Eve's Wine 101

Gordon And MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 31 Year Old from Mortlach Distillery, distilled in 1989, awarded Whisky of the Year

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Golden Barrel Trophy: Gordon & MacPhail to receive the coveted Golden Barrel Trophy for the 1st time for winning ‘Whisky of the Year’ at the 2023 International Whisky Competition.

LAS VEGAS /PRNewswire/ — The International Whisky Competition Committee is pleased to announce that Gordon & MacPhail, one of the world’s leading independent whisky bottlers, has won Whisky of the Year at this year’s competition. The Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 31 Year Old from Mortlach Distillery, which was distilled in 1989, has been awarded the prestigious title of ‘Whisky of the Year’ at the 2023 International Whisky Competition, which was held this year in Bardstown, Kentucky. This is a remarkable achievement that underscores the company’s unwavering commitment to quality, tradition, and innovation in the art of combining oak, spirit and time to create single malts using their own casks.

New make spirit from Mortlach Distillery was filled into cask 4303 a refill sherry hogshead in 1989 and selected for bottling by Stuart Urquhart, Operations Director at Gordon & MacPhail 31 years later. This exquisite whisky, matured in hand-selected casks and finished in a refill Sherry Hogshead exhibits the true essence of the Mortlach character, and the savoir-faire of the Gordon & MacPhail’s expertise, offering a complex array of rich fruit, chocolate, and subtle spice flavours that culminate in a stunningly long and warming finish.

“We are incredibly proud to see our Connoisseurs Choice Mortlach 1989 (31 Year Old) recognised as the Whisky of the Year,” said Richard Urquhart, Head of Sales (Americas) at Gordon & MacPhail. “This accolade is a testament not only to the exceptional quality of the Mortlach spirit but also to our expert team in selecting the ideal cask and maturing it for just the right amount of time. Every bottle we produce is the result of a careful process followed since 1895, embracing innovative methods to push boundaries in whisky maturation.”

“We warmly congratulate the entire team at Gordon & MacPhail for creating such a complex, rich, and perfectly balanced whisky” said Sébastien Gavillet, Head of Tasting Panel.

Gordon MacPhail will receive the Golden Barrel Trophy for winning the Whisky of the Year during a ceremony to be held this fall in Elgin, Scotland.

Official results: www.whiskycompetition.com/2023-results

The International Whisky Competition, held annually, is widely recognized as one of the most influential whisky awards globally. A panel of whisky experts (Masters of Scotch, Masters of Bourbon, Certified Spirits Judges, Master Blenders, Distillers, and Whiskey Experts) rigorously double blind-taste each entry to identify the very best expressions across a range of categories from whiskies sent from all over the world. The International Whisky Competition tasting panel uses the most comprehensive tasting method available. 15 criteria are required to produce the tasting notes as well as aroma and flavor profiles of each whisky entered. Unlike other competitions, the judges are presented with one whisky at a time, to ensure each whisky gets the proper attention. It’s possibly the only competition in the whisky world to deliver unique medals designed to promote each of the winning whiskies. Only 3 medals (Gold, Silver & Bronze) are awarded per category. The Whisky of the Year (highest score during the competition) gets rewarded with the Golden Barrel Trophy.

The 14th edition of the International Whisky Competition took place in Bardstown, Kentucky over four days, from May 20th to 23rd, and received hundreds of whiskies from all around the world.

For more information about the International Whisky Competition, please visit whiskycompetition.com

NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Awarded Gold Medal by International Wine & Spirits Competition

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Owensboro, Ky. – NFL legend and iconic entertainer Terry Bradshaw’s award-winning BradshawKentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has been awarded a coveted 95-point gold medal by the prestigious IWSC (International Wine & Spirits Competition). 

