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 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!

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.

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).

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.

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.

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

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.

Produced fom Petite Sirah, Tinata Roriz, Tinta Cao, and Touriga. The depth and structure of the Petite Sirah compliments the soft fruit notes of the Portuguese varieties, resulting in a soft yet age-worthy Port with many layers of flavors.

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.

Electra is a low alcohol (4.5%) delicately sweet wine - refreshingly crisp, and mysteriously aromatic. A picnic wine, it goes with salads, spicy foods, fruit, desserts, sunny afternoons, blue skies, and fresh air. To preserve the enchanting sweetness of ripe Orange Muscat, the grape juice was cold fermented and the fermentation arrested by chilling.

Bootlegger is an exceptional wine done in the traditional solera style used in the making of fine cream sherries. The solera system of fractional blending is used to maintain the consistency and style of the wine from year to year. For this reason, wines from the solera are non-vintage and each bottle has some wine in it from every year that the wine has been produced. Our version is layered with rich hints of peaches and pears combines with a hint of hazelnut.

95 POINTS & GOLD MEDAL LOS ANGELES INT'L WINE COMPETIFITION

Winery Notes - "Our off dry Riesling is a tropical holiday in a glass. Exotic florals, notes of ripe stone fruit and hints of mineral abound on the nose. The palate is as refreshing and brighs as a Hawaiian holiday with notes of pineapple and key lime that linger on the finish.

This beautiful blue bottle contains incredible strawberry, mango, and peach flavors which makes it a great dessert wine.

Trefethen's Late Harvest Riesling is left on the vine to develop botrytis cinerea, the "noble rot," and then is harvested a full two months after their Dry Riesling. The juice inside each grape is reduced to a precious golden syrup. A dessert unto itself, this wine is divine with baked fruit desserts, using peaches, apricots or apples. For a lighter finish, enjoy with fruit and cheese.