The Olympics Torch has been lit and it's time to raise your Spirits!

A high priestess lit the torch

On a glorious spring day with the sun burning hot above the ancient stadium in Olympia, the site of the ancient Games, a high priestess lit a torch from the rays of the sun at the temple of Hera. The official countdown to this year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics has begun. Brazilian organizers will receive the flame in a handover at the Panathenian stadium on April 27 in Athens, site of the first modern Olympics, and will start their relay on May 3 in the capital Brasilia, ending in Rio on the day of the opening ceremony. The Olympics Torch has been lit and it's time to raise your Spirits!  The Trip starts in Greece Ouzo is distilled from grapes, before being flavored with anise - the same distinct taste found in Absinthe. The best ouzo is known to come from the Greek island, Lesvos. It is made at about 45% alcohol, so it's very strong. Therefore, there are great benefits to drinking it traditionally - with food. One of the great things about Greek ouzo is its transformation when iced water is added. When first poured into a glass, ouzo it is clear. However, when water is added, it becomes cloudy (the oils produced from anise are not soluble in water). This lovely drink captivates the Greek spirit more than anything else. and it ends in Brazil Cachaça is defined in Brazilian law as a beverage with an alcohol content of 38-54% by volume, made from the distillation of fermented sugarcane juice. Distillers may add sugar to the product, at a rate of up to 6 grams per liter. Beverages containing more than 6 grams of sugar per liter must be labeled "sweet cachaça." To be sold as aged cachaça, a beverage must, by law, consist of at least 50% of distillate that's at least 1 year old. (So in other words, an "aged cachaça" might consist in part of unaged cachaça. Caveat emptor, as they say.) Caramel color may be added to adjust the hue. Some aged cachaças also spend time in oak, but not all. Other woods used include such Brazilian varieties as umburana, ipê, cedar, balsam, jatobá, freijó, and jequitibá. Different woods impart different flavors to the final product, so if your palate is used to the flavors of oak-aged spirits, you may find surprising aromatic and flavor notes in a aged cachaça.

Barbayiannis Ouzo Blue Label This ouzo consists of a pure essence of aniseed and sweet-smelling herbs, with an alcohol content of 46% Vol. and contains the distinctive water of Plomari. The renowned Ouzo Barbayanni BLUE has a pleasant scent, a pure and transparent color, and a delicate flavor, creating on your palate sensations of spring breezes and sun-kissed seas.

Avua Cachaca Amburana Avuá Amburana Cachaça  is aged in Amburana wood, found only in the forests of Latin America. Resting in this indigenous wood produces a stunning mix of WARM and SAVORY notes on the nose and palate that provides a truly unique taste experience for cocktail experimentation or sipping neat.  Discover and enjoy our unique hand crafted Avuá Amburana Cachaça cocktails.

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum

Hacienda Santa Teresa

A rugby ball next to a hundred-year-old still. The sounds emanating from a distillery mixed with the commotion of an ongoing game. A worker taking a break to play rugby. There is no doubt that Hacienda Santa Teresa is an extraordinary place. Hacienda Santa Teresa At Hacienda Santa Teresa we could've opted for not aging every single one of our rums in American white oak and French Limousin oak barrels for more than 25 years or not using our Solera System. But had we gone that route, our life wouldn't be as fun and our rum wouldn't be as great. It takes 24 hours to transport the sugar cane from our fields to the Sugar Processing Plant to safeguard its qualities. After it's processed, we obtain molasses-a dark and rich syrup used to produce our rums. Making rum requires teamwork. And the fermentation process is no different. In this step, we rely heavily on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a species of yeast that allows a perfect fermentation inside our barrels, turning the sugar in the molasses into alcohol. Our rums are aged for a minimum of two years in American white oak or French limousin oak barrels. It's a long process that requires patience, but the rewarding results allow us to enjoy high-quality rums featuring an unparalleled flavor. It's not about aged rums or young rums. It's about finding that balance between one and the other. Almost like we do with life itself. This is how we do things in Santa Teresa. We bring together the best of both worlds: the vitality and spark of young rums with the character and stoutness of the aged ones.

