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The 2006 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.

In 1930, at just 20 years old, Gaston Hochar founded Chateau Musar, inspired by Lebanon's 6,000 year winemaking tradition and his travels in Bordeaux. His 'wines with noblesse' greatly impressed senior officers in the army following on from the French mandate of the 1920s. Major Ronald Barton, of Château Langoa-Barton, stationed in Lebanon during World War II became a great friend, strengthening the links between Chateau Musar and Bordeaux that remain to this day. Flanked by snow-covered mountains, and nestled at 1000m (3,000 feet) above sea level, the serenely beautiful Bekaa Valley is blessed with 300 days of sunshine a year, fresh mountain breezes and an average temperature of 25°C (encompassing snowy winters and hot summers). Remote and unspoilt, the Musar vineyards were ‘organic’ by default before the term was coined. Hochar Père et Fils Red has been described as the ‘second’ wine of Chateau Musar, and it does bear some resemblance to the ‘Grand Vin’: rich, spicy and profoundly fruity, with a mellow quality derived from lengthy oak- and bottle ageing. Since its launch in the late 1980s, it has been sourced from a single Bekaa Valley vineyard planted in the late 1940s. When young, the wines are robust and aromatic, with baked plum, warm earth, leather, thyme and dark chocolate characters. With age they become tawnier and spicier.

Feteasca Neagra (Black Maiden in English) is an old grape variety native to Romania and Moldova. This medium to full-bodied red displays aromas and flavors of blackberries, dark cherries, plums and chocolate. The finish is smooth and dry.

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 region's unique marl soils and sustainably farmed. This charming white 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.

The Val d'Argan winery makes this delightful 'orange" wine from mostly Grenache Blanc with some Viognier and other white Rhone varietals. The wine was macerated on the skins for three months. The nose features ripe aroma tropical fruits such as guava and papaya. Medium bodied, the palate adds citrus notes to the tropical fruit. The wine has a crisp and bright finish with beautifully integrated tannins.

This sophisticated red comes to us from father and son team Edi and Aleks Simcic. They farm organically (not certified) in Goriska Brda, Primorska, Slovenia. Their farm sits on land that was once a part of Italy and, before that, a part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The wine is composed of 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The dry-farmed grapes are picked by hand and the wine is aged in 1, 2, and 3-year old French barriques. It displays a deep ruby edging to garnet color; on the nose and palate you find intense aromas and flavors of cassis, cherry, blackberry and blueberry with a hint of cedar or bramble. It is full-bodied, lively, balanced and complex. In spite of the high percentage of Merlot, this red reminds some tasters of Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley. Only 660 cases made!

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!

JAMES SUCKLING 92 POINTS "A fun, delicious red with an attractive interplay of ripe-berry, chocolate, and tar character. It's full-bodied and round in texture. Delicious finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, syrah, tempranillo, and caladoc. Drink now or hold."
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."

The Karas red is an elegant, fruit forward blend of 35% Syrah; 35% Malbec; 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Tannat. Full bodied with balanced fruit, this ruby red wine has rich flavors of red and black berries leading to a long finish. The Armavir region, located at the base of Mount Ararat, is known for its higher levation climate and volcanic soil.

Sipon is the Slovenian name for Furmint, the Hungarian grape used in the famous wines of Tokaj. This old vines, lees-aged example from the Podravje region of Slovenia is elegant and super fresh on the palate, showing beautiful salinity, fragrant white flower aromas and a crisp palate full of apricot, granny smith apple, and pineapple flavors. SUSTAINABLE FARMING

La Ferme Rouge was founded as a vineyard and olive orchard in 1908. The winery was started in 1933. Located in the Zaer region of Morocco, about 45 kilometers from the Atlantic ocean and at an elevation of 450 meters, the vineyards benefit from cool ocean breezes. Grapes are hand-picked, pressed gently and fermented in temperature-regulated concrete vats. This full-bodied red is a blend of Syrah and Tempranillo. Aromas of violets (and a hint of mocha) lead to black currant flavors on the palate.

La Ferme Rouge was founded as a vineyard and olive orchard in 1908. The winery was started in 1933. Located in the Zaer region of Morocco, about 45 kilometers from the Atlantic ocean and at an elevation of 450 meters, the vineyards benefit from cool ocean breezes. Grapes are hand-picked, pressed gently and fermented in temperature-regulated concrete vats.

