DESSERT WINES

Every so often, one of our wine distributors bring us a wine that throws us for aloop...this is one of those times! Mueller-Thurgau is a cross of two different varieties. This was done by Hermann Mueller from the town of Thurgau (yes, coming up witha name is that easy!). As of 2006, it is the second most widely planted grape in Germany, yet is also planted in Austria, Italy, U.S.A., and Australia, among others. It is hard to think a grape this obscure would actually light a fire under us, but this wine offers so much flavor, texture, and sheer pleasure, that every single person who tried it with the vendor was amazed!

Anne Amie offers two renditions of their Muller Thurgau dessert wines, one called "Anne" and the other called "Amie". The Anne bottling received a 7-month cool fermentaion, creating a Vin Glace dessert wine that highlights notes of honeysuckle, apricot and pineapple. This would pair exceptionally well with freshly sliced pears and pineapple upside down cake.

Every so often, one of our wine distributors bring us a wine that throws us for aloop...this is one of those times! Mueller-Thurgau is a cross of two different varieties. This was done by Hermann Mueller from the town of Thurgau (yes, coming up witha name is that easy!). As of 2006, it is the second most widely planted grape in Germany, yet is also planted in Austria, Italy, U.S.A., and Australia, among others. It is hard to think a grape this obscure would actually light a fire under us, but this wine offers so much flavor, texture, and sheer pleasure, that every single person who tried it with the vendor was amazed!

Anne Amie offers two renditions of their Muller Thurgau dessert wines, one called "Anne" and the other called "Amie". The Amie bottling was maderized and fortified to produce a Vin Doux Naturel styled dessert wine showing caramelized and nutty flavors that pair exceptionally with strong cheeses and candied almonds. We think this could be the perfect match with an apple pie!

Arrowood winery sits on a hillside just outside the charming town of Glen Ellen in the rolling hills of the Sonoma Valley. As an icon in the region, Arrowood showcases Sonoma County's ability to produce highly acclaimed wines with a focus on sustainable and organic farming practices.

Arrowood's Select Late Harvest Riesling comes from a one-acre block planted in 1997 at Saralee's Vineyard in the Russian River Valley appellation. Cool temperatures and morning fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean promote the development of Botrytis cinerea, or "noble rot" in the vineyards. This beneficial mold shrivels the grapes, concentrating the sugars and intensifying the flavors. To maintain the pure fruit character of the grapes, Arrowood fermented and aged the wine in stainless steel and prevented the start of malolactic fermentation.

The nose is full of rich honeycomb, dried apricots and apples, with a bit of petroleum underlying the fruit (which is expected in a Botrytized Riesling). The palate is ripe with peaches and pears; bright acidity balances out the sweetness. It has a long luscious finish with some hints of tangerine.

Aromas of apricot, poached pear and orange rind dominate the more subtle clove and mineral notes. The flavors mimic the aromas on the nose, melding with a mouthwatering texture and added notes of juicy orange and citrus blossom. This wine shows the restraint of youthfulness with the expectation that its bottle bouquet will emerge with a few more years of bottle age.

EOS's Tears of Dew is unabashedly indulgent. Lush flavors of ripe apricot and peach lead to sweet honey and zesty marmalade. The finish is a perfect balance of clean acidity with candied ginger notes. We recommend pairing with firm cheeses and dried fruit, or drizzling over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

The Semillon grapes were carefully harvested from Ferrari Carano's Magnolia vineyard and placed onto trays. After arriving at the winery, the clusters were inoculated with a pure strain of botrytis, then dehydrated for 14 days to 37.8 brix before pressing. The pressed juice was cold settled for two days, then racked to 100% new, select French oak barrels for fermentation. Once the desired alcohol and residual sugar levels were reached, the wine was chilled and filtered to stop fermentation. The wine aged in barrel for 17 months until bottling.

