You might not necessarily think of Los Angeles as being a whiskey city. That&rsquo;s because its drinking identity has been shaped more by historical tiki institutions, velvet-roped hotel bars, and precision-focused mixology rooms like The Varnish that helped spur the cocktail revolution here. Whiskey never disappeared, but it often existed in the margins while agave and spritz culture claimed the spotlight.
Still, a thriving whiskey world has grown quietly across the city, including a downtown institution, a 75-seat Eastside bar with a deep bottle collection, a Playa Vista lobby bar pouring Japanese single malts, a Santa Monica cocktail haven, and a Beverly Hills spot with a $20,000 Macallan pour. Spread across neighborhoods rather than clustered in one location, these spots have weathered trend cycles by opening the good stuff and serving regulars who are curious to try something new. If you know where to look, LA reveals itself as a genuine whiskey city.
<h3 dir="ltr">Seven Grand (Downtown)</h3>
Seven Grand, which opened in 2007 in a vibrant corridor of DTLA, is arguably the city&rsquo;s most influential whiskey bar,&nbsp; a place where long-term collectors, service-industry lifers, and curious newcomers all drink from the same list. The bar&rsquo;s lively main area can hold upward of 150 people, with a glorious whiskey wall and a selection routinely floating in the hundreds, depending on what general manager Adam Kloos has opened (right now, rarities include <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/060bf156-236f-4858-92f7-adc19b8c749d/lot/ec24dded-4f72-4ab6-b802-7ce72f42b459">Nikka &lsquo;Miyagikiyo&rsquo; 2019</a> and <a href="https://www.bowmore.com/whiskies/timeless-29-years-old">Bowmore 29</a>).
&ldquo;When we first opened, it was really a bunch of whiskey nerds,&rdquo; Kloos says. &ldquo;They cast a wide net, and their interests were varied, so they never really honed in on being &lsquo;the best bourbon bar.&rsquo; They just wanted everything they could get their hands on.&rdquo;&nbsp;
For even more of a niche experience, wait until Bar Jackalope reopens to the public. The 50-person lounge in the back is currently undergoing renovation, but it still hosts whiskey tastings every other week from brands like <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/213cd6df-c228-4492-b4f3-de260132967b/lot/a0e2996b-b862-4afc-b8ff-50988e9a43ab">Balcones</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/a18a842e-e61d-4a43-9448-b49c3795cb3e/lot/df6d4341-d6de-4bb7-baff-d4784b078ae5">Hatozaki</a>, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/6c101ebf-fe15-45cd-9b05-5a36894300da/lot/beb1fbc0-ef60-4abc-9fdb-bd144d841894">Wild Turkey</a>. They even have two working highball machines, in case you&rsquo;re in the mood for something bubbly.
<h3 dir="ltr">Grain Whiskey Bar (Playa Vista)</h3>
On the other side of town, so close to the beach that there&rsquo;s actually sand in the parking lot, you&rsquo;ll find Grain. Top Chef winner Brooke Williamson opened the bar in 2014 as part of a food complex that includes a restaurant, cafe, and ice cream counter.
Bar Manager Liam Odien joined in 2019, right around the time a private collector picked through their list and made off with some choice bottles. Luckily, Odien has restocked the shelves with an emphasis on some lesser known names. &ldquo;Smaller, more regionally defined producers are important to me, and those are sort of what we focus on in terms of rarity,&rdquo; he says, referring to releases from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/242ddcf7-641d-498d-9476-a47e7f71da0e/lot/e7e55e49-1c5a-473c-95c8-6ceb22ebba60">Corbin Cash</a> distillery in Merced County, and grain-to-glass distillery&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/5907df9f-bcea-405f-a7eb-8778a4140f2c/lot/3c6a9d7e-40a3-4253-b025-8881f6fc92fa">Wright &amp; Brown</a> in Oakland.&nbsp;
That said, the bar also has some rarities like <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/8383c038-da4c-4b6c-bb4e-4fa00340f5cf/lot/f9cc736a-070c-4c24-b6c3-26bc1b00173b">Hibiki 21</a>, E.H. Taylor <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/947ecc59-c7ed-4e67-b2a0-26ac6c90d734/lot/e2c38e24-e8ed-45c9-9b4a-823303b0db23">Amaranth &ldquo;Grain of the Gods,&rdquo;</a> and their very own year-and-a-half-old infinity bottle seeded with around 60 whiskeys, including a big helping of different expressions of Pappy Van Winkle&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">The Chestnut Club (Santa Monica)</h3>
The Chestnut Club, which has been around since 2014, is smack dab in the middle of Santa Monica Boulevard&mdash;a half-hour walk will land you at the iconic Santa Monica Pier. It&rsquo;s known primarily as a polished cocktail room&mdash;date-friendly, stylish, and designed for long, comfortable evenings.
What&rsquo;s less obvious at first glance is that the bar keeps one of the most balanced whiskey lists on the Westside. Pours from around the world include single malts from Brenne (France) and Kavalan (Taiwan), while American classics like Blanton&rsquo;s and private barrel picks from Elijah Craig are also on rotation.
Unlike many of the other bars on this list, Chestnut Club is on the spacious side, so larger groups can often snag a booth or standing room. The extra breathing room also makes it one of the few Westside whiskey spots where you can linger over multiple pours without feeling rushed or crowded.
<h3 dir="ltr">Thirsty Crow (Silver Lake)</h3>
Back across town on the Eastside, the Thirsty Crow is one of Silver Lake&rsquo;s longest-running neighborhood institutions. Opened in 2010 and seating roughly 75 inside (plus a small sidewalk patio), it&rsquo;s a true dive&mdash;dim, intimate, and always ready with a beer-and-a-shot combo.
The crowd can get a little rowdy on weekends, so if you&rsquo;re in the mood for cocktails, expect a bit of jostling for tiramisu-infused rye, a barrel-aged Old Fashioned, or a Paper Plane made with Angel&rsquo;s Envy.
That said, bar staff have also curated a robust whiskey list of tried and true classics from across Scotland, Ireland, and Japan. And on the American side, BTAC labels like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/8383c038-da4c-4b6c-bb4e-4fa00340f5cf/lot/0992dcba-e23a-45de-837b-d89bce8561fd">Thomas H. Handy</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/8383c038-da4c-4b6c-bb4e-4fa00340f5cf/lot/3d39e24c-1fa3-4907-8f9b-c0512cc05751">George T. Stagg</a>, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/8383c038-da4c-4b6c-bb4e-4fa00340f5cf/lot/91a17c37-e4fb-4dfb-bb36-6d5bb729de18">William Larue Weller</a> are all available at humane prices.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Something that's good doesn't mean that it should be limited to only those who can afford it,&rdquo; says bar manager Taylor Johnson. At roughly $70 a pour, &ldquo;you&rsquo;re not going to miss rent trying it.&rdquo; Amen to that.
<h3 dir="ltr">Wolf &amp; Crane (Little Tokyo)</h3>
Wolf &amp; Crane opened in 2014 in the heart of the city&rsquo;s historic Little Tokyo, a five minute walk away from the Japanese American National Museum and right next to the very entertaining Japanese Village Plaza.
It should come as no surprise, then, that it remains the city&rsquo;s most committed Japanese whisky bar, with an incredibly deep list including things like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/7510514a-3749-42af-9a58-2a6add5e984f/lot/9546daa5-f0f9-4c4b-8946-ea5687d481de">Hibiki 30 Year Old</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/247cff20-89d4-4343-9bb4-4b90d09b40d2/lot/1ae58d21-6a28-4bcd-b8d8-c928096ce403">Yamazaki 25 Year Old Mizunara Cask</a>, Shinshu Mars <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/9b2247e4-53b5-4dd6-8e17-92650cbc31c6/lot/9576d4fa-9244-4f9a-90b5-147155a49b97">Komagatake 30 Year</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/242ddcf7-641d-498d-9476-a47e7f71da0e/lot/ff2a4ff9-6eee-4125-a5bf-367a058c9afd">Ichiro's Malt 15 Year</a>, Nikka 9 Decades, and many others.
&ldquo;Our whisky program philosophy is pretty simple: keep up to date on new Japanese releases, and keep only the best of the best,&rdquo; says GM Jason Valdez. With that in mind, the bar also makes an effort to keep prices at an affordable level. &ldquo;We want people to try these great whiskies, not have them collect dust on the wall,&rdquo; Valdez says.
The bar also offers pours of private barrel picks from Maker&rsquo;s Mark, Komagatake, and Weller, as well as cocktails ranging from classic (a Japanese Old Fashioned with Hibiki) to refreshing (Toki highballs).
<h3 dir="ltr">The Whisky Bar (Beverly Hills)</h3>
Part of Beverly Hills&rsquo; restaurant-and-hotel corridor, The Whisky Bar opened in 2011 as the Ten Pound Bar, named after the ten-pound Scottish note which had the Macallan distillery printed on it. True to its name, the bar was exclusively a Macallan institution, but after the host hotel changed hands during COVID, the lineup expanded.&nbsp;
That doesn&rsquo;t mean the bar has left its roots behind, however. There&rsquo;s a portrait of the Macallan estate on the wall, and their top shelf currently holds Macallan 62,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/95e1c766-316f-4dfa-8b09-97abfeec5b93/lot/ed966b4b-20c6-437a-baae-b75a56c2f2ae">65</a>, and 72&mdash;their &ldquo;prized possession,&rdquo; according to lead bartender Sean Sugrue. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s our most expensive offering right now, which has to be one of the most expensive in the country [at] $20,000 a pour,&rdquo; he says.
Worry not because there are other, more accessible whisky selections. But they all match the upscale vibe of the Maybourne Hotel, which is The Whisky Bar&rsquo;s home base. Low lighting, a cigar bar (guests only), and an outdoor patio overlooking a villa&mdash;it doesn&rsquo;t get more Beverly Hills than this.

