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A Chardonnay in a Bordeaux bottle? Yes, and it is really tasty! The Ana "Owner's Choice" is a reserve-level offering from the Jidvei Winery located in the Tarnave-Jidvei DOC of Transylvania, Romania. Wines from this area have been made for a long time: Herodotus wrote about them in 600 BC. Winemaking in this former Roman province really took off in the 12th century when Saxons from the Rhine and Mosel valleys migrated to Tarnave.

The vineyards are located on hillsides 400 to 600 meters above sea level. The grapes are chilled immediately after harvest then fermented to dryness in 600 liter barrels. We found this delightful Chardonnay to have aromas and flavors of green apples, hazelnuts, white nectarines and a touch of vanilla. While the wine is fruit forward it has a clean, crisp, dry finish. It received a Gold Medal at the 2016 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. We drank this with fish tacos and thought it was both delightful and a great value.

Alen Bibich has long been one of our favorite wine producers in Croatia. Located in the Skradin part of Northern Dalmatia, his lithe, minerally reds have a freshness uncommon to the reds from the more famous growing areas to the south. The R6 is a roughly equal blend of native red varieties Babich, Plavina, and Lasin aged 12 months in new American oak. All are part of the large Zinfandel family of grapes native to the region. Under 13% alcohol, the wine is lifted and high toned despite the time spent in barrel. Starting with a gentle nose of cherry kirsch and tobacco, the wines is elegant but also savage, reminiscent of red wines of the Veneto or even old school Chianti. Exceptionally food friendly this will pair with anything from goat cheese to smoked meats.

The Caloz family established their domaine in 1960, setting up their home and cellar in the village of Miege which sits midway between the town of Sierre, at the southern end of the Valais, and the famous ski area of Crans-Montana. Fernand Caloz, father of the current proprietaire, began the arduous process of tending the vines in this mountainous region where the vineyards sit on steep terraces and must be worked by hand. Conrad Caloz, son of Fernand, joined by his wife, Anne-Carole, now manages the affairs of this small family domaine."La Mourzière" is a terraced slope that produces wines of finesse and elegance.

At some 750 acres, Chateau Kefraya is the second-largest winery in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley; the vineyards, planted in the 1950s, line the steep terraces of Mount Barouk at an elevation of 3,000 feet. Done entirely in stainless steel and cement, Les Breteches is a Cinsault-driven blend similar to a Cutes du Rhone that shows clear crimson red in the glass and presents fresh jammy aromas of red fruit. Velvety smooth in the mouth, it has flavors of plums and cherries that are supported by silky tannins and good acidity into a round finish.

Colour is green to light yellow straw. The bouquet is rich with white and yellow plum fruit blended with citrus. Palate is softly fruity with alive & refreshing acidity. Excellent expressed vinosity, common to all Georgian wines, brings all the characteristics out to the full. Goruli Mtsvane is Georgia’s endemic and unique white varietal which has proven itself through the centuries and has always been delivering refreshing and memorable wines. This wine is best enjoyed with poultry and fish. It is charming with crisp salads. It is also excellent as an aperitif.

The flagship Musar bottling, this blend of cabernet sauvignon, cinsault and carignan is lush and rich, save for the gust of spice that comes in on the acidity and brightens the finish. It’s wild and warm, a Mediterranean red with a forest floor complexity that keeps it engaging for hours.

Chateau Valtice (Rivaner) is one of Moravia’s oldest wineries, with historic cellars dating back to 1430. The chateau today combines its history with modern innovations, using both stainless steel tanks and temperature controlled fermentation alongside traditional oak ageing.
Vino z Czech is an umbrella label encompassing several producers from the Moravia region in the Czech Republic. With a winemaking history dating back to Roman times, this area is the focus of a recent resurgence in quality. Sharing a border with northern Austria, this cool climate lends itself to high quality wines, and the winemakers involved in Vino z Czech are proud to present small-production offerings from this up-and-coming area. Though made by different winemakers, the wines share much in common. Producers in this area use traditional methods, using no additives and only minimal fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. Since the area allotted for vineyard land is limited and further expansion isn’t possible, vineyards in the area are by definition sustainable, since they need to be able to produce for further generations.

Moreno Coronica's Dry Malvazija Istarska is considered a bench mark example of this indigenous variety. On the nose you find aromas of peppery citrus, lemon blossoms and sea shells, gently folded with a typical note of saline. On the palate you find juicy, refreshing grapefruit flavors leading to a zesty finish. 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. This crisp white was vinified in stainless steel; it spent approximately 6 months on the lees.

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.

Winemaker Burkhard Schuchmann makes this ORANGE or AMBER wine from the native Georgian white grape variety Rkatsiteli. The grapes (including skins and seeds) are fermented in massive clay vats called qvevri. These amphora-like vats are buried in the earth which keeps the fermenting wine cool. This is the way wine was made in Georgia 3,000 years ago. The white grapes transform into a sunset-colored tea-like Rkatsiteli, fragrant with dried fruit, spices and roasted chesnuts. On the palate the wine is firmly dry, gently tannic and positively food-friendly.

