GREEN PAGES

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Nicholas Livingston

@WINECOMN IS GREEN | #makingeverydayanearthday
SUSTAINABLE // ORGANIC // BIODYNAMIC // VEGAN // SOLAR POWERED

SUSTAINABLE
A commitment to sustainable agriculture gives a grower the flexibility to address potentially cataclysmic threats to their vineyard while remaining a faithful steward of the lands they are working. The goal of sustainable agriculture is to farm organically when possible, while retaining the ability to react to problems that might otherwise ruin a harvest.

Sustainable growers use synthetic chemical additives in their vineyards only as a last resort, and not at all in many vintages. Many sustainable producers are growing grapes and other crops in marginal climates that simply do not allow them the luxury of farming completely organically every vintage. Other sustainable growers are working towards their organic certification but do not yet have a long enough history of organic farming in their vineyards to qualify.

Alexander Valley Vineyards
Alexis Bailly Vineyard
Andrea Felici
Angulo Innocenti
Anton Bauer
Aplanta
Argyle
Asnella
Barco de Piedra
Baron de Seillac
Beckmen Vineyards
Bethel Heights Vineyard
Bianchi Winery
Blanchet | Domaine Francis
Botani | Bodegas
Bouchard Pere et Fils
Breban | Vins
Breca
Brundlmayer
Bulletin Place Wines
Canvasback
Caparzo
Casanova di Neri
Caves de Saumur
Chasing Venus
Chateau d’Aydie
Chateau Perron
Cline Cellars
Courtois | Domaine
Darnaud | Emmanuel
Darting
Decero | Finca
Decoy
Dewazakura
Dog Point Vineyards
Dom. de la Bretonniere
Dom La Croix Montjoie
Dom de la Rochelierre
Domaine Drouhin Oregon
Donnhoff
Duckhorn Wine Company
Duxoup Wine Works
Eguren
Empire Estate
Emporio
Enotria
Errazuriz
Erstwhile Mezcal
Eugenie | Chateau
Failla Wines
Fattori
Felsina
Figueirasse | Dom. de
Foster | Enrique
Gaillard | Pierre
Garofoli
Gaston Chiquet
Goats do Roam
Gobelsburg | Schloss
Goldeneye
Graziano
Green & Red Vineyard
Haag | Fritz
Hakutsuru Sake Brewing Company
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Hedges Family Estate
Hiedler
Iron Horse Vineyards
Ironstone
Jim Barry
Kamoizumi
Krutzler
La Cana
La Playa | Vina
La Valentina
Le Casematte
Left Coast Cellars
Leonetti Cellars
l’Ermitage | Chateau
Les Hauts Plateaux
MacRostie
Marchesi di Gresy
Marchesi Pancrazi
Marco Felluga
Masumi
Matchbook Wine Company
McNab Ridge Winery
Melville Winery
Michelet
Migration
Miner Family Vineyards
Minuty
Miraval | Chateau
Mohua
Mongeard-Mugneret
Mont Olivet | Clos du
Monte Volpe
Montelena | Chateau
Morey | Thomas
Mossback
Mount Eden Vineyards
Muga
Muriel | Bodegas
Nisia
Ordonez & Co
Paetra Wine Company
Paitin
Paraduxx
Pedroncelli Winery
Perrin et Fils
Perrin Freres | Nicolas Jaboulet
Peter Michael Winery
Phillipe Girard
Pichot | Domaine
Pierre Callot
Ponzi Vineyards
Portas da Herdade
Pousse d’Or
Powers Winery
Quinta da Raza
Ragotiere
Ridge Vineyards
Rio Madre
Sabe
Santadi
Sattler | Weinbau
Sawbuck
Scaia
Selbach | J. & H.
Selbach-Oster
Senorio de San Vicente
Shafer Vineyards
Sierra Cantabria
St Gregory
St Pierre | Prieur & Fils
Tascante
Tenuta Sant’Antonio
Tenuta Scersce
The Eyrie Vineyards
TintoNegro / 55 MALBEC
Trefethen Vineyards
Triton
Vallado | Quinta do
Vara y Pulgar
Vignerons de Tavel
Vigneti del Vulture
Villa Wolf
Vogue | Dom. Comte Georges de
Von Schleinitz Estate
Weil | Robert
White Rock Vineyards
Zuani Vineyards

