Also known as exotic-sounding mistelle and vin de liqueur, Pineau des Charentes is really just a fortified wine, like Port or Sherry, but it is from the Cognac region of France. It's made with lightly fermented white, red,... Read More
Before you spend triple the price on some ornate bottle from a mega-brand, let us tell you about this Vieille Reserve. Jacky Navarre farms several hectares of vineyards to make small amounts of old-fashioned Cognac in the Cru... Read More
Related to roses, apples & pears, the wild (sauvage) quince (coing) hides in bushes & hedges, making this a rare experience. Harvesting, preparing, macerating, and distilling perfectly ripened fruit into a cross between wine,... Read More
Laurent Cazottes is the true embodiment of an artisanal distiller. What else could you expect from a man who makes tomato liqueur? This brandy is made with Reine Claude plums, also known as golden Greengage plums, which came... Read More
Tomato liqueur might sound a bit unusual, but it bears remembering that tomato is a fruit, and thousands of varieties have developed since the Aztecs cultivated it 2500 years ago. We love tomatoes in every form, and now is our... Read More
There's an entire universe of Eaux-de-Vie: nearly every fruit --including tomato-- is turned into brandy, but if we're honest with ourselves, Calvados is head & shoulders above the rest. Then, there's the added historical... Read More
Lillet Blanc has been on store shelves for almost 40 years, and most people are still shocked to discover it is one of France's premiere Apéritifs. Hailing from Bordeaux, Lillet is a recipe of local wine, orange peel,... Read More
Duffau Bas-Armagnac is Cognac's country cousin with so much more character and rusticity. Starts with a gorgeous amber/copper/caramel color and a slightly vegetal nose of butterscotch, vanilla, and wood. The palate continues... Read More
The aromas of dried flowers, baked apples and macerated cherries open on a structured but delicate palette giving a finish that is perfectly robust and subtly peppery.
We're not letting this anise/licorice aperitif disappear into the back of history's liquor cabinet. The real pastis from Marseille! was introduced to the masses in 1932 by Paul Ricard as a substitute for the era's... Read More
With their expansive vineyards in France's Southwest region, the Grassa family produces lots of white wine from traditional grapes like Ugni Blanc, Baco, Colombard, Manseng, and Folle Blanche. Incidentally, some of the same... Read More
