Thursday, May 30, 2013

3rd Annual Spain vs. California Taste Off!

3rd Annual California vs. Spain Taste Off!
Saturday June 1st, 2013
11am - 8pm


http://celticfanchat.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/spain_vs_usa1.jpg

Representing California:
2010 Snowden "The Ranch" Cabernet
2010 Whitehall Lane Tre Leoni
2010 Laurel Glen Counterpoint
2009 Banshee Mordecai

Representing Spain:
2010 Planetes de Nin Priorat
2007 Finca Villacreces Crianza
2009 Casa Castillo Las Gravas
2010 Clos Erasmus "Laurel"


People of the interwebs - it is time for our 3rd Annual California vs. Spain Taste Off! This is where we are going to put some serious Cali firepower up against Spanish wine that is going to make you wonder why you have not been drinking this stuff for years! Lowest prices in the US on some of these gems? We've got that too...I mean, that is just how we roll.

Villacreces, Erasmus, Whitehall Lane, Laurel Glen? Yes, this could be a lineup at a dinner of some of my favorite producers. It also could be a lineup of world class wines at prices that may surprise you (in a good way). It's summer dammit, and that means grilling out with friends, sitting on the beach and trying not to burn, cannonballs in the pool, and sipping some vino at 8pm on the patio while it's still light outside. So stop in this weekend and taste some weekend wines - these are not your Tuesday night sippers, these are your Saturday bombshells. A treat to yourself for working hard during the week....come on, you've earned it!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Last Chance!

Last Call on Bastide Miraflors!

Plus our second to last pop of 2012 Lafage Miraflors Rose!

2011 Lafage Bastide Miraflors


2011 Lafage Bastide Miraflors
Winestore Price: $12.99 per bottle


Last 28 cases available!

Any time Charlotte based wine importer Eric Solomon creates a new project we pay close attention. When he creates it with winemaking wizard Jean Marc Lafage we pay double close attention. And when wine critic Robert Parker goes out of his way to post the following we pay SERIOUS attention.

"There are 3,000 cases of the naked virginal, unoaked 2011 Bastide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes made from 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache aged in concrete. The difficult economic situation in the Languedoc Roussillon corridor is being exploited to the maximum by importer Eric Solomon. The fact that wines such as this can be purchased is unbelievable. Largely an artisinal wine, it is brilliantly pure with a stunning nose of spring flowers, blackberries, cassis and earth. It is almost incomprehensible that something of this quality, complexity and richness can be purchased for $15 to $50, much less $10 to $12. The 3,000 cases should be gobbled up as quickly as they hit retailers' shelves. I am honored to share my excitement about this amazing wine with readers.
"
- Robert Parker

So ignore the hype if you want...all we know is we're buying cases for ourselves, and we think you should too!

To order you can:

Order ONLINE by clicking HERE

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662



2012 Lafage Miraflors Dry Rose
http://sa3.wine-searcher.net/images/labels/68/75/10446875t.jpg
Wine.com Price: $18.99 (Click HERE to see)
Winestore Price: $14.99
SAVE 21%

Back In Stock!


Listen up people...we are laying it down on the line with this wine. If you love dry rosé during the warmer months, and you do not buy a case of this stuff to sip on all summer long, you might be out of your mind. The 2012 Lafage Miraflors Rosé is a game changer in our opinion. Dry rosé is the flavor of the moment, and southern France is the style’s birthplace and homeland. A refreshing blend of Mourvedre and Grenache Gris, this lovely lady is more complex than most any dry rosé you’ve ever had....

We have it to taste at all three stores but don't dawdle...it won't last long.

To order you can:

Order ONLINE by clicking HERE

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Memorial Day Specials!

Memorial Day Specials!
May 23rd - 26th, 2013
ALL WEEKEND LONG!


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41029JY3PXL._SL500_AA300_.jpghttp://www.munnassociates.com/shaggin%27colorlogo.jpg

10% off any purchase of six bottles or more!

We're going to start summer off right - and that means offering up some crazy good wine at crazy good prices. We're also going to take 10% off any purchase of only 6 bottles or more!

You'll also find these great wines on SALE all weekend long!


