Recently I made a trip to the The Vine Wine and Spirits which is a wine and liquor store located inside of our local Whole Foods.  Before moving to Chattanooga, I’ve always been used to purchasing wine inside of a grocery store and being able to purchase juice and other sorts of mixers inside of liquor stores.  Unfortunately, here in Chattanooga – you can’t do either of those things.  Hence the reason why the the Vine is sort of beside/inside Whole Foods.  Lucky for me, it’s all very convenient. The Vine is the cutest wine shop you’ll ever see.  It’s small, which I love.  Because the size isn’t overwhelming, it’s easier to see all of the products. They have a fantastic wine selection and a variety of beers, liquors and even a small section of sake.  

The manager of the Vine, John, is well-versed in all things wine related.  I met him over a year ago at a wine tasting dinner. If you have any questions about wine – John is your man.  I asked John to tell me about 6 white wines, reasonably priced, that would be fantastic for sipping during the spring and could be purchased in their store.  If you’re looking for some white wines, I’ve got you covered.

First up is a Vinho Verde.  Vinho Verde is a Portuguese white wine that has a bit of a citrusy flavors. The Vine carries Vinho Verde for $15

#2 is a Calamares Vinho Verde – same delicious flavor but a few bucks cheaper – $9

Next is a Lorentz Pinot Blanc. This Pinot Blanc is made in the North Eastern part of France and aged over 20-30 years, a great choice to enjoy for $19.99. 

The fourth wine is a Torrentes, which I enjoy every now and again.  The Vine has a fantastic Torrentes for $10.99.  Perfect on a warm spring day.

#5 – a Picpoul de Pinet – this wine was new to me. I’d never tasted it nor had a I heard of it.  John described the the Picpoul de Pinet as a dry, delicate white wine that’s very refreshing.  It’s also quite versatile in that it pairs wells with lots of foods. ($11.99)

The last, but certainly not least white wine recommendation for the spring is a Feliciana Felugan Lugana – that’s a mouthful. An Italian wine, it’s closely described as a Chardonnay but certainly has it’s own lane and for $17.99, it pairs well with seafood.

I had so much fun hanging out with John and the staff at The Vine.  On Thursday’s and Friday’s The Vine has wine tastings from 4-6pm.  John picks the wine and gives excellent detail on the history, the flavors and the region the wine originated. If you decide that you like the wine that’s up for discussion, you’ll get a 10% discount off of a bottle – awesome!  In case you miss one of those tastings you can join them on Saturday’s from 1-4pm too!

This Saturday April 26th…they’re tasting margaritas.  I’m so there.  Check out The Vine at 301 Manufacturer’s Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405.  Be sure to like and follow them on Facebook too!