National Wine Day may have been about a month ago, but the summer of 2020 is now here. No matter whether you are still quarantining or regularly socializing in small groups, there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy your home bar and imbibe.
As someone regularly following trends within the food and beverage worlds, I can tell you that there is no shortage of interesting new offerings from top producers of wine, spirits and even non-alcoholic beverages. In turn, below are 25 recommendations for A Global Lifestyle readers seeking some possible additions to their home bar.
2019 Long Meadow Ranch Rose of Pinot Noir
You can expect a brilliant, pale pink in hue withnotes of strawberries and peach. It is full-bodied, yet remains light and mouthwatering. Elegant notes of citrus combine with a floral, spicy core, and a bright finish that keeps you coming back for more. This offering — which ought to pair well with fruit salad — has received a 90 score from both Wine Enthusiast and Wine & Spirits.
Stony Hill Chardonnay is one of the most respected and highly-sought-after wines in California, and this wine is widely considered a true California “cult wine.” Its style is best described as lean, bright, elegant and food-friendly; the wine is fermented and aged in neutral oak, which allows the wine to develop without absorbing big, oaky flavors.
This 2017 vintage is light gold in color with intense and mineral aromas, mixing oyster shell, honeysuckle, and citrus. On the palate it is fresh and vibrant with notes of grilled almond and pear, playing along with spices, limestone, stone-fruit and green apple. The finish is long and will continue to develop with 8 to 10 years of cellaring.
JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Located in Paso Robles, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1981 and is known for crafting world-class wines using Bordeaux grape varieties. Widely recognized for its iconic ISOSCELES Bordeaux-style blend, JUSTIN is also known for their Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate — located at 11680 Chimney Rock Road features a Tasting Room — also includes luxury five-star accommodations at the JUST Inn, and a restauran, making it one of the only wineries on the Central Coast to offer all three options. Beyond its stellar hospitality, JUSTIN consistently receives top honors around the world, establishing itself as a leader in Bordeaux-style winemaking.
Its 2017 JUSTIN Cabernet Sauvignon is an extremely versatile food-pairing wine that makes it a great go-to red for many pairings ranging from a picnic of artisanal cheese and charcuterie, a Philly cheese steak sandwich, to a classic grilled steak. It’s a perfect wine to bring to a bbq where wine lovers are looking to elevate their grilled favorites.
Another option from the label is its JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery Rosé 2019, which carries a suggested retail price of $20. This Paso Robles style Rosé is dry and aromatic with muted strawberry, white cherry, red apple fruit on entry and melon with chamomile flower on the mid-palate. You can drink this wine alongside dishes like cobb salad or roasted chicken seasoned with garlic, thyme and lemon.
G.H. Mumm Grand Cordon Champagne
G.H.Mumm Grand Cordon Champagne is the product of G.H.Mumm, as founded in 1827 in Reims, France. Its Maison Mumm masters the power and rich fruit of Pinot Noir in its many expressions of Champagne styles. The time-tested winemaking techniques of its French founders are applied to its Cuvée Grand Cordon.
Beyond this 91 point-scored offering from Wine Spectator, G.H.Mumm has some interesting memberships to speak of. Its Club Vivant offers exclusive and members-only benefits, bringing its members award-winning wines at discounted pricing. The label also has an interesting partnership with world champion (and Olympic-experienced) fencer Miles Chamley Watson.
2016 Larkmead Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Larry and Polly Solari purchased Larkmead Vineyards in 1948 and raised their daughter Kate Solari right on Larkmead Lane, where she spent her childhood exploring the vineyards. Fast forward several decades and Kate now follows in her parents’ footsteps as co-proprietor of Larkmead Vineyards, alongside her husband Cam Baker.
This warm and inviting wine’s palate follows through with succulent flavors of red and black fruit, dried herbs, and earth. A Napa Valley Cab, it is a blend of 94 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 6 percent Petit Verdot. Its aromas are warm and inviting: a bit of leather and bittersweet chocolate wrap around notes of purple flowers and the flesh of ripe plums, graphite, and tobacco. As you’ll see on the wine’s entry on Wine.com, it has received countless 90+ point ratings from top wine publications.
