×
Rapid Ship
Red
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...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.08
12 bottles: $17.72
COLOR: Wine of very elegant red color. BOUQUET: Intense aroma, with fruity hints of ripe plums, cherry jam and notes...
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $49.02 $51.60
6 bottles: $48.00
Mashed, fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled by the Albany Distilling Company. Made from grain grown in New York...
12 FREE
Sale
Red
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...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $28.00
12 bottles: $27.44
The 2016 Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard is medium garnet-purple in color and opens with notions of raspberry tart,...
12 FREE
WA
93
JD
91
Sale
Red
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....
WE
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $28.13
6 bottles: $27.57
A rich wine with layers of raspberry, cherry, and blackberry complemented by vanilla, licorice, and toast....
12 FREE
Case only
Red
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...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.48 $18.40
12 bottles: $14.64
Case only
Spirits
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $71.59
Golden amber color. Toasty aromas and flavors of honey-butted toast, chocolate toffee, raisin cake, and frosted...
12 FREE
BTI
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $45.36 $50.40
The 2019 Zinfandel Cat's Cradle is similarly hued but has a purer, crisper, more youthful vibe as well as ample plum...
JD
93
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $43.20 $48.00
6 bottles: $34.40
Dark plum and black-cherry flavors show great richness and breadth in this mouth-filling, slightly tannic wine as it...
WE
92
JD
90
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $41.88
6 bottles: $34.20
12 FREE
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $90.38
6 bottles: $86.30
ON THE NOSE, sun-kissed notes of poised pressed flowers & clover hay are engulfed by mango meringue & pineapple gum...
12 FREE
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $44.97 $51.40
A soft dusty nose is accompanied by savory vegetal notes and aromas of caramelized banana. The palate is bold and...
UBC
93
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $110.75 $116.58
As a symbol of our offering to the makers who came before us and whose inspiration roused us to seek a future all our...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $39.79 $41.88
6 bottles: $34.20
As American single malt ascends, Balcones shows its leadership with this triumphant offering. It’s bursting with...
12 FREE
WKY
91
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $55.21 $61.34
Dried leaves, toasted nuts, and plenty of fresh oak emerge from this big, broad-shouldered malt that ably handles all...
WKY
89
UBC
88
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $30.77 $32.39
6 bottles: $26.87
Amber color. Aromas of waffle crisp, milk and honey, French toast, and fresh baked cookies with a satiny, vibrant,...
BTI
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $30.77 $32.39
6 bottles: $26.87
Amber color. Aromas of spearmint, caramel, iced tea with honey, cardamom, and clove with a velvety, crisp, fruity...
BTI
90

American Whiskey Ice Wine Primitivo Zinfandel

The United States of America is a country of great cultural diversity, influenced by migrating nations from across the world. As such, its whiskey industry is a fascinating and complex one, which represents the range of regional differences found there.

The Irish were the original pioneers of American whiskey, and when they emigrated in their thousands from the old country, they brought their skills, knowledge and distillation techniques with them, to give them something to remind each other of home in the New World. This is why American whiskey goes by the Irish spelling, with the additional ‘e’, and why many traditional American whiskies closely resemble the original Irish style.

Today, there are several different types of American whiskey, and the styles and production techniques are now set out in US federal law, cementing a set of characteristics and production methods to preserve and protect the industry.

Corn whiskey, which is made from a minimum 80% corn in the mash and aged for a short period, is probably the most historic of the American whiskey styles, but others like rye whiskey, which is made from a minimum of 51% rye and aged in charred barrels, are growing in popularity among a new generation of drinkers looking for something unique, interesting and independently produced. Alongside these styles, we find Tennessee whiskey, which uses maple charcoal for sweeter notes, the softer wheat whiskies, the world-dominating Bourbon whiskies, and others which are peculiar to specific states and regions.

As with many European grape varietals, there is some debate regarding the precise origins of the Primitivo grape. Most people now agree that it probably came from Croatia, where it is still used widely in the production of red wine, and it known as Tribidrag. However, today it is a grape most commonly associated with the powerful red wines of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, where the intense sunshine and brisk Mediterranean breezes produce grapes of remarkable character and balance. Primitivo is a dark grape, known for producing intense, inky, highly tannic wines, most notably the naturally sweet Dolce Naturale and the heavy and complex Primitivo di Manduria wines. Primitivo tends to be naturally very high in both tannin and alcohol, making it ideal for both barrel and cellar ageing, which brings out its more rounded and interesting features.


Primitivo is not the easiest grape to grow or manage, and it has had something of a difficult century. Indeed, by the 1990s, there was little interest in Puglian wines in general, and winemakers were neglecting their Primitivo vineyards and looking to other, more commercially viable varietals. However, the last decade has seen this grape come well and truly back into fashion, with new techniques and a heightened interest in native Italian grape varietals bringing Primitivo back into the spotlight. It is now widely loved for its intensity and ability to be paired with strongly flavored foods.

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.