ORGANIC
Most organic wines are in fact made from organically grown grapes but not vinified “organically” likewise for spirits. The obstacle to organic winemaking is the prohibition of sulfur compounds in the winemaking process. For better or worse, the addition of minute levels of sulfur dioxide at the end of the winemaking process is what keeps wines stable in the bottle long term. Not to add a few parts per million of SO2 when finishing your wines often invites disaster in our cellars.

Organic grape farming, however, is becoming widely popular as more and more winemakers have recognized that they simply get better fruit from the vineyards that are farmed organically than those that are farmed using conventional methods. Organic certification, which is currently handled by several competing authorities, at its base requires the grower to demonstrate that they are working without chemical fertilizers, weed killers, insecticides, and other synthetic chemicals. These wineries and farms must demonstrate that the vineyards and fields in question have been handled in accordance with these organic prohibitions for between five and seven years before certification is possible.

Alois Lageder Winery
Altos las Hormigas
Antico Colle
Argyle
Badger Mountain & Powers
Badia a Coltibuono
Barraud | Domaine
Baumard | Domaine des
Beaucastel | Chateau de
Beaux Freres
Brundlmayer
Bulletin Place Wines
Calera
Carillon | Domaine Francois
Carro Tinto
Cartuja
Centorri
Chanson | Domaine
Chateau Climens
Cortijo
Domaine de Noire
Domaine des Lauriers
Domaine Drouhin Oregon
Drouhin | Joseph & Vaudon
Ecker | Weingut
Escalada do Sil
Evesham Wood
Eyrie Vineyards
Fattoria Selvapiana
Fitapreta
Flaco
Flor del Desierto Sotol
Frascole | Azienda Agricola
Frog’s Leap
Geoffroy Champagne
Haden Fig
Hans Reisetbauer
Hofer
Inama
Jean Luc Pasquet
La Playa | Vina
Li Veli
Liger-Belair | Thibault
Lucien Le Moine
Mas de Gourgonnier
Mas Lauris
Matrot | Thierry et Pascal
Messmer
Michel | Louis
Miraval | Chateau
Mont Olivet | Clos du
Muller-Catoir
Naveran
Nigl
Nikolaihof Wachau
Orleans-Borbon Manzanilla
Perrin et Fils
Petrolo
Ponzi Vineyards
Protocolo
Quinta da Muradella
Quinta da Saes
Ronco Calino
Russiz Superiore
Saladini Pilastri
San Michele a Torri | Fattoria
Santini | Enrico
St Innocent Winery
Tablas Creek Vineyards
Tamagawa
Vietti
Vizcarra
Von Othegraven
Von Winning
Warre’s

BIODYNAMIC
Based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, Biodynamics is a response by farmers who are concerned about the degradation of their lands. The basis is more than just the prohibition of synthetic chemicals, but a commitment to actions which ensure a proper balance and harmony between land, plants, and the environment. The guiding principles are 1) to upgrade the soil and plant life in its natural environment using products made from vegetable, animal, and mineral matter, 2) the application of these products at specific times during annual cycles, 3) working the land by tilling and hoeing to enhance the soil’s natural capacity to nourish the plants and animals within its reach.

In essence, biodynamics is organics and beyond. At its most basic, the biodynamic approach to grape-growing sees the vineyard as an ecological whole: not just rows of grapevines, but the soil beneath them—an organism in its own right—and the other flora and fauna in the area, growing together interdependently. It is the idea that farming must be attuned to the spiritual forces of the cosmos. This might mean timing sowing and harvesting to the phases of the moon or the positions of the planets; it also might mean burying cow manure in a cow’s horn over the winter for application to the vineyards in the spring. Trials show the Biodynamic Calendar Days have an impact on the sensory impressions of the wines and spirits we drink so ask any of us at The Wine Company if you wish to explore this further. Great fun.