Los Angeles Is a Fantastic Whiskey City—If You Know Where To Look

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Despite its worldwide popularity, Chardonnay is still thought to be a mid wine by some. There's plenty to like about this white wine, however, so <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/chardonnay-wine-guide">we've put together a guide</a> to tell you more about it and some of the best bottles to look for.
🥃 Are you a rum-curious whiskey drinker? If you're interested in learning more about this sugarcane-based spirit, but haven't really explored the category yet, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/rum-for-whiskey-drinkers">here are some excellent examples to try</a>.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Pinhook 10 Year Rye ($100)
Pinhook continues its Vertical Series with this new 10-year-old rye whiskey, the oldest to date. This series explores how a whiskey sourced from the same distillery and lot develops as it ages&mdash;in this case, this a blend of just 25 barrels bottled at 106 proof distilled from a mashbill of 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley at MGP. The first release was aged for four years, the final release will reach 16 years, with all maturation taking place at Castle &amp; Key in Kentucky.
Cazcanes No. 7 Rosa Anejo ($140)
This fantastic new limited-edition tequila from Cazcanes might be hard to get your hands on, but it&rsquo;s certainly worth looking out for. This is an anejo that is a blend of three barrels&mdash;two Napa Cabernet French oak casks (24 months), and one Four Roses ex-bourbon barrel (30 months). The combination of casks results in a superb sipping tequila that has notes of berry and spice, but never loses its intrinsic agave character.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
Wyoming Whiskey Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey #6429 ($300)
I&rsquo;m always on the fence when it comes to Wyoming Whiskey. It&rsquo;s not that the distillery makes anything I think is actually bad. At the same time, nothing has jumped out at me as reaching that extra level of being a truly collectible bottle that you should put in the extra time and effort to seek out (not that that&rsquo;s required, by the way, whiskey can just be good without being a trophy to hunt for). That being said, the distillery&rsquo;s new barrel-strength, single barrel release is one that I would say is worth checking for.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/bdb12c9f-0859-4891-a0f5-1cfb9532c372.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Wyoming Whiskey"> 
Wyoming Whiskey was founded nearly 20 years ago in 2006 in&mdash;you guessed it&mdash;Wyoming (Kirby, to be exact). While the distillery received a major investment from Edrington in 2023, the Scottish company that owns the Macallan and Highland Park, it still works on a pretty small scale compared to those single malt operations. Ex-Maker&rsquo;s Mark master distiller Steve Nally oversaw production in the early years, and Nancy Faley has been in the role of master blender for many years, but Brendan Cook took over that role in 2024 while Sam Mead is now head distiller.
The core releases consist of a pair of bourbons, Small Batch and Double Cask, and one whiskey that doesn't qualify as bourbon or rye&mdash;Outryder is an American whiskey aged for five years and bottled at 100 proof. Wyoming Whiskey has released various single barrels over the years, and indeed counts a limited expression in its lineup, but this new bourbon goes above and beyond those bottles. Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey #6429, which was selected from the top couple of barrels in the distillery&rsquo;s rickhouses by Cook, was made from a mashbill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley, and aged for ten years before being bottled at 124 proof (62 percent ABV).
This is a rich and flavorful whiskey that has some heat and heft on the palate as you sip, with notes of butterscotch, graham cracker, vanilla pudding, dark chocolate, espresso, and ripe stone fruit. This is not a cheap bottle at $300, but its limited availability and deep flavor might just make it worth the expense&mdash;and this is a bourbon that you might start seeing collectors take a lot more notice of over the next year. I look forward to seeing, and tasting, whatever else Wyoming Whiskey has to offer.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Billecart-Salmon NV Le Ros&eacute; ($90)
Not that anyone ever needs an excuse to drink Champagne, but if you are looking for one, Saint Valentine is giving you that &ldquo;come hither&rdquo; look. After all, what could be more delightful than enjoying a glass or two of the world&rsquo;s most graceful wine with someone you love? What could possibly be more romantic?
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/26799762-6c1e-4109-a1e4-922b540226c1.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Chamagne Billecarte">
Before I get all mushy on you I&rsquo;m going to focus on one of Champagne&rsquo;s more underappreciated virtues. Namely, it must be savored. It must be sipped. It requires attention. Gulping down a wine as high in acid as Champagne will only result in a peristaltic event neither you nor your date want to be around for. So take it slow. And slow intake gives you time to relish its flavors and tactility, grand in entry, lifted by effervescence, luxurious in its texture, mouthwatering and energizing in its finish. So while you&rsquo;re drinking in your partner&rsquo;s eyes, drink the wine with the same appreciation and the same enjoyment.
Many Champagnes merit this kind of attention, but if I have to pick one it&rsquo;s going to be Billecart-Salmon&rsquo;s iconic bottling, Le Ros&eacute;. Le Ros&eacute; is iconic for a reason. For decades, it&rsquo;s been a model of structure and grace in a sparkling ros&eacute;, especially during years when a ros&eacute; seemed rare and unusual, even in Champagne. Billecart became a standard-bearer for the category, a benchmark for a region that has since embraced it.
This is a multi-vintage cepage of 45 percent Chardonnay, 35 percent Pinot Noir, and 20 percent Pinot Meunier. The color is a delicate pink, somewhere between copper and salmon, that is remarkably luminous and warm. This is a wine that hits all the pleasure points&mdash;a m&eacute;lange of brioche and citrus, wild strawberries and hazelnut shavings, generous in its aromatics. In the mouth, the flavors are expansive yet firmly presented, with a texture that&rsquo;s creamy but structured, focused but not rich, persistent and graceful in its finish. It will look good on your Valentine&rsquo;s Day table, and you&rsquo;ll look good for having popped the cork.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: February 13

Rum and whiskey come from different worlds&mdash;the former is rooted in sugarcane, the latter in grain. But both spirits are usually matured in barrels&mdash;whiskey virtually always is, and aged rum touches some type of wood&mdash;meaning they have more in common than you might initially think. Oak, climate, and time shape both spirits in ways that whiskey drinkers will recognize immediately, even if the raw materials and traditions are different. Some rums pick up the dried‑fruit depth of sherry casks, others lean into bourbon‑barrel notes of vanilla and spice, and a few carry just enough funk or smoke to feel familiar. The bottles here aren&rsquo;t meant to replace anyone&rsquo;s favorite scotch or bourbon; they&rsquo;re simply great entry points for whiskey drinkers who want to see how those same levers&mdash;barrel, proof, yeast strains, and maturation environment&mdash;play out in rum, and maybe discover a new favorite along the way.
<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Brugal&amp;state=ENDED&amp;sortBy=number_asc&amp;page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brugal 1888 Doblemente A&ntilde;ejado</a> (Dominican Republic, 40% ABV, $45) Brugal 1888 Doblemente A&ntilde;ejado is a logical match for scotch drinkers who enjoy sherry‑influenced malts, but don&rsquo;t mind a touch more sweetness. It is double-aged in bourbon and sherry casks, which creates a flavor profile in which vanilla, toffee, and red‑fruit richness sit alongside a clear oak presence. The rum is undeniably sweet, yet the tannins and toasted‑spice notes keep it from feeling heavy&mdash;and make it a bit reminiscent of Speyside and Highland whiskies.
<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Mister+Fogg&amp;state=ENDED&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum Sail N&deg;2</a><a href="https://theliquorbarn.com/products/planteray-mister-fogg-navy-rum-sail-no-2-700ml?srsltid=AfmBOoqOASEIHH5A6QKNIyTZ115qhHJRDv61nEM_CKGORnhLWNXK21G1"> </a>(Caribbean &amp; France, 55.7% ABV, $38) Mister Fogg Sail N&deg;2 is a bold, high‑proof, Navy‑style rum that will resonate with bourbon drinkers who enjoy the intensity of barrel‑strength releases. Aged in ex‑bourbon barrels, matured at sea, and finished in Cognac casks in France, it delivers dense notes of molasses, dark chocolate, dried fruit, and warming spice. There&rsquo;s a noticeable fruity funk here&mdash;not unlike the ferment‑forward character you sometimes find in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wildernesstraildistillery.com/en-us/">Wilderness Trail</a>&rsquo;s whiskeys&mdash;adding dimension without overwhelming the sweetness. Big and warm, it&rsquo;s a natural pick for bourbon fans who like heat and depth.
<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Mount+Gay&amp;state=ENDED&amp;sortBy=number_asc&amp;page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mount Gay Single Estate 25_04 </a>(Barbados, 55% ABV, $350) Mount Gay&rsquo;s Single Estate Series is designed to express terroir in rum, in the same way that whiskeys like <a href="https://www.bruichladdich.com/collections/bruichladdich">Bruichladdich</a> explore the impact of using barley only grown on Islay, or Maker&rsquo;s Mark's experiment with locally-grown wheat for their <a href="https://www.makersmark.com/en-us/whisky/star-hill-farm-whisky">Star Hill Farm Whiskey</a>. Each release is made from estate‑grown sugar cane, distilled on site, and shaped by the character of St. Lucy&rsquo;s (the Mount Gay estate) soils, climate, and a proprietary yeast strain. The 25_04 edition, distilled from the 2019 harvest and double pot distilled, matures five years in ex‑bourbon barrels and is bottled at 55% ABV. Its earthy funk edge, salty smokiness, red‑fruit notes, and intense oak make it an appealing crossover for peated‑scotch drinkers who appreciate layered structure and a sense of place.
<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Zacapa+Edici%C3%B3n+Negra&amp;state=ENDED&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_self">Zacapa Edici&oacute;n Negra</a> (Guatemala, 43% ABV, $70) Zacapa Edici&oacute;n Negra is a strong match for whiskey drinkers who enjoy the smoky‑sweet balance of <a href="https://ship.highwest.com/products/campfire">High West Campfire</a>. Aged in double‑charred American oak, it carries a darker, wood‑driven smokiness rather than peat, wrapped in Zacapa&rsquo;s signature sweetness. Notes of caramelized sugar, vanilla, and a subtle root‑beer&ndash;like spice sit alongside gentle smoke and dried fruit, creating a profile that feels both familiar and new. It&rsquo;s richer and sweeter than Campfire, but the interplay of smoke, oak, and warmth makes it a fit for drinkers who like their whiskey with a touch of char.
<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Dos+Maderas&amp;state=ENDED&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Dos Maderas Origen Thailand</a> (Thailand &amp; Spain, 47% ABC $83) Dos Maderas Origen Thailand is an easy match for whiskey drinkers who love the oloroso‑driven richness of <a href="https://www.redbreastwhiskey.com/en-us/whiskey-collections/redbreast-21-year-old-whiskey/">Redbreast 21</a>. After 12 years aging in bourbon casks in Thailand, followed by a rare finish in 80‑year‑old oloroso barrels in Spain, it shows a deep mix of cocoa, toasted coconut, roasted nuts, and dried fruit, with a subtle aged‑spirit note that almost reads as smoke. The sherry influence is refined rather than heavy, giving the rum a mature, oxidative depth that is like the warmth of long‑aged Irish pot still whiskey.
<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Ron+del+Barrilito&amp;state=ENDED&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron del Barrilito Autobiograf&iacute;a Selection III</a> (Puerto Rico, 43.6% ABV, $1,500) Aged 31 years in a single oloroso sherry cask, Selection III offers the kind of depth whiskey drinkers associate with <a href="https://www.glendronachdistillery.com/product/the-glendronach-aged-21-years/">Glendronach 21</a> or the richest batches of <a href="https://www.aberlour.com/en-us/our-whisky/abunadh-scotch-whisky/">Aberlour A&rsquo;Bunadh</a>. The cask yielded just 186 bottles, with concentrated notes of dried fruit, roasted nuts, cocoa, and a refined oxidative warmth. Because the rum enters the barrel just above bottling proof, the cask&rsquo;s sherry character integrates slowly and evenly over decades, creating a profile that mirrors top sherried whiskies while still reflecting the long, tropical aging that defines Barrilito&rsquo;s style.