This wine has delicious aromas of dried apricot, honey, nutmeg, pralines and maple followed by flavors of apricot, orange peel, peach and pear, with a long, smooth, toasty vanilla finish. The Eldorado Gold is delicious paired with light fruit desserts like apricot or apple tart, lemon desserts, and hazelnut or almond cookies. Dense, buttery pound cake, summer berries, creme brulee, caramel sauce and aged cheeses also pair nicely.

Black Muscat grapes from Ferrari Carano's Russian River Valley Storey Creek vineyard were sorted and destemmed to a stainless steel tank for three days of cold soaking. Following the cold soak, yeast was added and pump overs commenced one to two times daily for the duration of primary fermentation. Once fermentation was completed, the wine was drained and pressed to neutral barrels for malolactic fermentation and seven months of cave aging before bottling in April 2016.

This wine has a beautiful dark, purple color with intense aromas of rose petals, blueberry jam and caramel leading to a wine that bursts with intense and luscious sweet raspberry on the palate. Eldorado Noir is exceptional paired with rich, decadent chocolate desserts, as well as vanilla bean ice cream or bread pudding with plum or persimmons. Fruit-based tarts, shortcakes, fruitcakes, pumpkin pie, pecan pie or baked apples also pair nicely with the Eldorado Noir.

Ficklin Vineyards is the first Port wine made in the United States entirely from four Portuguese grape varieties. These celebrated Port Grapes have been selected to produce our Ficklin Old Vine Tinta Port: Tinta Madeira for its fruity, almost spicy quality; Tinta Cao for its soft delicate flavor; the aromatic Souzao for its beautiful color; and the Touriga for its rich, full flavor. The grapes reach their perfection in th family vineyards under the favorable climatic conditions of southern Madera County. From grapes off the half-century old vines, the making of wines in small lots, the aging for several years in small oak casks, and the final aging in bottles, each bottle demonstrates the wonderful care and quality we strive for.

Close your eyes...imagine the flavor of a chocolate kiss melting with your tongue on a summer afternoon. Now open your eyes and find yourself a glass to pour this "manifestation in liquid form" of America's favorite fetish... Chocolate! Combined with the velvety rich character of our fine Cucamonga port, this release has no rivals but the fight with your guests as to who will get the last glass. The sweet creamy feel on your tongue and the aroma of chocolate make you taste what you smell. What translates as "Sweet Heaven", Fondante Ciello truly is. The original chocolate-essenced port wine which is great over fresh berries or vanilla bean ice cream. WOW! Multi-gold medals. 18.3% alc by vol. Limited production (500mls).

Jeff has crafted an amazing Zinfandel non-vintage port that will delight your senses and finish off any meal to perfection. Rich chocolate, dark cherry and ripe plum notes with a velvety touch on the finish. Only 40 cases were produced! Order yours today before this limited wine is gone.

For the third year in a row, Napa Valley received only two-thirds of its average rainfall in 2012, which reduced crop levels somewhat. A few days of heat in September boosted ripeness and allowed botrytis to fully develop.

A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer, Grgich's late harvest wine is the result of Botrytis cinerea, a beneficial mold that evaporates moisture while concentrating the flavor in the berry but yielding very little juice when the grapes are pressed. Grgich ferments the thick, rich juice and then aged the wine in French oak to develop its subtle flavors and textures. Aromas of baked pear, orange blossom honey and citrus are prominent and the wine has remarkable depth of flavors that linger in the mouth. Violetta is perfect with fruit tarts, rich cheeses or serve it all by itself for dessert.

The deep hue of our Ink Grade Port sets the tone for the rich, full-bodied wine to follow. Mouth-watering flavors of dark berry with notes of ripe plum delight the palate with an appealing sweetness that never careens over the top.

WINERY NOTES - "The red berry characteristics of the vinifera grape Cabernet Franc translate as an Icewine into strawberry like aromas and flavours. This Icewine is completely different from the white Icewines. The colour comes from pressing only as there is no skin contact during fermentation. The earlier it is harvested, the darker the colour and the deeper the flavours."

