With the chaotic economic news we’ve been facing recently, you might be tempted to make yourself a cocktail. We’re not advocating drinking as a cure-all, but we love letting you know about the liqueurs, aperitif wines, mixers, and wines that have been trickling in these past few weeks. And with the tariffs looming ahead (or perhaps not), its better to get your hands on them while you can.
But first, here’s some Made in America. Lemon seems to be the flavor of the season. Locally produced Le Moné is a low alcohol apéritif wine made in New York State with white wine from there and juice from aromatic, sweet Myer lemons (a hybrid of a mandarin orange and a lemon). A twist on a traditional apéritif wine, this bright, light refreshing drink can be served chilled, over ice, or spritzed with Prosecco and sparkling water.
Bourbon lovers, take note. The Holladay distillery in Weston, MO, dates back to 1856 when the first batch of bourbon was distilled there. Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bourbon is crafted in the original still house with the original recipe with one substitute, wheat for the rye, and after aging, bottled at 100 proof. Yes, potent, but wait until you sample it in an Old Fashioned or an Apple Cinnamon Smash. Delicious!
For mixers, up your cocktails with Badger Bevs launched in 2022 in the US. Badger’s Tonic Water, Club Soda, Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale, Sparkling Grapefruit and Sparkling Blood Orange can be mixed with spirits or enjoyed on their own over ice. Made with fresh fruit juices and extracts, botanicals, and a splash of effervescence, try the Avanti (Campari, Cocchi Rosa sweet vermouth, Badger Blood Orange) or a classic Paloma (Tequila, lime juice, Badger Sparkling Grapefruit) for a nicely nuanced cocktail.
Who doesn’t love iced coffee when it’s hot out, or not? A splash of Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur makes a very decadent, luscious beverage and it totally changed my attitude about Irish Cream. Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur is sourced and produced in County Cork, Ireland, where generations of family-owned farms dot the coastline, and is the world’s first farm-to-table Irish cream liqueur, made with local Irish Whiskey.
Looking for some interesting, ready-to-drink wines? We tasted wines from Armenia, Israel’s Galilee region, Moldova and other places you might not think of for excellent quality wine.
Armenia claims it was making wine before anyone else (even the Georgians and Moldovians) millennia ago, but we’ll settle for the present. Karas, which means ‘amphora’ in Armenian, refers to a sacred wine-making clay vessel used for making wine for 6,000 years. In fact, Karas is also the name of one of Armenia’s foremost wineries, dedicated to growing the country’s native grape, Areni, in the volcanic soil of the Armavir region. The winery began in 2003 as part of Argentinian-Armenian partnership.
In recent times, Armenia’s ancient oenological culture has produced some very tantalizing wines in the European style, like those made by Karas. The reds are juicy (a term used by wine professionals to characterize a wine’s body and density), balanced, redolent of deep red fruits without any acidity, which came as a delightful surprise as I sampled one Karas’ red wines made from a blend of 35% Syrah, 35% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Franc.
Israel’s Galilee region enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters which benefits grape ripening and wine quality. Recanati, launched in 2000, released a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 with hand harvested grapes and bursts with complex aromas of ripe black fruits and toasted walnut. This full-bodied red will also age gracefully over the next decade.
Moldova, bordering the Black Sea, was once governed by USSR. Wild grape vines were harvested for wine as far as 7,000 years ago, and after a series of monumental occupations by the Greeks, the Romans, then the Christians, and then Ottomans, Moldova’s wine continued to get better in terms of taste, production and storage. Phylloxera wiped out so many grape vines across Europe in the 20th century, but as we know, wine growers keep going! From 1940-1991, when Moldova was under Soviet rule, wine was made in bulk for the Soviets until Moldova was liberated in 1991.
In a few decades, Moldova has immerged as a serious wine growing country making 50% red, 50% white wines. Cuvee Chateau Purcari Extra Brut Non-Vintage is astounding. A blend of the chateau’s own 50% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Blanc, 20% Pinot Noir grapes using methode champenoise, it’s excellent and as good as many of the French non-vintage Champagnes coming in at 12.3% ABV (alcohol by volume).
Frederick Wildman & Sons Ltd. (90 year young) is one of a handful of importers around the world who focus only on premium wines and spirits. Their annual Grand Portfolio Tasting in NYC takes place in March and is open only to trade and media. I was among a handful of wine writers invited to attend a breakfast roundtable with owners-producers-representatives from Pol Roger Champagne, Hugel (Alsace), Tenuta Rapitala (Sicily), Marchesi di Barolo, Pascal Jolivet (Sancerre), Domaine Antonin Guyon (Bourgogne). What an incredible way to start the day by tasting in the presence of dozens of some of the world’s most recognizable wines and spirits!