Curious About Rum? These Bottles Will Appeal to Whiskey Fans Looking to Learn More About the Category

You might not be aware that there is a village named Chardonnay in France, set in a notch between gently swooping hills covered in vine rows. Years ago I drove through it and, if I remember right, it took about 40 seconds. It&rsquo;s astonishing how this tiny village shares its name with the most ubiquitous white wine on the planet.
Chardonnay might be the most omnipresent white wine variety on earth, but it&rsquo;s also one that many people love to hate. So go ahead and hate all you want, but you should realize you can easily avoid the style for which it is reviled&mdash;it&rsquo;s reserved for the bottom shelf at your local supermarket (anyone for a bottle of &ldquo;Butter&rdquo;?). Meanwhile, thoughtfully made Chardonnay is experiencing a global renaissance, and the range of expressions and the creativity they show is more thrilling now than it&rsquo;s been in half a century.
Chardonnay the ville is in the Macon in southern Burgundy, and Macon Chardonnay can serve as a useful baseline for the grape&rsquo;s essential character. It is, after all, an inherently neutral variety that is malleable as clay, and like clay it can be built up into gorgeous, graceful, transcendent constructions&mdash;which is why so many winemakers love it. Unadorned, it can be charming and lively, not especially complex but pure and crystalline, especially when grown in the right place.
Joseph Drouhin&rsquo;s Macon-Villages ($20) is a fine introduction. A large Burgundy producer-negotiant based in Beaune, Drouhin is a proven Chardonnay master, responsible for superb expressions from Chablis to Dundee (Oregon). This Chardonnay is aged mostly in stainless steel tanks; once you remove the prop of oak, the wine&rsquo;s fruit spectrum appears in generous scents of apple and pear, sometimes citrus and peach, with flavors to match that are adorned with traces of nutty lees or honeycomb. Above all, the wine should be lively with acidity, and the texture should be mouthwatering, tense, fresh, and lifted. If it sags or it&rsquo;s cloying or blowsy, move on.
Domestically there are many un-oaked versions. Two of the most reliable for me are the &ldquo;Inox&rdquo; (steel) bottlings from Melville in Santa Barbara County ($50), and Chehalem in Oregon ($25).
Thereafter, the permutations and possibilities are boundless. How ripe do you want your wine? In some places Chardonnay will only get so ripe; in other places you need to guard against too much ripeness. Once harvested, the wines can be aged in steel, concrete eggs, oak barrels, large oak barrels, amphorae, or any combination.
The wines can go through a secondary, malolactic fermentation (most do) which sometimes accounts for flavors (or sensations) of butter or cream. Sometimes the skins are left in the tank to steep like tea for some added heft; sometimes, for the same reason, the wine remains in contact with the dead yeast (lees) which lends it a toasty, nutty flavor. If the wine comes into contact with oxygen, depending on how long it will also affect flavors and textures. Finally, how long it&rsquo;s aged will influence the character.
All of these tools are at a winemaker&rsquo;s disposal, a Rubik&rsquo;s Cube level of elaboration. In a range of expressions as vast as this one, how do we narrow down our parameters as to what makes a great Chardonnay? Well, here are a few rules of thumb.
<h3 dir="ltr">A great Chardonnay must have something to say about place.</h3>
This inherently neutral grape is like a lens through which a region&rsquo;s conditions can be observed&mdash;which is, I might add, one of the thrills of drinking, loving, and collecting wine in the first place. That is why there are crus in Burgundy, and why some wines are Grand Crus, some wines are Premier Crus, some wines are merely ordinaire.
Being on the edge of where a variety can ripen can also make for thrilling statements about place&mdash;Chablis, for example, the thrilling, chalky, green and bracing Chardonnays from the north of Burgundy, can only come from one place. In fact, it&rsquo;s so distinct it&rsquo;s become a comely adjective&mdash;chablisienne&mdash;to describe wines not made in Chablis. No one would use that word for Meursault, where a warmer climate conveys a fleshiness Chablis cannot often attain.
Warm sites too have their unique imprint and result in distinctive, sumptuous profiles. David Ramey makes unbelievably delicious California Chardonnays that are generous but never over the top for his eponymous brand ($85). Elsewhere Kumeu River ($75) in the Auckland suburbs of New Zealand, and Leeuwin Estate&rsquo;s Art Series in Margaret River, Australia ($80) produce arguably two of the southern hemisphere&rsquo;s greatest Chardonnays that are sumptuous, golden, irresistibly sensuous wines.
<h3 dir="ltr">A great Chardonnay should show intention.</h3>
There are plenty of Chardonnays in the market that are there to be thrown down at lunch or uncorked over a Wednesday night chicken dinner. They are simple and fruit-forward with a lipsmacking briskness&mdash;and then poof, they&rsquo;re gone, and you&rsquo;re on to something else.
But a great Chardonnay will have layers, stages, length. It will move across the palate and finish with energy, it will take you somewhere, it alternates flavors and has textural complexity. That layering, that journey is what separates the great from the ordinary. And it&rsquo;s rare, but you&rsquo;ll find it in the wines of Raveneau, Leflaive and Coche-Dury, the pinnacles of French Chardonnay&rsquo;s expression. Uncork a wine from these esteemed producers and you can learn the variety&rsquo;s mysteries at great expense, or perhaps more affordably with a Puligny-Montrachet from Paul Pernot ($99). There&rsquo;s a corollary to the above dictum, and that&rsquo;s this:
<h3 dir="ltr">A great Chardonnay should show some reticence.</h3>
Tasting great Chardonnay can sometimes come with a pang of regret. Great wines unfurl over time, they live and breathe, they change in the glass and the bottle, and inevitably they lead to thoughts about its future. If you can muster the discipline, leave a good wine open for a few days and see where it goes. If it opens and gets better, that&rsquo;s usually a sign it will benefit from aging, and an invitation to lay down the rest.
Two California Chardonnay producers to consider: Au Bon Climat, helmed by the late Jim Clendenon, always made Chardonnays geared toward the future. You can choose from several, but Nuits Blanches au Bouge ($50) is a great place to start. Clendenon&rsquo;s prot&eacute;g&eacute;, Gavin Chanin, also builds his Chardonnays to age&mdash;his Chardonnay bottling from Los Alamos Vineyard ($65) is tightly constructed in a complex weave, built to uncoil for years.
<h3 dir="ltr">Chardonnay for Weirdos</h3>
As we&rsquo;ve seen, Chardonnay&rsquo;s inherent neutrality and structure makes it a wine to build upon. Some of those bottlings are more artistic, or idiosyncratic, or personal than others. In the Cotes de Jura, for example, you can find Chardonnays that have been aged for many years in old oak barrels. Even if they&rsquo;re not made with the oxidized sous voile method (that&rsquo;s usually reserved for the Savagnin variety), the wines often seem exotic and savory.
I&rsquo;m going to close with three wines from Oregon. When I talk about a renaissance in Chardonnay, in this country at least, I&rsquo;m thinking about the Willamette Valley, a place that seems to have recovered its mojo after decades of patchy efforts with the variety (owing more to poorly-selected clones than a lack of technique). The first is The Eyrie, one of the region&rsquo;s first wineries to plant and make Chardonnay. Founder David Lett and his heir, Jason, have maintained a style that feels deeply personal and idiosyncratic ($50). Jason Lett has said that while he&rsquo;s kept his father&rsquo;s deeply traditional winemaking ways, he&rsquo;s cleaned them up a bit. It&rsquo;s always a wine that combines a mushroomy earthiness and boundless core of fruit that feels one of a kind.
For sheer grandeur, look to Josh Bergstr&ouml;m&rsquo;s t&ecirc;te de cuvee, Sigrid ($125), an amalgam of estate fruit sources that is an annual barrel selection of extraordinary complexity and pedigree. Winemaker Josh Bergstr&ouml;m privileges fruit on some days and a flinty minerality on others, all wrapped in nutty lees and a gorgeous, lusty, honeyed texture. It is among the most layered wines I tasted all year, with a length that&rsquo;s fulsome and exhilarating&mdash;and a wine to cellar.
Finally there&rsquo;s a Chardonnay bottling from a winery outfit called Golden Cluster, the brainchild of winemaker Jeff Vejr. For his label On Wine Hill, he makes a bottling called Millerandage (Clone 548) ($35). That word refers to a phenomenon known as hens and chicks where some berries in a grape cluster ripen fully and some lag, remaining small and green. The latter leaves an inimitable and one-of-a-kind spice, cutting against the fruit but somehow giving it definition and a weirdly discordant energy.

