Review: 3 Wines from Aia Vecchia, 2015 Releases
Aia Vecchia is a Bolgheri-based producer that makes a variety of reds and whites — with a heavy focus on blends made with international grape varietals. Thoughts on three recent releases, one white and two reds, follow. 2014 Aia Vecchia Vermentino Maremma Toscana IGT – A simple vermentino (with 5% viognier). Initially quite sweet with…
Review: AnestasiA Vodka (2015)
In 2012, a new vodka called AnestasiA hit the market, sporting an insanely avant garde bottle and an even more insane liquid inside. Charitably described as a mouth-numbing, menthol-flavored vodka (and not noted on the label as any such thing), the Oregon-produced vodka was derided by critics and, apparently, shunned by drinkers. AnestasiA went back…
Review: Zaca Recovery Chewables
I’ve written a lot about how effective Zaca patches can be at preventing hangovers, but the problem with patches is an obvious one: You have to put them on before you go out. Now Zaca is hitting the market with a chewable that’s designed to help you out if you overdid it and, er, left the…
Review: Draftmark Beer Tap System
Having beer on tap at home is a killer move, but kegerators are enormous, costly, and frankly, a bit frat-house juvenile. Draftmark has an answer: A mini keg that fits in your fridge. The Draftmark system includes a battery-powered base and replaceable, one-gallon growlers that fit inside it. Just charge up the battery, install a…
Review: Four Roses Single Barrel Private Selection from Nasa Liquor
Four Roses private barrel offerings are invariably fun to find and taste, and this selection from Nasa Liquor, a shop in Houston, Texas, is no exception. This is an OESF Four Roses (20% rye, made with Four Roses’ “herbal” yeast), aged 10 years, 2 months. This is a slightly younger expression of the 2014 Single Barrel,…
Review: 2014 Charles & Charles Rose Columbia Valley
We reviewed the 2013 bottling of this wine and are back with a new vintage. This year’s version of the Washington state rose is made from a blend of 72% syrah, 8% mourvedre, 8% cabernet sauvignon, 6% grenache, 3% cinsault, and 3% counoise. Nicely floral with rose petal and crushed violets up front, it slides…
Review: Ecliptic/Wicked Weed/Stone Points Unknown IPA
It’s time for another three-way collaboration from Stone, bringing in Portland, Oregon’s Ecliptic Brewing and Asheville, North Carolina’s Wicked Weed. As if three breweries wasn’t tough enough to pull together, what Stone has done with Points Unknown is take two divergent beers and blend them together. Three-quarters of the beer is a west coast-style double…
Review: 2014 Sonoma-Cutrer Sauvignon Blanc
Sonoma-Cutrer is best known for its Chardonnay, which is one of the top-selling wines in American restaurants. The winery makes other bottlings (particularly Pinot Noir), but this year the company branches out into Sauvignon Blanc for the first time ever. Here’s how this new release stacks up. This inaugural bottling offers clear pepe du chat notes…
