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750ml
Bottle:
$26.93
This has notes of grapefruit, toasted pineapple, grilled herbs and beeswax. It’s full-bodied, layered and...
750ml
Bottle:
$60.87
$64.07
6 bottles:
$49.91
Rich aromas of toasted marcona almonds, saltine crackers, and hay are earthy, savory and ethereal. Equally powerful...
750ml
Bottle:
$60.87
$64.07
6 bottles:
$60.47
Pours an inviting amber color and shows complex aromas of preserved lemon, toasted grains, dried peach, and honey...
750ml
Bottle:
$152.39
6 bottles:
$143.99
Blanched nuts, clover honey, and hay are delicate and mellow aromas. The palate erupts with baking spice and tropical...
750ml
Bottle:
$286.13
$301.19
Red wine poached pear, dried tobacco, baking spice, and baked apricot on the nose. Much softer and honeyed on the...
1.0Ltr
Bottle:
$37.38
$39.35
This elegant, super-soft sipper is a blend of grain whiskey and malt whiskey that was finished in oloroso Sherry...
750ml
Bottle:
$50.15
$52.79
6 bottles:
$47.99
This golden whiskey offers pear aromas and a honeyed palate accented by candied ginger. Adding water coaxes more...
750ml
Bottle:
$140.22
$147.60
NOSE: Poached pears, cinnamon & ginger. PALATE: Dark chocolate, berry & spice. FINISH: A long finish of oak spices...
750ml
Bottle:
$50.54
$53.20
A triumph from Connacht, a relatively young distillery in County Mayo, this is the first whiskey off their stills,...
750ml
Bottle:
$72.28
$76.08
6 bottles:
$69.22
Spicy cola nut, tropical melon, honey, grapefruit pith, gunpowder, and a tinge of vanilla offer unparalleled depth...
750ml
Bottle:
$48.22
$50.76
Topaz color. Aromas of pine nut, wood smoke, baked pear come alive right from the first inhalation. Flavor profile is...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.95
12 bottles:
$18.57
100% Grignolino from a 2 hectare vineyard of clay and limestone-gypsum soils, with a south/southwest exposure. The...
700ml
Bottle:
$69.65
$73.32
6 bottles:
$64.63
The flagship Dingle is just a great whiskey to lose yourself in. The nose has honey on wheat toast, brown sugar,...
![Domaine Sigalas Santorini [100% Assyrtiko] 2023 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/64/6419cf53f302d36f37bd2297e232444b.jpg){kind=small}
750ml
Bottle:
$44.94
12 bottles:
$44.04
Located in Imerovigli, the sub-region of Oia Santorini, Sigalas’s Assyrtiko basket trained vines (Kouloura) average...
Assyrtiko Fruit Wine Grignolino Irish Whiskey Japanese Whiskey 12 Ship Free Items
Cultivated since at least the middle of the Byzantine era, the Assyrtiko grape is generally considered to be one the finest of the Greek grape varietals, as a result of its multi-purpose properties and ability to flourish on a wide range of terrains. The ancient Byzantines used it in conjunction with Aidani and Athiri grapes for the production of their unusual and naturally sweet Vinsanto wines, which are still produced today in Santorini, and continue to be popular. However, the Assyrtiko grapes are used for many different AOC wines across Greece, and are favored by wine makers who want to maintain a dryness and acidic punch to their produce.
The Assyrtiko grapes are renowned for their ability to maintain their acidity as they ripen beneath the blazing Mediterranean sun, resulting in wines which have a distinctive dryness and a range of citrus fruit aromas, as well as great structure and high tannins. Often, Assyrtiko grapes will produce wines which leave an unusual after-taste reminiscent of the mineral rich, volcanic soils they are grown in on the slopes of Santorini, making them a favorite for wine drinkers looking for something full of character and interesting attributes. The past twenty five years have seen Assyrtiko vines planted all over the Greek mainland, and even in Attica and Macedonia, where the softer terrain often produces more fruit forward wines with a milder, less astringent character. However, wherever this fine grape varietal is grown, it is rare the results will be anything less than excellent.
Additional Information on Greek Wines
Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?
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.
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.