Augusta Chronicle recommends Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs for the holidays

Wine Time: Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs 120309 – The Augusta Chronicle

WHAT: Nothing gets me in a holiday mood faster than a good, sparkling wine, and this is a very good one, a party in a bottle. Only wine made in the Champagne region of France can be called Champagne, but Biltmore sparklers are made the French way. They hold their own with the best.

The grapes are 100 percent Chardonnay, but they are grown in California’s Russian River Valley. Biltmore has other sparkling wines made with North Carolina grapes.

The wine is crisp, with high acidity. It has a spicy aroma with strawberry and lemon tastes. The finish is clean and tart. The pretty pale-yellow color shows off the tiny bubbles. It’s made in the traditional Champagne way, with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The wine spends 18 to 24 months in the bottle before disgorging and final corking.

This is a brut, which means it is slightly drier than sparkling wines. Serve it chilled, about 40-45 degrees.

One Hope Merlot – making a difference in AIDS – One bottle at a time

World AIDS Day is the one day when individuals and organizations across the world join together to bring awareness to the global AIDS epidemic. Join us in the fight against AIDS by raising a glass of ONEHOPE Merlot. 50% of the profits are donated to @AIDSLifeCycle to help make an impact on the cause.

http://bit.ly/6XIenp

 

One Hope Wines was formed by a group of young adults helping a friend who’d been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s at age 23 - The new name symbolizes the idea of a group, no matter how small or big, coming together as ONE and working towards HOPE for the future.

Wine is a living, breathing commodity that has always helped bring people together in common purpose. We can’t think of a better vehicle for change. We’re proud to be offering their wines to the public.

In fact, we love the idea of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for others through wine, that we are creating a special category to showcase them – Drinking Well While Doing Good.  We’d like to carry other labels that do similar things as well- anyone have any suggestions?

Meanwhile, order a case and throw an awareness party or simply a bottle for yourself to enjoy – all the while knowing that you’re Drinking Well While Doing Good.

Fabulous Holiday Wine pairings – Fri, Nov 20 @ 5:30

With our community and nation being composed of personalities and people from all reaches of the globe, our holidays are gently and richly influenced by those cultures melting into one melded holiday. This year, Christopher’s is proud to present rich, velvet laden wines for the holidays from around the country and world.

On November 19, 1008 at 5:30 we will gather to sample the following wine menu with some complimentary side dishes each promising to provide you with fair values and exceptional quality as guests come and go.

Come join us as our most festive season comes to life and relax and enjoy with an open mind that we can assist you in making the holidays a bit more enjoyable and a bit less stressful!

Kariter Sparkling Rose $16.99r ;

Montinore Gewurztraminer $16.99r;

Hope Chardonnay $13.99;

Poppy Pinot Noir $22.99;

Privilege Cotes Du Rhone $10.99;

Hedges CMS $15.99.

As always, it’ll be a fun way to explore some new wines and enjoy some time with friends

Advanced reservations are always suggested – $15 advance purchase ($9 with student ID) or $20 at the door on a space available basis. Please call 828-414-9111 (toll free at 866-713-9437 for our out of town guests)

Drinking Good while doing Good – wine tasting – Friday, Nov 13 @ 5:30

Some wines are good, some even seem to be good for us – and sometimes wines even do some good for others -  tonight we’ll be tasting through a number of them that were developed specifically to give back to different charities that they support.

From Wine to Water we’ll be tasting a Chardonnay and an Old Vine Zinfandel from the Lodi region developed by Boone resident Doc Handley to provide clean drinking water around the world to those lack it (winetowater.org) A portion of every bottle sold goes directly to the organization and Doc has been named one of CNN’s Top 10 Hero for 2009 for his work!

Next we’ll be tasting a selection from OneHope Wines to help make a difference in the world by raising awareness and money for worthy causes, but they’re also easy on the nose and palate. These are high quality, award-winning wines that measure up in every way to the integrity of their partner charities, and are suitable for every day drinking and special occasions. These well-balanced wines are available in Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay and are produced at our Sonoma, California winery in the heart of the iconic Russian River Valley.  Proceeds from the sale of these wines benefit different causes, each wine specifically supports AIDS, Autism, Breast Cancer, the Troops as well as the Planet.

Wine & Chocolate Pairing Fri Oct 30th @ 5:30

What may prove to be among the most popular programs we offer is the chocolate and Wine pairing Program. In this Chocolate Pairing Program, we will Partner with a chocolatier out of Charlotte and pair their chocolate truffles against red and white wines as well as cheeses.