The 2019 Le Gris is composed of 100% Cinsault. This rose has a lovely pink color and aromas of fresh berries on the nose. On the palate rich red berry and peach flavors lead to a clean dry finish.

The 2019 Terres Blanches from La Ferme Rouge is composed of organically farmed Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. The nose displays aromas of acacia flowers and citrus fruits, with a touch of apricot and white peaches. This aromatic complexity quickly gives way to a lively attack on the palate leading to round, mouthfilling flavors and a dry, elegant finish.

La Ferme Rouge was founded as a vineyard and olive orchard in 1908. The winery was started in 1933. Located in the Zaer region of Morocco, about 45 kilometers from the Atlantic ocean and at an elevation of 450 meters, the vineyards benefit from cool ocean breezes. Grapes are organically farmed, hand-picked, pressed gently and fermented in temperature-regulated concrete vats. Winemaker Jaques Poulain believes in farming harmoniously with nature.

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

Sandanski Misket is a cross of Broad-leaved Melnik (red grape) and Tamianka (a white grape known internationally as Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains. The result is soft, but highly aromatic and accessible white wines. The certified organic grapes are hand picked and the fermentation and aging occurs in stainless steel.

Oszkar Maurer sources the grapes for this skin contact dry white from a vineyard planted in 1925 in the Subotica region of Serbia. The wine is unfined, unfiltered and had five days of skin contact. They strive to make their wines as naturally as possible and add only minimal amount of sufites at bottling.

Montenegro is a small country across the Adriatic from Southern Italy. There is a long tradition of viticulture in Montenegro dating back to at least the second century BC. Vranac is an ancient red grape varietal native to the Balkans. It is widely assumed that it is a relative of Plavac Mali (Croatia) which is the descendent of a naturally occurring hybrid of Zinfandel (Crljenak Kastelanski) and Dobricic. Like Plavac and Zinfandel, Vranac displays a dark ruby color and a fairly full body. The Pro Corde by Plantaze Winery is a reserve quality example of an extremely well-made Vranac. This crowd pleaser sports a deep, almost purple color with deep rich black fruit flavors. Black berries and supple cherry tones dominate the aromas, bursting into a pleasurable harmonious experience on the palate. At the same time there are smoky or savory elements, like some Rhone reds. This is great with cheese, smoked meats, sausages, grilled vegetables and, of course, a nice cut of steak.

This amber/orange wine comes from the Telavi wine district of the Republic of Georgia. It is composed of the ancient Georgian white grape variety, Rkatsiteli, fermented and aged on the skins in traditional clay amphora (Qvevri).

After destemming and crushing the Gewurztraminer grapes, the juice fermented in contact with the skins in open-top stainless steel tanks under the influence of the indigenous yeasts from the vineyard. The temperature is not controlled during or after the fermentation. After 30 days of skin contact, the wine is racked off the skins and left to age on the lees for another 8 months in neutral oak casks and egg-shaped concrete fermenters. This natural wine saw no cultured yeasts, no temperature control, no stabilization, no filtration, and no added sulphites.

From the Kakheti region of the Republic of Georgia, this darkly-colored Saperavi displays aromas and flavors of Bing cherries and blackberries. The finish is smooth and dry.

This rich, flavorful and beautifully balanced Syrah was rated best red wine in Turkey by Gusto Magazine.

A wine that showcases one of Turkey's hidden gems, the grape Kalecik Karasi, it holds a delicate structure that provides easy charm through its gentle, smooth tannins and rich berry fruit and a lingering mocha note to finish.

A rich, flavorful blend of Syrah Grenache, Mourvedre and a touch of Muscat. Domaine Val d'Argan is located on semi-arid plains near the coastal town of Essaouira, Morocco. It was founded by winemaker Charles Melia in 1994. He planted Rhone Valley/Mediterranean varietals on virgin land and farms using only organic methods. His wines are French in style: flavorful, crisp and dry. Domaine du Val d'Argan is certified organic and biodynamic.

The Volarevic winery is a family firm founded on the initiative of a father and four sons. They decided that the field of quartz, the slope beside the sea in the bay opposite the peninsula of Peljesac is ideal for planting vineyards. This micro-location has a triple insulation: sun/ stone/ sea and only Plavac Mali can withstand these extreme conditions. Vineyards of the Volarevic family are processed and crafted manually and according to ecological standards. The wines produced in the vineyards Volarevic carry the name Syrtis, which translates to Prud, the name of the village where the family Volarevic lives.