VEGAN

A wine designated vegan means that no animal by-products have been used in any part of the winemaking process. Vegan goes far beyond animal welfare to the costly consequences such land management, the consequent carbon footprints, and the increased petrochemicals ranging from fertilizers to pesticides required to grow feed. Many of these producers were the first to reduce the weight of their glass bottles and mind other environmental impacts.

All Sake from Japan
Argyle
August Kessler
Blu Prosecco
Bulletin Place Wines
Campuget
Champagne Goutorbe
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet
Cline Cellars
Donnhoff
Dr Loosen
Henry’s Drive
Messmer
Miner Family Vineyards
Nine Stones
Poliziano
Prieler
Schrock | Weinbau Heidi
Selbach | J. & H.
Selbach-Oster | Weingut
St Innocent Winery
Tablas Creek Vineyards
Tommasi
Warre’s

SOLAR POWERED
As Minnesota’s First Solar Powered Wine Distributor, The Wine Company is committed to sustainable initiatives at every turn. As an importer with a strong focus on sustainable, organic, biodynamic and vegan wines, it comes as no surprise that many wineries in this wish-list of a portfolio are solar powered as well. In an age of global warming and the climatic upheaval in response, migrating to solar power is the right thing to do -not only for its common sense but the dollars and sense of it.

Our Earth receives more energy from the sun every hour than all the people on the planet consume every year. Sunlight provides a boundless renewable energy -not only to ripen all the grapes in all the vineyards sourced by The Wine Company but also to power their temperature-controlled warehouse, offices, and entertaining areas that host every sort of educational trade tasting. Rest assured that The Wine Company’s commitment to the environment does not end in the bottle itself but proves a raison d’etre and a shining example of what is to come.

Alexander Valley Vineyards
Badger Mountain & Powers
Bethel Heights Vineyard
Cline Cellars
Domaine Drouhin Oregon
Failla Wines
Frog’s Leap
Goldeneye
Green & Red Vineyard
Left Coast Cellars
Miner Family Vineyards
Chateau Montelena
Mount Eden Vineyards
Ponzi Vineyards
Powers Winery
Ridge Vineyards
Shafer Vineyards
Trefethen Vineyard
Valentine Distilling

Care to learn more about sustainable wine?
Enjoy our Wino’s Guide to SOBs: Sustainable, Organic, and Biodynamic >>>

Core Values

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Nicholas Livingston

It is hard to find the words that properly express the intensity of emotions that get invoked in association with the brutality, injustice, and systemic racism that exists in our own Frogtown backyard, other Minnesota communities, and across our country. These are highly charged times fueled by recent tragedy and now the pending verdict of accountability for Derek Chauvin’s actions. Hurt, anger and fear surround us in many forms. In this time of social anguish and upheaval we must look out for one another with support, care and compassion.

As an organization we hold ourselves to the highest standard and commitment to antiracism through social change by way of our corporate actions. We know that we all have a role to play in building a more equitable, inclusive, and safe community. It is our commitment and practice to stand up for equality, diversity, and justice. We seek out opportunities to support our neighborhood community, diverse communities at large, and to support minority owned businesses.

Black lives matter, Brown lives matter, Asian lives matter, your lives matter.

Be safe, be kind to each other, be the change we need!

THE VALUES AT THE CORE OF THE WINE COMPANY

Welcome TWO STACKS Irish Whiskey

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Nicholas Livingston

TWO STACKS
Independently Bottled
Irish Whiskey Expressions

Introducing Two Stacks Irish Whiskey

Inspired by the distilleries and merchants of old and the global brands of new Two Stacks Whiskey is a part of a new wave of exciting independent Irish whiskey bottlers. Selecting casks from distilleries across Ireland, Two Stacks is a group of tipplers and enthusiasts at the forefront of Ireland’s latest renaissance in distilling. Bringing Age Old Techniques to Modern Day Whiskey A CONTEMPORARY REVIVAL Blending Ireland’s long and rich history of distilling heritage with modern and new world creatives. Creating an inclusive feeling for whiskey to be enjoyed by everyone. Two Stacks strives for quality over quantity.

