Author Archives: Nicholas Livingston

Join Us for Blood Drive at The Wine Company Offices

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Join Us for Blood Drive at The Wine Company Offices Monday, November 13th, 2023 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM Follow this link to sign up now! (Sign up quick, spots are limited – 35 total slots)

Why do we give blood?
“Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages: accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.” – How Blood Donations Help Patients

What is our donation goal?
Our goal is to get 35 total donors for this event! This amount of donations would help over 100 lives.

How do I sign up to donate?
If you already have an account, follow our direct signup link! If you do not have an account, follow account creation instructions on the Red Cross website, or download the blood donor app and join THE WINE COMPANY TEAM to tally your donation with our past donations!:

Blood Donor App Instructions:

  1. Download the Blood Donor App. (click here for instructions on the website – you can also text BLOODAPP to 90999)
  2. Login or create an account
  3. Join our team! The Wine Company – follow this link once you have downloaded the app to join our team

Want to donate blood, but can’t make the November 13th event?
No problem! Let us know when and where you’ve donated in the month of November and we’ll count it toward our total.

Should you have any questions regarding donations or the signup process, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to Elyse Poshard, our Philanthropic Chair.

In gratitude,
YOUR FRIENDS AT THE WINE COMPANY

 

J. Carver Distillery Announces First Release of J. Carver 7 Year Brickyard Straight Bourbon Whiskey

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Waconia, Minnesota – September 7, 2023 – In celebration of National Bourbon Heritage Month, J. Carver Distillery, the grain-to-glass Minnesota microdistillery located in Waconia, Minnesota is pleased to announce the limited release of J. Carver 7 Year Brickyard Straight Bourbon Whiskey. As with the recently introduced 7 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey and 7 Year Runestone Straight Rye, this is a fine whiskey that offers the unique flavors of Minnesota grains and Minnesota barrels with the complexity of a carefully crafted, well-aged Whiskey.

“J. Carver Distillery is located in beautiful Carver County, home to the historic Chaska brickyards, which produced the distinctive yellow “Chaska Brick” churches and farmhouses located up and down the Minnesota River,” stated Bill Miller, Founding Partner. “Likewise, our Brickyard Straight Bourbon uses local, similarly yellow corn, wheat and barley grown in towns along the banks of the Minnesota River. Based on Minnesota grains and aged in Minnesota barrels and hand-made and bottled here at our facility in Waconia, we are thrilled that Minnesota distilleries are adding to the history of Bourbon.”

“Our Brickyard Straight Bourbon is our most popular and awarded whiskey, and we are so excited to introduce this carefully curated 7 Year product to our customers and partners across Minnesota,” stated Gina Holman, Founding Partner. Holman continues, “Our Brickyard Straight Bourbon offers an amazing balance of sweetness and richness. Soft and approachable with intriguing flavors of baked pear, brown sugar, vanilla, bread pudding, toffee, caramel, honey, dried cherry, milk chocolate, toasted oak, baking spice notes with a long, soft and smooth finish.”

Holman concludes, “Our J. Carver team has been patiently waiting to launch this 7 year wheated bourbon since local Carver County history inspired us to name this bourbon during the time we started repurposing our building from the Pontiac car dealership into J. Carver Distillery over 10 years ago.” Holman says the J. Carver team is raising a glass and honoring all the J. Carver friends and fans who have helped them get to this historic moment for J. Carver Distillery. They invite you to celebrate with them at the distillery on September 16th for a release party.

J. Carver Distillery will be celebrating National Bourbon Heritage Month and the first release of J. Carver 7 Year Brickyard Straight Bourbon with a first release party at J. Carver Distillery from 5:00-8:30pm after the conclusion of Waconia’s Annual Nickle Dickle Day event, a town festival put on by Waconia’s Chamber of Commerce.

Tickets are available at www.jcarverdistillery.com/reservations

J. Carver 7 Year Brickyard Straight Bourbon 

  • Distilled from local Minnesota corn, Minnesota winter wheat, malted barley, and aged for more than 7 years in charred new oak barrels
  • Non-chill filtered and bottled at 95.2 proof
  • First release produced 1,111 bottles
  • Handcrafted entirely on-site in Waconia, Minnesota

J. Carver 7 Year Tasting Notes
Color: Deep amber
Aroma: Sweet nose, caramel, toffee, vanilla custard, and toasted oak
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, sweet, smooth, complex, and rich in flavor
Flavor: An amazing balance of sweetness and richness. Soft and approachable with intriguing flavors of baked pear, vanilla, bread pudding, toffee, caramel, honey, brown sugar, dried cherry, milk chocolate, baking spice notes with a long, soft and smooth finish.
Finish: Long, sweet, smooth, and elegant finish
Aged: 84-90+ months
Proof: 95.2 proof
% Alc By Volume: 47.6
Mash Bill: MN 71% corn, MN 20% winter wheat, and 9% malted barley

