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Saturday afternoon the 7th of May, 2016 from 12:00 NOON until 3:00 PM here at the shop

Wine Tasting

Cape Classics Fine South African Wines
with Jared Guzick, Regional Sales Manager and the Producers themselves

2015 (Buitenverwachting) Bayten Sauvignon Blanc Constantia
with Laars Maack, Owner/Managing Director

2014 Raats Original Chenin Blanc Unwooded
with Bruwer Raats, Owner/Winemaker

2010 Morgenster Estate Laurens River Valley Red Wine
with Judi Dyer, Managing Director

2012 Glenelly The Glass Collection Cabernet Sauvignon
with Nicolas Bureau, Export Director

2013 Kanonkop Kadette Stellenbosch
with Abrie Beeslar, Cellarmaster/Winemaker

Gentlemen, please, no cologne or after shave; ladies, please no perfume!

Take a look at these upcoming wine and spirits events about town here in beautiful downtown Austin... Great opportunities to learn and have fun at the same time! Please click on a listing below for direct links to that event's page on the web.

2012 Produttori del Barbaresco (and limited offering of the 2011 Riservas)

The 2012 Barbaresco of Produttori del Barbaresco has arrived. And we have received a small allocation of the 2011 vintage Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva wines as well.

Antonio Galloni comments: "In 2012, the Produttori did not bottle their Riservas. When that happens, the straight Barbaresco is often an overachiever." We invite you to check out our limited selection of 2011 Riservas, the delightful 2012s (and Mr. Galloni's reviews of the wines) by clicking here or on the logo above, then scurry on downtown to gather your selection before they're gone!

After long years of intensive research and development, in collaboration with the University of Erlangen, Schott Zwiesel, a.k.a. Zwiesel Kristallglas, has succeeded in creating a new type of crystal glass: Tritan®. The use of unique ingredients, including Titanium instead of lead, combined with an advanced manufacturing process, has created an incredibly pure, hard and clear crystal glass — crystal glass that is highly resilient to accidental breakage and chipping in the dishwasher. Tritan® is a unique, patented crystal glass that sets a new high standard. And the Zwiesel Kristallglass Forté series is our choice for classic elegance and durability in everyday stemware at an even better than everyday price.

The proof is in the product. Potocki Wódka is clearly a labor of love. At every step of production, care is taken to honor taste and quality. The result of this artisanal process is an aromatic yet smooth vodka which clearly stands out among the myriad more commercial offerings. Potocki Wódka is created from the highest quality rye grain sourced in fields around the distillery in central Poland. Fresh from the harvest each August, the grain is milled and cooked under pressure. Yeast is then added to start fermentation yielding a low alcoholic strength mash. The mash goes through two slow distillations in a column still. It is regularly tasted until the optimal distillation level is reached. The "head" and the "tail", that is the initial and final ends of the distillate, are discarded to ensure the highest quality. The resulting distillate is then mixed with a pure distilled water to the required bottling strength of 40% alcohol by volume. No additives, such as citric acid or glycerine, are used. The common process of charcoal filtration is intentionally omitted as this would unnecessarily strip the vodka of its character (and flavor, mind you). We find the end result a most compelling spirit: discernably a distillate of a fine quality rye grain with an alluring warmth and breadth and purity of aroma; warm and smooth and round in texture (please note the texture), a wholly satisfying, engaging and pure eaux-de-vie de seigle polonais. Our wine buyer's mentor, Mr. Henry, used to quip that it was the Poles who taught the Russians to make vodka (never mind he was himself Polish). Potocki Wódka lends creedence to his argument. No, he wasn't just whistling Górecki. We give this fine spirit our very highest recommendation.