Continuing the Story of Irish Whiskey, Bonding & Bottling From it’s origins as uisce beatha, aqua vitae or the water of life, whiskey — legal or otherwise — has always been a part of Irish culture. But before Irish distilling came to be dominated by a few big names, every town would have had its own style and character of whiskey, and the first boom of Irish whiskey in the 1700’s saw blended independent bottling taking pride of place, long before Single Pot Still, Single Malts or Single Grains dominated The Lost Art, Reborn for Contemporary Consumers market.

This independent trade allowed for a world of flavor characters to develop and blossom as bonders used whatever barrels they had to hand. This is the lost flavor of Irish whiskey. The age-old tradition of merchants, grocers & bonders independently blending and bottling whiskey is continued today by a new generation of independent bottles, among which Two Stacks proudly stands.

T H E T W O S T A C K S R A N G E

The Dram in a Can
— A World First

Bringing you Irish Whiskey on the Move!

STRAIGHT FROM THE CASK
The Two Stacks – Dram in a Can is the world’s first 43% whiskey in a 100ml can, serving the same great flavor profile and focus on quality spirit as the rest of Two Stack’s blended range. Perfect for on the move, out with friends, or even just a solo dram in the great outdoors.

The First Cut
—Complex Blend

The First of Our Core Range Expressions A sweet and delicate combination of:

ROBUST AND DIVERSE
This easy and approachable whiskey is perfect for drinking on any occasion, enjoy neat, with your favorite mixer or whiskey cocktail. The First Cut —Complex Blend The First Cut is free of coloring and non-chill filtered. Slowly cut and bottled at 43%

The Blender’s Cut
—Cask Strength

From Cask to Bottle
Taking the same complex five-part blend found in The First Cut and keeping it in all its natural glory.

STRAIGHT FROM THE CASK
Bottled at 64% rich in heavy oils and pot still spice, a true cask strength whiskey to be savored neat or with a drop of still water. The Blender’s Cut is free of coloring and non-chill filtered. Bottled at a cask strength range of 63.5-65.15% – the highest proof Irish whiskey on the market.

Take part in the Diaper Drive at The Wine Company

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Nicholas Livingston

Babies have three essential needs: Love, Nutrition & Diapers

Unfortunately, diapers are financially out of reach for 1 in 3 Minnesota families who struggle to provide what is needed for their babies and toddlers, costing an average of $1000 per year, per child in diapers. Parents in our state are facing the tragic choice between purchasing enough food for their family or keeping their little ones clean and healthy.

While there are resources in place to help families afford nutritious food for their children, public assistance like WIC is not accepted for diaper purchases. As well, most daycares require parents to provide a week’s worth of diapers to even enroll which can be an impeding road block for mothers looking to return to work.

Finally, diaper need hurts babies and parents on so many levels but is not openly discussed because it is a source of shame for parents who cannot keep their baby in clean diapers. It’s hard to imagine the ongoing stress and anxiety this causes families.

Our goal in conducting a diaper drive is to reduce diaper need and raise awareness for this issue that effects so many Minnesota families with babies and toddlers in diapers.

Working together last year, we donated 6,808 diapers and 2,152 wipes to families in need. Please help us exceed these numbers by donating any of the following: (donations will be brought to the Diaper Bank of Minnesota)

New packages of diapers
Opened diaper packages
Wipes
Money (cash or check) – Money donations can be given to DeAnna at the front desk.

Donations can be placed in the front door vestibule.

Should you find yourself short on time, it is easy to order up some diapers or wipes online and have them delivered to the office.