About J. Carver Distillery
J. Carver Distillery crafts distinctive award-winning spirits inspired by a tradition of craft and curiosity, harkening back to the days of unchartered exploration and wonder. J. Carver Distillery is open to the public for educational tours and tastings by reservation on Saturdays. Please book your reservation online. Stop in and experience a tour and tasting and their grain-to-glass approach to distilling. Join their many enthusiastic customers in sampling locally made vodka, gin, barrel gin, apple brandy, brandy, bourbon, rye whiskey, liqueurs, absinthe, American Single Malt and now 7 Year small batch whiskey, and hand-crafted cocktails in their cocktail room. Founded in 2013 in Waconia, Minnesota, partners include Bill Miller (Waconia), Gina Holman (Victoria), Gregg Groechel (Medina), John Zupan (Waconia), Tom Kullman (Waconia).

More information is available online at www.jcarverdistillery.com.

You must be at least 21 years of age to drink alcoholic beverages. Do not drink and drive, and please drink responsibly.

For more information please contact:
Gina Holman
mobile 612-306-7870 / office 952-442-2433/ ginah@jcarverdistillery.com

1320 MILL LANE, WACONIA, MINNESOTA, USA

New Arrival: Rostaing-Tayard Gamay from Coteaux de Lyonnaise

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DOMAINE ROSTAING-TAYARD
Coteaux du Lyonnais Le Coeur des Hommes

« This cuvée is the reflection of a blend of plots located on a terroir of blue stones unique to Savigny. Coming from a geological frontier, it gives this cuvée a uniqueness. »

– Emmanuel Rostaing-Tayard

LE COEUR DES HOMMES | AT-A-GLANCE

  • Grape variety: Gamay
  • Age of the vines: Average of 50 years
  • Altitude: 1,300 to 1,800 feet
  • Manual harvesting
  • Drastic sorting both in the vineyard and in the cellar
  • Vinification without inputs
  • Burgundy-style vinification with the aim of finesse and elegance
  • Maceration for 12 days without extraction
  • Combined aging in stainless steel vats and demi muids with very light sulfiting before bottling
  • 12.53% ABV

 

TASTING NOTE
Fruity, spicy nose, a supple structure and a tangy final note which gives a sensation of freshness to the wine.

 

 

COTEAUX DE LYONNAISE
Rostaing-Tayard is based in a region just outside of Lyon called ‘The Coteaux de Lyonnais”; just beyond Northern Rhone and South of Beaujolais sandwiched between the two regions. The influence of Beaujolais can be felt here with grape varieties like Gamay and Chardonnay and granitic soils with metamorphic blue stones making for a noble terroir to host 50-year-old vines. Emmanuel brings a wealth of knowledge and experience back to his hometown of Savigny where he is deeply passionate about biodynamic principles and saving the historic vineyards in his small comer of France.

 

 

EMMANUEL ROSTAING-TAYARD
Emmanuel Rostaing-Tayard grew up in the vines at Récy in Savigny within a family of winegrowers who passed on this passion from generation to generation. “You could say that wine runs through my veins!” Devoted to polyculture at every turn, the ecosystem at Domaine Rostaing-Tayard is certified organic by Ecocert and biodynamic by Demeter. The approach in the vineyard and in the cellar is one of minimal intervention.

 

 

« I only use biodynamic preparations; herbal teas, fermented extracts and decoctions. These preparations allow me to use minimal doses of copper and sulfur to fight against diseases such as mildew and powdery mildew. The vines are grassed and I sometimes work the soil on the surface with the help of a chasing machine so as not to compact the soil and disturb its microbial life. On the pruning side, I am trained in non-mutilating pruning and I take care to respect the flow of sap in order to perpetuate the life of the vine and to avoid diseases of the wood. »

 

In the cellar, he vinifies all wines with the indigenous yeasts already present in the grapes. Vinification takes place naturally without inputs. Once alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation have taken place, the only input Emmanuel uses is sulfur in very small quantities at the end of ageing leaving this cuvée Cœur des Hommes, or the Heart or Men, as the purest expression of Rostaing-Tayard vineyards.

Wine Co Cares Update

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As we begin the second half of the year, we look back to our many accomplishments not only as a company, but as a family, as colleagues, and as friends.

In our togetherness we have done everything from plunging into a frozen lake to collecting over 200 pounds of pet food, and many more projects that celebrate the philosophy which shapes how we provide for our multiple communities.