Produced of 100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards near Le Mesnil sur Oger, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, holy ground for lovers of the finest Champagne. This bottling represents some ⅔ of the production of the very well-run cooperative that is Champagne Le Mesnil. Brilliant white-gold in color, this Brut Blanc de Blancs has a lovely harmony of elements, fresh and most enticing and inviting aromas suggestive of melon, cool of the morning grape plucked from the vine, buttered biscuit and flower pollen; nice medium-full mousse, then expansive on the tongue and supremely flavorful, leaving crisp, fresh and refreshed with a chalky dry finish just begging another pull. Delicious!

Is Provençal Rosé the vinous equivalent of bottled sunshine? Is it the what's what of pink wines? Is it the cool, crisp compelling glass of vin rosé at the end of the rainbow? Yeah, probably so! Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Rosé is among our favorite of the Provençal rosé wines each year. Fresh, bright, vivid with a gentle intensity of chalky berry flavor just bursting forth and a refreshingness that is just, ahhhhh ... Thank heaven for sunshine. Thank heaven for Provençal rosé!

Jean-Maurice Raffault is the 14th generation of Raffault family owning vineyard and growing vines in the Chinon appellation. His excellent Chinon Rosé is produce of Cabernet Franc grapes planted across 10 hectares of sand and gravel soils at Savigny-en-Veron. The domaine practices lutte raisonée (sustainable) viticulture — the soils are either ploughed or planted with grass and no chemical fertilizers or herbicides are used. To enhance the wine's freshness, it is vinified using ⅔ pressed and ⅓ saignée juice. Fermentation is carried out at low temperature with native yeasts, and the wine is bottled in March following the harvest to preserve the bright and spicy red berry fruit. Most distinctive among our selection of rosé wines, its particular minerality, currant fruit and notes of pepper give it away as Loire Valley Cabernet Franc. Medium-bodied, classically dry, but not too much so. And a most pleasant change from the numerous selections from further south.

The Ardèche River carves a narrow gorge through the limestone foothills of the Massif Central in south-central France on its way east where it joins the Rhône river northwest of Orange. This is a barren, rugged region appreciated for its dramatic beauty, its warm climate and long growing season which, together with its chalk-clay soils, make it ideal for the production of high quality white wine. Maison Louis Latour has brought their Burgundian savoir-faire with Chardonnay some 350 kilometres south with brilliant result: bright green-gold in color; inviting aromas suggestive of fine wildflower honey in the comb, fresh melon and Asian pear on a backdrop of cool of the morning rain-moistened limestone; at once vibrant with crisp acidity and satisfyingly smooth with broad and compelling Chardonnay flavors that last long.

Concentrated in black currant and clove, this is a soft, silky wine, lengthy and substantial without ever becoming overbearing in terms of power or oak. Lovely anise accents the crisp fruit, providing a worthy example of the appellation and clean winemaking coming together in an elegant way. Rated 94. ‑ Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast, Issue 206, April, 2013

Arnaud Hereu was born in Bordeaux, where he first studied enology and began his winemaking career. His adventuresome spirit led him to explore South Africa, California and then Chile, where he eventually made his home. In 2006 he set out to produce a wine he could call his own. He explored the Chilean wine country extensively, eventually discovering a 70 year-old carignan vineyard to form the basis for his inaugural wine called simply, Hereu. Together with Syrah, old-vine Malbec and this important dollop of old-vine Carignan, the wine is a lovely deep almost bluish red in color with aromas of macerated black and blue berries, bramble and earth; ample yet graceful on the tongue with decidedly old-world vinosity and complex, mouthwatering, long-lasting flavors of a brilliant fruit transformed. A superbly distinctive wine at this price!

