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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.64 $15.41
12 bottles: $11.52
This Zinfandel offers aromas of blueberry, black stone fruit and black pepper. Polished tannins and flavors of...
Instore only
Red
3.0Ltr
Bottle: $18.94
TASTING NOTES Bota Box Zinfandel is round and full of vigor, with a nose of black cherry, black pepper and baked...
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $33.60 $38.40
Eye: Garnet core, pink rose rim. Nose: Kumquat, exotic spice, wild strawberries, raspberries, Rainier cherry. Time...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.94 $15.17
12 bottles: $13.66
Red
750ml
Bottle: $44.90
12 bottles: $44.00
60% Zinfandel,15% Grenache, 10% Alicante Bouschet, 5% Petite Sirah and 10% "other" (20+ other varieties, in fact)...
12 FREE
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $26.93 $28.80
"Bambino" comes from a ten-acre block planted on Old Hill in 1998. This young-vine field blend is patterned after the...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.94 $31.60
12 bottles: $26.60
Our Zinfandel was aged for 12 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels, 20% of which were new. At...
Instore only
Sale
Spirits
1.0Ltr
Bottle: $32.82 $34.55
Inviting aromas of roasted grains, wildflower honey, apple pastry, and lemon tart introduce this classic whiskey. In...
UBC
91
WE
90
Sale
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $20.56 $21.64
Inviting aromas of roasted grains, wildflower honey, apple pastry, and lemon tart introduce this classic whiskey. In...
UBC
91
WE
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $39.89 $41.99
12 bottles: $27.35
Inviting aromas of roasted grains, wildflower honey, apple pastry, and lemon tart introduce this classic whiskey. In...
UBC
91
WE
90
Sale
Spirits
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...
12 FREE
WE
92
UBC
92
Sale
Spirits
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...
12 FREE
UBC
92
WKY
91
Spirits
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...
12 FREE
UBC
96
WE
95
Sale
Spirits
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...
12 FREE
UBC
96
WKY
96
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
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...
12 FREE
WE
96
UBC
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $40.80 $42.95
12 bottles: $33.73
This elegant, super-soft sipper is a blend of grain whiskey and malt whiskey that was finished in oloroso Sherry...
WE
96
UBC
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $35.34 $37.20
12 bottles: $31.92
The closest you can get to the Bushmills that would've sat behind the bar at the Shelby's legendary Small Heath pub.
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $40.80 $42.95
12 bottles: $29.17
A brilliant copper color, this medium-bodied spirit is creamy and lush, with flavors of dried peach, date, and apple,...
UBC
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.65 $15.17
12 bottles: $12.36
Our smooth Zinfandel is layered with hints of rich blackberry, luscious caramel, and aromatic toasted oak.
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.36 $20.40
12 bottles: $16.63
A fruit bomb, with just enough character to keep things interesting. Reveals jammy blackberry and licorice flavors...
WS
88

Irish Whiskey Mavrodaphne Mencia Zinfandel

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.

In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.

Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.

Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.

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 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.