Wine and Spirits Guide: Elixirs to Ease Winter's Chill

Remember when you were a kid, how you used to love ice-skating in winter? Playing hockey on the frozen pond?

No, neither did we. For us, winter was all about hot chocolate, with mounds of whipped cream. Why go outside when you could drink all day? And now that we're older and so much wiser, we don't even pretend that our ankle is too swollen to lace up an ice skate.

Winter is the perfect excuse to stay indoors and get close to the darker side - of your bar. Reach to the back shelf and pull out those amber spirits. Switch from white wines to the deep mulberry reds. Make a pitcher of Manhattans. Spike that hot chocolate with tequila and chili pepper.

Then sit back and relax - and sip that cocktail. Bears hibernate in winter; you're entitled, too. Here's a guide to some of our favorite winter libations, all best consumed while watching the snow fall outside your windows.

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WINES TO EASE WINTER’S CHILL

Brancott Estate™South Island Pinot Noir 2008

Picture a luncheon meeting in SoHo - let's say at Savoy on Prince Street. The fireplace is crackling amidst the buzz of New Yorkers and Europeans suffused with the glow of retail therapy. There's fresh bread with sweet butter, porcini risotto - and a bottle of Brancott Estate�South Island Pinot Noir 2008. With a fruit aroma that's light and fragrant, redolent of cherry and raspberry, the Brancott South Island Pinot Noir 2008 segues beautifully into its secondary qualities of oaky spice - and you're actually, seriously, thinking of ordering a second bottle.

While the maritime climate has proven beautifully conducive to excellent wines, New Zealand's wine industry is relatively new - especially its focus on Pinot Noir. Cultivated in France for more than 2,000 years, Pinot Noir is one of France's most legendary grapes. Thin-skinned and violet in color, the grape earned Burgundy its reputation.

You're listening to your luncheon partner - but mostly you're focusing on the velvety tannins. You're loving this wine. You wondering if you could afford a case. Perhaps if you bought at Gotham Wines. It's such a well-balanced wine that you're actually imagining returning to the office - to do a little work. You can almost taste the terroir. Maybe another plate of risotto? Maybe New Zealand next year?

PRICE: approximately $14.00
LINK: Brancott Estate�

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Tenuta di Castiglioni 2008

Upon first sip of the rich and complex Tenuta di Castiglioni 2008, you might subconsciously imagine one of your more elegant female friends - perhaps one who wore a heady perfume while working in the kitchen. The resultant mixture of dark berries and licorice was nearly intoxicating, which is what happens when you inhale this wine's bouquet.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese, the Tenuta di Castiglioni is the iconic wine of the Frescobaldi estate. The grapes were picked in the third week of August, after the rainiest spring in decades, resulting in a harvest of ideal ripeness. Wine Spectator awarded this intense and opaque wine a full 93 points.

As lovely to look at as it is to sip, the Tenuta di Castiglioni 2008 has a purple-red luminosity evocative of a silken garment in sunlight. This is a very alluring wine, with intense aromas of deep red berries, blackberries and cherries, and hints of chestnut, with a bit of licorice and oak, finishing with chocolate and cinnamon. Redolent of winter, and somewhat evocative of Venice, the Tenuta di Castiglioni 2008 tastes like something Vivaldi might have enjoyed while composing.

Multi-layered and velvety smooth, this wine leaves you dreaming on a long, winter's night. For twenty-five dollars and someone to share it with, you could hardly ask for more.

PRICE: $25.00 / 750ml
LINK: Frescobaldi

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Graffigna Centenario Malbec 2008

We were once at a Great Camp in the Adirondacks where garnets were to be found underfoot - which is something we suddenly remembered upon holding this wine to the light. Deep garnet red with a violet blush, the Graffigna Centenario Malbec 2008 has a complex bouquet, evocative of both ripe blackberries - and black pepper. Confusing? Not really, not when these flavors are so beautifully integrated as they are here.

The Graffigna Centenario was created to honor the 100th anniversary of the Graffigna winery, which was founded by Santiago Graffigna in 1870 in Argentina. But it was Santiago's uncle, Don Juan Graffigna, who had emigrated from Italy to Argentina in 1865, bringing with him extraordinary European vine varieties, as well as invaluable years of wine expertise.

This medium-bodied Malbec is a lovely testament to the conjunction of Italian expertise amidst the terroir of Argentina. As smooth as it is complex, the Graffigna Centenario Malbec 2008 is both spicy and creamy, with notes of coffee and vanilla complementing the pepper and berries. We drank this with a winter bouillabaisse, which proved an ideal match for the wine's long, velvety finish.

