Tenuta Rapitala Grillo 2015

Conte Laurent Bernard De La Gatinais_ President of Tenuta Rapitala

Rapitalà, "Beautiful Garden of God", lies between the towns of Camporeale and Alcamo, in the northwest corner of Sicily. In 1968 French count, Hugues Bernard de la Gatinais, married Gigi Guarrasi, a descendant of a great family from Palermo. With her, he engaged in a passionate and courageous adventure: the renovation of the cellars and vineyards of the Guarrasi family's Tenuta Rapitalà, an estate that had been destroyed by the Belice Valley earthquake of 1968. Count Hugues and his wife devoted themselves to the viticultural re-organization of the vineyards and it was at this point that he introduced French varietals to Sicilian terroir, a project never before taken-on by another Sicilian winemaking estate. In 1976, the first harvest destined for bottling was made, and Tenuta Rapitalà soon became a leader of the quality revolution in Sicilian enology. Today, the work started by Hugues and Gigi, is carried on by their son, Laurent, with the same care and passion.

Tenuta Rapitala Grillo 2015   Light golden yellow color with herbal, floral notes and citrus, followed by white fruits and mineral notes Light and crisp on the palate with a clean refreshing finish. Zingy & Juicy   Rapitala Grillo is an excellent choice with light pastas, vegetables, shellfish and grilled white meats.

Chateau Samion Lalande de Pomerol 2013

Jean-Claude Berrouet

We've all heard of the $1,000+ per bottle Chateau Petrus, the Grand Gru Bordeuax estate that is the stuff of legends.  Jean-Claude Berrouet is the winemaker who was the head winemaker at Petrus for 44 years. He retired in 2006 or 2007 and set up his own little estate called Chateau Samion in Lalande-de-Pomerol. Jean-Claude makes the wines the exact same way he made his 44 vintages of Petrus. He tends the vineyards the exact same way he did at Petrus and oh boy does his meticulous attention to detail show up in this absolutely brilliant bottle of Lalande-de-Pomerol. This isn't Petrus, but for under $40.00 a bottle Chateau Samion is the finest satellite I have ever had. The wine is an astonishing value and crafted by a true master. I have no idea why this wine costs so little or why I was able to get my hands on it.  Maybe because Berrouet is well enough off that he doesn't care to market his wines and doesn't need the money. Frankly, I've decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Lyle Fass Rockss and Fruit

Chateau Samion Lalande de Pomerol 2013   Made from 100% Merlot that is hand harvested, vinified in concrete vats, and then aged for 20 months in 15% new French oak casks (225 liters).

Brooklyn Gin

Unlike mass-produced factory gins, we do everything by hand. It takes more time and effort, but we believe you can taste it in your very first sip. We use one Christian Carl copper pot still.  Each batch yields 300 bottles of gin and our process takes three days. We distill Brooklyn Gin using locally purchased fruit and a base spirit made from 100% American corn that is sourced from small farms. Our small company got its start in the wake of the financial crisis.  At that time, due to our available resources, we were unable to build our own distillery.  We were lucky to find a remarkable partner just outside the city in the Hudson Valley to help bring our vision of a handmade, small-batch American gin to life.  We craft and bottle Brooklyn Gin at the Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery in Warwick, New York. It is our greatest dream to build our own distillery in Brooklyn, and the realization of that dream is closer than ever.

Brooklyn Gin   This 100% Pinot, has a bright ruby color; aromas of vanilla, spice and tea notes, with earthy forest aromas Light-bodied, with sweet, ripe red berry notes, beautiful long finish. Costas

Folk Tree Pinot Noir, Arroyo Grande Valley 2014

Ripe Pinot Noir Clusters

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is a red wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine. Pinot noir wines are among the most popular in the world. Joel Fleischman of Vanity Fair describes pinot noir as "the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic. "Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon calls Pinot "sex in a glass"

Folk Tree Pinot Noir, Arroyo Grande Valley 2014   This 100% Pinot, has a bright ruby color; aromas of vanilla, spice and tea notes, with earthy forest aromas Light-bodied, with sweet, ripe red berry notes, beautiful long finish. Costas

Ponzi Pinot Gris 2014

Ponzi

Dick and Nancy Ponzi moved their young family to the Willamette Valley in the late 1960s with a spirit of adventure and a passion for making world class Pinot Noir. After many research trips to Burgundy and an extensive search for the ideal location, they purchased 20 acres on a small farm just southwest of Portland, Oregon. It was a daring risk - at the time, the Pacific Northwest was not thought to be a place to grow Pinot Noir, but Dick and Nancy realized the Northern Willamette Valley's climate was ideal for cool climate varieties. Pinot Noir cuttings were planted, and in 1970 Ponzi Vineyards was founded. The methods, philosophies and winemaking passion established more than 40 years ago are still practiced today under the family's second generation.

