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Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
1.0Ltr
Bottle: $9.18 $12.75
A newcomer to the marketplace, this velvety, blended Irish whiskey offers sweet, malty flavors that incorporate baked...
WE
94
Instore only
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $10.99
A newcomer to the marketplace, this velvety, blended Irish whiskey offers sweet, malty flavors that incorporate baked...
WE
94
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $22.94 $23.60
6 bottles: $20.00
Among the better expressions from this vast, somewhat sclerotic Lugana region, evidencing many styles and...
JS
91
DC
90
White
750ml
Bottle: $32.39
6 bottles: $31.74
In the 1930s Manzoni Bianco was created by Prof. Luigi Manzoni, director of the renowned Conegliano Research Center,...
12 FREE
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $21.93 $22.80
12 bottles: $21.49
The 1st vintage of Bianco di Ampeleia was 2016. A neighbor's vineyard had old vines of a local biotype of Trebbiano...
White
750ml
Bottle: $25.20
12 bottles: $24.70
White
750ml
Bottle: $36.72
6 bottles: $36.00
COLOR: Intense yellow in color. NOSE: Elderflower, citrus, musk, and almond. Floral fragrances gradually give way to...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $27.74 $29.20
12 bottles: $26.60
TOP 100 SPIRITS 2019. This easy-drinking whiskey has a straw hue, mild vanilla aroma and feather-light feel on the...
WE
92
Case only
White
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $18.68
Color: Pale-straw. Bouquet: Fruity. Taste: Crisp, fresh, refreshing.
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $24.85 $27.60
12 bottles: $22.80
White
750ml
Bottle: $18.95
12 bottles: $18.57
Arneis/Cortese/Sauvignon Blanc/Favorita/Vermentino. The name "Arcese" is a whimsical mash-up of Arneis and Cortese,...
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $26.95
12 bottles: $26.41
100% Moscato. From organically farmed estate vines averaging 30 years old, planted on south-southeast-facing slopes...
12 FREE
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $15.94
The typical aromas of the Sauvignon are tangy on the nose; sage, ripe peach, elderflower and green pepper. The Pinot...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $16.68
The typical aromas of the Sauvignon are tangy on the nose; sage, ripe peach, elderflower and green pepper. The Pinot...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $5.89
White
750ml
Bottle: $81.00
6 bottles: $79.80
This is another fantastic white and continues to be one of the best from Tuscany. It’s so perfumed with sliced...
12 FREE
JS
98
WA
95
White
750ml
Bottle: $82.88
6 bottles: $81.22
A solid white with dried pear, apple, cream and stone aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied with a beautiful core of...
12 FREE
JS
96
White
750ml
Bottle: $19.53
12 bottles: $19.14
Sliced-pear some red-apple aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with lemon zest and fresh pear on the finish....
12 FREE
JS
89
750ml
Bottle: $22.40
12 bottles: $21.28
• Primarily Garnacha with smaller complements of Bobal and Royal, from very old organically-farmed vineyards. •...
WA
91
White
750ml
Bottle: $61.50
6 bottles: $60.27
This has a pretty nose of jasmine, honeysuckle, white peach and melon. Medium-bodied with a ripe, creamy and juicy...
12 FREE
JS
91

Grenache Irish Whiskey Italian White Blends Marsala

The Grenache grape holds the honor of being the most widely planted wine grape varietal on earth. It has a long and impressive history, and has been the backbone of the some of the planet’s most respected and famed wine regions, blended with Syrah in regions such as Chateauneuf du Pape, and in certain other Loire and Languedoc regions where it reigns supreme as a single varietal wine grape. In other key areas, such as Spain’s La Rioja (where it is known as Garnacha Tinta), it is blended with Tempranillo to make that country’s signature red wine, and is widely used as a blending grape in other old and new world countries, due to its unique character and jammy, fruit forward character.


For a long time, the Grenache grape was somewhat looked down upon as an ignoble varietal, incapable of producing wines of any particular interest. However, times are very much changing - in the right hands, Grenache grapes result in astonishingly intense and complex wines, full of fascinating features, and capable of achieving plenty of expression. For a while now, Grenache has been a major player in Australian wines. While not yet quite as extensively planted down under as Shiraz is, the Barossa Valley is bringing out some of the finest examples of this grape’s wines in recent years.

The Irish are hailed as being the original producers of whiskey in the British Isles, and their innovations and techniques were so successful, that neighbouring Scotland were quickly influenced by them in the 15th century. Centuries later, it was the Irish who brought whiskey to America, and their style of whiskey has since become popular all over the world.

However, it wasn’t always plain sailing for the Irish whiskey industry - from being a dominant force in the 19th century, whose produce was considered far superior to that of Scotland, political upheaval and war saw the Irish whiskey almost disappear forever in the early 20th century. Today, the Irish whiskey manufacturers are back on their feet, and they are once again proving that the original is often the best. With new distilleries opening every year, it is safe to say that Irish whiskey is very much back.

Irish whiskey differs from Scotch whisky in a number of ways, and not least the spelling - the extra ‘e’ was said to be added in the 19th century as a way of distancing the Irish drink from what they saw as an inferior Scottish product. Irish whiskey was traditionally made in enormous stills, as a way of ensuring consistency from bottle to bottle, and maintaining the quality and complexity their reputation was founded on. The typical tasting notes of fine Irish whiskey include apple and vanilla, alongside spicy and sweet touches of nutmeg and fresh hay, making this a highly pleasant and smooth drink, made for relaxation and stimulating conversation about times past.

Marsala is a well known fortified wine from Italy’s largest island, Sicily. A largely misunderstood and undervalued fortified wine, it is most commonly associated with its sweet variety - usually used as a cooking wine - although the finest dry Masalas are able to stand up to more revered, similar wines such as Sherry and Madeira. Marsala has been made in Sicily since the mid 18th century, and it grew wildly popular around Europe as sailors introduced it to port towns across the continent. Marsala wine has a beautiful set of flavors, most typically including apricot, tamarind, vanilla and tobacco, making it a delightfully intense treat when served as a sipping wine.



Marsala wine comes in several different varieties, and most of them are a world away from the sweet wines used in sauces and chicken dishes. Amber, golden and ruby versions of Masala are produced, from a range of different native grape varietals, and many of the finest are aged for over ten years to achieve a fascinating set of complex flavors and a remarkably smooth finish. It is usually made from the Grillo, Inzolia, Damaschino and Catarratto white grapes, although the ruby Masala wines uses typical Sicilian red varietals such as Nero d’Avola and Calabrese, among others.