If you can't get to Buenos Aires this winter, the Graffigna Centenario Malbec 2008 captures some of the rich m�lange of Argentine culture in one elegant bottle.

PRICE: approximately $12.00
LINK: Graffigna

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Mionetto Brut Prosecco

We're not bubble snobs. While there's a great deal to say for, and about, Champagne, we've enjoyed many a glass of Prosecco in our day. The way we see it, if it bubbles in a flute and makes you fruity and happy, what's the problem?

We drank Mionetto Brut Prosecco with Christmas dinner - and loved it. We aren't the only ones: Wine Spectator gave it 89 points, the Wall Street Journal gave it awards for both "Best Value" and "Best of Tasting" - and even the New York Times weighed in with bubbling praise.

Why? Well, for one thing, Mionetto Brut Prosecco is about as dry as the designation "Brut" allows (up to 12 grams of sugar per liter), which means you get a bouquet of apples, lemons, and nuts on the palate. Mionetto Brut Prosecco pairs beautifully with winter's root vegetable bounty - which gives the English dish "bubble and squeak" an entirely new twist.

Made of 100% Prosecco D.O.C Treviso grapes, Mionetto Brut Prosecco is 11% alcohol - just enough to keep you buzzy and happy throughout a holiday meal. And when you're celebrating with family, it never hurts to be a little buzzed.

Think about this one for Valentine's; for that matter, for this price, think about a case.

PRICE: $13.00 / 750ml
LINK: Mionetto

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(Winter Wine and Spirits Guide continues on next page)

Re Midas Corvina

Between Verona and Venezia lies the Veneto region, once the heartland of the Venetian Republic, and today, one of Italy's wealthiest regions - and the producer of more bottles of DOC wine than any other Italian area.

Made by Cantina di Soave, an Italian cooperative with more than two thousand wine growers and farmers on 6,000 hectares, Re Midas (as in "King," he who turned everything to gold - or in this case, ruby red...) is made with 100% Corvina grapes.

As brilliantly ruby as July's birthstone, Re Midas Corvina has the pleasing perfume of violets and roses, with a palate nicely balanced between cherry and vanilla. (And who doesn't love cherry-vanilla?)

A medium weight wine, light on the tongue, with a perfect price point, this is exactly the sort of wine that you want to drink in the afternoon. Maybe al fresco, if you find yourself in Miami Beach - or for brunch on the weekend, while reading the Sunday papers. There's nothing heavy about Re Midas Corvina, nothing that will haunt your head for the rest of the day. Instead, you might find yourself remembering an afternoon on the Via Veneto, one summer in Roma. La dolce vita, indeed.

PRICE: $9.99 / 750 ml.
LINK: Corvina

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WINTER SPIRITS

Espolón Tequila: Blanco and Reposado

You've got to love a culture that celebrates the cock as a symbol of national pride. No, not the States. We're talking Mexico - and the iconic Ram�n the Rooster who helped lead the charge against Spanish tyranny, thereby paving the way for Mexican independence.

Two hundred years later, Espol�n Tequila celebrates the Mexican revolution with their own revolutionized re-introduction to the United States market. What was once available only across the border (at what is widely recognized as the "Best Factory in Mexico" - which is saying something...) is now, at last, available in the States.

Award-winning Espol�n Tequila's 100% pure Blue Agave tequila is distilled in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico by the renowned Master Distiller Cirilo Oropeza. Oropeza brings decades of expertise to his vocation and handcrafts Espol�n Tequila into two distinct creations.

Winner of the 2008 Gold Medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Espol�n Tequila Blanco is a diamond-clear elixir with a hint of caramel fudge upon first inhale. A full-bodied tequila, reminiscent of caramelized tropical fruits, grilled to succulent perfection, Espol�n Tequila Blanco is what you want to order when ordering a shot.

As for the Espol�n Tequila Reposado, which has been aged six months in oak barrels, this golden-rich tequila has similar caramel overtones, with notes of roasted vanilla and spiced fruits. Sip this one slowly - and enjoy its a�ejo-like wood spiciness.

Beautifully packaged in a sleek and stylish bottle with a redesigned decorative label (by Landor Associates) and a wooden stopper, Espol�n Tequila works as well as a presentation gift as it does on the top shelf of your in-home bar.

Besides, that label with its skeleton astride a rooster is tequila surreal.