Fort Ross Vineyard’s 2016 Pinot Noir
Fort Ross Vineyard is the western-most vineyard in California, just a mile from the ocean, high on the ridgetops of the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA of Sonoma County. Proprietors Lester and Linda Schwartz, natives of South Africa, planted the vineyard in the early ‘90s, and it has proven ideal for Pinot Noir; the winery has a half dozen Pinots from 1 vineyard, representing different blocks and clones. Jeff Pisoni, who also makes wine for his family label, just marked a decade as winemaker for Fort Ross and said it was the extreme coastal nature of the vineyard and its fruit expression that first attracted him to the position.
The Fort Ross 2016 Pinot Noir, Estate, Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma Coast (priced at $52) is aged 10 months in French oak. It shows bright fruit aromas with a hint of spice and a refined, supple texture on the palate, while complex and beautifully-balanced. Meanwhile, the Fort Ross 2016 Pinot Noir, Stagecoach Road, Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma Coast (priced at $80) comes from specific vineyard blocks where the old stagecoach road used to run through the Fort Ross Vineyard’s property and that have notable flavor profiles. It has layers of berry fruit, a wonderful spicy complexity and a silky texture.
The Clambake is a craft wine label, and its Clambake Limited Edition Rosé boasts some of the very best old-vine Carignan from Mendocino to be had. Its wines are made at a certified sustainable custom crush winery in Healdsburg, California, which operates as a co-op allowing alternating small boutique proprietors to make world-class wines.
If seeking a recipe using one of Clambake’s great offerings, check out my recent cocktail recipe round-up for Guilty Eats.
In 1900, when Georges de Latour’s wife Fernande first laid eyes on the land that would become the original Rutherford vineyard, she named it “beau lieu,” or “beautiful place.” Shortly thereafter, de Latour sold his thriving cream of tartar business, bought the four-acre ranch and founded Beaulieu Vineyard with the vision of making Napa Valley wines that would rival those of his native France. In 1940, Beaulieu Vineyard released its first vintage of Private Reserve, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that was destined to become Napa Valley’s first “cult” Cabernet. And in 2008, the vineyard opened a new state-of-the-art winery within one of its original buildings.
Both recent and notable from Beaulieu Vineyard is its 2016 BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. The latest vintage from BV is bursting with a bouquet of cassis, blueberry, blackberry, violet and wild sage, simultaneously carrying lingering flavors of dark blackberry, root spice, chocolate and molasses.
Also worthwhile from the popular Napa label is its 2016 BV Tapestry Reserve Red Blend Napa Valley. A Bordeaux-style blend, its Cabernet Sauvignon contents impact a generous core of brambly blackberry, cassis, and macerated blueberry. while its Merlot brings a vibrant, riper dark cherry fruit character, the Malbec contributes a dark plum and briary blackberry notes, and the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot complete the blend with delicate floral nuances of violet and wild sage.
An intimate valley within the greater Napa Valley, Stags’ Leap is a place of natural beauty, storied buildings and gardens, a lively history, and a reputation for elegant wines showing finesse and intensity. Estate Founder Horace Chase partnered with his uncle W. W. Thompson on land where grapes had been planted in the 1880s by T.L. Grigsby. The construction of the Manor House in 1890 was followed by the blasting of the Historic Wine Cave and first vintage in 1893. By 1895 production on the estate was up to 40,000 gallons of wine.
Stags’ Leap Winery’s 2018 SLW Chardonnay Napa Valley offers opening aromas of fragrant citrus, white peach and floral honeysuckle, as paired with subtle hints of Tarte Tatin and brioche toast, to make this a lively Chardonnay. Nuances of lemon meringue, green apple, guava and Asian pear are found with notes of vanilla and caramel oak.
