Category Archives: Fortified

Ringing in 2021 with Vintage Dated Ports

Posted on December 18, 2020 by don

Ports are perfect for the Holidays, both for drinking by the fire and for giving to special friends. In this article, we report on some of our favorite vintage dated Ports. They include:  Vintage Ports, Single Quinta Vintage Ports, and … Continue reading →

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Vermouth’s Resurgence as Aperitif: Dry and White Vermouths from Europe and America

Posted on December 7, 2020 by don

Vermouth is enjoying growing popularity, including a number of American producers of attractively packaged, premium bottlings.  As shown in the graph below, sales in the US are on a strong upward trend (a 21% increase in US Vermouth imports in 2018 … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Countries and Regions, Fortified, France, Italy, Oregon, Spain, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

Copalli Rum from Heirloom Clones Organically Grown on a Single Estate in Belize

Posted on August 12, 2020 by don

We usually only review wines, but Copalli makes its rum using many of the attributes of super premium wine—estate grown, organically cultivated, special clones pressed soon after harvest, carefully processed using state of the art techniques, and aged in oak … Continue reading →

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De Krans: Outstanding Port-Style Wines from Calitzdorp

Posted on March 13, 2020 by don

Sweet wines in South Africa have a long and storied history beginning in the 17th century with the planting of the first vitis vinifera in the Western Cape. Huegenot immigrants, religious refugees from France, played a critical role in establishing … Continue reading →

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Hawk and Horse Selections from Lake County

Posted on August 26, 2019 by don

Hawk and Horse is a family-owned and operated, certified biodynamic vineyard located in the Mayacamas Mountain range of the Red Hills AVA of Lake County.  Red Hills is one of the six sub-appellations of Lake County. The 18 acre, mostly … Continue reading →

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Dessert Wine, Fortified, Petite Sirah, Red Wine, Uncategorized, Wine Type | Tagged , | Comments Off on Hawk and Horse Selections from Lake County

Succulent Sweet Wines for the Holidays: The Best of 2018

Posted on December 20, 2018 by don

What better time of the year to open a bottle of profusely perfumed, deeply flavored sweet wine than the Holidays?  We’ve tasted a lot of them this past year from Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Washington, and, most recently, the Atlantic Coast … Continue reading →

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A Magnificent Wine Dinner for the Holidays by Two Outstanding Chefs

Posted on December 16, 2016 by mike

Two outstanding chefs, Domenico Cornacchia of Assaggi Osteria (right) and Driss Zahidi of Evo Bistro (left)  joined forces last evening preparing a magnificent holiday dinner for their customers.  The dinner was held at Assaggi Osteria in McLean, VA. 

Posted in Fortified, Italy, Portugal, Portuguese, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Best Palo Cortados from Sherry

Posted on October 24, 2015 by don

Sherry is one of the world’s most complex wines, made in a unique way similar in respects to Champagne. The Sherry soleras yield a consistent house style, much like a non-vintage house Champagne. It’s also one of the world’s most … Continue reading →

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The Sherries of Bodegas Pedro Romero

Posted on September 10, 2013 by don

Established in 1860 by Vincente Romero Carranza, Bodegas Pedro Romero is a family-owned winery located in Sanlucar de Barrameda at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River.  Its location near the Atlantic Ocean and the Guadalquivir River (closer than any of … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Sherry, Manzanilla & Montilla by Peter Liem and Jesús Barquín

Posted on April 1, 2013 by don

There’s renewed interest in Sherry these days, at least among the cognoscenti who know the difference between a dry Fino and a syrupy Pedro Ximenez, but too many consumers think Sherry is just their grandmother’s sweet afternoon Cream and avoid … Continue reading →

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