Established in 1969, IWSC is one of the most respected international wine and spirits competitions, with a mission to champion the best spirits from around the world. IWSC spirits entries undergo a tightly structured and rigorous tasting process using the ‘double-blind’ method, meaning samples are tasted in pre-poured numbered glasses to ensure that judges never see a bottle. Each spirit is judged by a whole panel in sync, allowing for group discussions. Spirits are scored on number system and categorized into “98+ Gold Outstanding,” a truly superior spirit that stands out amongst its peers as a supreme example of its kind, “95+ Gold,” an excellent spirit with great personality, character and complexity that stands out as a benchmark in its category, “90+ Silver,” an accomplished spirit with personality and character, and “85+ Bronze,” a well-made spirit that provides an enjoyable drinking experience.

Bradshaw Bourbon is a carefully crafted collaboration between Bradshaw and Silver Screen Bottling Company. Awarded a phenomenal 91-point rating from Wine Enthusiast, Bradshaw Bourbon is blended from the finest grains and aged in hand-selected barrels. As noted in the review, the two-year-old bourbon is “tinged with roasted nuts and vanilla on nose and palate, finishing with hints of black pepper and a waft of smoke.”It has a mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley, and is proofed to 51.9% ABV, a tribute to the NFL Hall of Fame quarterback’s career pass completion percentage. Bradshaw Bourbon is available at retailers throughout the US and Canada. 

Also notable about Bradshaw Bourbon’s rating is its price. Starting at $39.99 for a 750ml bottle, Bradshaw Bourbon is available for a significantly lower price than the majority of bourbons that have been similarly awarded some of the highest marks.  Bradshaw Bourbon is sold throughout the United States and can be found locally with the retail finder here and ordered online at www.bradshawbourbon.com.

More information, along with signature cocktail recipes, may be found on the website at www.bradshawbourbon.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @BradshawBourbon.

About Bradshaw Bourbon

Awarded a phenomenal 91-point rating from Wine Enthusiast, Bradshaw Bourbon is blended from the finest grains and aged in hand-selected barrels. As noted in the review, the two-year-old bourbon is “tinged with roasted nuts and vanilla on nose and palate, finishing with hints of black pepper and a waft of smoke.” It has a mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley, and is proofed to 51.9% ABV, a tribute to the NFL Hall of Fame quarterback’s career pass completion percentage.

About Terry Bradshaw

The only NFL player with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Terry Bradshaw continues to entertain fans far and beyond his legendary professional football career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, two-time Super Bowl MVP and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee joined “FOX NFL Sunday” as co-host and analyst with the show’s inception in 1994. In addition to his long-term role as a multi-Emmy and award-winning broadcaster, Bradshaw has starred in movie and television hits including the box office smash comedy romance, “Failure to Launch,” “Father Figures,” “Better Late than Never,” and “The Masked Singer.” Bradshaw is also a gospel and country singer, motivational speaker, New York Times best-selling author and breeder of championship quarter horses. In addition to starring in his own stage production, “The Terry Bradshaw Show,” the iconic football star and entertainer also stars along with his family in E!’s new hit show, “The Bradshaw Bunch,” which follows the adventures of his family.

The End: Domaine du Grand Tinel, Domaine Saint Prefert Et Domaine Isabel Ferrando and Vieux Telegraphe

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My final installment from my time in Chateauneuf du Pape is a visit and tour at Domaine du Grand Tinel that’s been making wine for 7 generations! (My husband Eddie covered me for another day – see his coverage from Domaine Saint Prefert Et Domaine Isabel Ferrando and Vieux Telegraphe below.)

Lucien Jeune, born in 1904, is known for two things, first he passed a law forbidding UFOs from landing in the vineyards – making the area more appealing to inquisitive tourists – and he was also mayor for 25 years. Grand Tinel began in 1972, combining estates owned by Lucien Jeune and Georges Establet, when their children married in 1968.

To this day harvest is all done by hand, they have two wineries from two different terroirs: Domaine du Grand Tinel and Domaine de Saint Paul. They don’t make all of the white Rhone varieties, and they focus on the three major reds: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Some of their vines are over 100 years old. They only use new oak barrels for the whites and used for the reds. Wine is sold through Negotiants, mostly to the private sector of French buyers. Bottling and labeling is done in-house.