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum   Santa Teresa 1796 is the only aged rum that is produced in its entirety with the long-standing Solera method, an artisanal process using oak barrels that had been traditionally reserved for Spanish sherry and brandy. This round and firm-bodied rum is delicate with a complex and mellow flavor. It is best enjoyed on its own or with mineral water. The most demanding critics have listed the Santa Teresa 1796 Ultra Premium variety as "the best rum in the world". COLOR: Reddish amber and rich. NOSE: Fruity aroma with honey and dark chocolate notes. TASTE: With a mellow yet complex flavor, this rum offers tobacco and leather notes, toasted and smoky. The rounded rum offers a balance that can only be achieved through the Solera method. It is full-bodied while remaining delicate, elegant and velvety. The end evokes attributes borrowed from the oaks in which it aged.

Raventos I Blanc de Nit Rose 2013

Pepe & Manuel Raventos - Penedes

Raventos I had the chance to visit the property and taste with Pepe Raventós from Raventós iBlanc. He rejects the Cava appellation as it's a method and not a place and he wants origin as a first requirement. Josep 'Pepe' Raventós keeps working toward the creation of a new appellation in the historical banks of the Anoia River part of Penedès, where his idea would be to produce wines from local varieties worked organically, biodynamically if possible (they started a couple of years ago), with a minimum price paid for the grapes purchased form grape growers to create a sustainable business forthe zone and its people. All their wines are from single vintage and the sparkling ones are at most Extra-brut(max. five grams of sugar) and with a minimum of 18 month in contact with the lees. They source most of their grapes from their own estate in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia where they currently cultivate some 60 hectares from a total surface of 90. The oldest vines are planted on a north-facing slope they call Clos del Serral whose Xarello vines were planted are 80 years old. They release limited quantities of recently disgorged old vintages that are stunning, although prices for them are on the high side. Luis Gutierrez

Raventos I Blanc de Nit Rose 2013   The 2013 De Nit is a blend of the three classical white grapes from the region, Macabeo, Xarello, Parellada and a pinch (5%) of red Monastrell sourced from the historical Viña de la Plana. The wine had an average of 24 months in contact with the lees (18 for the first disgorgement and up to 30 for the last bottles before they finish the vintage and start with a new one). The color is extremely pale (it could even pass as a Blanc de Noir) and the nose is very similar to the 2013 L'Hereu, perhaps not as fine, with very nice, clean fruit. The palate might have a little more weight, with faint flower notes, very good acidity and a little bit of tannin coupled with acidity that gives it length and persistence and a distinct elegant rusticity. I'm not a great fan of pink sparkling wine in general, but I'm a fan of this one. This is a perfect aperitif wine. 180,000 bottles produced. 91 Points eRobertParker #219

Valle Dell'Acate IL Frappato Vittoria 2014

Vineyards in Vittoria_ Black Soil

Valle Dell'Acate The Ferrero and Jacono families have been involved in wine since the 19th century but it's fair to say that the wines of Valle dell'Acate have been totally transformed in the last seven or eight years. The Frappato is a very good example of this recent leap in quality: earthy and tired as recently as the first part of the 21st century, it is now a remarkably fresh and perfumed lightweight red that is an absolute joy to drink. The estate has also undertaken a huge zonation study of its holdings and has proceeded to carefully match each grape variety to its most ideally suited soils. The Cerasuolo diVittoria is also one of Sicily's benchmarks for this wine.   BLACK SOIL WITH WHITE PEBBLES: these vineyards are located at roughly 100 meters above sea level. The soil is black, relatively compact and riddled with white stones. The soil structure makes it possible for plant roots to oxygenate freely, extending down deep into the ground. The company produces a red wine here, Il Frappato, which draws complex perfumes and a decent acidity from the characteristics of the terrain.

Valle Dell'Acate IL Frappato Vittoria 2014   Bright red. A fresh red fruit cocktail quality on the nose is utterly irresistible. Then quite spicy and floral on the palate, with juicy red berry and cherry flavors showing insidious sweetness; I found it hard to put my glass down. Finishes clean and long, with a bright floral echo. A stellar Frappato, a variety Valle dell'Acate has excelled with in the last ten years. 92 Points Vinous I am a big fan of frappato, especially served cold. This is an excellent one. Medium body, bright acidity and a strawberry and lemon undertone. Drink now. 92 Points James Suckling Fragrant and fresh, this luminous wine opens with aromas of red berry, blueberry, violet, white rose and a potpourri of spice while the savory palate doles out crushed raspberry, juicy morello cherry and white pepper. It's easy drinking, thanks to tangy acidity and light, silky tannins. Chill it down for a perfect summer red. 91 Points Wine Enthusiast Magazine, March 2016