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmJuSiBnLl0As0FQ3XAMR7ksMe6ec2Bm4D8jZmGFliWp0r22-ryFftbJz2JI8ewP-Ag9bP5rGW8g2376yNNungC1hWUI3guRdflb24wZWocpmINLcp54T9TBg0ejzyyGxRImaYC9tuA0/s400/Conundrum-label-MM-v3.jpg
2011 Conundrum
Regular Price: $21.99
Costco Price: $17.99 per bottle
SALE Price: We can't print it but it may or may not be three dollars lower per bottle!
LOWEST IN USA!


http://sa3.wine-searcher.net/images/labels/59/20/10205920t.jpg
2007 Finca Villacreces
Regular Price: $40.00
SALE Price: $24.99 (net)
SAVE 37%



http://cache.wine.com/labels/91801d.jpg
2011 Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay
Winestore Price: $12.99
SALE Price: $9.95 (net) per bottle
SAVE 24%



http://www.bansheewines.com/assets/images/wines//pictures/2010-Mordecai-Front-Label.png

2010 Banshee Mordecai
Regular Price: $24.99
Winestore Price: $19.99
Six Pack Price: $14.99 (net) per bottle
SAVE 40%



http://static.vinissimus.com/images/vinos/bruja11_det_1.jpg
2011 La Bruja Averia Garnacha
Winestore Price: $24.99
SALE Price: $17.99 (net) per bottle
SAVE 28%



http://ei.isnooth.com/multimedia/0/6/2/image_2078822_full.jpeg
2012 Trefethen "Double T" Chardonnay
Winery price: $17.99
Winestore Price: $14.99
SALE Price: $12.99 (net) per bottle
SAVE 28%



http://cache2.wine.com/labels/92702l.jpg
2010 Castano Solanera
Regular Price: $12.99
SALE Price: $8.99 (net) per bottle
SAVE 30%




http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2012/04/SLH_pinot_noir_10_label.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg
2011 Hahn SLH Pinot Noir
Winestore Price: $24.99
SALE Price: $19.99 (net) per bottle
SAVE 20%



http://www.b-21.com/images/las-gravas-l.gif
2009 Casa Castillo Las Gravas
Regular Price: $29.99
SALE Price: $24.99 (net)
SAVE 17%

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Lowest Price in the US on this Spanish Gem!

2007 Finca Villacreces Crianza
http://www.aporvino.com/comprar_vino//images/catalogos/Finca-Villacreces-6bot.jpg
Zachys Price: $40.00 (Click HERE to see)
Winestore Price: $24.99 (net)
SAVE 37%

Lowest Price in the USA


Only 15 cases available

Drinkers of delicious Spanish wine, listen up! Villacreces is a first-rate, listen to me, FIRST-RATE, Ribera del Duero producer. Yeah, that means I’m comparing it to Pesquera (better), Vega Sicilia (better priced),  and Aalto (now you've gone too far).  Their wines are Tempranillo (yes, they call it Tinto Fino here) at its elegant pinnacle, but their Crianza bottling is more exuberant than the rest, as it is Tempranillo laced with a bit of Cabernet and Merlot.


For all you folks interested in such things, Villacreces also sits on some pretty amazing land. There is written evidence that the first vines were planted on the property in the 13th Century (yes, you read that correctly), and their next door neighbor is wine legend Vega Sicilia (priced at a lofty $300 per bottle).

So there you have it. Serious Spanish value at the lowest price in the USA. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

To order you can:

Order ONLINE by clicking HERE

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Swing on by!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

5th Annual Second Label Tasting!

Second Label Tasting!
Saturday May 18th, 2013
11am - 8pm


http://www.enomatic.co.nz/images/models/enoround.jpg
Sometimes the greatest of the great wines are just simply out of our reach. That being said, you may not know that most of the world's most expensive wines produce second label "sibling" wines, often times with the left over juice that went into the $100 cuvees. It is a rare opportunity to be able to taste the flagship wine right next to its second label offering, but that is exactly what we are doing for you this weekend at our 5th Annual Second Label Tasting! Find out if the $100 Napa Cab is better than the $35 second offering - perhaps the $75 estate wine really isn't worth it for you compared right next to the $25 second label Cabernet from the same producer. Famed Napa Valley legend Jayson Pahlmeyer summed up his second label "Jayson", by saying “The Jayson goes into the same brand new French oak barrels [as the main label, Pahlmeyer], has the same barrel-aging regimen, same blending, same care and dedication from my winemaker,” Pahlmeyer explains. “It’s 90 percent of the quality at 50 percent of the price.”

