Chances are that since you are a person of impeccable taste and curiosity that you have friends who share your passion for wine & spirits.
December has arrived and the clock is running. BevX has made it easy to make your holiday buying decisions today. Why procrastinate? Did you know that last-minute shoppers represented 36 percent of the overall total? There is no reason to wait until the final moments.
We have assembled a modest list of stellar wine & spirits ranging in price from $12 to $95. It will be hard to resist picking up a bottle or two for yourself so why try? End the year by being generous with yourself as well. Have a great holiday season.
Wine
Troon Vineyard
Troon Vineyard started quietly over four decades ago when Dick Troon planted vineyards in Southern Oregon. He sold grapes to local wineries but soon discovered that the best business decision was to create his own wines. He converted his barn to a winery and slowly built the brand until he sold the winery to his friend Larry Martin in 2003. Today, Troon Vineyard is owned by Dr. Bryan White and Denise White. The Whites along with Craig Camp, general manager, and winemaker Nate Wall lead the innovative wine making efforts at Troon. Nate has extensive winemaking experience in the Willamette Valley and brings a nuanced, almost Pinot Noir approach to winemaking. Craig is a wine industry veteran with a sharp palate, encyclopedic knowledge of the wines of the world, and relentless energy. Troon offers a wonderfully diverse selection of varietal wines and blends ranging from Malbec to Grenache and Vermentino to name just a few. Beginning with the 2018 vintage the fruit utilized by Troon was farmed 100% organically and biodynamically. All Troon wines were crushed by foot, fermented with only native yeasts with no additives of any kind. If you are seeking unique wines with style and gusto you need to get acquainted with Troon Vineyard.
If you would like to sample some cool and innovative wines in 2022 we recommend that you consider Membership in Troon’s wine club. It’s a great gift too.
http://www.troonvineyard.com/troon-membership/
Troon Vineyard Vermentino Applegate Valley 2020 — $25, See the Featured Review
Troon Vineyard Kubli Bench Amber Applegate Valley 2020 — $35, See the Featured Review
Troon Vineyard Kubli Bench Rosé Applegate Valley 2020— $25, See the Featured Review
Troon Vineyard Druid’s Fluid Red Applegate Valley 2020 — $25, See the Featured Review
Troon Vineyard Druid’s Fluid White Applegate Valley 2020 — $25, See the Featured Review
Tongue Dancer Wines
Tongue Dancer Wines is the creation of James and Kerry MacPhail. If you are a California Pinot Noir lover you likely know James’ previous work with MacPhail Family Wines. James knows how to make amazing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and James knows a lot of people who grow spectacular Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This best of both worlds scenario is witnessed in each sip of Tongue Dancer’s award winning wines. They offer a range of wines from various vineyard sources that include a lovely Rosé of Pinot Noir as well as a classic method bubbly. Lately they have introduced their “Ultra” tier that is limited to their best barrel of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay respectively. Their wines are a must for any serious Pinot and Chardonnay drinker. We can’t wait to see what they do next. Visit their website and join their mailing list to get direct access to their wines.
Back by popular demand is their “Foxes in Boxes” gift boxes that allow the buyer to select between a two or three bottle gift set. See details here: tonguedancerwines.com/foxes-in-boxes
For the holidays we also recommend that you check out their large format (1.5 liter and 3 liter) bottles. These make a statement of good taste and holiday cheer!
Tongue Dancer Wines Pratt Vyd Irwin Lane Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2019 — $42, See the Featured Review
Tongue Dancer Wines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2019 — $49, See the Featured Review
Tongue Dancer Ultra Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2019 — $95, See the Featured Review
Tongue Dancer Ultra Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2019 — $95, See the Featured Review
Tongue Dancer The Sly One Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 2019 — $59, See the Featured Review
Tongue Dancer Pinot de Ville – Putnam Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2019 — $69, See the Featured Review
Tongue Dancer Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2019 — $50, See the Featured Review
Tablas Creek
Tablas Creek is a unique animal on the California wine scene. They are unquestioned pioneers in the movement of Rhône-styled wines in California and many consider them to be the absolute best-in-class. While many wineries in California make wines with classic Rhône varietals, Tablas Creek makes wines with the heart and soul of the Rhône. They were founded in 1989 by a collaboration between two iconic wine families – the Perin family of Chateau de Beaucastel and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands. Together they chose vineyard locations in Paso Robles, imported vine cuttings from the Rhône, and built vineyards and a winery from the dirt up. Their vineyard site in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles is a close match to climatic conditions and soils found at Chateau de Beaucastel. Their wines are not at all typically Californian in style. While they are not clones of Rhône wines, they are rather a unique expression of Paso Robles fruit grown at elevation with the winemaking touch of an old Rhône master. The resulting wines are filled with personality, never compromised, and frequently world-class. The best way to get all of the Tablas Creek wines you see is to join their wine club.
Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc Paso Robles 2020 — $25, See the Featured Review
Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc Paso Robles 2020 — $30, See the Featured Review
Piccolo Tesoro
Piccolo Tesoro, is Italian for “Little Treasure.” The brand boasts a wide portfolio of Italian wines that include sparkling, white, and red. Piccolo Tesoro is geographically diverse as well, including wines from the Veneto in the northeast of Italy, Chianti in central Italy, and Moscato from Sicily. What unifies the brand’s portfolio is the value-minded pricing, landing their wines in numerous “Best Buy” listings.
Piccolo Tesoro Rosé Extra Dry Prosecco DOC NV— $12.99, See the Featured Review
Stone Castle
Stone Castle Vineyards and Winery, the leading winery in Kosovo, is forging a path for this Balkan wine region. In 2006, the Gecaj family acquired the state-owned winery formerly known as “NBI Rahoveci,” which the Yugoslavian government built in 1953. It remains a family owned winery to this day. All of Stone Castle’s wines are made from estate-grown grapes from the heart of the Rahovec Valley, known locally as the “Tuscany of Kosovo.” Stone Castle offers a range of wines primarily from international grapes including: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Merlot, as well as the ancient and indigenous grape called Vranc. We are instant fans of this lovely Kosovo winemaker.
Stone Castle Reserve Chardonnay Rahovec Valley 2018— $24, See the Featured Review
Spirits
Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur
Chinola, as the passion fruit is referred to by locals in the Dominican Republic, is a unique Liqueur with an unforgettable taste and clever packaging. The label has a vintage, old-world look but it’s what’s inside that creates the memories. Chinola delivers the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors perfectly and captures the taste of fresh, raw passion fruit juice. Chinola operates with an estate-grown ethic planting and harvesting a very specific type of passion fruit, harvesting, extracting the pulp, and blending it with a sugar cane spirit made from Dominican-grown cane. This is a true farm to bottle Liqueur. This is certainly our Liqueur of the Year at BevX. The quality shines through immediately and the appeal of this product is widespread. Bravo!
Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur — $32.99, See the Featured Review
Hamilton Rum
Hamilton Rum is the creation of Ed Hamilton, Rum importer and authority. The range of Hamilton Caribbean Rums and Rum-based Liqueurs are available coast-to-coast. In addition to the Pimento Dram featured here the Hamilton portfolio of products include: Navy Strength Rum, White Stache, Saint Lucia Pot Still Rum, Jamaican Pot Still Black Rum, and Petite Shrubb (Rum-based orange Liqueur) among others.
Hamilton Petite Shrubb Orange Liqueur — $29.95, See the Featured Review
Yebiga Bela Rakija
The inspiration to create Yebiga comes from Bill Gould, bassist and founding member of the group Faith No More. His extensive travel through the Balkans over the past few decades resulted in a deep and enduring appreciation for the culture, the people, and their favorite aperitif. Bill partnered with one of Serbia’s most respected distilling families and introduced this quintessentially traditional product to the United States. Yebiga uses Cacanska Rodna and Cacanska Lepotica plums harvested from a long-held family orchard, on Goc Mountain, near the town of Kraljevo at an elevation of 810 meters above sea level. These are ideal conditions for growing great plums destined to be a great spirit. We were instant fans of their “Bela.” Yebiga also produces a wood-aged version (18 months in Serbian oak) that is also bottled overproof.
Yebiga Bela Rakija — $29.99, See the Featured Review