Damilano Barolo Cannubi 1752 Riserva 2008

Damilano  Barolo Cannubi "1752" Reserve started with the harvest of 2008, when the family finally achieved its goal to diversify the Cru. "1752" is the result of the passion and the conviction that its vineyard represents the essence of Cannubi. For this reason the idea of "1752" being a Reserve dates back to its harvesting and the company has waited 7 years to open the first bottle. Its story starts with the family's decision to appraise the historic core of the Cannubi vineyard, located in the northern-central part of the hill. It is a small portion, planted with Nebbiolo vines which are 40-50 years old. The thinning is even harsher here and the yield is of only 4 tons. The grapes from these vines are fermented for 20 days and then stay with the peel for 30 more days.  To follow, the wine is left 60 months in a barrel of 50 hl and finishes off by resting 24 more months is a bottle. The result is only 6000 bottles, presented in fine "vintage" packaging, to highlight the culture, the tradition, and the knowledge of a land that the world envies of the Langhe: Cannubi.

Damilano Barolo Cannubi 1752 Riserva 2008   Shows an amazing amount of dried roses, cedar and subtle fruits on the nose. Full body with fine tannins that touch every part of your palate. It's long and wonderful with such polish and finesse. So right now. This is the first year of Damilano Cannubi Riserva. Only 5,000 bottles made. Phenomenal. This is the greatest wine ever from here. Glorious.. 98 Points James Suckling

Chateau Peyros Madiran 2010

The Cellars at Chateau Peyros

Chateau Peyros Chateau Peyros is the property located the furthest south in the Madiran appellation. It dates from the 17th century and was acquired by Jean Jacques Lesgourgues in 1999.  The Lesgourgues family strives to produce high quality wines. Peyros means "stony place" in Gascon, a good definition for the exceptional land the vines grow on: derived from Pyrenean moraines, the clay-loam soil is densely packed with rolled pebbles from the glaciers. In order to best express the quality of each "terroirs", and to produce specific wines with distinctive personalities, the viticultural approach is imprinted with traditions: a sustainable agriculture with no systematic use of chemical spraying, grass setting on the vineyards, work of the soil, traditional sizing and finally, an important limitation of yield.

Chateau Peyros Madiran 2010   Putting two naturally tannic grapes together seems to soften them both. This blend (Tannat 60% - Cabernet Franc 40%) gives this rich wine structure as well as rich plum and damson, leather and smokiness. 91 Points Wine Enthusiast Magazine, March 2015

Bodega Cepa 21 Hito Ribera del Duero 2014

Jose Moro_ Winemaker at Cepa 21 Winery

Bodegas Cepa 21 Bodegas Cepa 21 is the new ambitious project headed by the Moro family, the owners of Bodegas Emilio Moro, one of the most emblematic wineries in the Ribera del Duero. The aim of this project has been to build a modern, functional, minimalist new winery drawing on the savoir faire acquired over the years by several generations of the Moro family in the making of modern-style wines. The winery, which nestles in the middle of fifty hectares (around 124 acres) of its own Tinto Fino vines (the purest Tempranillo clone), is modern and equipped to bring out the very best of one of the finest varietals in the world. This new wine, Cepa 21, is aimed at consumers who have the expertise and open-mindedness to discover new tasting characteristics and who also appreciate the subtlety and elegance of a wine that is soft and sweet on the palate with bold aromatics.

Bodega Cepa 21 Hito Ribera del Duero 2014   The 2014 Hito is an affordable young Tempranillo aged in barrels for eight months. Here they search for the expression of the fruit, a Tempranillo from a cool, high altitude zone of Ribera del Duero. The nose is quite showy and perfumed, mixing notes of violets and cherries with some roasted undertones, spicy, a little herbal, developing aromas of ash and incense with time. It's medium-bodied with a soft texture, and tender with polished tannins and moderate acidity, velvety, easy to drink. A benchmark Ribera at a very attractive price. 300,000 bottles produced. 89 Points eRobertparker.com #221