"90% of the quality at 50% of the price" - now that is an equation we are ready to get on board with! We think you'll be astounded how close these second labels taste to the real thing! Come in this Saturday and see for yourself! We have something for everyone, Cabernet from California, Grenache from Spain, cult producer La Peira from France, and more!

Wineries featured include:

Clos Erasmus


http://ipowines.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/old-nv-label.jpghttp://wine-zag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/laurel-label.png

2010 Clos Erasmus
2010 Clos Erasmus "Laurel"

Whitehall Lane


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BUCCTdzML._SL500_AA300_.jpghttp://www.nvwe.com/assets/client/Image/2010_Tre_Leoni_RGB.jpg

2009 Whitehall Lane Cabernet
2010 Whitehall Lane "Tre Leoni"


Laurel Glen


http://www.dallaswinecult.com/storage/laurel.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1333814610654http://ei.isnooth.com/multimedia/d/b/4/image_1748697_full.jpeg

2009 Laurel Glen Estate Cabernet
2010 Laurel Glen Counterpoint


Casa Castillo



2011 Casa Castillo
2009 Casa Castillo "Las Gravas"

La Peira


https://si0.twimg.com/profile_images/64717947/Twitter-Logo.jpghttp://sa3.wine-searcher.net/images/labels/22/75/10292275t.jpg

2010 La Peira
2010 Las Flors de La Peira

Banshee


http://ww1.bn-image.com/images/bn/160/231144.jpghttp://www.bansheewines.com/assets/images/wines//pictures/2010-Mordecai-Front-Label.png

2010 Banshee Cabernet
2010 Banshee Mordecai

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

"Must be tasted to be believed..."

2009 Casa Castillo "Las Gravas"



Release Price: $29.99
Winestore Price: $24.99 (net)
SAVE 17%


When the most powerful wine critic in the world writes that a wine "must be tasted to be believed", people go into a feeding frenzy. hence the reason the first pop of this wine we received back in February blew out the door before we could even get a newsletter out. So, we ordered more...a lot more. Now you have yet another chance to get your paws on some of the superb 2009 Casa Castillo Las Gravas. Yes, this is the same Casa Castillo that produces the Monastrell you all gobbled up a few weeks ago for $6.99. Now that you know that $6.99 wine blew away the competiton in that price point, imagine a $25 that will do the same.

We remember the first time we became Las Gravas believers. It was at the winery, deep in the heart of Jumilla, back in 2007 and the wine was a revelation. For the price it was everything we want in a wine; full of flavor, smooth tannins, crisp acidity and as complex as some wines $50+. This has potential to be your Saturday night summer BBQ wine. It also has the potential to be your "It's Wednesday night and my week has blown up and I want to drink something nice wine". It wears many different hats, and we love them all.

So there are 50 six packs for you to grab. If you wait to long and we don't have any more, don't say we didn't warn you :)

To order you can:

Order ONLINE by clicking HERE

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Rosé Extravaganza This Saturday!

Rosé Tasting This Saturday!
Saturday May 11th, 2013
11am - 8pm
ALL DAY LONG!


http://towncenterwine.com/images/newletter_images/puech_haut_rose.jpg


Including:
2012 Bieler Pere et Fils Rosé

2012 Mas Donis Rosato
2012 Puech-Haut Prestige Rosé
2012 Puech-Haut Tete de Belier Rosé
2012 Pesquie Rosé


Over the last several weeks the request has been loud and clear - it is now rosé season! No, not your father's rosé, or that pink stuff you drank in college (let's be honest, it wasn't pretty but we've all been there). You asked for refreshing, dry, aromatic and lovely rosé. The stuff that is going to go well at the beach, on the back porch, by the swimming pool, and with great friends. So we're opening up the floodgates this weekend for a rosé extravaganza! We'll load up our white wine machine with that magical pink elixir we all love so much.

Rosé has been growing in popularity over the last several years as people begin to realize that these wines are not "starter wines" or the "white zinfandel" that they remember from their younger years. While we do have a few higher priced rosé wines that we love, you will find that most of the rosé we carry is around $10-$15 - perfect for everyday sipping and outdoor cookouts in the neighborhood.