We endeavor to strengthen our current partnerships and build future relationships, to continue to empower others, and to retain our passion through every step forward. Thank you to those who have chosen to join us in these efforts.

– Elyse Poshard, Chair of the Philanthropic Committee

 

PHILANTHROPIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2023 TO DATE 

 

Our Pet Supply Drive for Pet Haven provided over 200 pounds of pet food, along with other supplies and toys. Pet Haven is a local rescue and one of our Frogtown neighbors. Pet Haven recently celebrated their 70th anniversary as Minnesota’s oldest foster-based animal rescue. They improve the lives of pets and the people who love them by rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs and cats; reducing pet overpopulation by supporting spay and neutering efforts, and providing resources to people that help strengthen the human-animal bond.

 

Our Polar Plunge for Special Olympics raised $7,788 Jumpers included Wil, Dana, Connor, Austin, Scott, Elyse, Jane, Nicholas, Paul Mazanec, and Ken. Notable donations included Matchbook, Twin Cities Wine Education, Diamond Wine Importers, Chris Johnson, Top Ten Liquors, Montaigne Imports, Laine Boswell Selections, Sharab Shrubs, Impex, Valentine, Fred Petters, Mac Caron of Vintus, and Jesse Marrow of Cline.

Our Family Essentials Drive collected 5,214 Diapers, 5,936 wipes, 60 pairs of socks, and 682 menstrual products for donation to Esperanza United whose work in the community includes a shelter for families escaping gender-based violence.

Earthquake Relief raised $900 for Alight through Beckmen Sauvignon Blanc purchases. The Wine Company donated $60 of each case to Earthquake Relief for Turkey and Syria. This meant $5 per bottle on every bottle you bought and sold to your customers.

The Wine Company is pleased to announce our donation of $3500 to the Trevor Project in support of Pride this June. Thanks to YOUR partnership and collaboration, this donation was made possible. We greatly appreciate your business and ongoing support of TWC’s philanthropic efforts!

Community drives our philanthropic efforts
Helping when and where we can has been a core value stretching back our very beginnings in 1985. Fundraising, charitable donations, volunteerism and neighborhood engagement play an important role throughout our calendar year. In the first half of 2023, we have helped many a noble cause as outlined above. For coming together over these initiatives, WE THANK YOU!

Stay tuned to #WineCoCares for more opportunities to help out including your chance to prepare meals for those in need through Harvest Pack this September, our annual Blood Drive for the American Red Cross in November, and more to come.

J Carver 7 Year Runestone Straight Rye Whiskey

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Thursday, June 8, 2023

J. Carver Distillery Unveils the Debut of J. Carver 7 Year Runestone Straight Rye Whiskey

Waconia, Minnesota – J. Carver Distillery, the grain-to-glass Minnesota microdistillery located in Waconia, Minnesota is pleased to announce the limited release of J. Carver 7 Year Runestone Straight Rye Whiskey. This exceptional whiskey embodies the unique flavors of Minnesota grains and barrels, showcasing the complexity of a carefully crafted, well-aged spirit.

“Following the highly successful release of J. Carver 7 Year Bourbon a few months ago, we are equally excited to introduce J. Carver 7 Year Runestone Straight Rye. Planning for this product began many years ago, by carefully selecting our favorite barrels and holding them on-site in reserve for long term aging”, stated Bill Miller, Founding Partner. “This is a unique, pure rye whiskey, with a malt-heavy mash bill that enhances the sweetness and imparts a spicy, yet smooth finish compared to other rye whiskies. With our extensive inventory of similarly aged barrels of other products, we are likewise excited to plan similar releases of our other barreled spirits in the near future.”

“We are excited by the interest and excitement in this product indicated by our partners throughout the spirits industry,” added Gina Holman, Founding Partner. “J. Carver Distillery has been barreling whiskey for nearly nine years, and we are gratified that our larger barrels are producing the complex flavors we had hoped for.” Holman continues, “our first release J. Carver 7 Year Runestone Straight Rye offers intriguing and complex flavors of nougat, sweet churned butter, caramel, honey, apple, cardamom, nectarine, dried fruit, dried orange peel, cocoa, oak, vanilla, white pepper, dill, and baking spice notes with a long, well-balanced, soft and smooth finish.”

