Thursday, January 9, 2014

Mountain Spirits: Free Wine and Beer Tastings at Hops and Vines

January 10, 5 PM - 7 PM:  FREE Beer Tasting. Ballast Point Brewing Company - Happy days.  Fresh Ballast Point beer is back, so Hops and Vines is offering a tasting while they're fresh and still stocked, pun intended.

The Tasting includes:
Sculpin IPA is a great example of what got us into brewing in the first place. After years of experimenting, we knew hopping an ale at five separate stages would produce something special. The result ended up being this gold-medal winning IPA, whose inspired use of hops creates hints of apricot, peach, mango and lemon flavors, but still packs a bit of a sting, just like a Sculpin fish. 7.7% 70 IBU's
Dorado Double IPA immediately hooks you with massive hops that never stop. Mash hopping, kettle hopping and dry hopping makes this beer a serious hop lover’s prize catch. It’s an amazingly drinkable, award-winning beer that’s as beautifully balanced as it is big. 10% 90 IBU's
Calico Amber Ale takes its inspiration from traditional English ESBs. Four types of malts give it a bold complexity, and our proprietary yeast strain lends it a fruity, madeira-like richness. However, it’s the American hops that give this ale a distinct bite and floral aroma that have earned it just about every major beer medal.

January 11, 3 PM - 6 PM:  A new selection of wines at Hops and Vines:
Jovino Pinot Gris -Excellent example of what Oregon’s finest cool climate white varietal and handcrafted wines can deliver. The nose waifs out of the glass with herbacious-ness and fresh-cut green grass. The body is medium-plus with a slight perception of effervescence, making it clean and refreshing. Obvious ripe premium fruit source finishing with crisp acidity.

Gascon Malbec - This hand-harvested Malbec displays aromas of blackberry, plum, and a hit of mocha. This elegant wine has dark fruit flavors framed by plush tannins. Finely integrated characteristics of black pepper and maple combine to create a long, velvety finish.

Sant'Evasio Barbera d'Asti - Cantina Sant' Evasio represents modern winemaking from long standing traditions. The name comes from the chapel on the hill built in the 18th century, later destroyed in WWII. Barbera is their trademark grape and continues to represent outstanding value in today's times. This version from the town of Asti, is a deeply colored, bright red wine showing classic black cherry fruit with light ash, juniper berry and classic flavors.

And 10% off all featured wines on Saturday.

Hops and Vines is located at 797 Haywood Rd, Ste 100 in Asheville NC

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