Also notable is its 2018 SLW Viognier Napa Valley. This wine has racing acidity and a steely minerality which add to its overall crispness and complexity. Layers of white peach, hints of lemongrass and raw almond are plentiful on the palate, leading to an elegant, delicately floral-spiced finish.
Alìe Rosé is a superbly-elegant and stylish wine produced in the Tuscan coastal town of Maremma. It is characterized by its pale rosé color with a beautifully-balanced blend of Syrah and Vermentino. The brand notably partnered with Livia le Divelec — Frescobaldi Toscana Brand Ambassador and Winemaker — last year for a well-attended event at New York City’s The Polynesian.
Its 2018 combines intoxicating Mediterranean aromas with fragrances of fresh and ripe fruit. September peach bursts forth followed by floral notes with subtle scents of rose. The result is an extremely mellow, fine and elegant nose. In the mouth, the fruity notes return, with the addition of captivating touches of citrus such as pink grapefruit. All for the very-reasonable suggested retail price of $18.
With this popular offering, expect an intensely fruity first taste on the nose, simultaenously revealing aromas of blueberry, raspberry and pepper. Thanks to its beautifully-balanced acidity, it develops into a lively and easy-drinking wine. Its evolution on the palate is magnificent and is rounded off with a long and flavorsome finish with lingering varietal aromas.
The winery, as founded in 1992, is also associated with an impressive contemporary art collection. This collection brings together works by both Spanish and international artists. More information about this collection can be found on the label’s website.
Peyrassol’s Cuvée de la Commanderie Rosé
Breezy and elegant, the Cuvée de la Commanderie is everything that you ought to want for the summer of 2020. Its expressive nose is full of wild berries, and a crisp silky palate has a touch of salinity that mingles with red and exotic fruit — truly summer in your glass. A traditional Provencal blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Grenache with a touch of Mourvèdre, the Cuvée de la Commanderie has the polish to be enjoyed in a crystal glass as well as the joie de vivre to be sipped in easy plastic tumblers.
Also great from the label is the Chateau Peyrassol Rosé, Cotes de Provence. This wine comes from 35+ year old vines in well-drained clay, limestone and gravel. The blend is mostly Cinsault and Grenache, and has aromas of white fruits, citrus and white blossom with a delicate and silky smooth palate full of classic berry flavors, citrus, florals and bracing minerality. As a treat for the 2019 vintage, included in the blend for this year is Tibouren, a rare Provençal variety that creates wild, earthy and herbal rosés. It’s incredibly hard to find as little is grown, making this an extra treat. This wine can be purchased at K&L, Drizly and Vivino alike.
Messina Hof’s Texas Sparkling Moscato
Messina Hof is a family-owned business based on the three cornerstones of family, tradition and romance. Ultimately, the business is dedicated to produce a gold medal-winning wine in every varietal and to maximize opportunities developed from the wines in a tourism destination focused on the best in hospitality, food and customer service.
Its Texas Sparkling Moscato is delightfully-sweet with crisp fruit flavors of orange peel, peach, and nectarine. This aromatic wine has wonderful floral notes on the nose. Fresh and effervescent, this sparkling wine pairs nicely with a diverse selection of foods, including creamy sauces, seaside Mediterranean dishes and spicy Asian entrées.
Messina Hof’s Wine Club Members currently receive 20 or 25 percent off all wine purchases ,while non-members receive 10 percent off purchases of 12 to 23 bottles, and 15 percent off a purchase of 24 or more bottles. Shipping is free on 12 or more bottles.
La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir Rosé 2019
Bursting with aromas of juicy pink grapefruit and mandarin oranges complemented by classic summer flavors of watermelon, strawberry and blood orange, this 2019 rosé pairs beautifully with sunshine, barbecues and good times.
Produced within the Central Coast of California, the wine retails for just $17.99 through Drizly. It ought to pair well with fish-based meals beyond citrus-heavy fruits.
Whereas most rosés are fermented with artificial yeasts for dependability, and rushed into the bottle, this rosé from La Bernarde is fermented with wild yeasts while maintaining the flavourful decorum of the finest Provence rosés. Its grapes are grown using sustainable farming practices and are harvested ten days before most of its neighbours due to the vineyard’s cooler microclimate — at 250 feet of elevation — and to lock in the freshest acidity and ripest fruit flavours.