These were my favorites from the tasting: The 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, the 2020 Cuvee Cotes du Rhone (Roussanne based), Domaine Saint Paul 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape (Grenache and Syrah based, 70 year old vines), 2018  L’insolite (100% Syrah) and 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Heres (100% Grenache).

Eddie and friends (I was back at the Villa with a cold) visited Domaine Saint Prefert Et Domaine Isabel Ferrando and Vieux Telegraphe…these are his memories of the day:

My day began at Domaine Saint Prefert and with an introduction and discussion with owner Isabel Fernando, and a tasting of the latest vintages. The 2021 Blanc Famille Isabel Fernando Chateauneuf du Pape was a great sample of their wines. The 2020 Colombis from Chateauneuf du Pape was outstanding as well.

The afternoon brought us to Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe. Vieux Telegraphe has been a family run winery since 1891. The sixth generation of the Brunier family is continuing the tradition of making excellent wines. Daniel Brunier gave us a wonderful tour and explanation of their winemaking style. The tour included a walk through their newly constructed caves for wine aging and storage.

The tasting began with Clos Roquete, a very approachable wine made from 33% Roussanne, 33% Clairette, and 34% Grenache Blanc. This wine was so good, we bought a bottle for dinner that night. The 2020 Blanc was outstanding as well.  We tasted the entire flight ending with the 2019 Rouge Chateauneuf du Pape made from 65% Grenache Noir, 15% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah, with Cinsault, Clairette and others at 5%. As a special treat, Daniel opened their 2010 rouge Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape. This wine was truly a standout in all the wines tasted on the trip so far. The wine had aged well and still had the ability go age a couple of dozen more years. Many Vieux Telegraphe wines were included in the case we had shipped home.

Instagrams: @DomaineDuGrandTinel @isabelferrando_stprefert @VieuxTelegraphe

Websites: https://www.domainegrandtinel.fr/en/#historique

https://www.st-prefert.com/

Accueil

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Kilinga Bacanora, An Agave Spirit from Sonora, Mexico, Launches in the U.S.