PRICE: $24.99
LINK: Espol�n Tequila

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Wild Turkey

It was gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson's favorite; and the Cowboy Junkies sang about it, and so did ZZ Top; and it was featured in True Blood, as well as Will & Grace, the Sopranos, and Seinfeld; and David Foster Wallace wrote about it, and so did Stephen King in It; and it was the call drink in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

It's Wild Turkey, of course - and if Benjamin Franklin had had his way and the turkey was our national emblem instead of the eagle, Wild Turkey might be the official national drink. Also known as "Gobble, Gobble" and "the Dirty Bird," Wild Turkey is nearly as entwined in American culture as Coca-Cola - and who didn't drink bourbon and coke at college?

It was in 1789 that the Reverend Elijah Craig distilled corn, rye, and barley malt to make bourbon - and more than two hundred years later, Wild Turkey has a reputation for being as richly-colored as it is smooth. Famous for its authentic caramel taste (which becomes more chocolate with the addition of water), Wild Turkey 101 has a fragrance like honeysuckle and peaches, befitting its Southern heritage in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.

Distilled with very little water, Wild Turkey 101 retains its full-flavored complexity. As with Coca-Cola, Wild Turkey is an American classic, a true Kentucky bourbon, with a taste that's readily identifiable and justly celebrated for its long and rich finish.

Wild Turkey 101 is a midwinter's drink, perfect for sipping in the study while reading Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy. Picture it: a fire crackling, the dog at your feet - outside it's cold and windy, but inside, deep inside, you're warm. Who said winter was so difficult?

PRICE: approximately $20.00
LINK: Wild Turkey Bourbon

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Stolichnaya White Pomegranik Vodka

Consider this historical tidbit: in 1972, at the height of the Cold War, a deal was brokered in which Pepsi Cola would be imported into the U.S.S.R. - while Stolichnaya vodka would be exported to the States. In other words, score one for the States.

Stolichnaya has been Russia's premier vodka since - well, there's some debate about when the distillery was established. You see, back in 1894, Russia created a state monopoly on the production of vodka, establishing 350 state distilleries around the country.

In the meantime, in the States, we were gearing up for thirteen years of Prohibition, thereby sending distilleries into the backwoods of Appalachia.

No wonder Russian vodka rules.

Introduced in May of 2010, Stolichnaya White Pomegranik is Stoli's eleventh flavor innovation - and conceivably the most esoteric. The white pomegranate was reputed to be one of the most exotic fruits in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Less tart than its red sister, the white pomegranate has fewer tannins - and when blended into Stolichnaya White Pomegranik, the result is an aroma that's musky-sweet with notes of cherry and red berries. On the palate, the taste is bold, with a dry, herbal finish. Think of it as the best White Cosmopolitan you ever drank with a deep earthy depth.

Complex and sophisticated, Stoli White Pomegranik is as smooth as a Russian oligarch.

PRICE: $24 / 750 mL
LINK: Stolichnaya White Pomegranik Vodka

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Averna Amaro

We once knew an older gentleman who always ordered a post-prandial digestivo. He was a cultured man of Old World habits, who knew how to live (and eat) well - and a digestivo after dinner was one of his more favored habits. A digestivo eased the digestion of heavy meals, particularly in winter - but moreover, a digestivo was an excuse to linger longer at table - and converse.

Ever since Fratelli Averna's Sicilian origins in 1868, Averna Amaro has been hailed for its digestive properties. Distilled from an ancient secret blend (from Benedictine monks - of course...) of all natural ingredients including flowers, herbs, dried fruits, citrus rinds, roots, spices, and licorice, Averna is then soaked in alcohol with a touch of caramel. The resultant Averna is full-bodied and complex, a richly-textured, bittersweet elixir that lingers on the palate.

Italians, and many other Europeans, are accustomed to ending a meal with Averna, which, to some, is as much a part of Italian cuisine as wine, pasta, and espresso. For Americans, less so - at least until the recent rise of resident mixologists in some of the country's more esoteric watering holes. In 2008, Averna Amaro won a Gold Medal in San Francisco's World Spirits competition - and a recent national cocktail competition concluded on the terrace of Hotel Capo Taormina, high above the Ionian Sea. Cocktail recipes abound - lemon juice and ginger ale is one of our favorites - but we can still hear our erudite friend eschewing every additive but ice. "Milk of the gods," he'd say, raising his digestivo in a toast. "To Averna Amaro," we say in response.

PRICE: $26.99
LINK: Averna Amaro

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