Erick's Cheese & Wine Shop
 

ERICK'S CHEESE AND WINE ... AND BISCUITS

 

 

            Yep, Erick's is expanding its reputation as the best bakery in Banner Elk to include three succulent varieties of pastries hand-crafted by Callie's Charleston Biscuits.  So famous are these biscuits and in such demand that our first customers last Saturday were a couple from Morganton who had seen Callie's advertised on TV and researched its website to see that Erick's is the closest retailer.  We cooked up a few for samples and by the end of the day we had sold 60!  Here's what we have:

 

            Country Ham Biscuits - hand-made biscuits made from Callie's recipe of the finest natural ingredients, stuffed with Virginia artisanal ham (finely chopped so you don't have a mouthful of ham hanging out when you take a bite!) and Dijon mustard butter.  $22.95/packet of 12 biscuits.

 

            Cheese and Chive Biscuits - The same mouth-watering biscuit recipe but including the finest sharp cheddar cheese and fresh chives in the dough.  $17.95/packet of 12 biscuits.

 

            Cinnamon Biscuits - Callie took the cinnamon "sticky" and made it into a biscuit and it is out of this world!  A biscuit layered with tons of butter, cinnamon and brown sugar - it melts in your mouth.  Perfect for Sunday brunch, a sweet bite after dinner or with your morning coffee.  $18.95/packet of 12 biscuits.

 

            The biscuits come frozen and pre-cooked, so all you have to do is pop out what you want and brown them in the oven.

 

             We will be sampling  biscuits and these wines Saturday starting at 1 PM

 

            Two of the wines we'll be pouring are made by 90+ Cellars, which buys up overages from fine wine producers and markets them under their own label.  They call themselves "90+" because the wines sold under that brand must have a pedigree of "90 or higher rating, best buy or gold medal accolades from a respected wine authority or publication."  Check out the article from CNBC for more information on this fascinating series of wines: http://www.cnbc.com/id/42990546.    As the article points out, some of the wines under the 90+ label are $20 wines that typically sell for more than $100 under their producer's label. 

 

What wines are really in the bottle?  We don't know because of the confidentiality agreement between the producer and 90+.  Come taste these utterly fantastic wines and see if you can tell.

 

90+ Cellars 2010 Ros� (Languedoc, France, $19.99).  Crisp, bone-dry like a good ros� should be, succulent with bracing acidity and fresh berries on the nose, a fabulous summer sipper from the south of France.

 

90+ 2008 Cellars Shiraz/Viognier (8%) (McLaren Vale, Australia, $20.99).   This wine benefits from a dash of Viognier to add aromatic lift and lightness to the Shiraz, much like the wines of C�te R�tie but at a fraction of the cost.  We've sold a ton of this mouth-staining beauty since we introduced it last month.

 

We also have one of the best bargains in a Rioja we've ever seen - the 2009 Montebuena (Rioja, $14.99).  From The Wine Advocate (90 points):  "The 2009 Montebuena is 100% Tempranillo. Dark ruby-colored, it offers an appealing perfume of spice box, leather, tobacco, and blackberry. On the palate it is packed with ripe fruit, has outstanding concentration, and impeccable balance. It is a great bargain that offers a sneak preview of the great 2009 vintage in Rioja and northern Spain in general. It should drink well for 6-8 years."

 

The white wine we'll be pouring is the 2008 Shinas Estate Viognier "The Innocent" (Victoria, Australia, $23.99), a succulent, single vineyard, limited production wine of Judge Shinas, who has, like yours truly, left the law to join a more honorable calling in the wine business. 

 

For a donation of $5 to the Avery County Humane Society we'll pour you a generous sample of Judge Shinas' 2007 Shinas Estate "The Executioner" (Victoria, Australia, $33.99), a unique blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier. 

 

SPECIAL JULY HAPPENINGS

 

Put the following special events on your calendar:

 

Wine Classes (covered in detail in the previous newsletter)

 

             Sunday, July 10, at 5:30 - A discussion and de-mystification of German and Austrian wines, with numerous samples of each primary style.

 

 Sunday, July 24, at 5:30 --  The new age of Spanish wines, with a discussion and samples from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean.       

 

Winery Presentations

 

             Thursday, July 14, at 6:30 - a presentation of the wines of Elyse Winery by Michelle Duckett, national sales manager.  Elyse wines are among our best-selling California wines, offering a wide range of varietals that go from strength to strength every year.

 

Thursday, July 21, at 6:30 a special presentation of Italian wines imported by Emanuele Magnini from Sunrise Wines.   We've traveled with Emanuele to the Italian wine trade show VinItaly in Verona numerous times and been introduced to drop-dead gorgeous Italian wines, so we're very excited that he's saving us the trip and bringing the best of his best to Erick's for a special showing.

 

            The cost for each of these events is $25 per person and will include a seated discussion and samples of the wines discussed.  We'll also serve cheeses and light snacks.  Attendance is limited and reservations are required.  If you are interested in any of these events, please reply to this email, call us at 828.898.9424 or sign up next time you're in the shop.

 

JULY 4

 

            There's no rest for the weary, so Erick's will be open for business on Sunday (1-5) and Monday (10-6).   We'll have some extraordinary wines open to sample on Sunday and Monday, along with some cheeses and other goodies, so come raise a glass with us before you raise one with your family and friends in celebration of our national holiday.

 

           

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

           

                   

 

 

 

 
 

ENJOY A GLASS OF WINE ON OUR PATIO

 

            Of course you can buy bottles to take with you, but we're now offering you a glass of your favorite to enjoy on the patio everyday.  We feature one white wine and one red wine daily prices vary from $6 to $8. Add a cheese and enjoy the afternoon with us!

 

 

SUMMER HOURS

Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend:

 

Monday - Wednesday:  10:00 to 6:00

Thursday - Saturday:  10:00 to 7:00

Sunday: 1:00 - 5:00

 
SPACE FOR RENT
 If you are looking for a location to hold your event.....party, meeting, family gathering, club event, holiday party... you think of the possiblities.....our Tasting Room is available. We now have an in house caterer available for food service.  Contact Randall about the possiblities and arrangements.  828-898-9424
Erick's Cheese and Wine Shop, Grandfather Center, Banner Elk, NC 28604, (828) 898-9424 www.erickscheeseandwine.com