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Sonora, Mexico – Mexican spirits brand, Kilinga, announces the U.S. launch of their award-winning Bacanora, an agave spirit native to the state of Sonora, Mexico. Bacanora has been enjoyed for over 300 years, but has not been shared beyond Mexico until now.
Kilinga is a boutique, family-owned Bacanora distiller and brand founded in 2018 by Rodrigo Bojorquez Bours in Álamos, Sonora, Mexico. Inspired by and named for his mother, Kilinga, La Señora Kilinga is the vibrant matriarch and heart of the family. The company’s first official bottling was in the fall of 2019 which was awarded silver at the San Francisco Spirits Competition. It is the first officially designated Bacanora by the Consejo Sonorense Regulador del Bacanora available in the United States, and the second brand in Mexico to have the authentic Bacanora designation.
“Kilinga speaks to the grandeur of the Sonoran desert,” says Kilinga Bacanora Founder Rodrigo Bojorquez Bours. “We wanted to create a smooth, bright Bacanora that evokes the beauty of the region to agave aficionados everywhere.”
Rodrigo is not only the founder of Kilinga but also its Maestro Bacanorero. He fell in love with his hometown spirit after having tried a refreshingly bright expression made by a local rancher–it wasn’t like any mezcal he had before, and not close to what tequila tastes like. It has its own unique history born in the mountainous northeast of Sonora over 300 years ago. It survived prohibition (it was illegal to distill Bacanora until 1992) and received its Denomination of Origin in 2000. This intrigued Rodrigo and he was enthralled with the idea of making a Bacanora of his own, one reflective of the desert blooms unique to the Sonoran terroir.
Kilinga harvests their agave at different stages of maturation which makes each of their Bacanoras one-of-a-kind. Every bottle of Kilinga is numbered and signed by Maestro Bacanorero Rodrigo. He has perfected the art of distilling and polishing Bacanora after years of R&D, education and hands-on experience, resulting in a flavor distinct to Kilinga. Made using native Agave Angustifolia Haw unique to Sonora, where the desert meets the sea and mountains, Kilinga Bacanora is infused with local terroir and aromas. Furthermore, Kilinga only uses agave cultivated on their own family-run farm for superior quality and authentic taste. With the family’s roots in agriculture, the brand carefully practices safe, sustainable and environmentally-friendly farming. They truly believe in working with nature, not against it.
Kilinga’s eye-catching packaging is another nod to the Sonoran desert. The packaging reflects the color palette seen in the region’s natural landscape with captivating blues, shades of greens, and pops of violet, red, pink, orange, and yellow. The label captures the untamed beauty, wilderness and irrepressibility of the desert, mountains and sea. It also celebrates the feminine in honor of La Señora Kilinga and the women in the family, who are so strong and inspiring.
The portfolio features four handcrafted, small batch Bacanora expressions, all double distilled for crystalline purity. Kilinga will launch with the Bacanora Silvestre and Bacanora Blanco expressions this Spring 2022 and will release aged expressions in the near future.
Bacanora Silvestre
Made with wild 7-8 year old Agave Angustifolia Haw, the young, green plants give Silvestre the lightness of a springtime bouquet. At 80 proof (40% ABV), it is clear with aromas of wildflowers, violets, and green agave. It is very floral and vibrant on the palate with herbal notes and a subtle violet finish in the aftertaste. SRP: $64.99
Bacanora Blanco
Handcrafted with capón of 10-12 year old mature Agave Angustifolia Haw, Blanco is imbued with the rich sweetness of an autumn campfire. Presented at 84 proof (42% ABV), it exudes deep aromas of caramel, toasted agave, soil, and wildflowers. It tastes of boldly toasted caramel and agave, flowers and minerals with a subtle, balanced finish. SRP: $54.99
Bacanora Reposado
Artfully aged in American White Oak barrels at 80 proof (40% ABV), Reposado is a unique experience for agave aficionados. This expression is an evolution of the Bacanora Silvestre, which allows the floral notes to harmonize with the oak. Evoking Sonoran wildflowers and fresh herbs with hints of vanilla and agave followed by a smooth, clean, woodsy finish that lingers.
Bacanora Añejo
This rare Bacanora is bold and complex having been aged in ex Baja red wine French Oak casks for a decadent depth of flavor. This expression is an evolution of the Bacanora Blanco allowing the deep caramel aromas to develop into a toasted caramel flavor profile. Bottled at 88 proof (44% ABV) it has a sweet, earthy nose with delightful hints of dark chocolate, tobacco, vanilla, and charred sugar flavors present.
La Señora Kilinga enjoys her Bacanora served up, slightly chilled, and accompanied by a slice of orange dusted with cinnamon. Maestro Bacanorero Rodrigo Bojorquez enjoys his served neat with a kumquat.
Kilinga Bacanora can be found at select restaurants, bars and liquor stores in California, Colorado, New York, and New Jersey with online retail to come. The company plans to expand distribution to major markets in TX, IL, TN, MD, DC, SC, GA, and FL through the rest of 2022.
For more information, please visit https://kilingabacanora.com/kilinga-en/, or follow the company on Instagram and Facebook.

Walla Walla’s L’Ecole N° 41 Winery Announces Woodinville Location

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WALLA WALLA, Wash. – L’Ecole N° 41, one of Walla Walla’s early founding family wineries, has announced their plan to open a new Woodinville Location in Wine Walk Row at MainStreet Property Group’s ‘The Schoolhouse District.’

