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750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$169.86
Earth tones mingle with dark blackberry and plum fruit in this beefy Barbera. Still tough on the finish, with an...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$88.95
A dense, powerful version, exhibiting plum, blackberry, cola and baking spice flavors. Heady, with appreciable...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$66.95
The 2019 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Francia marries elegance, power and energy. Inky blue/purplish fruit, menthol, licorice...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$67.95
Dark and brooding, this red delivers blackberry, plum, tamarind and light earth flavors allied with a rich texture....
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$63.91
Rich ruby in color, the 2019 Barbera D'Alba Scudetto is more red-fruited and has wonderful energy, with wild...
Pre-Arrival
Giuseppe Rinaldi Barbera D'alba 2022
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$65.95
The 2022 Barbera d'Alba is laced with dark cherry, spice, mocha and new leather. Soft, silky tannins wrap it all...
Barbera White Rhone Blends Mencia Rye Whiskey
For centuries now, the beautiful red grapes of the Barbera varietal have been grown in Italy, where they are prized for their unusual high acid content and low tannins, brought about by their thin skins. The Barbera grape varietal thrives in warmer climates, and has had some success overseas in the new world, where its strongly aromatic flavors of intense hedgerow fruits make it a favorite with wineries and wine drinkers looking for a grape which offers plenty of interesting characteristics. Interestingly, the differences between young and aged wines made from this varietal are quite significant, with younger bottles holding a plethora of berry flavors, including blueberry and raspberry notes, and oak aged wines made from the Barbera grape being much loved for their ability to become extremely complex and spicy, and picking up vanilla flavors from the wood they are barreled in.
Viognier, an exotic, elusive varietal, originally comes from the Northern Rhone Valley of France, and has captured the fascination of the U.S. wine-drinking public. At its finest, it is full-bodied and nearly golden in color, with a haunting bouquet of peaches, apricots and pears, and a floral quality like no other wine in the world. Many vintners are trying their hand at this varietal, spreading from its American beginnings in Napa Valley and Santa Barbara County to wineries as far away as Virginia. Marsanne and Rousanne, two other important varieties from the Rhone Valley are making waves in the U.S., particularly on the Central Coast of California.
Rye Whiskey is enjoying something of a renaissance of late, with sales rocketing in recent years thanks to a growing interest in strong, unique flavors, and small, independent distilleries. Rye Whiskey is a drink which is all about powerful, bold flavors, with plenty of spice and bitterness when drunk young. Aged, however, it takes on a deep set of subtle notes which are beautifully mellow and complex, and becomes a fascinating example of what whiskey can be when made with expert hands.
In order for an American Whiskey to be labeled a Rye Whiskey, it must have a mash content which is no less than fifty one percent rye. This separates it from Bourbon, and it is this which gives it its distinctive flavor and spiciness. Toffee, cinnamon, caraway, cloves and oak are typical tasting notes, and ‘straight rye’ whiskies - which are aged in charred oak barrels - take on plenty of the smokiness of the wood, adding a further, fascinating facet.
Rye Whiskey has its spiritual home in the northeastern states of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and cities like Pittsburgh produced vast quantities of Rye Whiskey in the 18th and 19th centuries. Most the old distilleries were closed during the prohibition era, after which time rye whiskey more or less disappeared completely, but the twenty-first century is seeing old recipes being resurrected and released to rave reviews.