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Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.20
12 bottles: $18.82
A new wine for 'A Vita (although it was made once before, in the 2012 vintage), the 'il Rosso' is Gaglioppo (from the...
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $159.60 $168.00
Hans Reisetbauer is widely recognized as one of the world‘s great farmer-distillers, relentless in his pursuit of...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
700ml
Bottle: $74.10 $78.00
The latest creation from master distiller Hans Reisetbauer. A cuvée of 50% Jamaican and 50% Reisetbauer‘s own...
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $18.95
12 bottles: $18.57
Abacela was the first to plant, produce and bottle Albariño in the Pacific Northwest, thus paving the way for...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $17.50
Typical Albarino from the Salnés Valley, in Rías Baixas, to enjoy now and for the next 5 years.
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Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $10.26 $10.80
24 bottles: $7.84
A gold rum with a smooth, bold taste carefully blended with savory spices. Winner of the 2019 & 2020 SIP Awards...
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $16.82 $17.71
12 bottles: $11.40
A gold rum with a smooth, bold taste carefully blended with savory spices. Winner of the 2019 & 2020 SIP Awards...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $23.66
Lovely and fresh with aromas of crunchy red berries, red plum, tomato, and leather. The palate has a touch of spice,...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $32.89 $35.20
In the glass, the wine shows colors of red garnet accompanied by a bouquet of cherries, menthol and a hint of...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.15 $17.08
12 bottles: $15.44
In the glass, the wine is deep ruby with purple hues. On the nose, the wine is delicate with notes of cherry,...
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $28.50 $30.00
12 bottles: $26.22
Ak Zanj, from Haitian Creole, translates to "With Angels" and is a nod to the evaporated spirit stolen by thirsty...
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $52.44 $55.20
12 bottles: $49.02
Ak Zanj, from Haitian Creole, translates to "With Angels" and is a nod to the evaporated spirit stolen by thirsty...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $78.66 $82.80
12 bottles: $74.10
Ak Zanj, from Haitian Creole, translates to "With Angels" and is a nod to the evaporated spirit stolen by thirsty...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $33.06 $34.80
12 bottles: $30.78
Ak Zanj, from Haitian Creole, translates to "With Angels" and is a nod to the evaporated spirit stolen by thirsty...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $16.51
Clean and fresh with delicate citrus notes on the nose and a palate packed with green apple, orange peel and lime...
White
750ml
Bottle: $41.94
12 bottles: $41.10
"Alma de Mar" is one of Xurxo's top wines, and comes from a single plot of 100% Albariño very close to the sea. The...
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $43.94
12 bottles: $43.06
Xurxo makes this wine from 100% Albariño from a tiny 1 ha vineyard of 35 year old vines grown organically on clay...
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $46.50
12 bottles: $45.57
A very special wine made in honor of Xurxo's brother from a few small parcels of older 40-45 year old vines Albariño...
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $23.20
12 bottles: $22.04
Clean and fresh with lively floral and tropical notes and hints of citric aromas. Balanced and fresh on the palate,...
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $29.40 $33.60
The aged expression of the Original Albany Rum, picking up its distinctive color as well as rich spice and vanilla...

Albarino Italian Red Blends Mavrodaphne Rum

The pale skinned grapes of the Albarino varietal have been grown in and around Spain and Portugal for almost a thousand years, where they are highly enjoyed and prized by the locals for their distinctive aroma, and sharp, tart acidity levels. Over the past century, their influence has spread to the New World, and many vineyards keen to emulate the white wines of Spain have had considerable success with this varietal. The light bodied wines which are produced from the Albarino grapes have wonderfully aromatic properties, and carry ripe flavors of soft summer fruits, apricot and peach, with a mild and pleasantly bitter after taste brought on by their thick skins. Because of their acidic nature, they are a fantastic match for many Spanish foods, and are best served chilled on a hot day.

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?

It is difficult to categorize rum as a single spirit, because of all the spirits found around the globe, rum is perhaps the one which varies most dramatically from place to place. Clear, white rum - a favorite for cocktail drinkers - is perhaps the most prevalent example found today, but there is a whole world of darker, spiced and molasses-rich rums to explore, thanks to the fascinating history and wide reach this drink has.

Rum came about during the colonial times, when sugar was a huge and world-changing business. The molasses left over from the sugar production industry could easily be distilled into a delicious alcoholic drink, and provided extra income for the sugar traders. Before long, it became a favorite of sailors and transatlantic merchants, and it quickly spread across the Caribbean and Latin America, where it remains highly popular today.

The production of rum is a basic and simple one - you take your molasses, add yeast and water, and then ferment and distil the mixture. However, as is often the case, the devil is in the detail. The variation in yeasts found from place to place, the maturation period, the length of the fermentation and the type of stills and barrels used provide the rainbow-colored variation that gives rum its spectrum of styles and characteristics.