From Douro Valley vineyards of the Symington family in northern Portugal, including the Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira, which have traditionally supplied the famed Porto House of Dow. Vale do Bomfim represents a new style of table wine from the Upper Douro valley, where the region's wealth of grape varieties, mature vineyards and modern winemaking have been successfully combined. Produce of 50% Tinta Barroca, 10% Touriga Nacional, 20% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinta Roriz and 10% of mixed varieties, hand-selected and vinified at the Quinta do Sol winery, one of the most modern winemaking facilities in Portugal. While a comparison to Bordeaux may be compelling here, there is something a bit more delightfully old-world about this wine: deep purple red in color; at first, showing a certain Claret-like reserve and restraint, it then steps on out of those shoes to declare itself more surely of Iberian origin with aromas suggestive of fleshy wild berries, let’s say mulberry, ripe plum, blonde tobacco and a woodsy, cinnamon stick-like spice; just plump and rich in texture with balancing structure of nicely resolved chalky tannins that fan out broadly on the tongue, yielding delicious flavors of berries and spice that burst forth quite unreservedly, warm and long on the finish. Absolutely splendid value at its regular price of $11.25 the bottle, on sale now at:

A big, powerful wine, the 2012 Barbaresco hits the palate with surprising depth allied to nervous tannins that are going to need time to soften. Tobacco, smoke, licorice, menthol, game and a host of dark, ferrous notes give the wine much of its virile personality. The 2012 is not as finessed as some recent vintages, yet it offers considerable potential for the future. Most importantly, it is a terrific value at a time when well-priced Barbaresco is increasingly hard to find. In 2012, the Produttori did not bottle their Riservas. When that happens, the straight Barbaresco is often an overachiever. That is certainly the case here, as the 2012 offers outstanding quality for the money, with plenty of potential for the future. I can't think of too many wines that deliver this much pleasure and value. Drink 2018-2032. Rated 92. - Antonio Galloni., Vinous, December 2015.

Morellino is one of Tuscany's many pseudonyms for Sangiovese, the region's most noble red grape. The coastal range surrounding the village of Scansano is known for producing a riper, lower acid version than its brethren in Chianti, Montalcino and Montepulciano. Moris Farms reflects this style with ripe, spicy, dark fruit and a soft, easy feel on the palate. The Moris Farms wines are certainly some of the best Italian wine values we've encountered in recent years! - Dean Schlabowske, The Austin Wine Merchant.

The Bilbro brothers are moving from strength to strength with their venerable Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red. Lot Number 63 is fresh on the scene and raring to go. The wine is tweaked ever so slightly drier than previous lots, perhaps now ever the more appealing to both west coast and European wine tastes. Produced mainly from Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Carignane primarily from vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red replicates the old Cal-Ital field blends there. Alluring deep ruby purple in color, with Zinfandel-influenced aromas suggesting dark ripe juicy berries with hints of the parched dusty northern California vineyard floor; at once fresh and vibrant, smooth and slippery on the tongue with just an inkling of fine-grained tannins that keep it all on the up and over. And, by all means, do take note of its continuing brilliantly true blue in terms of value!

In centuries gone by, casks of sherry were lashed to ships sailing for the Indies as ballast and were found to develop an extraordinary smoothness and complexity. Lustau has revived this style of sherry in the East India Solera wine, an inspired mingling of about 85% aged dry (20 years old) Oloroso with about 15% aged (10 years old) sweet Pedro Ximenez blended then aged an additional 5 years in the warmest part of the bodega, la sacristia. Raisined fruit, candied citrus peel, macerated cherries, caramel and roasted almonds are common descriptors that we might put forward, but somehow there is something left to be described – an ineffable – as if a benevolent form of alchemy were having its way with an already wonderful raw material. Richly textured and flavorful; just sweet; assuages the tongue whilst giving all its wonderful complexity of flavor.

While vintage Porto is bottled some 18 months following the vintage, Tawny Porto is aged almost entirely in cask, during this process throwing off its dark purple color in favor of a more "tawny" hue, leaving its sediments in cask rather than in the bottle, it’s once grapey, plummy fruit transformed into something far more complex and, frankly, sublime — a veritable cornucopia of aromatic richness: bitter almond, caramel, walnut, citrus peel, raisin, prune, dried berry and cherry and perhaps a hint of brandy by campfire; oh so silken-textured, at once voluptuous and fiery, challenging and satisfying, with deliciously complex flavors that somehow so discreetly reprise those first highly suggestive aromas. Absolutely superb!