Icewine is winter's gift to the wine lover and one of the best-kept secrets of the wine world. Grapes used to make Icewine are left on the vine well into December and January. The ripe berries are dehydrated through constant freezing and thawing which concentrates the sugars and acids, thereby intensifying the flavours. The grapes are painstakingly picked by hand in their natural frozen state with yields often as little as 5% to 10% of normal. Genuine icewine must follow VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) regulations that prohibit any artificial freezing of grapes. Much of the water in the juice remains frozen as ice crystals during the pressing, and only a few drops of sweet concentrated juice are salvaged. Sublime aromatics of fresh lime, apricot, grapefruit and peach blossoms with a slight mineral edge. A racy interplay of sweet and tart offer up echoing flavors of lemon, lime and candied apricot. Icewine is intensely sweet and flavorful in the initial mouth sensation. The balance is achieved by the acidity, which gives a clean, dry finish. Truly a vibrant and refreshing experience!

Vidal is a hybrid (Ugni Blanc and Seibel) that has a thick skin suitable for harvesting late in the season. It is the grape grown most for Icewine in Ontario. It’s good natural acidity gives great structure to the lusciousness of its tropical aromas and flavors of mango and lychee.

This is a truly unique and amazing desert wine from California! The grape used is called Muscat de Frontignan, and the wine is fortified with fine pot-still brandy, aged in French oak barrels and tanks. Like other fortified dessert wines, this is a multi-year blend, using vintages from 1970-1983 and 1992-1997. The wine is 18% alcohol, and has 11% residual sugar. It is golden/amber in color from its long aging in French oak, and the wine is a complex combination of nuts and orange-peel aromas. Thick and rich in the mouth, the nuts and orange-peel theme continues from the entry through the long finish, highlighted by the many subtleties from the fine brandy and time in the barrel. It's a great paring with Tiramisu, Crème Brulée, Almond Biscotti, Hazelnut Torte, and Pecan Pie!

From the Meyer Family, founders of Silver Oak Winery. Producer notes: "Made in the traditional solera method, Meyer Family Port is unique among fortified wines produced in California. This rich, complex Port is a blend of several vintages of old-vine Zinfandel that average eight years of age at release. The vines are farmed in the rolling hills of California’s Lodi appellation. On the nose, the Meyer Family Port displays aromas of baked fruit and cooking spice, along with warm notes of alembic Zinfandel brandy. Rich and round on the palate, its lush flavors of sweet cassis and brandied cherries are framed by integrated oak and fine acidity. This delicious Port has a long, concentrated finish and pairs beautifully with artisanal blue cheeses, intense chocolate desserts, or a good cigar.

Ripe berries, rich caramel and toffee aromas lead to a flavorful dessert wine with warm spice, raspberry and cream soda highlights. A very complex and rich dessert wine. Cellar note: Although ready to drink now, this port will benefit from aging for the next 10 years.

Drier in style than most other Ports, Prager's 2011 Royal Escort Port is 100% Napa Valley Petite Sirah. The deep rich garnet color lends to a fresh pressed berry bouquet, followed by ripe cherries on the palate.

With the first sip you feel the wine- light as springtime, delicately sweet, refreshingly crisp, a bouquet of flowers with the taste of peach and melon. Electra is electricity for the mouth! Electra goes with summer fruits (strawberries, nectarines, peaches, melons), salads, spicy Asian and Indian foods, light desserts, blue skies and fresh air. And with only 4% alcohol, you can still play volleyball after the picnic.

Winery's Tasting Notes: This rose-like aroma led us to name the wine Elysium, Greek for heaven. Drinking this, you can almost feel you have fallen into a rose garden and been transported to heaven. Made in the same manner as Essensia, it is used, like Essensia to either accompany or replace dessert. One favorite is to pour the wine onto vanilla ice cream. Serve Elysium Sundae with a glass of Elysium. Great with vanilla, dark chocolate, blue cheeses, and candlelight.

The distinctive flavor of Essensia wine is derived from the Orange Muscat grape. Found in France, Spain, and Italy, where it is called "Moscato fior d'Arancio" (Orange Blossom Muscat), the variety has characteristics of oranges.