Click here for Amazon
Click here for Target
Click here for Walmart

The Wine Company
425 W Minnehaha Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55103

The Diaper Bank of Minnesota is a registered 501©3 non-profit and all donations are tax-deductible.

Want to get involved in the drive itself and help spread the word? Please reach out to us at info@thewinecompany.net if you might like to serve as a drop off location for our trucks to later pick up diapers at the end of the drive. We can help with the promotion across social media with little posts you can share along with your chosen platforms. The Diaper Bank of Minnesota has ready-made signs and tools available to get started straight away but please know we can also create custom signage for you and should this be of interest, please contact your rep. Thank you for your consideration.

With gratitude,

The Wine Company

– – –

Reporting at the closure of the Diaper Drive…

T H A N K Y O U F O R M A K I N G T H E
2 0 2 1 D I A P E R D R I V E A S U C C E S S

🙌🏻 T H A N K Y O U ! 🙏🏻

Thanks to your participation and generosity, The Wine Company 2021 Diaper Drive surpassed all our goals by a healthy margin- by about 1,500 diapers and over 6,000 wipes, closing the drive with 8,321 diapers and 8,432 wipes!

GREAT JOB EVERYONE! It is so wonderful to see two pallets full of diapers and wipes going to families in need! It feels great to have contributed and all the better to know we achieved this together.

To keep informed about other opportunities to take part in helping our community with The Wine Company, follow #WineCoCares on Instagram.

🙌🏻 T H A N K Y O U ! 🙏🏻

The Joys of Austria and Germany in 2019 and 2020

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Nicholas Livingston

2019: A Superb Vintage

Germany
In what was a trying year for nearly everyone, we were fortunate to find a bright spot in tasting the German 2019s. From the Mosel down through the Pfalz, the general consensus was that 2019 was a spectacular vintage, according to Johannes Selbach, “2019 is an excellent vintage to say it in very plain terms. The last three vintages, 2017, 2018, and now 2019 are a trio of great, albeit different, vintages.” Still, it was not a year without its climactic challenges. The early winter was warm, giving the growers flashbacks to the heat of 2018. However, things changed drastically in spring, with much cooler temperatures and unfortunately, in parts of the Mosel, some frost. The summer brought back high temperatures, with record-breaking heat waves in July that ended with another cold snap in August. Even into harvest, the difficulties did not let up, with rain in September throughout the Nahe and Rheinhessen. These wild fluctuations in temperatures and weather produced grapes with thicker skins, but without expedited maturation or increased sugar levels, providing wines of incredible texture with beautifully preserved acidity. Overall, the vintage was not a simple one to bring home – “a lot of sleepless nights in the cellar and long days in the vineyard at harvest” as one grower put it, but in the end, the juice was indeed worth the squeeze. It was a vintage so outstanding that it led Stuart Pigott of James Suckling to declare “The 2019 vintage is the best vintage I have ever tasted for German riesling in my four-decade career.”

Austria
“In our history, this is the vintage with the least selection work needed. In my eyes, it is a close to perfect vintage. If I could wish to have circumstances for a vintage, it would be like how it was in 2019.” That is how Michael Moosbrugger described the 2019 vintage. While the climatic variations were not as dramatic as we saw in Germany, it was still a rare combination of conditions that produced such an impressive vintage. Similar to our German friends in the west, the end of winter into spring was warm, threatening an early bud break for the vines that was tempered by a moderate April and a surprisingly cool and rainy May. The heat waves that swept across Europe that summer peaked in June in Austria, where temperatures hit over 100 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the month. Across the country things remained warm and dry for the rest of the summer, though, starting in July, the average temperature continued to drop each month. A bit of rainfall in early September relieved the water stress on the vines and paved the way for a beautiful, long, cool, sunny harvest season. Both Grüner Veltliner and Riesling flourished in 2019, with a harmonious combination of high ripeness, crisp structure, racy acidity, and generous aromatics. The wines from 2019 mirror the growing season, pleasing and balanced upon release without lacking in power or elegance.