Nearly forty years after their founding, the new location will be the winery’s first Western Washington location. The design of the new space will take inspiration from L’Ecole’s Historic Frenchtown Schoolhouse tasting room located in the Walla Walla Valley. Closer to the vital Puget Sound market, it will afford the winery the opportunity to welcome visitors to gather and enjoy their many internationally recognized bottlings, including winery-exclusive releases.

“We’ve long-considered expanding our flagship Walla Walla Valley location into the Seattle area, and particularly the Woodinville area. The new Schoolhouse District incorporates modern architecture built around a renovated historic schoolhouse building – soon to be occupied by a second location of Walla Walla Steak Co. The whole prospect felt serendipitous,” said Marty Clubb, L’Ecole’s Owner & Managing Winemaker. “We are looking forward to providing a L’Ecole experience in a totally new space, yet with a familiar feel. To design the space, we are working with Boxwood Architects and my daughter, Rebecca Clubb-Olson, as our design consultant.” He continued, “with the quality team behind The Schoolhouse District, including Angela Oliveri of First Western Properties, MainStreet Property Group, and R|Miller construction – we are confident that we will deliver on the promise of a truly unique visitor experience.”

Anticipated to open in June 2022, L’Ecole will kick off its opening with a month of new vintage releases and select library offerings pulled from their Schoolhouse cellar in the Walla Walla Valley. L’Ecole’s Vins de L’Ecole Wine Club members will also be invited to join a special grand opening event. Details may be found on L’Ecole’s website.

Housed in the historic Frenchtown schoolhouse depicted on its label, L’Ecole has earned international acclaim for producing expressive, distinctive wines that reflect the unmistakable typicity of Washington State and the unique terroir of their Walla Walla Valley vineyards. L’Ecole N° 41 has been recognized as Winery of the Year by Wine and Spirits Magazine 15 times.

Perlises Pick: J DUSI WINERY

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A visit to Paso Robles is never complete for us without a visit to J Dusi Winery. Admittedly, it’s personal.

We first met Janell Dusi in the mid-2000s at a roadshow tasting for Paso Robles wineries held at a hotel in Santa Monica. At that time, she was pouring her first commercial vintage of Zinfandel made from the family’s historic Dante Dusi Vineyard off the west side of Highway 101. Planted by Janell’s great-grandparents in 1945, the amazing fruit had been traditionally sold to other wineries who were proud to designate the vineyard on their label. But Janell took the family business to the next level by making and bottling the wine under her J Dusi brand.

Since then, we’ve visited Janell many times, initially at the family home on the vineyard property and more recently at the winery/tasting room on Highway 46 West. Whether they know it or not, Janell and her family have become our Paso family.

Janell has also grown the wine selections beyond the flagship Zinfandel and even added another brand to the mix – Paper Street.

The first thing we noticed on this trip was how much the outside tasting area had expanded, with lots of comfortable seating and umbrellas, much of it colored the signature Dusi blue.

Then, Janell greeted us and, although we forewent our usual hugs, it was with immense joy that we sat down with her to talk about the last several months and sample several of the new releases.

We started with the 2020 Pinot Grigio. We found this to be super bright and fresh. Its low alcohol makes this a true summer wine, although we drink a lot of this all year long. It is not just popular with us, as Janell’s customers love it and buy it by the case. One of them even referred to it as “Dusi Water”, a term a stickler might find offensive, but not Janell. Hey, whatever keeps the customer happy, right? [Just a thought from us – much like in our neck of the woods, Agua Dulce means Sweet Water in Spanish, maybe she should rename it – not Acqua Dolce – but Acqua Dusi. What do you think, Janell?]

Second to be tasted but always first in our hearts was the Dante Dusi Zinfandel. This was the 2019 vintage and we noted that it was fruity and spicy [specifically with pumpkin bread spices] with a nice long finish. Classic Dusi Zin.