A Guide to Chardonnay for the Lovers, the Haters, and Everyone In Between

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
The Unicorn Review: What are the biggest changes that you've seen in the cognac category overall, and has this affected how you&rsquo;ve shepherded the Louis XIII brand during your time as cellar master?
Baptiste Loiseau: It has been quite a long journey. I took the [cellar master] position almost 12 years ago. What I want to push even further is to have people understand what makes cognac so different from other spirits in terms of quality, grapes, location, and terroir. What is key for me is that we help people understand that behind the big brand [Remy Martin], there are lots of different wine growers, master distillers, and coopers that help to maintain consistency.
We have begun a research program on how we will prepare the next generation of wine growers to face new challenges like climate change. My team and I try to understand what the future of the appellation will be in two ways. First, the raw materials and how we can maintain consistency with conditions that are different&mdash;more heat waves, et cetera. Second, how innovation can take us to another level and make the new generation better understand cognac.
<h3 dir="ltr">The Future of Luxury Cognac</h3>
There's been a lot of news about the softening global spirits market, and some companies have pointed to cognac as being a particular challenge right now. How do you feel about the future of the category?
I was born and raised in the Cognac region, but I'm not from a family that made cognac. So I have seen the different cycles that we already faced, with ups and downs in terms of sales and number of hectares that have been planted. Cognac has always been here. We will find solutions, and even with all the strong head winds that we have against us in the next decade, we will still be here, and we will still make Remy Martin.
You have to understand what the origins are of these cycles. It&rsquo;s not a question of doing things differently in terms of qualitative process, because we know that worldwide we have the savoir faire of winemaking and distillation. We have to make people understand that what we are making in Cognac is different in comparison to other spirits, and that cognac can be enjoyed in many different ways.
Obviously, Louis XIII is a very high-end expression, but consumer habits are changing. Do you see a difference in the way people are approaching this brand as opposed to more affordable Remy Martin expressions? Is there still a global desire for luxury brands?
There is always a global desire for iconic brands. Of course, the type of clients that we have for Remy Martin and for Louis XIII are different. What resonates among them is the understanding of what we are doing, the fact that we are even more demanding in the selection [of eaux-de-vie] for Louis XIII because it has to be a longer term vision on the approach. With Louis XIII, it is much more about the experience, pairing it with things like caviar. That makes the experience a little bit different, and maybe less less&hellip; how do you say&hellip; dusty.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Age Statements Ain't Nothing But a Number</h3>
Louis XIII doesn&rsquo;t have an age statement, something that whiskey drinkers are often looking for. So how do you talk to someone who's unfamiliar with the brand about what makes the liquid in the bottle special?
The best way to understand Louis XIII is to taste it, because for me an age statement is just a number. Cognac can be aged for 20 years in the wrong cask, and it might end up tasting like it&rsquo;s five years old. I like to educate people by telling them it's not a question of numbers, it&rsquo;s about taking the time to taste. It's not a question of whether the youngest eaux-de-vie has been aged for 35 or 45 years, that&rsquo;s not my mission. My mission is to make it consistent. If one year I need some eaux-de-vie that are older than&nbsp; what I was using the year before, or even younger, I will use them.
The role of the cellar master is to know the stock and know the cask. We say the average age range of Louis XIII is from 40 to 100 years. But if it's a little bit more some years or less other years, it's not something that we are going to talk about. Because at the end of the day, what's important is the final blend itself and the consistency in the sensation you have while you taste.
I think what could be of interest for the cognac category in the next year is maybe to come back to doing more vintages. At Remy Martin, we have already released three vintages. I have some vintages that, at the moment, are not ready. We are made from grapes, so we have a vintage effect like Armagnac and wine.
<h3 dir="ltr">Blending is a Team Effort</h3>
Take me into the blending room for Louis XIII. How big is the panel? How many samples do you taste?&nbsp;
We have 18 people in the tasting committee, but only three can lead the tasting and make the decision&mdash;myself, as the cellar master, and two women, Laura and Delphine. Laura is responsible for the estate and all the advice we give to the growers. Delphine manages sensory analysis.&nbsp;
We work with almost 800 wine growers. Half of them make the wine, but don't have a pot still, so they send their wine to distilleries to distill for them. The other half grow grapes, make the wine, and distill. They give a twist to their production, trying to put their own feeling, emotion, and sense of terroir in the eaux-de-vie that they will present to the tasting committee.
In total, more than 1,000 samples of un-aged eaux-de-vie come to the tasting committee from November to mid-March. I see the very first step as the most crucial one, which is the detection of the potential of aging, of aromatic singularities that we are tasting during the distillation period. For each sample, we have two glasses, one neat and one reduced with water to express more aromas. It&rsquo;s a blind tasting. We decide if the samples correspond with the house style. If not, we reject the sample and we go to see the grower to find a solution to explain why it doesn't correspond. If it's accepted by the tasting committee, we have a ranking process.
Is the process the same when you're tasting the aged eaux-de-vie?&nbsp;
When it's a young eaux-de-vie, it's the same panel. But when it's much older, we are only five people. I have four experts besides me that help detect the differences or similarities.
I don't want 25 samples to be the same. Otherwise, everything gets accepted and you don't have diversity. What I like is when each sample is different. We code the samples to determine from the very beginning if they will be used for Remy Martin VSOP, XO, or Louis XIII.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Relying on the Past, Looking to the Future</h3>
On the one hand, you're creating something that will ultimately be used by someone in the future. On the other hand, you're working with all these casks that were filled by someone else in the past. So it's this constant trade-off. How do you think about this?
For me, it's something that is disconnected in terms of our mission and the moment. When we are focusing on the un-aged eaux-de-vie, of course, we know that we are preparing for the future&mdash;not only me, but all the tasting team. When we detect an eaux-de-vie ranked in the top ten percent of Grand Champagne, we know that it will be used for Louis XIII. We all have the sensation when we make this decision that we are building the future of the house. But that's a moment that doesn't occur often. Less than one percent of the total samples that we taste that will be selected for Louis XIII.
<h3 dir="ltr">Rare Cask</h3>
Can you talk about Rare Cask? How many releases have there been so far?
The approach is totally different. For Louis XIII, it&rsquo;s all about consistency, but Rare Cask is about the singularity of one cask that the cellar master decides not to blend with others. Rare Cask is really much more of a personal approach. 2023 was only the third time in Louis XIII history that we released a Rare Cask, and for me [as cellar master] it was the very first time [two others were released in 2009 and 2013]. During the last ten years, I have identified new tiercons that could be candidates to be the next Rare Cask. The name of the current release is Rare Cask 42.1, because 42.1 is the ABV of the liquid inside this tiercon. Only 775 decanters have been released.
<h3 dir="ltr">"Small Waters"</h3>
I wanted to end by asking you about the "petits eaux" (small waters) technique&mdash;putting water into a cask to draw out the spirit, and then using that very low-ABV water to proof down the cognac while it ages in the barrel. Some American whiskey distilleries, like Still Austin, use this technique as well. Is petits eaux widely used in the cognac industry?
It&rsquo;s much more, I think, a practice that you find with small producers. Even some wine growers and master distillers that are working for Remy Martin have their own brand or they have their own stock and they make petits eaux. It&rsquo;s not something that we do at Remy Martin because the way we manage casks is a little bit different. You also have to be cautious because when you go below a certain ABV,&nbsp; it can damage the quality of what you have inside.
I think petits eaux is more about cask preservation. It doesn't impact the spirit qualitatively, but it can be interesting. Of course, you have to be cautious.