So swing on by this weekend and taste some wonderful
rosé. We'll also have a host of great reds on the machine for those of you who are not white wine drinkers. As always, thank you for your support and enjoy all of the wine!

We hope to see you Saturday and Happy Tasting!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

60% Off This Rhone Gem!

2008 Roger Sabon Lirac


Lowest Online Price in the USA: $25.00
Winestore Price: $9.99 (net)
SAVE 60%


Time for another insane buying opportunity for you, the customers that we know and love. Today, we have the ever so lovely 2008 Roger Sabon Chapelle de Maillac Lirac. Roger Sabon is one of an increasing number of absolute stalwarts in the southern Rhone Valley, modern producers who are capable of making consistently delightful Grenache based wine, vintage after vintage. 2008 is such a vintage, decent in the hands of the average producers, but excellent values in the hands of the best.

This is not the wine that you and your friends are going to sit around the table and wax poetic about...but it is a wine that is going to blow people away at your first cookout of the season. That upcoming rehearsal dinner you are hosting; this is your guy. Wednesday night sushi take out? Perfect wine to open. At $9.99 this wine can play a lot of different roles, and we love every one of them!

So we were able to buy 28 cases at this price. First come, first served. This is not an ongoing deal and what we have in stock is all there will be at this price.

To order you can:

Order ONLINE by clicking HERE

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Friday, May 3, 2013

The Ultimate Summer Rose!

2012 Lafage Miraflors Dry Rose
http://sa3.wine-searcher.net/images/labels/68/75/10446875t.jpg
Wine.com Price: $18.99 (Click HERE to see)
Winestore Price: $14.99
SAVE 21%


Listen up people...we are laying it down on the line with this wine. If you love dry rosé during the warmer months, and you do not buy a case of this stuff to sip on all summer long, you might be out of your mind. The 2012 Lafage Miraflors Rosé is a game changer in our opinion. Dry rosé is the flavor of the moment, and southern France is the style’s birthplace and homeland. A refreshing blend of Mourvedre and Grenache Gris, this lovely lady is more complex than most any dry rosé you’ve ever had....

We are only getting 56 cases for the whole summer. We received 28 cases yesterday and we get one more pop of 28 cases in about two weeks. It is worth noting that we sold over 25% of everything we got in yesterday simply from walk in traffic tasting it off the machine and buying the wine. I mean, take that for what it is worth but this stuff is shaping up to be epic!

We have it to taste at all three stores but don't dawdle...it won't last long.

To order you can:

Order ONLINE by clicking HERE

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Our Favorite Wines Are Back In Stock!

Our Favorite Wines Are Back In Stock!
http://api.ning.com/files/11yaBfkrdsz52NeEqPhG5UdHFE5uAVEYnDOqY3GRExwYJ-YGS4JMleKQHLXiL7OSSfEGLPfHr9GZH71NHN-lriv3VEmleIsC/176034855.jpeg

Taste the 2010s from La Peira
Saturday May 4th, 2013
11am - 8pm

International Wine Celebrity / Importer and Charlottean Eric Solomon is well known for bringing "the next big thing" to the United States - and one of his newer finds, La Peira, might very well be "the next big thing". You may know we have had these wines to taste in the past, but only for a short time. Production is miniscule and only a fraction of that makes it across the ponds to the US. To give you an idea, their flagship wine "La Peira" has an annual worldwide production of only 1,500 bottles (compare that to the 420,000 bottle production of Caymus Cabernet). Sum it all up - we are more than excited to be the first in North Carolina and the US to showcase their 2010 offering.

Here is just a little of what the wine press has been saying:

"I want to put forth a terrific wine recommendation to you all. It is a wine I had never heard of before, but one I surely won’t forget any time soon.

My friend Eric Solomon was kind enough to gift me a bottle of “La Peira”. I believe (although I am not 100% sure) it is a cuvée of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre and just an absolutely delicious and complex wine in every sense.

It has exactly what I cherish in a wine and what I strive for with my own wines – a sunny disposition, full, ripe flavors, but nothing at all over the top here, nothing two-square or clumsy, but rather just a delightful potpourri of dark berry fruit and maybe some dried flowers….if memory serves correctly. Beautifully nuanced and layered, thought provoking and detailed, but rich and mouth-coating at the same time. What a wine.