The Saperavi grape, native to Georgia, produces wines that are full-bodied and complex. This bright and spicy Saperavi comes from vineyards nestled around the village of Napareuli, high in the foothills of the Caucasus mountains. It is aged in a combination of stainless steel and in French oak barriques for 12 months. Also try the traditional Georgian style wines, fermented in underground clay qvevri vessels. The clay doqi wine vessel symbolizes the tradition of hospitality at the Georgian table. Sharing wine is the essence of this tradition. Gaumarjos! To your victory!

El Ixsir (Elixir) is the top wine produced by the Ixsir winery located just outside Batroun, Lebanon. The excellent 2011 is composed of 55% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. On the nose you find aromas of blackberries and red fruits and a hint of woody spice. On the palate silky, lush fruit flavors are balanced with good structure and a long finish. Drinking very well now, this wine should age until at least 2020. The Wine Enthusiast gave this 91 points praising the black cherry aromas on the nose and flavors of cherry, cassis and anisette.

JAMES SUCKLING 92 POINTS - "Dark purple in color, IXSIR's top cuvee boasts a nose of ripe blackberries, red fruits, and a hint of woody spice. On the palate, there is a sudden silky lushness, backed up with a wonderful freshness and a flattering structure. Aged for 24 months in French oak barrels, this wine boasts a finish that is powerful, sustained, and balanced."

The Rdece is a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the Goriska Brda region of Slovenia. Erzetic allows three weeks of maceration, ages the wine for 18 months in a mixture of used and new French oak barrels, then matures the wine in seven-foot clay amphora set in the cellar floor. This red has a deep garnet color and a nose of dark berries with a hint of earthiness. On the palate ripe red fruits are followed by hints of anise and spices. The wine finishes with soft tannins. This vintage received a commendation in the Decanter 2010 World Wine Awards.

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!

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 gave this 91 points: "...this is 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."

Delightful off-dry, easy to drink Gewurztraminer from Romania. Perfect with chicken, fish, and mildly spicy Asian food.

This dry rose is produced from the indigenous Istrian (Croatia) grape variety Teran. The grapes are macerated for two hours then fermented in stainless steel tanks. This rose of Teran has a beautiful light pink, coppery color. On the nose you find pure, floral aromas leading to fresh, elegant and nicely rounded flavors on the palate. The finish is dry. This wine will pair perfectly with risotto or pasta with seafood, especially scampi. It can also be offered as a refreshing aperitif on warm summer days.

From the country of Macedonia, this stunning Pinot is named for Alexander the Great (the original “Macedon”), and hails from an area noted as the “cross-roads of the ancient world, and the birthplace of wine”. It originates in Gradsko, sharing the same latitude band as Burgundy and Russian River Valley. The 40+ year old vines grow where two major weather fronts collide: the Aral Mountain continental and the Greek Aegean, yielding virtually no rain and consistent wind. The result is a wine of terrific elegance and complexity, rich yet linear; pretty, but with depth and power.

Winemakers Brunier and Hebrard Ghosn describe this red blend as a "refreshing vin plasir". It is a delicious blend of 35% Cinsault; 35% Grenache noir; 15% Syrah and 15% Tempranillo. The grapes were grown at an altitude of 900 to 1,200 meters in their Beqaa Valley vineyard. Blue and black fruit aromas and flavors lead to a hint of spice on the finish.

Kadarka 1880 is a natural red from the oldest known Kadarka vineyard in the world. The vineyard is located in Serbia, on the border with Hungary and the vines were planted in 1880. Kadarka is a native Balkan grape, which, according to one theory, originates from the shores of Lake Skadar on the modern Albania-Montenegro border. The wine was made with no added yeast, fermented in open vat and aged in big old oak casks for 12 months. There is no added sulphur. Decant before serving to allow the wine to open up and release its bouquet.

This garnet-colored wine conveys aromas of cranberry, black cherry and bramble. Flavors of dark cherry, cranberry and black plum have a strong acidic backbone and a long finish.

Aromas of black chery, espresso bean and white chocolate tease the palate in this Moroccan blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah.br>
Not all of North Africa consists of sand dunes and desert. Morocco's best vineyards, nestled at the bottom of the Atlas Mountains, benefit from cooling breezes from the Atlantic Ocean. Ouled Thaleb is the oldest continuously operating winery in Morocco; the vineyards were planted near Ben Slimane in the 1920s. The winery is ten miles northeast of Casablanca facing the ocean. The winemaker, Alain Graillot, a Frenchman from the Rhone Valley, has his own property in Crozes Hermitage. He stumbled upon some beautiful vineyards while bicycling in the Zenata region of Morocco, and ended up starting a relationship with the winery. The 2013 Médaillon is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah aged for 12 months in French oak. Dark purple garnet color. Cabernet aromas are predominant on the nose: black cherry, cassis and plum. In the mouth this red is juicy with cherry and black currant flavors, integrated oak and soft tannins. Serve with Moroccan or Middle Eastern cuisine or any rich beef or lamb dish.

This stunningly good red is made from a blend of 50% Marselan (a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache), 35% Petit Verdot and 15% Carmenere. Winemaker Stephane Mariot uses only organically farmed grapes from 25-year-old vines. The vineyard is located at an altitiude 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.