Erick's Cheese and Wine

Domestic, imported, and artisanal cheeses - Erick's has the best selection in the High Country. Enjoy a slice or more for your spur of the moment picnic in the mountains, assemble a cheese board for your guests, let Erick's create a cheese tray for your party. Introduce yourself to a new cheese - just ask for a taste!

And don't forget the baked fresh-daily baguettes and delectable cookies (call ahead to order them by the dozen - or let Erick's ship so you can enjoy them any time).

But there's more to life, like chocolate, high quality oils and vinegars, condiments, olives, pesto, crackers, nuts sauces, jams, jellies, and more (from around the world - and close by)!

"This little shop on the side of a curvy road up in the mountains is one of the real hidden gems of Western North Carolina. They are easily the best cheese shop I have seen (not including shops that make their own), and they get a fresh supply in almost daily. I believe they carry close to 100 different cheeses at any given time, and several different variations of bleu, my favorite! Randall (the owner, who runs it with his wife) will gladly cut you off a taste of anything you're interested in, and they really do seem to care about every customer that walks in the door.

The chocolate selection here is also top notch, featuring almost all the "big name" (and no that doesn't mean the Godiva and Lindt crap) fancy chocolatiers from around the globe. They also have a very large selection of nuts, including the irresistible Scorned Woman brand that has a great kick!

You can even find some of the world's best wines here, from Super Tuscans to big Aussie Shiraz and everything in between. On more than one occasion I've found some really stellar older vintage wines for little more than wholesale costs buried in the shelves here, it's like treasure hunting! If you're headed up to the mountains for skiing or just to relax at your summer home make sure you include Erick's shop somewhere in your visit, you won't regret it!"
-Justin C. Washington, DC

TWO MORE SUPER VALUE WINES

We refer to our newsletter of June 2 on wines from France’s Rhône Valley appellations – they are the nearest things to Châteauneuf du Pape wines that you can find – just about $30 (or more) less expensive. For the most part, they come from the same type of soil and climate, are made from the same grape varieties and increasingly come from old vines and are made by the same producers who make Châteauneuf from their nearby vineyards. In short, they offer among the world’s best values. Here is a new arrival:

2010 Domaine Les Aphillanthes Côtes du Rhône Villages, Cuvée Galet ($17.99/$16.19 case). “Finding this secluded chais (and the glorious wines inside) is one of the great discoveries of my career as an importer,” wrote Robert Parker of this organic producer in Issue 131 of The Wine Advocate, and “the wines of Daniel Boulle "may be the richest Cotes du Rhone I have tasted." Daniel had, prior to the 1999 vintage, sold virtually his entire production to the cooperative, but urged on by friends and family, he experimented with vinification and bottling for the first time that vintage. The results are very promising, to say the least. “What makes Daniel Boulle so special is his absolute perfection in growing. His yields are minute and the fruit is perfect. The Cuvée des Galets, from yields of only 20-22 hl/ha (less than half of what he is allowed to produce), possesses a physiological ripeness, concentration and texture unlike any other Côtes du Rhône I have experienced.”

The 2010 vintage does not disappoint (91 points): “Fashioned from 45-65 year old vines, this unfiltered blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre is a killer value. It boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as stunning aromas of kirsch liqueur, licorice, camphor, tobacco leaf and underbrush. Spicy, peppery and loaded with fruit, this medium to full-bodied red is another crowd-pleasing, classic example of Provencal viticulture that should age nicely for 4-5 years.”

Travel a bit further to the southwest to Roussillon and you’ll find more great values and wines that closely resemble the wines of Spanish Catalonia, just over the Pyrennees. Here’s one, lip-smackingly good and at a ridiculous price for what you get:

2009 Walden Côtes du Roussillon ($13.99/$12.59 case). From The Wine Advocate: “Herve Bizeul's Walden 2009 Cotes du Roussillon - representing collaboration with small family vintners designed to showcase old Carignan and Grenache vines largely on chalk-clay, though here including as well some Syrah from schist - has achieved distinctively delicious results. Smoky, spicy, saline, and crushed stone notes compliment ripe red raspberry, leading to a lip-smackingly long if faintly warm finish. I would plan to enjoy this over the next 2-3 years”

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