I have no idea what it costs, but just about whatever it is –buy it!

One of best new wine discoveries for me this year so far."
- Manfred Krankl (Winemaker and Owner of Cult Wine Legend Sine Qua Non)

"The Sine Qua Non of the Languedoc?"
- Jeb Dunnuck, The Rhone Report

"The flagship wine from this new venture is easily going to be the next great global cult wine. Think Clos Erasmus or Masseto; that’s the level of quality that this wine brings!"
- Gary Vaynerchuk

"This wine will ring changes on your palate for a decade. The deep alluvial fan that is the basis for this site is only barely tilted, as it might be in St. Helena or Rutherford, St.-Estephe or Pomerol ... and these comparisons will not seem inapt once you experience the quality of La Peira’s wines."
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The most apt analogy, perhaps, is the publisher’s slush pile—that legendary stack of unsolicited manuscripts where, sandwiched between laborious first novels, eccentric diets, and the childhood reminiscences of the elderly, the house reader dreams of finding a golden text to wave at cynical seniors. So with the samples delivered to the homes of those who write about wine. All deserve a taste, most a note, but I’ve never come across one that rearranged my inner pantheon in the way that truly great wine can. Never, that is, until a few weeks ago. Then it was that a relatively ramshackle package of boxes arrived from the Languedoc containing 11 bottles and a text. The bottles (cask samples, in the main) had beautiful, austerely classical labels with puzzling, hard-to-pronounce names. No UK importer, let alone retailer. Just an apologetic e-mail, a few days earlier, from one of the wine’s creators, Rob Dougan, alluding to their presence a year before at a tasting in Bordeaux that I’d been unable to attend. Enough waffle. These are the best unsolicited samples anyone has ever sent me."
-Andrew Jefford

If that wasn't enough to get you excited, you can check out a great video by clicking here. Now...after all of that if you are not even the least intrigued to come be one of the first to experience these wines then I am not sure what else we can do!

Here are two of the wines we will be featuring:

2010 La Peira

http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2009/10/08/1103144/gI_0_LaPeiraBottle.jpg

Only 1,500 bottles produced

Regular Price: $110.00
Winestore Price: $79.99
Save 27%

Expensive...yes. A wine you might never forget...yes.

2010 Las Flors de La Peira


http://cdn4.bbr.com/images/products/parents/small/13475.jpg

Regular Price: $55.00
Winestore Price: $34.99 (net)
Save 36%

Hyperbole aside, this is one of the best wines we have tasted in 2013, regardless of price. Buy one to lay down in your wine cabinet, buy one for your loved one, buy one for your boss, or just buy one because this is just brilliant wine from a brilliant vintage at a great price.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

2010 Clos Erasmus "Laurel"

2010 Clos Erasmus "Laurel"

http://wine-zag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/laurel-label.png


2010 Clos Erasmus "Laurel"
Winestore Price: $49.99 per bottle
SPECIAL 6-Pack Price: $39.99* per bottle
SAVE 20%

*6 pack price is only available in store or over the phone.


Charlotte residents are lucky that Daphne Glorian Solomon, one of the worlds best winemakers, makes her home here in Charlotte. It gives us access to some seriously great wines at some seriously great prices (Go Queen City!) Her flagship wine, Clos Erasmus, is known around the globe as one of the benchmarks for Spanish wine (if not just incredible wine in general).

That said, she also makes a second label called "Laurel". Laurel, to those of us who love this wine, is essentially a baby Clos Erasmus. Why? It is a straight declassification of Clos Erasmus, meaning you're essentially getting the juice that did not "make the cut" for the big boy. That's called wine value people!
The 2010 Laurel we're offering you today should offer you the best possible explanation of what Daphne does with wine that is so incomparable and indescribable.

In the seven years we have been open we have never been able to offer you this wonderful wine at a price this low. Take that for what it is worth.

So get while the gettin' is good. That is all we can tell you!

To order you can:

Order ONLINE by clicking HERE

Call SOUTHPARK @ 704-442-4024

Call BLAKENEY @ 704-443-2944

Call LAKE NORMAN @ 704-892-5662