The Present and Future of Luxury Cognac: An Interview With Louis XIII Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau

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Unicorn 2025 Market Report

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Portugal is known for its distinctive, affordable wines&mdash;here are some of the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/alentejo-wine-part-2">best bottles to try now</a> from the Alentejo region.
🥃 <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/louis-xiii-cognac-cellar-master">We spoke to the Louis XIII cellar master</a> about how he creates this luxury cognac, and the future of high-end spirits in today&rsquo;s softening global spirits market.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
TX Whiskey Vino de Naranja ($40)
This is the 15th release in Texas distillery TX Whiskey&rsquo;s Experimental Series. It&rsquo;s a blend of two whiskey components&mdash;five-year-old straight rye whiskey distilled at the Fort Worth facility, and bourbon that was finished in Vino de Naranja wine casks for three years. The final blend has notes of fruit, orange, vanilla, and caramel, and can be sipped neat or mixed into a cocktail.
Dos Maderas Origen Thailand ($83)
Dos Maderas is a brand that sources its rum from Guyana and Barbados and then ships it to Spain to age in sherry casks sourced from Jerez. This is the first release in the brand&rsquo;s Origen series, a Thai rum that spent 12 years aging there before coming to Spain and being finished in 80-year-old sherry casks. The result is a sweet rum with notes of tropical fruit and spice.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
The Macallan Diamonds are Forever 55th Anniversary ($750)
If you&rsquo;re familiar with the Macallan&mdash;and most whisky drinkers are&mdash;you know that the distillery usually releases several special edition bottlings every year. You also know that virtually all of the whisky distilled there is matured in sherry-seasoned oak, either European or American or a combination of the two. These are usually very good and collectors tend to snap them snap them up. But every now and then, the distillery will release a single malt that deviates from the norm and incorporates a different type of barrel into the maturation mix. Such is the case with the new James Bond tie-in, Diamonds are Forever 55th Anniversary.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/8109d001-4379-41cd-ad1e-057e95f3eeba.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Photo Credit the Macallan"> 
What separates this 18-year-old whisky from other expressions is that, in a first for the distillery, the Macallan has used two special types of casks to mature the whisky&mdash;red wine and hybrid European/American oak made from staves of each type of wood (the other casks used are the usual sherry-seasoned oak). What this means is that, in addition to this whisky being a special, expensive limited release, it actually tastes pretty different from your usual Macallan.
There are no cask finishes here; instead, each component was fully matured in the different casks before being blended together. The red wine component has imbued the whisky with nice red berry and ripe fruit notes, which work well with the classic Macallan sherry-soaked raisin, spice, and fig flavors. Obviously, the whisky makers didn&rsquo;t know how they would use these red wine casks when they filled them nearly two decades ago, but they serve their purpose very well in this expression.
And then there&rsquo;s the James Bond part of this whisky. It was distilled in 2007 (get it? 007), and while Bond is best known for drinking martinis that are shaken (and not stirred), he certainly enjoyed his wine and whisky as well. Whether or not you&rsquo;re a fan of this famous screen spy or not, give this new whisky a try&mdash;particularly if you are a well versed in the whisky world of the Macallan. Something like this doesn&rsquo;t come around from this Speyside distillery that often, but it&rsquo;s a welcome addition to the ever-growing portfolio when it does.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Super Red Wine Selections for Super Bowl Sunday
It&rsquo;s Super Bowl Week!&nbsp;Inspired, if that is the word, by the Bad Bunny brouhaha, I&rsquo;m going to recommend three wines from two countries&mdash;a filial pair from the U.S. of A., and one from a Spanish language country, otherwise known as Spain.
But first things first. Let us agree that Super Bowl wines need not be epic, complex, or contemplative. It just needs to be satisfying, delicious, and, to some extent, palate-cleansing, capable of washing down whatever chicken wing/Frito pie/sloppy joe/pizza puck you have in front of you for the Big Game.
California Zinfandel hits those notes. At its best, it's one of the most cheerful reds out there, with rustic red berry flavors and a jovial, sappy disposition. Check out a wine from the Petersons&mdash;father and son Joel Peterson and Morgan Twain-Peterson. Joel, you may recall, founded Ravenswood, one of the most iconic brands of the '80 and '90s. Peterson sold Ravenswood in 2001 and, about a decade later, founded Once &amp; Future.
He also inspired his son Morgan to pursue his own old vine wine journey. With Chris Cottrell, Morgan founded Bedrock Wine Company and together they&rsquo;ve devoted their production to heritage vineyards, an affinity he shares with his father.
Super Bowl Libations, American Edition
Bedrock&rsquo;s 2023 Old Vine California Zin ($25) combines fruit from old vineyards in Sonoma County, Lodi, and Contra Costa County, and is luscious, red fruited and supple, with a whiff of leafy bramble and a hint of cinnamon to lend a bit of complexity.
Once &amp; Future has several options but look for something from Sonoma, like the 2023 Dry Creek Valley Zin from Teldeschi Vineyard Frank&rsquo;s Block ($55), an old vine repository farmed by the Teldeschi family for 75 years. Peterson&rsquo;s Teldeschi bottling comes from the low-yielding Frank&rsquo;s Block, with additions of Carignane and Alicante Bouschet, with bright flavors of sun-kissed berries, and a rustic, old fashioned grip.
Super Bowl Libations, Spanish Language Edition
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/7592cfd2-a845-41b8-a91d-5d7fdd1820a7.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Raul Perez">
Raul Perez is one of the leading lights of what&rsquo;s been called the New Spain, injecting life into an ancient and often overlooked region (Bierzo), and in reviving the reputation for the light and vibrant Mencia variety. The 2022 Bierzo St. Jacques ($25) is Mencia dominant, but includes Bastardo, Garnacha Tintorara (Alicante Bouschet), and even white grapes for a spicy, crunchy, lips-macking red.&nbsp; You do not have to speak Spanish to enjoy this wine, just as you do not have to speak Spanish to enjoy the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: February 6