 

J. Carver 7 Year Runestone Straight Rye Whiskey
• Distilled from 100 percent MN rye and aged for more than 7 years in charred new oak barrels
• Named for the famous Kensington, MN Runestone
• Created for whiskey aficionados and hardcore rye lovers
• Irish Whiskey and Highland & Speyside Scotch-lover’s Whiskey
• Non-chill filtered and bottled at 98.4 proof
• First release produced 852 bottles
• Handcrafted entirely on-site in Waconia, Minnesota from local grains

J. Carver 7 Runestone Straight Rye Year
Tasting Notes
Color: Deep amber
Aroma: Sweet nose, butterscotch, caramel, toffee, citrus, cocoa, vanilla, herbal, grains, and toasted oak
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, smooth, balanced, elegant
Flavor: An amazing balance of sweetness and spice. Enjoy flavors of nougat, sweet churned butter, caramel, honey, apple, cardamom, nectarine, dried fruit, dried orange peel, cocoa, oak, vanilla, white pepper, dill, and baking spice notes with a long, well-balanced, soft and smooth finish.

Finish: Long, smooth, elegant finish
Aged: 84-90+ months
Proof: 98.4 proof
Mash Bill: 86 percent Minnesota Rye, 14 percent malted rye

 

About J. Carver Distillery
J. Carver Distillery crafts distinctive award-winning spirits inspired by a tradition of craft and curiosity, harkening back to the days of unchartered exploration and wonder. J. Carver Distillery is open to the public for educational tours and tastings by reservation on Saturdays. Please book your reservation online. Stop in and experience a tour and tasting and their grain-to-glass approach to distilling. Join their many enthusiastic customers in sampling locally made vodka, gin, barrel gin, apple brandy, brandy, bourbon, rye whiskey, liqueurs, absinthe, American Single Malt and now 7 Year small batch whiskey, and hand-crafted cocktails in their cocktail room. Founded in 2013 in Waconia, Minnesota, partners include Bill Miller (Waconia), Gina Holman (Victoria), Gregg Groechel (Medina), John Zupan (Waconia), Tom Kullman (Waconia).

More information is available online at www.jcarverdistillery.com.

Welcoming STACI MICKELSON to The Wine Company!

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STACI MICKELSON
I grew up in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Augsburg College. I have WSET Level 3, and am a Certified Sommelier through the CMS; my favorite wine program I have done was the French Wine Scholar. In 2016, I was awarded the Les Dames d’Escoffier Wine Legacy Award, which took me to Washington State and Washington DC later that year. I am a member of the Minnesota chapter of the Les Dames d’Escoffier.

I’ve been in the wine industry since 2011. My favorite part of being a wine rep is the adventure of every day. I like being in the car traveling around town, showing cool wines to fun people. The first wine I truly fell in love with was a Fiano from Sicily, and I still really love almost any Italian white. My favorite wine regions are Washington State, the Loire Valley, and the Jura. I also have a love for gin and cider. As for my favorite food pairing, Joel Nelson would joke that my favorite pairing is any wine that goes with mac & cheese.

Outside of wine, I love walking, learning about people and other cultures, history, astrology, Key West, and cats. My current favorite cat is my kitty, Molly. Please don’t be afraid of adopting senior animals; they are the best!

Have you met… Nicholas Livingston?

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HAVE YOU MET … NICHOLAS LIVINGSTON?

You certainly know Nicholas’ work if you follow our social media and read our Scout Books, educational materials, WineCo | THIS WEEK emails and other communiqués. If you are in the merry wine-and-spirits trade, you have likely enjoyed a glass of wine or botanical beverage with him sharing the stories behind these.  But did you know?  In addition to his 15-year tenure heralding all at The Wine Company, Nicholas owns the garden and home good shop Horta Culture with his wife Jill.

Horta Culture at The Squire House from North Gardens

Squire House from the North Gardens. Tap image to reach the Horta Culture website

The Livingstons live above this garden-and-home goods shop with their children, Lotte (4) and Anders (1), in a lovely 1870s home in the historic heart of Afton on the high street of the old village.

Midwest Home feature on Horta Culture

To read the Midwest Home feature on Horta Culture tap on their photo above

Surrounded by showcase gardens and a burgeoning plant yard, visiting Horta Culture transports guests to an idyllic Mid-Atlantic destination someplace betwixt New England and Brittania herself.

Having spent years living in New York, England and Japan with regular visits to family in the Netherlands and Germany, much of their inspiration stems from these gardening and agricultural traditions.

Mpls. St. Paul Magazine features shop Horta Culture

To read the Mpls. St. Paul Magazine feature on Horta Culture tap on their photo above

Love to garden and enjoy a drive in the country? Take a trip to Horta Culture for their organic seeds and seedlings, a strong emphasis on cold hardy natives and more interesting perennials, sturdy heirloom tools, and well-appointed home goods.