La Bernarde also impressively stands up to main-course-worthy foods like fish, white meats and grilled foods, despite its light and silky texture, The blend of Cinsault and Grenache, with a sprinkle of Mourvedre, Rolle, and Syrah, gives off peachy and raspberry aromas followed by citrus and floral flavours. Vivino is selling it for $18.99.
Bella Union Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Now in its sixth vintage, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from exceptional vineyard blocks across the Napa Valley develops texture and richness in the glass. Upon first sip, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon of Bella Union offers luscious aromas of cherry cola, anise, and baking spices. The wine is luscious with supple tannins that provide a framework for longevity and the finish lingers with persistent fruit flavors and notes of cocoa. Expect it to pair well with a Garlic Herb Grilled Beef Tenderloin.
Blue Point Brewing’s Pinstripe Pilsner
Blue Point Brewing, Long Island’s first and most innovative craft brewer, never has a shortage of exciting offerings. Baseball season may not be currently in session, but Blue Point still has its baseball on its mind. Blue Point Brewing’s Pinstripe Pilsner was brewed in collaboration with the New York Yankees with generous amounts of pilsner malt. This bright golden pils is balanced with a hint of lime aroma from specialty hops. Once only available at the ballpark, the beer is now available for purchase in can form.
Also great from Blue Point are its Imperial Sunshine (blonde ale, ABV: 9.6%, brewed with orange peel) and its Summer Ale (lighter beer, ABV: 4.5%, a substantial portion of wheat malt was added to a traditional barley malt mix).
Expect clean, crisp vodka made with premium ingredients from Italy. In turn, 2Nite Vodka is the first ultra-premium Italian vodka made from GMO-free semolina wheat and pure artesian water. On the design end, its bottles are hand-painted and unique, just like every night should be. In turn, 2Nite Vodka will give even the driest vodka martini-drinker an immediate tinge of refreshment.
Speaking of Italian greatness, Meletti Anisette is one of Italy’s oldest liqueurs produced, and it is still using Silvio Meletti’s original recipe from 1870. Naturally-aromatic, anise seed from Le Marche is distilled in a bain marie, then blended with herbs for further distillation to attain intensified aromatics and a smooth palate. It is ultimately aged in stainless steel tanks for 4 to 6 months, then fine-filtered using wool. Ultimately, Meletti Anisette is an elegant digestivo that is enjoyable on its own or with coffee.
Boulard Calvados is the first name in super-premium Calvados, the celebrated apple-based spirit unique to the Normandy region of France. Boulard was founded in the late 1820’s by Pierre-August Boulard. Boulard’s time-honored reputation begins in the firm’s 150 acres of orchards and 35,000 apple trees in the Pays d’Auge district, the officially-designated source of the finest apples in Normandy. Over 120 varieties of apple, from 800 varieties grown in Boulard’s orchards, are selected for production of Boulard Calvados.
All-American, gluten-free, and in partnership with iconic southeastern farms for the ingredients for their flavors (e.g., peaches from Lane Southern Orchards, sustainably-sourced honey from Savannah Bee Company), Dixie Southern Vodka is the official vodka of NASCAR. In turn, it was instrumental in the first ever eNASCAR iRACE, the Dixie Vodka 150, which broke the viewership record for an e-sporting event; it also raised around $40,0000 for Feed The Children.
The brand has also been very active as of late with fundraising efforts related to people affected by COVID-19. Annually, the company commits 1% For The Planet, mainly supporting The Bee Cause, which educates the public on honeybees’ importance for agriculture. Great people making great vodka — by far the best black pepper-enhanced vodka I have ever tasted, and I look forward to using it to make bloody marys.