Alentejo wines are generally classified in two ways&mdash;under the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Alentejo Denomina&ccedil;&atilde;o de Origem, or the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Vinho Regional Alentejano. Each category has its own requirements, but for quality producers, they&rsquo;re not so different. For the sake of brevity, the designations Alentejo and Alentejano will only be used only to avoid confusion, though subregions are mentioned for emphasis.
<h3 dir="ltr">Cabe&ccedil;as do Reguengo</h3>
Cabe&ccedil;as do Reguengo is a small winery started in 2009&nbsp; in Portalegre, a portion of which was a mixed field of centenarian vines. The Respiro Zizi Branco Portalegre 2022 ($50) issues from some of these. Decidedly dry, this Branco (white) has a caramel and beeswax richness with an array of citrus flavors like orange, tangerine, and lemon zest, freshened by a zap of acidity. Simply delicious.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Fitapreta</h3>
Fitapreta is the first winery of ground-breaking vintner Ant&oacute;nio Ma&ccedil;anit&aacute;, who makes wine in several regions of Portugal, with a preference for working with under-appreciated grape varieties. His white, o Ancestral 2023 ($27)&mdash;a field blend of Roupeiro, Rabo de Ovelha, Arinto, Tamarez, Alicante Branco, and Ant&atilde;o Vaz&mdash;is full of poppy citrusy notes like lemon and orange zest, creamy lemon curd, hints of fennel, and just plain freshness. His Branco de Talha 2024 ($28) is an amphora-aged, golden wine that eschews some of the Vinho de Talha requirements in favor of delicacy and finesse. A kiss of tannin fans a fado of kumquat, pineapple, and almond flavors.
Barely-ruby hued, Chao dos Eremitas Tinta Carvalha 2022 ($75) is made from indigenous Carvalha. At 12.5% alcohol, low for Alentejo, it&rsquo;s mouthwatering, with pomegranate flavors accented by rose petal and graphite. More robust and darker in color is the Tinto Castel&atilde;o 2021 ($47), which showcases bright red cherry flavors, fresh and cordial, with bright acidity. Chill for simple enjoyment or lose in the cellar for several years to deepen its earthiness. Os Paulistas 2020 ($112), a blend of several grapes takes things up the ladder in terms weight and texture: both velvety and earthy at once, with a palate of wild berries and a pinch of wild herbs.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Herdade do Espor&atilde;o</h3>
Herdade do Espor&atilde;o is centered on a noble Alentejan property in the Reguengos subregion, dating to the 13th century, which released its first wines only in 1985. Its range is varied and large. Despite its size&mdash; over 2500 acres, 1000 of them planted to vines. A blend of local heroes, Ant&atilde;o Vaz, Arinto, and Rouperio, Reserva Branco 2022 ($24) indulges with white fruit&mdash;quince and pear, russet apple, and robe of beeswax encapsulated in spicy oak. Delicious now, it has the structure for aging a decade or more.&nbsp;
The red (Tinto) Reserva 2022 (26) is a wine that might only be made in Alentejo, blending Alicante Bouschet with Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, and Cabernet Sauvignon and offers a combination of sweet and peppery spice and ripe red berry flavors, confidently structured by velvety tannin. The 2021 and 2020, both on the market, show fascinating vintage differences in blend and profile. AB Alicante Bouschet 2015 (~$52) demonstrates why Alentejans love this usually dismissed grape: this is sappy, yet energetic, bursting with bright red and dark fruit flavors, a dusting of cacao, and a pinch of spice. Over a decade old, it still has a long future.&nbsp;
Also a touch sappy, but far from lazy, is Private Selection 2019 ($78), which blends Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez (aka, Tempranillo), and Tourigas Nacional and Franca into a whole of vibrant red and blue berry, sweet spice, and juicy acidity, all borne by velvety, substantial tannin. Lose for a decade. Add another, or two, for the Torre 2017 ($300).&nbsp; A similar blend to the Private Selection, this is ripe, indulgent, full of dark berry, bitter mint chocolate, and spice, with refreshing acidity that offsets some of its alcohol. This is a wine for collectors or investors who want to live large.
<h3 dir="ltr">Herdade do Mouch&atilde;o</h3>
Herdade do Mouch&atilde;o was founded in the late 1880s by the Reynolds family of Great Britain, which introduced Alicante Bouschet to Alentejo. One branch of the family still owns the estate, and its dedication to the grape is rewarded by wines such as the Tinto 2017 ($65). It starts with spicy blueberry and maple notes then evolves into late summer raspberry and resinous hints of lavender and bramble. The tannins are firm but also fine, everything freshened by vibrant acidity.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Jo&atilde;o Portugal Ramos</h3>
Jo&atilde;o Portugal Ramos has wineries in various parts of Portugal, but its origins are in Alentejo, specifically Borba, in the marble-soiled zone of Estremoz. Its wines universally express the warmth of Alentejo. Marqu&ecirc;s de Borba Branco Vinhas Velhas 2023 ($20) blends Arinto, Roupeiro, Ant&atilde;o Vaz, and Alvarinho into a fruit-laden, minerally wine woven with oak that will be fascinating in three or four years.&nbsp;
The red version Marqu&ecirc;s de Borba Vinhas Velhas 2023 ($20) is an expression of wild-berry flavors from a blend led by Alicante-Bouschet. The tannins are tight but round, a veritable bargain to age. More mature sibling Marqu&ecirc;s de Borba Reserva 2021 ($75) is one of Alentejo&rsquo;s grand wines, with a sense of noble decadence from the blend of Trincadeira, Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, and Cabernet Sauvignon.&nbsp; The wine shows signs of the savory notes of development, a touch of fresh suede and soy, but the red fruit is sumptuous, the tannins have a silken velvety quality, and the acidity is completely &agrave; point. Think a decade or more.
<h3 dir="ltr">Natus Vini</h3>
Natus Vini is a small winery established in Vidigueira, Alentejo&rsquo;s coolest subregion, by the winemaker at Herdade de Mouch&atilde;o. The farming is regenerative, and traditional winemaking practices are followed that include two days of foot trodding, fermenting in 19th century talhas, and aging in century-old barrels. Made mostly from Trincadeira and Castel&atilde;o the Tinto 2022 ($48) delivers exhilarating freshness, with bright, but earthy aromas of hibiscus, cherry, and ripe pomegranate, underlined by mineral notes. Wonderful.
<h3 dir="ltr">Quinta de S&atilde;o Jos&eacute; de Peramanca</h3>
Quinta de S&atilde;o Jos&eacute; de Peramanca, close to the city of &Eacute;vora, dates back to the 17th century. The current owners only planted vines in 2003.&nbsp; Despite the relative youth of the vines, the flagship P&ecirc;ra Velha Grande Reserva 2016 ($105) is an exemplar of what Alentejo wines traditionally were: lusty, warm, and full of flavor, yet, also with a certain elegance. Officially a blend of Trincadeira, Syrah, and Alicante Bouschet, this offers peppery red and dark fruit flavors with notes of braised meat, balanced by mouthwatering acidity.&nbsp; Alentejo for a Napa Cab lover.
<h3 dir="ltr">Susana Est&eacute;ban</h3>
Susana Est&eacute;ban, one of Alentejo&rsquo;s most thoughtful winemakers, comes from Galicia, Spain. She was drawn to Portalegre for its treasury of old, mixed grape, mountain vineyards, and makes several field blend cuv&eacute;es that are almost astonishingly energetic. Her A Centen&aacute;ria Vinhas Velhas 2023 ($50) offers a pageant of mixed cherry flavors, ripe and tart at once, accented with a deep sense of minerality from her granitic soils. There&rsquo;s enough softness of flavor to enjoy now, yet also the structure to lose for some years.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Symington Family</h3>
The Symington Family, which owns several famed Port wine lodges (Graham&rsquo;s, Dow&rsquo;s, Cockburn&rsquo;s, etc.), were drawn to Portalegre for the freshness offered by cool air coming down from the S&atilde;o Mamede mountains, and the schist and granite soils of the vineyards they bought. Quinta da Fonte Souto Portalegre White 2023 ($32) is a beautiful expression of verve from Arinto and Verdelho, offering the acidity, minerality, citrus and apple flavors, with a kiss of oak that would be familiar to fans of white Burgundy. The parallel red Quinta da Fonte Souto Portalegre Red 2020 ($32) is all about savor. Led by Alicante-Bouschet, this four+ variety blend (some are unidentified) is sultry, spicy, and mineral almost to the point of saline, with an abundance of wild, brambly raspberry flavors to balance things out.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">XXVI Talhas</h3>
XXVI Talhas was started as a passion project by a group of friends to preserve the tradition of talha wines in their village of Vila Alva. In 2018, they established themselves in the workshop of a talha-winemaking carpenter, Mester Daniel, whose 26 talhas de barro (clay amphoras) remained three decades after his death. The Mestre Daniel XXVI Talha X 2022 ($45) is a single-amphora blend of five indigenous white grapes that might turn cynics of amphora-aged, skin-contact wines into believers, with its bust of yellow-stone fruit flavors that settle into spicy russet apple with peppery tannin. The fruit feels ripe, even sweet, but the experience is savory, peppery, and dry.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Tapada de Coelheiros</h3>
Tapada de Coelheiros is a large estate dating back to the 15th century that includes oak and pine forests, walnut and olive groves. Many of the grape varieties planted here are from elsewhere, as the majority Cabernet Sauvignon Tapada de Coelheiros 2019 ($45) demonstrates. But there&rsquo;s also a sense of historic Alentejo, too, buffeted by the juicy blueberry and floral spice from the Alicante Bouschet. This wine has no body issues&mdash;it&rsquo;s robust, but it&rsquo;s in terrific shape. If you like tannic grip, open it early. If you prefer it softer, wait.

Alentejo, Part II: A Selection of Exceptional Wines from Portugal’s Most Underrated Region

Years ago I was working on a project about Kentucky bourbon history, and I happened to stumble across two very unusual sentences in the course of my research: &ldquo;Miss Marcella McKenna took an active part in the operations of the McKenna distillery from 1933 until the plant was sold in 1941. Since that time she has been associated in the Radio Industry.&rdquo; The passage was found on page 1854 of A sesqui-centennial history of Kentucky, published in 1945, which details the economic history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky up until that point.
This came at the end of a few paragraphs about Stafford E. McKenna, who ran his family-owned Henry McKenna Distillery until his death in 1935. I became obsessed with learning more about Marcella McKenna, who had clearly made enough of an impact on her family business to warrant a mention.
Unfortunately, women who work in male-dominated industries often are dismissed as a footnote. Intent on making sure Marcella McKenna would not suffer this same fate, I requested her archives from the University of Kentucky Library and set to work reading through some 9000 pages to learn more. I never discovered exactly what happened to her after she left the family business, but the papers painted perhaps the most clear picture I&rsquo;ve ever gotten about how distillery business was conducted during Prohibition, as well as the integral role women played in Kentucky&rsquo;s distilling history.
<h3 dir="ltr">The Founding of the McKenna Brand</h3>
Marcella McKenna&rsquo;s father, Stafford, inherited the business along with his two brothers in 1893. According to <a href="https://bourbonveach.com/2020/06/01/brand-history-henry-mckenna/">bourbon historian Michael Veach</a>, the brand was created by Irish immigrant Henry McKenna after emigrating to Kentucky in 1838. &ldquo;McKenna owned a flour mill in Fairfield, Kentucky,&rdquo; wrote Veach. &ldquo;In 1855 he started&hellip; a small distillery making less than a barrel a day, and it is said McKenna placed an emphasis on quality over quantity in making whiskey.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The brand continued to grow and stayed in the family during Prohibition. Stafford and James McKenna reopened the distillery after Repeal, and Pappy Van Winkle was briefly their vice president of sales while they were getting back on their feet. Today, Heaven Hill owns the <a href="https://heavenhilldistillery.com/henry-mckenna-single-barrel.php">Henry McKenna</a> brand.
<h3 dir="ltr">Important Women to the McKenna Brand</h3>
The Marcella McKenna Distillery Collection shows that Stafford&rsquo;s wife and Marcella&rsquo;s mother, Mary, was a full partner in the business prior to Prohibition&mdash;so the records actually show two women involved with the family business. A deposition for the United States Patent Office dated December 31, 1934 outlines the history of the brand, including its ownership structure, twice naming Marcella&rsquo;s mother as a full owner/partner in the family business. In the 1933 reincorporation papers after Repeal, Mary McKenna was still a full owner and partner in the brand, presumably until her death in 1937.
The Marcella McKenna papers also show that she was deeply involved in the business of running the McKenna Distillery and brand. There are letters addressed to various stockholders and business interests, as well as letters to her from Stitzel-Weller and James B. Beam Distilling. In one letter to stockholders dated September 20, 1941, Marcella is appointed as proxy to handle the distillery&rsquo;s business, which would go on to create the McKenna Liquidation Company which was tasked with dissolving all the assets of the McKenna Distilling Company. Records show that Julian P. Van Winkle was the majority shareholder with 2240 shares.
Marcella McKenna primarily handled the liquidation of the family business, as evidenced by letters she wrote and received from creditors like cork manufacturers, government filings, and shareholder letters denoting she was personally spot-checking warehouses for inventory. There was even a somewhat cheeky letter between attorneys during the liquidation stating that if one attorney was not satisfied with the files sent, Marcella would &ldquo;ransack&rdquo; the office.
<h3 dir="ltr">The Evolution of Prohibition-Era Business Practices</h3>
There is an interesting exchange between Julian P. Van Winkle and Marcella McKenna in which they were trying to find documented proof that Stitzel-Weller&rsquo;s predecessor, A. Ph. Stitzel, did not actually own the McKenna brand during Prohibition, but rather was a contracted distributor. This was important during liquidation because the person selling the brand and its assets&mdash;Marcella&mdash;needed to be able to prove she actually owned them.
During Prohibition, only eight licenses to sell medicinal whiskey were allotted by the government, and just six companies applied for and received the permits&mdash;American Medicinal Spirits (which later became National Distillers), Schenley Distilleries, James Thompson and Brother (which later became Glenmore Distillery), Frankfort Distillery (which was owned by Paul Jones, who also founded and owned Four Roses), Brown-Forman, and A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery (which later became Stitzel-Weller).
There has been some confusion in the modern era about how brands like McKenna continued to be sold during Prohibition if only six companies were allowed to operate, but the McKenna papers provide some insight. When Prohibition began, there were no substantial rules in place to govern how exactly medicinal spirits would be produced and sold. For at least the first few years, existing beverage alcohol businesses had to apply for permits to sell their spirits as medicinal spirits with a requirement to file for permission for each sale. It also appears that each pharmacy had to file similar paperwork to receive a shipment. As you can imagine, that would have created a massive paperwork requirement for distilleries, pharmacies, and regulating bodies, so the warehouse consolidation act, which came a few years into Prohibition, was meant to streamline that process.&nbsp;
The Marcella McKenna papers give us a glimpse of just how much paperwork was involved in this ill-fated scheme&mdash;train manifests, drugstore order forms, druggist permits, tax liability relief forms, affidavits of theft, transfer forms between distilleries, and more. Once warehouse consolidation took place about halfway through Prohibition, beverage alcohol businesses could sell their remaining stocks and franchise naming rights to sell their brands as medicinal whiskey to a central location, paying a fee for bottling and distribution. Original brands were never allowed to distill, however, and only one &ldquo;distiller&rsquo;s holiday&rdquo; was permitted during Prohibition for those six license holders to distill additional whiskey to replenish their medicinal stocks.
<h3 dir="ltr">Winding Down The Family Business After Prohibition</h3>
The McKenna Distilling Company briefly returned to distilling after Prohibition ended, but by 1941 Marcella would consolidate the family business. During this time, the attorneys handling the legal side of the consolidation demanded proof that Stitzel-Weller did not, in fact, own the rights to the McKenna brand that its predecessor had sold throughout Prohibition.
After several letters back and forth between Marcella McKenna and Julian P. Van Winkle, a letter dated May 17, 1928 seems to have finally been discovered by Van Winkle showing plainly that the McKenna brand was free to do business with other entities&mdash;interestingly naming W.L. Weller, which the proprietors had also been involved with prior to the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery (much like today, businesses back then would often re-incorporate with the same owners in different positions for various reasons).
After poring over these 9000 pages, what stood out most to me were the details about how the beverage alcohol industry operated during Prohibition, and documented proof that women played an integral role in the operations of these businesses. I&rsquo;ve never heard Marcella McKenna&rsquo;s name mentioned before during discussions about Kentucky bourbon history, or even McKenna brand history. It was a chance occurrence that I happened to uncover this reference while searching for something else. I am convinced that there are other women involved in the history of Kentucky bourbon whose stories have yet to be uncovered.