The entire principle of this program is to start thinking of all the accompaniments as more than just an isolated flavor palate and branching out in new and exciting ways to try things we’ve never thought about before and how they may work together in a comprehensive meal plan.

There will be limited seating for this program so we will need you to let us know you’re coming for the program well in advance. Advanced reservations are always suggested – $15 advance purchase or $20 at the door on a space available basis. Please call 828-414-9111 (toll free at 866-713-9437 for our out of town guests)

Port Tasting Fri, Oct 23rd @ 5:30

Port Wines…

Of all the wine classifications that we have and love, Ports are by far the most misunderstood. We will take a look at port styles of wine around the world, but will focus on the real thing- those Ports from Portugal!

Ruby Port, Vintage Port, Tawny Port, and a few other branches of the port family that are unheard of, or often forgotten about. We will explore the effects of spice and food with ports and make this Carolina Wine Academy program one that will live in memory of all who attend, or hear about it for years to come!

Because of the nature of this program, the cost will be $20 with reservations, and $30 at the door.  Click here to make your reservations.

Donati Family Vineyards Tasting Friday Oct 16th @ 5:30

Donati Family Vineyards

Through the millennia Italian Families have earned reputation of pride and integrity for their wine production. Many of the subtle unheard of niches in California were settled by Italians that brought their affinity for vineyards and grapes with them. These families of Italian Heritage are the very people who put California on the map in regards to wine.

Christopher’s is proud to present a new Family Owned Winery to our region with Italian heritage; Donati Family Vineyards. DFV is owned by Ron and Matt Donati, father and son, with Matt taking the lead in their viticulture producing enticing fruits in their vineyards where their esteemed winemaker, Dan Klek converts the highest quality fruits into the highest quality wines imaginable.  The Donati Family with the assistance of Dan Klek is putting the Paicines Region of California on the map as one of the newest AVAs, with some of the most delightful wines of all California.

This evening, come and enjoy as we explore the succulent offerings of the Donati Family and discover the joys of a new find that is soon to be among our old friends on the shelves of Christopher’s Wine & Cheese.

Advanced reservations are always suggested – $15 advance purchase or $20 at the door on a space available basis. Please call 828-414-9111 (toll free at 866-713-9437 for our out of town guests)

Pinot for the show! Fri Oct 9th @ 5:30

With the advent of October here in the mountains we revel in anticipation of watching the hills explode in vibrant colors.  As the hues of green transform into a cascade of yellow, orange, and red my mind shifts into brighter flavors and heavier hues as well.

There are a ton of great wines for the fall with cooler temperatures and extravagant colors exploding around us, but those flavors that resonate the most soundly are those of the pinots. Pinot Noir is first and foremost on my mind, but with the season’s feasts of harvest… there are other crisp, bright exciting pinots to be had and experienced as well.

We will take a hike through the Pinots this week with Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and of course Pinot Noir accompanied by a few tantalizing items the tantalizing items the help the true colors of the great pinots pop and explode.

Wine to Water Founder Top 10 CNN “Hero” – Send us your House Party Photos

Many Thanks to all of you who’ve order Wine to Water and supported this wonderful cause.  For those of you throwing house-parties to help spread the word – please send us your photos so we can post them here and show everyone else how much fun you can have Drinking Well While Doing Good!

Wine to Water – a great idea to help a great cause

We’re very proud to be offering Wine To Water’s newly released wines – an Old Vin Zinfandel and Chardonnay from Lodi.  Wine To Water started as an idea, a simple passion to help people in need. Doc Hendley, President/Founder, first learned about the global water crisis in 2003 while bartending in Raleigh, NC.

“When the idea came to me to start Wine To Water the only real world experience I had was tending
bar. I dreamed of building an organization that fought water related death and disease using completely different methods than anyone else. So I started raising money to fight this water epidemic the best way I knew how, by pouring wine and playing music.”

Doc held the first fundraiser in January 2004. Since then, Wine To Water has grown into an established 501(c)(3) aid organization. Fundraising efforts have expanded to include foundations, clubs, organizations, homes, churches and schools. However, wine tastings continue to be a huge part of the organization. Communities unite for a good cause allowing the age old miracle to be reversed; the fortunate people of today’s society are able to give back to those in need, turning “Wine To Water.”

You can support this cause by your purchase of Wine to Water wines simply to enjoy on your own or even to host a benefit wine tasting in your own community.   Click HERE for more info.

Wine to Water