St. Croix Valley Magazine features interior of shop Horta Culture

To read the St. Croix Valley Magazine feature on Horta Culture tap their photo above

To learn more about Horta Culture, check out their website ShopHortaCulture.com, read their recent press in Mpls. St. Paul Magazine, St. Croix Valley Magazine, Midwest Home, The Pioneer Press, KSTP’s Daytrippin: Afton, follow @ShopHortaCulture across social media, and sign up for their email campaigns for workshops and events via their LinkTree listings.

Team WE FREEZE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO lived up to our promise!

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THANK YOU! Team We Freeze So You Don’t Have To put out the call – AND YOU ANSWERED!

We are pleased to report that just as our Polar Plunge team grew in number so did our committed supporters along with their generous donations – thanks in no small part to Dana Bonelli who helped raise over $2,100 of the $7,788 that together we brought in for Special Olympics Minnesota.

As promised, HERE IS THE FOOTAGE to prove that we followed through on our promise to plunge en masse into the chilly waters of Lake Nokomis. Happy to help a good cause, we might have even been fueled by several hearty pours of some of our favorite expressions.

Our HEARTFELT THANKS go out to Matchbook Wine Co. (@matchbookwines), Twin Cities Wine Education (@twincitieswine @ jasonkallsen), Diamond Wine Importers (@ted_diamantis_), Chris Johnson (@thesakeninja + @worldsakeimports), Top Ten Liquors (@toptenliquors), Montaigne Imports (@montaigneimports), Laine Boswell Selections (@laineboswellselections), Sharab Shrubs (@sharabshrubs), Impex Bev (@impexbev), Valentine Distilling (@valentinedistillingco), Fred Petters (@phredd), Marc Caron (@caron8268 + Vintus @vintuswines), Jesse Marrow (Cline @clinecellars), and all of our friends and family who generously gave to see team We Freeze So You Don’t Have To live up to our name and benefit Special Olympics Minnesota!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! …and 🙌🏻 THANK YOU 🙌🏻 @SOMinnesota + @plungesomn 🙏🏻

#WeFreezeSoYouDontHaveTo
#WineCoCares
#PlungeMN
#FreezinForAReason
#PolarPlunge
#SpecialOlympics
#SpecialOlympicsMinnesota
#SpecialOlympicsMN

WE NEED YOU!

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For our first drive of the year, The Wine Company will collect pet food, supplies, and toys for Pet Haven (@PetHavenMN), a local rescue and one of our Frogtown neighbors.

Pet Haven recently celebrated their 70th anniversary as Minnesota’s oldest foster-based animal rescue. They improve the lives of pets and the people who love them by rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs and cats; reducing pet overpopulation by supporting spay and neutering efforts, and providing resources to people that help strengthen the human-animal bond.

Please help us reach our goal of 100 pounds in cat and dog food!

The following items have been specifically requested:*
Wet & Dry Kitten and Puppy Food
Puppy Pads
Cardboard Scratchers
Cat & Dog Beds
Cat Enrichment Toys

They have requested Pro Plan, Royal Canin, and Hills for cat and dog food. But anything helps! We also recommend Chewy, Petco, Chuck & Don’s and PetSmart for shopping!

*At this time, please only donate new items as we are uncertain about used items but will update you regarding used items as we learn more.

Donations can be delivered directly to The Wine Company office or dropped off at the front desk.

THE WINE COMPANY
425 West Minnehaha Ave.,
St. Paul, MN 55103

February is Vermouth month!

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THE REWARDING SPECTRUM OF VERMOUTH
From diverse traditions in every complexion

Both vinous and spiritous, Vermouth is the bridge between two worlds and for this can be savored on its own or in a spectrum of cocktails unique for what it contributes.

Aromatized and flavored wines macerated with roots, barks, flowers, seeds, spices and herbs, vermouth earns its name from its most famous herbal ingredient: artemisia, known as wormwood in English, and vermut in German. Base wines can be white, rosé or red according to local customs, are generally fortified with spirits for stability from 14.5% to 22% ABV, and vary in residual sugar by style.

Learn more about Vermouth’s history, regional differences, and cultural customs in our FORTIFIEDS Scout Book but whether sipped over ice with a slice of citrus, made into a Martini, Manhattan, Rob Roy, Negroni, or any other inventive cocktail, Vermouth is an indispensable ingredient at the bar as well as in the kitchen, often used in sauces and deglazing for aromatic complexities all its own.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: KEEP IT IN THE FRIDGE!
As a wine, it is of the utmost importance that vermouth is kept tightly sealed and refrigerated. If a larger bottle cannot be consumed in three weeks’ time, use 375ml bottles to get the best out of your cocktails.

Stay tuned to our social media for more on each expression in turn >>>