Who Was Marcella McKenna? Turns Out, She Played an Important Role in the History of Kentucky Bourbon

When can we stop calling a wine region &ldquo;emerging?&rdquo; When do we get to say it&rsquo;s actually &ldquo;arrived?&rdquo; Is it only after a proven track record of creating exceptional wines? Perhaps it&rsquo;s when the talent is finally recognized for its efforts in the vineyards and cellars? Or maybe it's the terroir?
I pose this question because I have been writing about Finger Lakes wine for nearly 10 years, and in that time the region is consistently referred to as &ldquo;emerging.&rdquo; Sure, it doesn&rsquo;t have the same pedigree as a region like Burgundy, but the term doesn&rsquo;t quite feel appropriate anymore.&nbsp;
Over the past decade, I&rsquo;ve watched the FLX (as we locals call it) become confident about its footing as a globally celebrated American Viticultural Area. I found myself so drawn to the beauty of this place and the kindness of the people that I relocated to the area from my hometown of Boston. I even switched careers from marketing to wine writing, as well as educating at a wine and culinary center on Canandaigua Lake.&nbsp;
Most recently, the FLX was named the <a href="https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/industry-news/wine-star-awards/american-wine-region-2025/">2025 Wine Star American Wine Region of the Year</a> by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. This was a massive win for the 140 wineries that dot the lush and rolling green hills between the region&rsquo;s 11 glacier-carved lakes. Many are small, family-owned businesses. Some are growing their own estate grapes, while others partner with local vineyards to source fruit throughout the region. They are turning 10,000 planted acres of vinifera and hybrid grapes into an important slice of New York&rsquo;s economy.&nbsp;
A genuine commercial interest in the region dates back to the 1870s, when US Bonded Winery No. 1 (Pleasant Valley in Hammondsport) won gold at a sparkling wine competition in Vienna, Austria. This was a first for the U.S., and it piqued the interest of Champagne-based winemakers like Charles Fournier of Veuve Clicquot to emigrate after Prohibition to pursue making bubbles.&nbsp;
In the early 1950s, Ukrainian refugee Dr. Konstantin Frank arrived after fleeing his home during World War II and eventually landing in the FLX. His experience farming cold-climate vinifera on a 35,000-acre experimental grape station in Odesa, Ukraine, made him uniquely qualified to reveal New York&rsquo;s true potential. With the help of volunteers across the region, Frank and Fournier ignited a vinifera revolution further bolstered by Guy Devaux of Mo&euml;t et Chandon (and Mumm Napa) through the &lsquo;60s and &lsquo;70s. Their confidence in New York&rsquo;s potential for fine wine helped the region exponentially.
<h3 dir="ltr">No Grit, No Glory</h3>
The Finger Lakes region is known for having unpredictable weather like late-season freezes, stifling summer humidity, relentless downpours, and drought. Disease and animal pressure can also impact crops.&nbsp;
The lakes, including the Great Lakes Ontario and Erie, are essential to the region's success. Seneca is the largest and deepest, followed by Cayuga, which is also the widest. Both are some of the deepest in the United States and rarely freeze in the winter. The lakes moderate the extreme temperatures, offering heat retention in the winter and cooling the region in the summer.&nbsp;
Many growers are refining their sustainable vineyard practices, while winemakers are focused on expressing the uniqueness of each growing season in the cellar. Some of the most beautiful and age-worthy bottles have come from the most difficult years.
Unsure where to start? The region is often compared to the Mosel, Bordeaux, and Alsace. And rightfully so, with its cool-climate viticulture, impactful lakes, and diverse geology (slate, limestone, and shale with soils spanning from clay to sandy silt). The wines range from bone-dry to dessert-sweet, and are expressive of the site and the maker. They are typically crisp, aromatic, and mineral-driven. The reds are generally bright, fresh, fruit-forward offerings with structured acidity and well-integrated tannins.&nbsp;
Riesling is always a good choice, along with Gew&uuml;rztraminer and sparkling wines (many are producing M&eacute;thode Champenoise). For reds, explore Cabernet Franc, Saperavi (the Finger Lakes has the largest acreage of this variety outside of the Republic of Georgia), Blaufr&auml;nkisch, and Bordeaux-style blends.
<h3 dir="ltr">Six Cellar-Worthy Producers Worth Seeking Out</h3>
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
For more than 60 years, the Frank family has been crafting cool-climate wines from the Finger Lakes. Dr. Frank traded 35,000 acres in Odesa, Ukraine for 188 on the west side of Keuka Lake. He experimented with 60 different grafted vinifera onto phylloxera and cold-resistant rootstock. His first commercial vintage was in 1962&mdash;his American dream, realized.
Today, the estate is focused on its old vines (the oldest are Riesling and Pinot Noir planted in 1958) through careful vineyard management and care in the cellar. The wines are balanced in flavor and structure.&nbsp;
Dr. Frank Winery is also known for its sparkling wine program&mdash;Frank&rsquo;s son, Willy, produced the region&rsquo;s first M&eacute;thode Champenoise wine in 1985. The business is now run by his great-granddaughter, Meaghan, and her father, Fred.
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard &amp; Winery
In the 1970s, German immigrant Hermann J. Wiemer transformed his vineyard on the west side of Seneca from soybeans to vinifera. He also established a nursery in 1974 that still serves growers nationwide. In fact, HJW remains the only East Coast winery with an operating nursery, and the only Demeter-certified property east of the Rockies.
The focus at HJW is crafting clean wines that let the vintage shine. The estate wines are hand-harvested, sorted, and processed in small batches. Wiemer&rsquo;s legacy is carried on by Fred Merwarth, who began as an apprentice in 2001 before taking over the business in 2007 with his wife, Maressa, and friend, Oskar Bynke. In 2021, Merwarth became the first and only New York winemaker to be named the Enthusiast&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/industry-news/wine-star-awards/fred-merwarth-winemaker/">Wine Star Winemaker of the Year</a>.&nbsp;
HJW is one of the only wineries with a consumer-friendly wine library built to showcase decades of wine designed to last. Here, guests will be surprised by the vibrancy of their older vintages, which are also available for sale.
Ravines Wine Cellars
Winemaker Morten Hallgren was one of the first winemakers to showcase truly dry Riesling in the Finger Lakes. Born in Denmark, Hallgren grew up in Provence, where his family managed an estate winery. Committed to the industry, Hallgren earned degrees in Viticulture and Enology before traveling the world to make wine in Bordeaux, Texas, North Carolina, and the Finger Lakes.&nbsp;
2025 marked 25 years of business for Hallgren and his wife, Lisa. During that time, they&rsquo;ve become known for their vibrantly aromatic dry Rieslings, old-world-inspired Pinot Noir, and structured Bordeaux blends. The wines are crafted using fruit from their certified sustainable vineyards on Keuka and Seneca Lakes.
For those looking to collect Finger Lakes reds, older Ravines offerings are particularly compelling, especially the Pinot Noir and Le Petit Caporal, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.&nbsp;
Red Tail Ridge Winery
Run by Nancy Irelan and her partner in wine and life, Mike Schnelle, Red Tail Ridge anchors 50 acres on Seneca&rsquo;s west side. Before the Finger Lakes, Irelan was based in Napa where she worked as the vice president of viticulture and enology research &amp; development for Gallo. Her projects in collaboration with Cornell University and the USDA brought her to the Finger Lakes, where the pair purchased property in 2002.
Irelan crafts terroir-driven wines that stay true to Schnelle&rsquo;s efforts in the vineyards. She works with Riesling, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc, but has championed more obscure varieties as well, like Dornfelder, Teroldego, and Lagrein.&nbsp;
She is also known for her sparkling wine. In 2025, she launched Limnad to critical acclaim from reviewers. Limnad is a separate label focused 100% on Finger Lakes sparkling.
Forge Cellars
Forge is a joint project between Rick Rainey and Louis Barroul of Ch&acirc;teau de St. Cosme in the Southern Rhone Village of Gigondas. Barroul&rsquo;s goal with Forge was to &ldquo;express in wine the soul of a place.&rdquo; This is made possible with Rainey, who steers the operation, and winemaker L&eacute;ana Goddard.
Sustainability is the driving force behind everything Forge Cellars does. This means responsible farming and supporting local growers, less excess in the production process by removing capsules and reducing bottle weights, and a commitment to providing staff with a living wage.&nbsp;
Through partnerships with up to 16 Seneca Lake growers, Forge has popularized single-vineyard offerings of Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc. Every wine sees some level of oak treatment, adding texture and complexity.&nbsp;
Trestle Thirty One
Trestle Thirty One was founded by Nova Cadamatre, the first female winemaker to earn her Master of Wine in the U.S. A graduate of Cornell University, Cadamatre returned to the Finger Lakes following her time as director of winemaking for Robert Mondavi in Napa. Her move home was a leap of faith, not only in the FLX but in herself.&nbsp;
Cadametre&rsquo;s wines are dry, textural, and precise. They are generally small-batch productions of 150 cases or fewer.&nbsp; Trestle celebrated 10 years of business in 2025 and is currently offering a Riesling vertical for sale that demonstrates not only the distinct terroir of the Finger Lakes but also Cadamatre&rsquo;s growth as a bi-coastal winemaker consulting on projects in New York and California. She currently operates an urban tasting room in the city of Geneva, but will break ground on a future Seneca Lake winery soon.