The next two wines were from the 2017 vintage. The Escandalosa is a blend of – not Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre – but Zinfandel, Syrah and Mourvedre. We’re not sure if the “scandal” is the unusual blend or what happened at the naming party that came up with it, but it had a beautiful cherry color and great spices from the Zinfandel. The other 2017 was the Caterina’s Vineyard Syrah, which was full bodied, well rounded, with notes of white pepper and a looong finish. Sadly, the 2018 version of this is the “last Syrah” from this great vineyard, although other varietals will be forthcoming.

We also tasted one of the wines from the Paper Street label – the 2017 Narrator. This is a classic GSM [40% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre] and was just perfectly balanced. The Paper Street vineyard was planted by Janell’s brother Matt and their father Mike on the West side of Paso Robles. Planted not only to Zinfandel, but also to Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Clairette Blanche [among others], Janell is doing great things with this vineyard, as are other wineries in the area. The name Paper Street has a double meaning, referring both to the vineyard not having a true address and as an homage to Matt’s favorite movie, Fight Club. Ditto with the name Narrator, referring both to Mike Dusi and to the Narrator in the movie.

Janell also told us of an exciting new development involving J Dusi Wines. You may have heard of the emerging market for canned wines. My initial observations have been these tend to be lower-end wines designed for maximum quaffing. Maker Wine Company (www.makerwine.com) is taking a different approach – focusing on quality wines from smaller producers in a convenient canned package. Janell’s contribution to the brand is a blend of the Zinfandels from the Dante Dusi and Paper Street vineyards. This should really “up” the perception of what canned wine is all about.

It was wonderful to visit with Janell, but she had a winery to run. We said our goodbyes after quick tastes of the yummy 2016 Zinfandel Port and the 2018 Haute Blanc Viognier Port and headed out, knowing we would be back to J Dusi on our next trip to Paso Robles wine country.

J Dusi

www.jdusiwines.com

1401 CA 46 West

Paso Robles, CA 93446

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

EMERIL LAGASSE FOUNDATION’S CARNIVALE DU VIN BREAKS RECORDS FOR CHILDREN’S CHARITIES

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NEW ORLEANS, LA —The Emeril Lagasse Foundation celebrated its 19th annual fundraising weekend on November 5th and 6th in New Orleans, raising a Foundation record $3.75 million to support its mission to create opportunities to inspire, mentor, and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition, and arts education, with a focus on life skills development.                                  

“After missing our live event last year, we were happy to come back together in person and celebrate with an amazing lineup of chefs and auction items,” says Chef Emeril Lagasse. “Alden and I remain ever grateful for the generosity of our donors, sponsors, participating chefs, and the New Orleans community. Their continued support changes the lives of vulnerable children in our community.”
                  
The Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s annual fundraising weekend kicked off with events at the New Orleans Board of Trade and The Sazerac House. The Fillmore hosted Carnivale du Vin 2021, the foundation’s nationally recognized wine auction and gala dinner. Culinary greats Frank Brigtsen, Nina Compton, Ken Frank, Ken Lum, Ronnie Rainwater, and Frank Szymanski brought together the best in wine and food for a night of charitable giving. Four hundred guests experienced a four-course meal created by Chef Emeril’s team and culinary students from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.  Hospitality students from Café Hope, Café Reconcile, and Pro-Start received training from Emeril’s front-of-house staff, and together, they formed the service team for the special evening.
                  
The live auction highlight was a six-liter bottle of The Setting Wines 2019 Glass Slipper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon that sold for $1 Million—shattering the World Record as the most expensive single bottle of wine ever sold at auction. “We are humbled to be able to offer $1 million to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation and its efforts to support youth, ” said Don Steiner, purchaser of the world record breaking lot.
                  
Co-founded by Jeff Cova and Noah McMahon, who both come from philanthropic backgrounds, and famed winemaker Jesse Katz, The Setting Wines first broke world records when a 750-ml bottle of their wine sold for $350,000 at Carnivale du Vin in 2017. “We are truly honored and amazed to make history again, especially as part of an event that means so much to us,” said McMahon, who serves on the Advisory Committee of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. “Inspiring others in meaningful ways is a huge part of our brand ethos, so we couldn’t be more thrilled to know this record-breaking sale will have such a big impact on the Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s mission to create uplifting educational and developmental programs for children.” 
 
