Grenache - I mean, if the bottle were a little bit bigger he probably would have thrown in some Barbera or something.

For the "I want a wine that is going to stop people dead in their tracks when they taste it"
2008 Saldo - $28.99 (net)

Zinfandel lovers - meet your new best friend. This ripe, fully extracted, over the top wine has a significant amount of WOW factor. This is our first time carrying this wine and we expect it to almost walk itself right out the door...

For the "I don't drink Zin give me a gigantic Cabernet instead"
2006 Papillon - $54.99 (net)

You have to know that with a label showing tatooed knuckes, this is not a wine for whimps. This is serious man juice - those with heart conditions please avoid this wine! :)

So come on in this Saturday and taste some fun juice! We'll also be tasting some amazing deals that will be featured in a newsletter tomorrow!
Italian Wine Tasting!!
Posted by Winestore 20 days ago
Taste the best of Italy!
February 20th, 2010

11am-8pm

Plus FREE King Cake all day!

Follow us on Facebook by clicking

We've got a pretty selection of Italian wines to show you this weekend but before we get to that, can we be honest? You've probably noticed that we don't talk much about Robert Parker in Winestore. It's nothing against Robert Parker; he's brilliant, has a remarkable memory, and an astonishingly comprehensive understanding of the world of wine. But (and you knew the word "but" was about to surface) I disagree with him about a lot of wines. He likes wines that are so big they burst at the seams: I think balance is far more charming than weight.

The disagreement extends to the meaning of the descriptors I just utilized: I'm sure my "so big" seems more like "balance" to Parker, and perhaps my "balance" is less charming to him than boring. Here's the most important thing: nobody's right and nobody's wrong in this matter. We each have different sensory experiences because we each have slightly differing abilities to receive the hundreds of thousands of flavors and aromas that the human body can detect. And our past experiences feed into this as well: if you grew up eating ramen noodles with ginger and coconut milk, well, you get the idea…

So we don't like points and numbers, because points and numbers suggest that everyone's experience will be the same and can be easily pinpointed on a scale 50-100. Ridiculous.

However, I still read Parker and often seek out wines that he thinks are great. There are lots of people who like the same wines he likes, and if he finds a bargain, it's probably going to please even more people. For instance, Parker likes the 2007 Bastianich Batali La Mozza Morellino di Scansano, a Sangiovese with a bit of Syrah and Colorino in it. The Bastianich wines are always well-made, and Morellino has long been the go-to region for Sangiovese lovers eager for crazy value.

Then there's the 2005 Il Molina di Grace Chianti Classico. It got five stars from Decanter Magazine. While most people haven't read Decanter, that's to their detriment. Decanter has been the world's best wine magazine for ages and if they say something gets five stars, everybody should pay attention. Even those who don't read Decanter.

Among wine writers, Paolo Scavino is considered to be one of the great traditionalists; the reviews have always been laudatory. Scavino's Rosso 2007, a blend of Barbera, Nebbiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon, is one of the critics' favorites, year after year, and we happen to agree with them.

But if you want divide the critics, then mention producers such as Movia. 2004 Movia Veliko Bianco brings together the grapes Ribolla Gialla, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc for a three to three and a half year sojourn in French oak, and much of that time, the wine is on its lees. That's a bit crazy and so is the wine. Trust me.

On the other hand, nobody has to tell you to like 2008 Quattro Mani Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. We've been following that label for years and it's fun, juicy, rich and balanced. Okay, somebody else might call that boring, but to me, it's balanced.

Oh, yes, one last wine: Donna Laura Chianti Classico Bramosia 2006, a pretty Sangiovese with a jot of Merlot. Bramosia means "desire" in Italian - this could be a perfect "date night" wine.

We'll also have some other amazing treats - just wait until you try the 2004 Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione.
Cheers,

Doug Frost MS MW
Master Sommelier & Master of Wine