03-05-2007 - Diana, one of the greatest adventures in wine is trying older bottles. Now, my first question I would ask is how has the bottle been stored? If cellared properly in a cellar at a 55 - 60 degree temperature, then your chances would be better. If stored at room temperature, the wine will age faster and probably will not have lasted almost 30 years. The bottom line is, yes, try it to see if there is any life left. Most likely, the sparkling wine may not be good, but you won't know for sure until you try it. Most sparkling wines are meant to be drunk young, within the first ten years of the vintage. But, you never know. I would have a hard time putting a value on the wine without knowing how it has been cared for since ite release.   « less

03-05-2007 - Bordeaux and Burgundy have the perception of being expensive, and that is true for the classified Bordeaux and the Premier Cru and Grand Cru Burgundies. These are wines that come from small vineyards and estates with a limited production. As the demand increase for these wines increase around the world, prices naturally rise. But, there is good news. There are several Bordeaux and Burgundy selections that would meet your "Tuesday night" glass of wine. In Bordeaux, look for wines that have a "Bordeaux", "Bordeaux Superior","Medoc", "Haut-Medoc", "Cotes de Borg" or other similar appellations. Basically, these are wines that come from much larger areas, and therefore the prices are significantly lower. For Burgundy, look for negociant producers that include Louis Jadot, Olivier Leflavie and Drouhin. They all produce Burgundies for under $20 a bottle. We have a good selection of Bordeaux at the moment and are expecting a spring shipment of inexpensive Burgundies later this month. Come by the store and we will be glad to show you some wonderful selections.   « less

03-06-2007 - Jeff, not at this time. Thanks for the inquiry.

03-07-2007 - Kelley,Knoxville is a great town for attending wine events. You can start by signing up with our e-mail list (Ashe's Wine & Spirits) and you will be notified of our upcoming events. There is also the Wine Society of East Tennessee that puts on two events each month. You can stop by our shop and we will give you the information. Also, there are local restaurants that do tastings (three that come to mind are Edison Park, Fleming's and Naple's). Also there are a couple of restautants downtown that do wine events. And, there are a few other stores that do occassional tastings. Start by coming by Ashe's and we will sign you up for our weekly e-mails that will detail our specials, new wine arrivals and upcoming wine events. Welcome to Knoxville!   « less

03-16-2007 - Mollydooker is not currently available in the knoxville market. It is made by Sparky and Sarah Marquis, who used to make the wines of Marquis Philips with a partnership with importer Dan Philips. Apparently they had a falling out, so Sparky and Sarah have gone out on their own. From what I have heard, they have been available in the Nashville market. They are the rich, extracted, bold, in-you-face styled Australian wines, but they have been hard to find.   « less

03-16-2007 - There are several issues that can determine the life cycle of a bottle of wine, and just like humans, each bottle of wine has its own identity. What I mean by that is when you purchase a case of the same wine, there can be variations in taste between bottles, and there are a lot of reasons why. So, when pondering this bottle of bubblies that has been lying on its side for almost twenty years (it was probably released in 1988), there are a couple of things that you want to consider. Number 1, has it been laying on its side - apparently so. Number two, has it been stored in a dark, cool place -well yes and no. You got the dark place, but the temperature issue is probably ten to fifteen degrees too warm. Now, if this was a bottle of Cook's or Korbel, then I would say for sure that you have a potential problem. But, since this is a champagne built to age and it is from a great vintage, there is hope. No one knows for sure if the wine is going to taste good or not. Your best bet is to come up with a great reason to drink it, and pop the cork. It may be wonderful, or it maybe a little bit over the hill, or it could have peaked five to ten years ago. Hey, you found a potential piece of treasure! Chill it down and sit back and enjoy!   « less

03-16-2007 - Hilary, it is a mystery to me. I Wish I could find more info, but haven't been able to.

03-21-2007 - Rachael- The only alcohol-free wines I'm familiar with have the "Contains Less Than One Half Of One Percent Alcohol By Volume" labeled on the bottle. I have noticed that "alcohol beer" is labeled the same way. Thad   « less

03-21-2007 - Debbie- If you have not experienced Napa Valley I would recommend the following wineries; Robert Mondavi, Francis Ford Coppola, Beringer, Franciscan, Beaulieu and Chandon. Each of these wineries provide tours, tastings and information on the history of Napa Valley. If you are an adventure seeker I would recommend stopping by one of the local wine shops, such as Dean & Deluca, and asking for suggestions on "hidden gems" that may be out of the spotlight and making a visit to those wineries. Another option would be to drive through the valley and stop at the wineries that look intresting to you. Thad   « less

03-21-2007 - Cindy- There are endless possibilites to your question. My guess is the main spirit used was Tuaca or Calvados. I would check out a few sites such as www.webtender.com, www.mixeddrink.com, www.drinknation.com for possible hot drinks associated with these two spirits. Thad   « less