Ponzi Pinot Gris 2014   This inviting nose has floral notes of meadow flowers, chamomile and rose hip entangled with brighter aromatics of tangerine, lychee, sweet mint and hints of vanilla and lemon cream throughout. The lively mouth and vibrant acidity are wrapped around hints of quince, kumquat, starfruit and orange zest balanced by a touch of sweetness. -WINEMAKER LUISA PONZI

Chateau Dereszla Dry Tokaji 2014

The Vinoteka at Chateau Dereszla

Chateau Dereszla

The Dereszla Winery has one of the richest histories among those in the Tokaji Wine Region in Hungary- Hungarian history itself can be traced through the cellar's past. Today, Château Dereszla is a 60 hectares winery. The region was inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list in 2002. The D'Aulan family from France took over the Estate in 2000 with the strong belief that a winery in such a historic region was worth being revived again.

Chateau Dereszla Dry Tokaji 2014   This is an elegant wine, with smooth acidity and a hint of spice on the palate. This is one of the best expressions of Furmint from the region. Chateau Dereszla is one of the few producers that revived Kabar as a varietal. The addition of Kabar in this wine, enhances the aroma and rounds up the body. Kabar and a portion of Furmint was matured in oak creating a wine with a round body with a serious character. Muscat and the rest of the Furmint remained in tanks to maintain its crisp and fresh notes. It is best served chilled as an aperitif, or pair with fish or shellfish. 86% Furmint, 9% Yellow Muscat, 5% Kabar

Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc 2014

Ferrari Carano Sustainable Vineyards

Ferrari Carano Vineyards GREAT WINE BEGINS IN THE VINEYARD

The fact that the winery's name incorporates the word "Vineyards" is a deliberate way to  empha-size that grape source and terroirplay important roles in the final product. From a small, 30-acre plot of grapes purchased in 1979, to today's 19 estate vineyards in six different appellations totaling over 1,500 acres, Ferrari-Carano owns some of the finest wine growing properties in all of California.

Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc 2014 It is always obligatory when I taste or drink Ferrari-Carano's Fumé Blancs to reference my mother. This was her favorite wine, and it was the only one where, with prodding, we could get enough in her to become euphoric. Why she liked it so much I never can be sure, but certainly every time I have had it, I can understand its popularity. It basically says one thing, "I am delicious." In many ways, there is no need for a wine critic or any wine jargon if a wine can make that point quickly. In any event, the 2014 Fumé Blanc has a delightful, rather compelling, big sweet kiss of caramelized citrus, melons, a touch of peach and tropical fruits. Whatever French oak they use seems pushed way to the background, and the wine is exuberantly fruity, even effusive, with good acidity and always has stunning purity of character. This is a beauty, and with respect to my mother, she had it right. Drink this in its first year or so of life.  90 Points eRobetParker.com #223

El Miracle by Mariscal, Old Vine Carnacha 2013

Barrels designed by Valencian artist Javier Mariscal

El Miracle Thanks to our innovative culture, Vicente Gandía Winery, a Valencian wine producing company founded in 1885, is celebrating its 130th anniversary and remains true to the values it held when it was created: to combine tradition withinternationalisation, to back innovation and quality, to be committed to promoting wine culture, and to contribute to the welfare and progress of society.

El Miracle by Mariscal, Old Vine Garnacha 2013   The Spanglish-sounding 2013 El Miracle by Mariscal is named after the barrels designed by Valencian artist Javier Mariscal, that appear on the label. Against all odds, it is 100% Garnacha Tintorera matured for eight months in second-use French oak barrels. The wine is surprisingly aromatic with notes of red cherries, not as dark as you'd expect from a grape that has so much coloring matter with perhaps some herbal hints that add freshness. The palate is medium-bodied, with dusty tannins and good acidity, slightly rustic but with character and in need of food. A nice Garnacha Tintorera at very good price. 90 Points eRobetParker.com #217