The Setting Wines 2019 Glass Slipper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the prestigious Glass Slipper Vineyard, located in Napa’s renowned Coombsville AVA. Made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this bottling is the first wine ever to be released from this vineyard, which is owned by long-time vintners, Paul and Suzie Frank. Marrying meticulous farming, of which the Franks are known for, with the world-class winemaking skills of Katz, the 2019 Glass Slipper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is an exquisite wine that showcases finesse and age-ability while perfectly encapsulating the elegant nuances of the region. Only 75 cases and one six-liter bottle were produced.
 
The Emeril Lagasse Foundation continually provides capital and programmatic support to eligible non-profit organizations across the nation through its Community Grants Program. Recent grant recipients include Covenant House New Orleans, Second Harvest Food Bank, Arc Broward, Food for Thought, and NOCCA. The signature program of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation is Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen. This program was created to make a direct, lasting impact on the lives of young people. It reflects the foundation’s mission to inspire, mentor, and enable youth while broadening its reach nationally. Currently, there are five garden & kitchen programs around the country.

Sponsors for the weekend included Visit South Walton, Wicks Family Foundation, All Charities Ocean Reef, The Solomon Family,  Buffalo Trace, Abita, GHMumm, Center for Restorative Breast Surgery, Jones Walker, Shipt, Bradshaw, GoodCook, Sands Cares, Marquee Brands and James G. Fifield Family Trust. 
 
About Emeril Lagasse Foundation: Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden, Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501c(3) public charity headquartered in New Orleans. The foundation’s mission is to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development. Since its inception, Emeril Lagasse Foundation has granted more than $15.5 million to children’s charities to support culinary, nutrition, and arts programs. The foundation was recognized as the 2016 Nonprofit of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Non-Profit Organizations. To learn more about the foundation and its beneficiaries, visit Emeril.org, or follow on Facebook, Twitter , or Instagram.
 
About The Setting Wines: The Setting Wines is a collection of luxury wines created by three friends: Jeff Cova, Noah McMahon and famed winemaker, Jesse Katz. Driven by their philanthropic backgrounds, Jeff and Noah partnered with Jesse to establish The Setting Wines in 2014, a brand that seeks to encourage the appreciation of the simple moments in life, embrace the transformative power of shared experiences, and give back in meaningful ways. Sourcing grapes from esteemed vineyards throughout Napa and Sonoma Valleys, The Setting produces high quality wines that express a delicate balance between purity of fruit and the unique characters of each vineyard site. Visit thesettingwines.com to learn more.

Watkins Is Feeling Sweet About New Bitters Launch

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The heritage spice and extract company breaks into bitters category with two classic flavors to elevate cocktails and mocktails this holiday season

WINONA, Minn.,/PRNewswire/ — Just in time for holiday toasts and seasonal sips The Watkins Co. is bottling everything it has learned from 150 years of perfecting flavor and bringing it to liquor stores and cocktail/mocktail lovers across the U.S. Watkins Bitters are crafted from natural, high quality ingredients to create complex flavor profiles in two classic varieties: Aromatic and Orange. They are the perfect holiday complement to top shelf liquor selections or as a flavor boost to winter mocktails.

 

Watkins breaks into bitters category with two classic flavors to elevate cocktails and mocktails this holiday season.

The new Watkins Bitters are made with premium-grade quality fruits and spices, with no artificial colors or flavors:

  • Watkins Aromatic Bitters are crafted with Watkins vanilla beans and flavors derived from natural ingredients like dried tart cherries, hibiscus flowers and quassia bark.
  • Watkins Orange Bitters combine the sweet zest of orange with Watkins flavor favorites clove and cardamom in this classic cocktail enhancer.