2020: The Early Word

Germany
We’ve heard from a number of growers that 2020 was another excellent vintage, if a bit less overt in its ripeness than 2019. Winter in most regions was wet and Spring was very warm, with weather in March precipitating an early flowering. Summer was once again hot and dry and signs pointed to an early harvest. September cooled and sunny days were followed by cool nights. Growers were able to take their time bringing in fruit, which was very healthy. Must weights are slightly lower than in 2019 and 2018, with great balance between acidity and ripeness. “The balance is excellent and we were able to make a full spectrum of Rieslings and especially outstanding Kabinetts” wrote Johannes Selbach. Crisp and clear, growers described the wines as already showing great potential: “The harvest continued through until mid-October, and we were able to store a dream vintage in the cellar” said Cornelius Dönnhoff.

Austria
A rather warm winter in the Danube area was followed by a dry, early Spring. Temperatures fluctuated and bud-break was later than average, followed by a very sunny April. Rain returned in May and continued on and off through the summer and into the harvest period. Summer was warm and sometimes humid, with fungal pressure present and attention to preselection was important. Ripening proceeded slowly and “You had to be patient” remarked more than one grower. Harvest was “up and down”: warm and bright some days to cold and rainy, it was a stop and go. The Covid restrictions on the number of people allowed in one place added logistical challenges to a “hurry up and wait” harvest. Generally growers have compared 2020 to a cooler vintage, with a smaller total yield. The light and early bottled wines, like Rosé and easy drinking Grüner Veltliner have slightly lower alcohol and are “full of charm with crisp drinkability”.

Care to learn more about Austria and Germany?
Enjoy our little Scout Book primer on these two storied vinelands >>>

Scout Book Digital Library Online!

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Nicholas Livingston

WELCOME TO THE WINE COMPANY’S LITTLE LIBRARY OF SCOUT BOOKS

Because no tasting can contain the complete, in-depth education we all deserve, because Paul Daggett cannot work the floor of every bottle shop or restaurant dining room, because Dana is foraging for the next hand-harvested amaro while Taylor is playing host to a visiting distiller working their way about town, and because Wil and Larry are likely overseas sourcing the wines we are proud to import directly into Minnesota, The Wine Company has built this Little Library of Scout Books first and foremost for fun and to provide a tidy edification that might translate a little interest into a deeper passion.

Knowledge is above all a pleasure. It can also lead to greater power and profit which there make three reasons we love to share all we know at trade tastings and staff trainings. These gatherings are finite however and our precious time together limited. For this we have collected our thoughts into little primers on various topics from regions to categories to help one wrap one’s head around all one needs to know to come prepared for any table talk. With just enough detail to arm the amateur and sommelier alike, these cover essentials without losing anyone among the weeds.

We hope you enjoy checking out each little wine book in turn, so pull up a chair and tuck in! Each is available in an easy-to-read Portable Document Format so just tap on any book cover and away you go.

PRO TIPS:
When reading from a phone or tablet, depending on your browser, some find it best to download the PDF for a wider page-by-page view – and be sure to BOOKMARK this page so you can easily bring this Little Library on the go!

Enjoy!

Thank YOU for 35 Years!

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Nicholas Livingston

WISHING ALL
A HAPPY NEW YEAR

We THANK YOU for working together throughout this challenging year…

THANK YOU for adapting together…

THANK YOU for this partnership of countless ideas from our open exchange to figure out how we can work even better together, and we THANK YOU for 35 YEARS as The Wine Company!

We count ourselves enormously fortunate to work with you to bring all that is small and beautiful to every corner of Minnesota.

WE WISH YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR along with all the peace and wellness, wealth and fulfillment this new year can bring!

THANK YOU!

YOU MAKE THIS A JOY.