Blandy's Sercial dry Madeira, Aged 10 Years

THE WINES OF MADEIRA Take an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, 90% of it is mountainous and with volcanic soils. Now give it a tropical climate (never less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit) with high humidity at night time. Terrace the mountains and plant just about 400 hectares of vineyards with the vines growing on pergolas so you can grow your everyday vegetables under them and maybe even a banana tree here and there. Harvest the never to be ripe grapes and try to make wine with them. Oh, and don't forget to heat the wine up to temperatures that shall remain unmentioned. Once you finish with heat, allow the wine to oxidize for good measure. The end result? The beautiful wines of Madeira. From bone dry to extremely sweet, (Sercial, Verdelho, Boal and Malvasia) ranging from 3,5,10,15,20,30 and 40 year old blends, to a Colheita and Frasquera. Sercial: Dry, Verdelho: Medium Dry Boal: Medium Sweet, Malvasia/Malmsey: Sweet Colheita: Vintage wine, with 5 years minimum age Frasquera: Vintage wine with 20 years minimum age The wines of Madeira have always been the secret of every oenophile out there. Wines with longevity-- some vintages available today go back 300 years and are practically indestructible. Madeira has only 8 wineries in total, and only 6 are able to export wine (one of them being new and unable to release wines yet, and one winery that can only sell locally). With 6 wineries to supply the entire world with Madeira wine, demand and supply are never equal. It is no wonder they are not always available, but once obtained is a treasure worth sharing with friends. Costas - Gotham Wines

Blandy's Sercial dry Madeira, Aged 10 Years   Dry floral notes with a hint of herbs and honey. Beautifully dry with just a hint of caramel, dried apricot, briny and nutty with great acidity. Aged yet refreshing. Enjoy it on its own or with dried fruits and a spicy cheese. Costas Gotham Wines

6100 Vdka

THE TALENT IS IN THE CHOICES VDKA 6100 is a passion - a passion we love sharing with fellow vodka purists. We make VDKA 6100 in Reporoa, near Lake Taupo on the North Island of New Zealand, using fresh seasonal whey that we source from the Bay of Plenty Region. Our whey is fermented using a rare strain of yeast that we imported from Ireland over 30 years ago and have been hand cultivating in Reporoa ever since. The purity of the ingredients means we only need to distil VDKA 6100 a few times; ensuring that the character is retained. We filter through carbon 'rockets' and then blend with extraordinary, locally-sourced natural New Zealand spring water. The result is a truly distinctive, elegant, luxurious vodka. VDKA 6100 is gluten-free, sugar-free, lactose-free, and free from chemical additives. It has been tested against the best, and it's one of the purest vodkas on earth. Is there a story behind how we chose the name VDKA 6100? Of course. It was chosen for a very specific reason. '6100' pays homage to the distance between the source of the vodka and the birthplace of the brand. The distance between the territorial waters of New Zealand, from which the product is sourced, to those of the United States, where the brand was born, is 6100 miles.

6100 Vdka   Vodka is often described as a colorless, odorless, and flavorless alcohol.... not VDKA 6100.  The unconventional composition makes our vodka smooth in the mouth with a taste that hints at citrus and white pepper. VDKA 6100 also has extremely low levels of methane (the nasty compound that makes bad vodkas 'burn' your throat) creating unrivaled smoothness. Daring choices were made creating it. A discerning choice is now yours to enjoy. AWARDED 91 POINTS IN THE ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE 2016 VDKA 6100. The Drink of Choice.

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon

The Kentucky Derby "the most exciting two minutes in sports"! The Kentucky Derby is unlike any other sporting event! With a crowd of more than 150,000 people, unparalleled history and tradition and its unique spectacle, the Kentucky Derby has been described by Forbes as one of the "Greatest Bucket-list Sporting Events" in America. Every year, on the first Saturday in May, thousands of guests gather under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs to create lifelong memories with their friends and family. If you're not there, then join us at Gotham Wines to celebrate an overdue spring day (hopefully) and the DERBY! Mint Juleps will flow made with the official bourbon of this year's Derby, Woodford Reserve. Dress up (the Kentucky Derby is the world's largest and most entertaining fashion show, with spectacular hats and outfits - or not) and stop by, to enjoy a bourbon tasting and a mint julep. You can even watch the race with us. Cheers! The Gotham Team

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Each sip of our Distiller's Select® craft bourbon contains over 200 congeners, natural color, aroma and flavor components. Enjoy the full experience. Download the Woodford Reserve app for iPad and Android tablets to experience the depth of flavor found in our craft bourbon. TASTING NOTES Proof: 90.4° Appearance: Clean, brilliant honey amber. Nose: Heavy with rich dried fruit, hints of mint and oranges covered with a dusting of cocoa. Faint vanilla and tobacco, spice. Taste: Rich, chewy, rounded and smooth, with complex citrus, cinnamon and cocoa. Toffee, caramel, chocolate and spice notes abound. Finish: Silky smooth, almost creamy at first with a long, warm satisfying tail.

Below is the recipe for a classic Mint Julep The traditional Derby Day cocktail, and a southern ritual crafted from bourbon, simple syrup and mint. INGREDIENTS 2 oz. Woodford Reserve 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup 3 Fresh Mint Leaves Crushed Ice INSTRUCTIONS Express the essential oils in the mint and rub them inside the glass. In the same glass, add simple syrup, bourbon, and crushed ice. Stir. Garnish with more ice and fresh mint.