A trusted brand in home kitchens for generations, this new offering is a natural step for Watkins who saw an opportunity to bring its at home flavor expertise to a growing number of home cocktail and mocktail enthusiasts. Both bitters come in 4 fl. oz. and 11 fl. oz. glass amber bottles with a beautifully-designed label to add a note of distinction to any home bar.

“It is not just home cooking that saw an upward trend this past year; we now have quite a few home cocktail enthusiasts who have been perfecting their mixology skills,” says J.R. Rigley, president, The Watkins Co. “Our focus has always been on providing consumers with the very best at home flavor experience, so moving into the beverage category and meeting a need for bitters carefully crafted with natural ingredients is a great opportunity for us—and great news for home bar aficionados looking for accessible, high quality flavorings.”

All Watkins products are Non-GMO, free from dyes, high-fructose corn syrup, added MSG and other artificial ingredients. Watkins Aromatic Bitters and Watkins Orange Bitters are now available online at Watkins1868.com, amazon.com and at select liquor stores nationwide. The MSRP is $8.99 (4 fl. oz.) and $14.99 (11 fl. oz.).

About The Watkins Company
Crafted in the USA since 1868…Naturally.™ Watkins is committed to making gourmet flavoring products from high-quality ingredients, meaning they have no artificial flavors and colors, GMOs, corn syrup or gluten. From the bluffs high above the Mississippi River in Winona, Minnesota, comes the purity of The Watkins Company. Our tried-and-true products have been good and natural through and through since 1868.

De Négoce Named “Wine Company of the Year,” Receives 53 Medals

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NAPA VALLEY, Calif., /PRNewswire/ — De Négoce has been named “Wine Company of the Year” in the 18th Annual Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition. The company also received an unprecedented 53 medals, 35 of which were platinum and gold with 90 to 94-point scores for wines priced from $12 to $29.

“New company de Négoce, the brainchild of well-known negociant Cameron Hughes, is deserving of major kudos for delivering amazing value in bottlings from up and down the American West Coast and featuring famed appellations like Atlas Peak, Diamond Mountain District, Carneros and others,” said Rich Cook, director of Critics Challenge.

The platinum award winners were the OG N.41 2018 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon ($29), OG N.89 2018 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon ($18), and OG N.132 2018 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($25). Each received 94 points. Additionally, the winner of Best Cabernet Franc was de Négoce’s 2018 OG N.85 Cabernet Franc from Walla Walla Valley, while Best Petite Sirah went to their 2018 OG N.58 Petite Sirah from McDowell Valley. Both wines received gold medals and 91-point scores and are sold for $16 and $14, respectively.

Founded by wine critic Robert Whitley in 2003, Critics Challenge is one of the most important and respected wine and spirits competitions in the world. Entries are judged blind by noted wine and spirits journalists, bloggers and critics. With an unprecedented level of transparency, Critics Challenge publishes the comments and scores from the individual judges on the competition results page for all award-winning entries.

“We are thrilled to have received such accolades and high scores from this prestigious competition,” says Cameron Hughes, founder of de Négoce. “We want people to know that we are not selling discount wine. We are offering amazing value and access to high-end, award-winning luxury wines that would normally sell for 4 to 8 times the price. There is a big difference!”

Since launching last spring, de Négoce has shipped over 200 unique wines and well over 100,000 cases. More than 80 new wines have shipped in 2021 alone, with 80+ in the pipeline for the remainder of the year. For more information or to join the de Négoce mailing list, please visit deNegoce.com.

About de Négoce
Founded by Cameron Hughes, de Négoce offers the opportunity to pre-purchase ultra-premium wines from around the globe before they are bottled. Known in the trade as En Primeur or “futures,” buying wine prior to bottling allows for pricing at 60 to 80 percent less what you would pay under its original label. The platform also has an online bottle shop where customers can mix and match their own selections of ready-to-drink wines. For more information, please visit deNegoce.com.