Ortega Rioja Reserva
$41.99
Ortega Ezquerros is a family-run production based in Rioja, Spain. Starting in 1896 as a small collection of vines, Ortega Ezquerro continuously adapts and grows with the ever-changing wine environment, whilst maintaining their traditions and beliefs. Bright deep garnet color. Aromas of red fruits blended with notes of vanilla and spices. The mouth is structured, fleshy and filling. Elegant and very round mouth-feel with a very well-integrated oak. Long and complex aftertaste with balsamic notes, very good reminders that invite us to keep on enjoying the wine. Enjoy with any of your favourite dishes.
Ortega Rioja Young White
$26.99
Their story began with Quintín Ortega in 1986. A humble figure with some good ideas and the determination to carry them out, he decides to plant vines and start what is now the winery, led by his great-grandson, Carmelo Ortega. In the 90s, Carmelo established the winery headquarters in an old house that served as a winery for many years, now a site where an enotourism project is being developed to encourage tourism in the region. Their property covers approximately 700 hectares of scrubland, almond fields and vineyards, all of which are sheltered by the nearby mountains, which create climatic conditions that include a reduced risk of frost and a controlled level of humidity in the summer. This set of features and factors, together with the characteristics of the soil (pebbles, low organic matter), creates a unique grape-growing microcosm, which has allowed them to develop the “village wine” style they are looking for to define the wines of Tudelilla (the village where they are situated in the heart of the Rioja Baja region). This wine is a blend of 90% Viura, 5% Malvasía, 5% Garnacha Blanca. It's balanced and intriguing, with beautiful fruit and floral characteristics and an underlying acidity that brightens up the palate. Serve as an aperitif, or with light seafood.
Siempre Tequila Plata
$70.99
Siempre Spirits was founded by a Canadian couple in 2015. They currently bottle this Plata Tequila as well as a Reposado and Anejo.
From The Producer
Plata is our purest expression, made using blue weber agave from both the highlands of Jalisco and the valley of Tequila, bringing together the best of both worlds for a perfectly balanced tasting experience."
Foradori Sgarzon
$69.99
This is the lighter and more elegant of the two single vineyard Teroldegos vinified in Anfora. Aromas and flavours of blueberries, blackberries, and cherries follow through to a full body, round and velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. A big and rich wine with so much density and complexity that would pair beautifully with aged Italian cheeses, red meats and even with your favourite tomato-based dish.100% single vineyard Teroldego from “Sgarzon” Vineyard. "Sgarzo” means vine shoot in the Campo Rotaliano. The vines that grow in the Sgarzon vineyard are particularly vital and benefit from the cooler climate that distinguishes this site.
At the age of just 20, Elisabetta Foradori (above) found herself in charge of the family winery, based in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains in Trentino, way back in 1984. It’s been quite a journey for her, and over time she has moved in a more natural direction, looking to get the ultimate expression of the place and the main variety here, Teroldego. In pursuit of this expression, she converted to biodynamics in 2002, and was certfied in 2009. There are 28 hectares of vines here, with three-quarters of this Teroldego (they did a mass selection and so now have 15 different clones, plus grew some from seeds), plus Manzoni Bianco (a cross of Pinot Blanc and Riesling), Nosiola and Pinot Grigio, with production around 150 000 bottles a year. These vineyards are surrounded by mountains, and there are two main soil types: calcareous clay and alluvial. While many in the region grow on a high-yielding pergola system, most of her vines are vertically trellised. Since 2012, Emilio, one of her four children, has worked with her, and she has gradually taken a more natural direction. Part of this direction is a move towards using clay. Elevage is in a mix of large wood (oak and acacia), and increasingly these clay amphorae (tinajas from Spain, which are unlined). Jamie Goode
Bodegas Baron-Micaela Oloroso
$49.99
AI Overview
"Micaela Amontillado is a dry, 17.5% ABV Sherry from Bodegas Barón in Jerez, Spain, aged for 4–5 years. Made from 100% Palomino grapes, it combines biological and oxidative aging to produce a golden-colored wine with notes of hazelnut, toasted almond, caramel, and coastal salinity."
Kay Brothers Basket Pressed Shiraz
$44.99
For well over a century, Shiraz has played the main role in producing wines of outstanding quality, depth and longevity at Kay Brothers. The Basket Press Shiraz continues this tradition. The vineyards sourced for this wine have a predominantly eastern exposure. The soil varies from sandy loam at the top of the hill to heavier loam and clay as it transcends down the hill toward the creek. The dry climate forces the vine roots, ranging from 9 - 18 years, to delve into the complex underlying geology consisting of quartz and ironstone gravels, weathered and calcareous sandstone, siltstone and limestone.
Aubuisieres Le Marigny Sec
$36.99
Formerly known as Domaine Bernard Fouquet, until Bernard retired in 2021, handing the reins to Charles Lesaffre. Charles is the grandson of Gérald Bruley des Varannes, the man from whom Bernard's father André acquired his first vineyards, thereby bringing the story of the Domaine full circle. An avid practitioner of viticulture and oenology, Charles joined Bernard as an associate in 2019. Two years into his tenure, Charles has emphasized organic and biodynamic practices. Charles has continued, as Bernard before him, to capture the unique Vouvray mineral tones, along with the wonderfully balanced expression of fruit of the Chenin Blanc grape, in his wines.
Le Marigny from Domaine des Aubuisieres is a 100% Chenin Blanc from the Loire that is undergoes partial oak fermentation. It's a rich single-vineyard Chenin with a fine balance of ripe apple and peach flavours, racy acidity and subtle spice notes from oak fermentation and lees ageing. Lovely now as a match for creamy pork dishes, but it will cellar well too.
Hofbrau Oktoberfest 5L Keg
$59.99
The Munich Beer Festival, or Oktoberfest, is an event of superlatives - it’s the largest popular festival in the world, staging in the beer metropolis of Munich. Millions of visitors from all over the world flock along every year to enjoy its very special atmosphere. For this occasion, Hofbräu brews a rich, full-bodied beer which goes down ideally with traditional Bavarian cuisine. With its deliciously bitter taste and alcoholic content of 6.3% volume, Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier is as special as the Beer Festival itself.
La Kiuva - Rouge de Vallee
$40.99
A blend of 70% Picotendro (local Nebbiolo clone), 30% Gros Vien, Neyret, Cornalin and Fumin.
La Kiuva is a tiny co-op in the Vallée d'Aoste, whose headquarters are in Pied de Ville. It was created in 1975 and its first vintage was 1979. Today, it consists of just 60 growers comprising 25 hectares of vines (18 in DOC) and producing around 8000 cases total. In this way it is more akin to a fine small winery with each grower tending their small plot like in Burgundy with the co-operative's agronomist ensuring the highest quality of viticulture. Most of the grower members farm organically. Kiuva means a bale of chestnut leaves used to feed animals during the winter.
All the vineyards are located between 380 and 500 meters above sea level, with the white and aromatic varieties being planted at the higher levels and the vineyards at the lower levels producing wine with greater structure and body that is aged in wood. The older vineyards are pergola-trained but the newer vineyards are cane-trained along wires. The diurnal difference is greater than in Piemonte, due to the proximity of the Alps and thus the harvest period is prolonged. The higher elevation is also advantageous when there is excessive rain.