OTHER IMPORTS

The 2010 Chateau Musar is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault sourced from vineyards located in the Bekaa Valley. The vines are planted on gravelly soils over limestone. The average age of the organically farmed vines is 40-years-old. This unfiltered and unfined red displays nice fruit, an elegant mid-palate, and a persistent finish.

Moreno Coronica, whose family has lived in the area for 600 years, founded his winery in 1992 after the fall of communist Yugoslavia. Located about an hour's drive south of Trieste, Italy, Moreno has 75 acres of vineyards planted in "Terra Rossa" soil. He is well known for his crisp dry white made from Malvasia Istarka. This delicious white was fermented and aged in stainless steel. On the nose you find aromas of citrus and sea shells; in the mouth the wine is elegant, flavorful and deliciously dry.

Moreno Coronica's Dry Malvasia Istarska is considered a bench mark example of this indigenous variety. This is an unbeatable white with fresh grilled shellfish doused in Istrian olive oil. Enjoyed over the course of a few days it blossoms, becoming fuller, softer and more candied aromatically.

A dry white made by Christian (Salesian) monks in Palestine. The grapes are Hamdani and Jandali.

The Crnko farm is located on the eastern side of Slovenia, north of Maribor and just south of the Austrian border. All the fruit is estate grown and comes from the family's 6 hectares of mixed white varietals. The vines are planted in the regions unique marl soils and sustainably farmed. The 2015 is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Ravenec (Muller-Thurgau), Laski Riesling (Welschriesling). It has only 11% alcohol and is as drinkable and refreshing as wine comes. Riesling dominates the aromatics offering juicy tangerine and quince notes to the silty minerality that Crnko wines often share. As a beverage it is thirst quenching and light on its feet with invigorating acidity that makes it difficult to set down. During the summers in the village of Jarenina, locals mix it with sparkling water and then proceed to consume it long into the night.

THIS IS IT... the "O.Z.", (Original Zinfandel)

Crljenak Kaštelanski was an almost extinct Dalmatian grape varietal until DNA fingerprinting revealed that it was an exact DNA match to both Zinfandel and the Italian grape Primitivo.

Dubrovacki's Crljenak Kaštelanski vines were planted in 2007 above the village of Cavtat, in a new 12 hectare vineyard called Mrcevlje. The average yield per vine for the 2015 vintage was 1.13 kg. After a 5-day maceration and a 30-day fermentation, the wine spent one year in used oak, a combination of 225 and 500 liters Croatian and Hungarian oak barrels. After 2 months in stainless steel, the wine was bottled without fining or filtering. This medium-bodied Zin features aromas and flavors of raspberries and blackberries. Serve with beef, lamb or sausages.

This pleasant, clean, fruity yet crisp Pinot Grigio comes to us from father and son team Edi and Aleks Simcic (SEEM chitch) in the Primorska region of Slovenia, just a stone's throw from Italy's Friulian border and the Colli Orientali. Green apples on the nose; good fruit in the mouth balanced by good acidity on the finish. Great value!

Full-bodied and well-balanced with smooth tannins, this wine is packed with flavors of dried strawberry, raspberry licorice, and hints of wild game. Enjoy with grilled and cured meats, hard cheeses and pizza. Grgic Vina was established in 1996 by legendary Napa Valley winemaker, Croation-born Miljenko "Mike" Grgich, and his daughter, Violet. The winery is just north of the historic walled city Dubrovnik in the southern Dalmatian wine region. Mike started the winery to produce the finest wines from native Dalmatian grapes. When Mike Grgich came to the Napa Valley in 1958 to make wine, he noticed a remarkable resemblance between the Zinfandel and Plavac Mali of his native Croatia. Some 35 years later, Mike worked with scientists at University of California, Davis to prove that Zinfandel was actually Crljenak Kaštelanski, a grape native to Croatia and parent of Plavac Mali.

This red, sourced from high altitude vineyards in Lebanon's Batroun district, is composed of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon; 26% Caladoc (a cross of Malbec and Grenache); 22% Syrah and 17% Tempranillo. Decanter magazine describes Ixsir's Altitudes Rouge as: "... a beautifully integrated wine made with the help of Chateau Angelus' Hubert de Bouard. Lifted cassis, capsicum, herbs and violets meld with silky tannins and fresh acidity."

Rkatceteli is a very old grape. It is grown mainly in the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of Macedonia. It produces very bright, crisp, clean, and floral Mediterranean-style white wines.