Tiny Bubbles; A Primer in Champagne

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Nicholas Livingston

Our latest digital publication in our Little Library is Tiny Bubbles; A Primer in Champagne – a concise and playful little primer on everything that sparkles and lifts any novice to the realm of the cognoscenti so grab a bottle of something scintillating, pop the cork, pour a glass, pull up a chair and find your place at the table.

From the champagne of the Côte des Blancs to Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne to Côte des Bar, from the Cremants of Alsace or Bourgogne to those of the Loire, from Franciacorta to Prosecco to the superb Lambrusco of Emilia Romagna, and to all the sparkling wines farther afield, there is a broad and beautiful spectrum of wines to explore and enjoy.

Learn all about what sets each of these sparkling wines apart, how each are made, and what that means for the glass in front of you in our latest addition to our digital Little Library: Tiny Bubbles; A Primer in Champagne >>>

Tiny Bubbles | A Primer in Champagne

NEW Spirits Portfolio 5.0 is here!

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Nicholas Livingston

Our Interactive Digital Spirits Portfolio 5.0 is here!

The Wine Company SPIRITS PORTFOLIO has it all! Whether it is Japanese Whisky or foraged Amaro, a rare age statement Single Malt or the finest grain-to-glass expressions grown right here in Minnesota, various regional Aperitivi to vintage Armagnacs, Rum to Clairin, Absinthe, Grappa, Mezcal, Sotol, varied expressions of botanically based Gins, Tequila, Canned Spritz to Canned Spritzer, Bitters, Organic Cognac, Calvados, Sherries, Vermouth, Fruit and/or Vegetable Eaux-de-Vie, proper Austrian Schnapps, Fruit Based Liqueurs, Pear Williams, Griottini, Mistelles, Creme de …Cassis …Fraise …Framboise …Gigembre …Griotte …Mûre …Pêche, spirits from Israel, Japanese Shochu, whiskies cask finished in Berkeley, Apple based Gins from New York, Manzanilla made for the royal court, Welsh Single Malts, Scotch from the highlands to the islands from sweet and rich to the smoky notes of the seaside, the Piemontese Single Malts from Italy’s Highlands, Arak from Palestine, spirits of Detroit, or even the finest spirits glasses from Riedel to put them in and more about the MN Ice available to help you build a superior cocktail… The Wine Company Spirits Portfolio has it all in an informative, gorgeously formatted, interactive, digital PDF with a clickable Table of Contents, active links throughout, and a interactive Index. Instead of scrolling aimlessly, why not have a read and enjoy an hour well spent learning more about these singular expressions and the traditions behind them? We hope you enjoy it!

The Wine Company SPIRITS PORTFOLIO >>>

Austria // DOES NOT EQUAL // Germany

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Nicholas Livingston

Given The Wine Company’s resplendent portfolio of Austrian and German wines, we have penned a primer for a Little Library we’ve been printing for years but are now rolling out digitally. This first digital primer is on die Weine von Österreich und Deutschland. Enjoy a taste of it here…

Austria & Germany
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER AND WORLDS APART

Germany and Austria are not he same, nor are they what they used to be. Sharing a language, a love of Riesling, and a viticultural history stretching back millennia, Austria and Germany are often lumped together in the minds of wine drinkers.

A quick primer, however, might help us better appreciate these two distinct cultures, whose soils and slope, climate, grape varieties, grape growing and winemaking styles offer countless microclimates and contrasting expressions -that beckon exploration.

For all their appetizing charms and expressive terroir, Austrian and German wines may share a place in the heart of hearts among sommeliers, but their devotees would never confuse a Riesling of the Wachau with that of the Mosel, nor confuse the particular charms of these wine growing countries.

In this brief little wine book we hope to show how the wines of Austria and Germany are distinct and distinguished in their own right, so as to appreciate them all the more.

To read more or download the entire PDF, follow these links to Austria DOES NOT EQUAL GERMANY – A Primer in the Wines of Austria and Germany:

Austria DOES NOT EQUAL Germany
A primer in the Wines of Austria and Germany >>>