Twisted Tea’s Big Ol’ Bag Of Freedom
To keep the good times twisted this summer, Twisted Tea has released a celebratory summertime bag-n-box complete with the spirited Big Ol’ Bag Of Freedom design. It turn, this set is perfect for keeping it turnt even when our BBQs are smaller or fireworks canceled. Drinkers can enjoy Big Ol’ Bag Of Freedom by slapping it, tapping it, or to keep it extra Twisted, by putting it in your freezer and making a boozy Twisted Tea slushie.
Patroitism aside, Twisted Tea has also released some fun new flavors just in time for the summer: Peach Twisted Tea, Passion Fruit Twisted Tea, and Black Cherry Twisted Tea. Ideal for fans of the current hard seltzer craze.
Handcrafted from 100 percent blue agave, as grown at high elevations within Jalisco’s Highlands, Espanita is estate-bottled at one of Mexico’s most respected artisanal distilleries. Created by using hand-selected ripe Agaves and ancestral production methods, Espanita is a sophisticated and velvety smooth spirit. It is also aged in lightly-charred American white oak barrels that were previously used in Bourbon production to ensure mellow and complex bourbon-finished flavor.
I had the pleasure of trying Espanita Anejo, which is aged for 18 months in those aforementioned small American oak casks previously used in bourbon production. The result is the luxuriously smooth liquor rich in vanilla and caramel notes, which still retains its charming, honeyed flavors of slowly roasted agave. Ultimately, Espanita Anejo is designed to be sipped and savored.
In 2017, after recognizing that consumers were seeking, but not finding, healthy, authentic, transparent and better-for-them beverage choices that tasted great, a team dared to challenge expectations and launched Waterloo Sparkling. A rebel at heart, Waterloo has been breaking the mold since day one and is driven by its cofounder’s firsthand knowledge of the importance of food and beverage choices.
The Austin-based brand is a bold take on sparkling water, making its mark by focusing on fruit-inspired flavor & aroma and delivering a much richer, more authentic taste. Waterloo is made with Non-GMO Project Verified and Whole 30 Approved flavors, while also free of calories, sodium, sugar and artificial sweeteners. For the benefit of their fans and the environment, Waterloo has only ever been produced in aluminum cans, made with BPA-free liners.
Waterloo’s sparking water is ideal for mixing with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, while also great on its own.
The first female-brewed hard kombucha, Luna Bay Booch was designed to bring people together to enjoy a nutrient-dense libation with premium ingredients. Each can is packed with real fruits, herbs, Yerba Mate tea and probiotics. Luna Bay’s first trio of flavors — Palo Santo Blueberry, Ginger Lemon and Hibiscus Lavender — are delightfully-refreshing with a boozy bite. The mellow coastal flavors bring a big city buzz with 6 percent ABV.
Luna Bay Booch recently announced a summertime limited-edition flavor, Huckleberry Basil. Huckleberry is a rare, vibrant berry with a tartness that is balanced out by the earthy tones of the basil with a touch of semi-sweet mulberries. Each can is vegan, gluten-free and made with non-GMO ingredients.
Last but definitely not least… Maximilian Riedel is the 11th generation head of a renowend glassware company. As of late, Riedel has been keeping busy on social media, inviting winemakers to join him in a virtual experience on Instagram Live. Riedel has hosted winemakers from Spain, France, and even China over the past few weeks – from houses including Gaja, Krug, Petrus and Ao Yun – to join him in conversation discussing the intricacies of their wines and winemaking process, their growing regions and their expertise in tasting experiences, giving viewers a direct line to personalities from both sides of the wine world. He has also provided a peek at prestige wines in his wine cellar, recommending his favorite vintages and highlighting the wines in Riedel glassware and decanters throughout the conversation.
Riedel Winewings are a collection that help keep up Riedel’s reputation as “the wine glass company.” For example, its Cabernet Sauvignon glass is perfect for full-bodied, complex red wines that are high in tannin. The glass allows the bouquet to develop fully, and smooths out the rough edges. It emphasises the fruit, playing down the bitter qualities of the tannin, and allows wines to achieve balance. Each glass can be purchased separately, and each glass is both machine-made and dishwasher safe.