The wine, made of the grape variety once called Tocai Friulano or Briški Tokaj, is crystalline with a straw yellow colour. Its bouquet is very fruity, with ripe peach, pear and apricot kernel aroma. The sensation of fruitiness persists in the mouth with a fresh and pleasant medium length finish. It goes well with white meat and fish.

Thirty days skin contact(maceration)gives this white wine a golden yellow color. The bouquet is dominated by hints of vanilla and aromas of white peach and grapes. Those fruit flavors persist in the mouth and are balanced by good minerality. The finish is long and intense. It's full-bodied, so it's a perfect match for structured dishes, such as white meat and vegetables. Owner/winemaker Jean Michel Morel used no pesticides in the vineyards and no sulfur was added.

This Armenian wine made from the ancient grape variety, Sireni, displays a deep red color. On the nose you find intense dark berry and ripe red fruit aromas, further enhanced by the mouth filling medium long finish.

100% Saperavi from the Mukuzani appelation in the Kakheti region of the Republic of George. Dry with black cherry aromas and flavors.

Naturally sweet on the palate, warm, velvety with delicate fruit flavors. Complements soft cheeses, sweet meat and fish dishes and all desserts.

The 2015 Plavac has a very dark color. On the nose you find aromas of boysenberries with a hint of fine herbs. On the palate this red has good fruit without a hint of jamminess. The finish is long and smooth.

The Milos(Mee-loash)family has farmed and lived on their land near the village of Ston for over 500 years. Their vineyards are located on steep hillsides leading down to the Adriatic Sea. The Plavac Mali (a relative of Zinfandel) vines are head pruned and organically farmed. Fermentation (only the native yeasts are used) takes place in open-topped stainless steel to start and then finishes in large Slavonian oak barrels, never new. The wine is aged first in the barrels then in the bottle until its ready to be released.

This delightful red comes to us from Lebanon's famous Chateau Musar located in the Becca Valley. The Jeune red is a blend of 50% Cinsault; 30% Syrah and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich fruit leads to a soft, dry finish.

Founded in 1923, Domaine Ouled Thaleb is a leader in the revival of Morocco's wine industry. The winery is located ten miles northeast of Casablanca facing the ocean. The stunningly good Signature red is made from a blend of 50% Marselan (a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache), 35% Petit Verdot and 15% Carmenere. Only organically farmed grapes from 25-year-old vines are used for this blend. The vineyard is located at an altitude of 300 feet on Morocco's Atlantic coast. Fermented in concrete tanks, the wine is aged in oak barrels (only 10% new). Aromas and flavors of cassis, blackberry and fine herbs lead to a smooth, long finish. Serve with beef, lamb or grilled sausages. Very limited supply.

Founded in 1923, Domaine Ouled Thaleb is a leader in the revival of Morocco's wine industry. The winery is located ten miles northeast of Casablanca facing the ocean. Winemaker, Alain Graillot, a Frenchman from the Rhone Valley, works with organically farmed indigenous varietals and international varieties like this delicious Syrah. The 2015 Syrah boasts spicy black fruit flavors balanced by moderate acidity and supple tannins. Serve with Moroccan or Middle Eastern cuisine or any rich beef or lamb dish.

Pasaeli K2 is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot grown in the Serez vineyard in Kaynaklar - Izmir. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 12 months in French oak. This is the winery's best seller in Turkey, and has gained them some notoriety with Jancis Robinson, among other critics, over the years. The nose has rich aromas of sweet, ripe cassis and blackberry.

Yapincak is a grape variety grown exclusively on the European side of Turkey (Thrace) near coastal villages. The fruit for this wine comes from a single vineyard in Sarkoy that is about 150 meters above sea level and is facing south towards Sea of Marmara. There is always a cooling breeze coming from the sea. The vineyard has a gentle incline which is great for drainage. The vines are about 35 years old and are free standing vines with low yields and high quality. The grapes are pressed with whole clusters and 90% fermented in stainless steel tanks with the other 10% in neutral French oak barrels. Aged for 3 months sur lie before bottling. Very pale gold. Highly distinctive aroma, both rich and tangy. Intense lemon, hint of clementine plus a more oily minerality and quince. Lovely citrus on the palate too - bright and crisp and full in the mouth with decent acidity and minerality.

The 2013 Barovo is a blend of 65% Kratosija and 35% Vranec (both indigenous grape varieties) that was aged half in new barrels and half in concrete tank. Coming from vineyards lying at 1700 meters and inky black in color, it offers aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, earth, melted licorice, chocolate and ripe herbs. With full-bodied richness, layers of sweet fruit and no hard edges, it’s a great value to drink over the coming 3-4 years.