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750ml
Bottle:
$14.99
The wine has a deep, rich purple color. Intense red fruits are on the nose, with black pepper spice and a touch of...
1.8Ltr
Bottle:
$74.67
$78.60
A stout, robust and incredibly dry sake, prominent notes of black walnuts and caramel shading into spicy flavors of...
720ml
Bottle:
$36.48
$38.40
A stout, robust and incredibly dry sake, prominent notes of black walnuts and caramel shading into spicy flavors of...
720ml
Bottle:
$91.28
$96.08
6 bottles:
$88.01
Delicate tropical aromas of melon, lychee, and pineapple with the floral hint of honeysuckle. Feather-light, layered...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.44
$21.60
12 bottles:
$17.10
This wine has great color, with a dark purple and red hue. There are spicy, earthy aromas of black cherry, black...
750ml
Bottle:
$21.23
$23.59
12 bottles:
$18.99
Varietally distinct, this Zinfandel captures the true essence of Alexander Valley. The fruit is sourced from a...
300ml
Bottle:
$15.05
$15.84
Layers of dried flowers and baking spice give way to savory salinity. Slightly dry and medium-bodied. Clean and...
720ml
Bottle:
$28.88
$30.40
Layers of dried flowers and baking spice give way to savory salinity. Slightly dry and medium-bodied. Clean and...
720ml
Bottle:
$30.78
$32.40
Instead of big, heady, fruity aromas, this showcases the grain and the koji. Notes of charred pizza crust and roasted...
750ml
Bottle:
$27.90
12 bottles:
$27.34
The 2016 Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard is medium garnet-purple in color and opens with notions of raspberry tart,...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.89
$17.49
12 bottles:
$15.83
This is a very successful Zinfandel, blending earth, spice and fruit into a savory, yet thirst-quenching package....
750ml
Bottle:
$28.13
6 bottles:
$27.57
A rich wine with layers of raspberry, cherry, and blackberry complemented by vanilla, licorice, and toast....
375ml
Bottle:
$44.40
Floral nose. Waxy (candlewax, crayons), then spicy, fruity notes emerge, in particular raisin and plum, becomes more...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$21.35
A lush, full-bodied Zinfandel that blaze dark berry, earth and grassy aromas that complement a rich and complex...
Aligote Grappa Japanese Whiskey Sake Zinfandel
Like so many of the great spirits of Europe, Grappa was born from a need to make resources go that little bit further, to eke out the last drop of flavor and potential from the crops of winemakers. Indeed, Italian vintners invented Grappa as a way to make use of the pomace - leftover grape skins, stems, pulp and seeds - which remained after the juice was extracted from the fruit needed to make wine. Over the centuries, the process was refined, and the distillation of Grappa became an art in itself. Today, top Grappa producers use a range of state of the art equipment, from continuous stills to pot stills, to manufacture a wide variety of Grappas, each with their own distinct characteristics.
Most of us know Grappa from our local Italian restaurants, where it is commonly served as a digestif. However, in the twenty first century, there is a high interest in unique, boutique Grappas, which showcase the talent of the distillers through a range of interesting qualities. Grappa can be aged in oak, in which case it takes on a beautiful golden color, quite different from the clear Grappas we are most familiar with. The high end Grappas are a world away from the harsh spirit many of us have encountered, and have a smooth, gentle quality which can be nothing short of a revelation.
Whisky might not be the first thing that springs to mind when we think of Japanese fine produce, but over the past one hundred years, this fascinating and multi-faceted country has diligently forged a unique whisky identity which is growing in popularity, and which is entirely its own.
The story of Japanese whisky begins in 1918, when Masataka Taketsuru was sent to Scotland to undertake a tour of single malt distilleries in the Highlands, and bring home a knowledge of whisky and distillation skills. He returned full of inspiration, helped no doubt by his new Scottish wife, and alongside his friend, Shinjiro Torii, set up what would become a successful whisky industry.
Today, the Japanese whisky industry is spread over a relatively small handful of distilleries, which continue to use Scottish techniques and recipes, but with a hefty dose of distinctly Japanese experimentalism. This is displayed most obviously in the barrelling techniques the Japanese use - to create a distinctly Oriental set of tasting notes, native Japanese oakwood casks are used for ageing, alongside casks taken from plum wine producers, which impart a beautiful set of floral flavors to the whisky.
While some distilleries produce some excellent single malts, the majority of Japanese whiskies are blended, which reveals a unique set of flavors and aromas ranging from honeysuckle and orange blossom, to toffee and acetone.
The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.