Why New York’s Finger Lakes is a Wine Region to Watch

Scotland&rsquo;s Isle of Skye is known for its jagged Cuillin mountains, dramatic sea cliffs, and winding single‑track roads, but it&rsquo;s also home to a growing whisky story. For nearly two centuries, Talisker stood alone as the island&rsquo;s distilling icon. In recent years, though, some new distilleries have joined the scene. Two of the most prominent are Torabhaig, which brings youthful energy and ambition to whisky making, while just a short ferry ride away the Isle of Raasay Distillery, has helped revive its namesake island with jobs, tourism, and a striking architectural presence. Together, the three make for a journey that&rsquo;s as much about landscape and community as it is about what&rsquo;s in the glass.
It&rsquo;s worth noting that Skye and Raasay are extremely popular destinations. Hotels, restaurants, and distillery tours book up quickly in high season, and hours are greatly reduced in the off season. This isn&rsquo;t a trip to plan at the last minute&mdash;advance reservations make the difference between a seamless journey and a scramble.
On a recent family trip to Skye, what struck me most was how each stop felt distinct. Torabhaig&rsquo;s restored property spoke of tradition meeting modern ambition. Talisker, with its redesigned visitor experience and restaurant collaboration, leaned into its rugged reputation while offering a polished welcome. And Raasay, with its panoramic stillhouse views and creative cocktail bar, felt like a glimpse of the future&mdash;a distillery shaping not just whisky but the life of the island itself.
<h2 dir="ltr"><a href="https://torabhaig.com">Torabhaig Distillery</a>&nbsp;</h2>
Arriving at Torabhaig felt like stepping into a story still being written. Housed in a restored 19th‑century farm on Skye&rsquo;s Sleat peninsula, the distillery is only the second legal whisky maker on the island, yet it already feels rooted in place. Rain was falling the afternoon I visited with my parents, and we ducked into the caf&eacute; for tea after our tour&mdash;a cozy pause that underscored how intimate the site feels compared to Scotland&rsquo;s marquee distilleries.
The tour itself revealed how Torabhaig blends tradition with ambition: wooden washbacks, copper stills, and a team trained from scratch, all working toward a house style they call &ldquo;well‑tempered peat.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a phrase that captures the balance here&mdash;smoke and brine shaped by Skye&rsquo;s rugged coast, but refined enough to feel elegant rather than overpowering.
Notable releases:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Allt Gleann&mdash;bright, smoky, and briny, showing the youthful energy of the distillery&rsquo;s early years.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Cnoc Na M&ograve;ine&mdash;the first Torabhaig release to use sherry casks, adding layers of orange peel, cedar, and gentle spice to the peat.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Sound of Sleat&mdash;the fourth and most recent release in the Legacy Series, with maritime salinity, citrus brightness, and a bonfire smokiness.
</li>
</ul>
<h2 dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.malts.com/en-gb/distilleries/talisker">Talisker Distillery</a>&nbsp;</h2>
Getting to Talisker can test the nerves of anyone not used to Skye&rsquo;s narrow roads. At points the drive is single‑track, with no shoulders, and patience is required when meeting oncoming cars. We learned quickly that planning ahead is essential&mdash;there are very few car rental agencies on the island, and ours didn&rsquo;t have the car ready at the reserved time, leaving us scrambling to make our morning tour. Still, seeing Talisker was worth every bit of the effort.
Talisker sits on the shores of Loch Harport in Carbost, framed by the Cuillin Hills. Founded in 1830, it&rsquo;s the island&rsquo;s oldest working distillery,and its whiskies are inseparable from the maritime landscape&mdash;peaty, peppery, and briny. The visitor experience was redesigned in 2022 earning recognition as a Five Star Attraction by <a href="https://www.visitscotland.com">VisitScotland</a> and drawing praise for its storytelling and <a href="https://www.scottishdesignawards.com/2023/experiential-design/talisker-distillery/">design</a>. After the tour, we lingered at the <a href="https://talisker.threechimneys.co.uk">Three Chimneys at Talisker</a> restaurant, a collaboration that brings whisky into the kitchen. Dishes here lean on Skye&rsquo;s land and sea&mdash;fresh seafood, local meats, and cheeses&mdash;with whisky woven into sauces and pairings. The window-filled space and patio looks dramatically onto the loch.
Notable releases:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Talisker 10 Year Old&mdash;the classic house style, with peppery smoke and maritime salinity that defines the distillery.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Talisker Storm&mdash;a bolder, more tempestuous dram, amplifying the brine and smoke for a wilder edge.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Talisker Molten Seas (Special Releases 2025)&mdash;finished in American oak toasted by volcanic rock, it channels Skye&rsquo;s fire and water with sweet smoke, salt‑sprayed spice, and a peppery finish that lingers like embers.
</li>
</ul>
<h2 dir="ltr"><a href="https://raasaydistillery.com">Isle of Raasay Hebridean Distillers&nbsp;</a></h2>
The ferry to Raasay is short, but it sets the tone&mdash;a quiet, scenic ride that feels like part of the adventure. We drove straight from Talisker to the terminal, and by the time we stepped off the boat, the mood had shifted. The island is compact and striking, with winding roads, dramatic coastline, and a sense of calm that invites you to slow down. From the stillhouse, the view is extraordinary&mdash;copper stills gleaming in the foreground, with the sea and mountains framed through wide windows. It&rsquo;s one of the most visually memorable distillery settings I&rsquo;ve ever visited.
Raasay Distillery opened in 2017 and has become a kind of revival engine for the island. It now employs around 40 people&mdash;some locals, others drawn from as far as Korea&mdash;and has helped reverse population decline by offering long‑term careers in whisky and hospitality. The building itself is a reimagined 19th‑century Victorian hotel, now home to the distillery, visitor center, and boutique accommodations. There&rsquo;s also a cocktail bar that overlooks the water, where the drinks lean creative and seasonal, often incorporating Raasay&rsquo;s own gin and whisky.
Notable releases:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The Draam&mdash;lightly peated and layered with dark fruit, this flagship single malt blends six cask types for a dram that&rsquo;s elegant and smoky.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
D&ugrave;n Cana (Sherry Quarter Cask)&mdash;matured in rye and sherry casks, it&rsquo;s rich with raisings, vanilla, and sea salt, finishing with a touch of wood smoke.
</li>
</ul>

A Guide to the Whisky Distilleries of Scotland's Isle of Skye

Portugal has long been a source of well-made, distinctive wines that cost a lot less than one might expect. Regions such as the Douro&mdash;home to Port and hearty reds&mdash;and Vinho Verde&mdash;land of light, refreshing whites&mdash;are well known. But other parts of the country deserve attention, not the least of which is Alentejo, a large, diverse land that stretches into the deep south of the country. The region produces an array of wines that will satisfy wine enthusiasts in search of bottles that are easy on the pocketbook, collectors seeking age-worthy wines of great value, or those geared toward both wines that cut across the grain and remain deeply traditional.
Alentejo, which encompasses nearly a third of Portugal&rsquo;s total land mass, produces a great deal of solid, modestly priced wines that have both local and international appeal. But over the past quarter century, several winemakers from the region itself and elsewhere (perhaps starting with the Rothschilds of Ch&acirc;teau Lafite) saw beyond the under $10 bottle and recognized the region&rsquo;s exceptional potential for producing memorable wines, regardless of price.
To get there, they approached Alentejo&rsquo;s micro-climates and geological differences with a new sensitivity&mdash;they embraced its autochthonous grape varieties as well as its unapologetic adoption of grapes from elsewhere, including a variety scorned even in its place of origin (more on that shortly). Finally, they valorized the practice of fermenting wines in talhas, or amphoras, a tradition that not long ago was seen as archaic.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">The Lay of the Land</h3>
While Portugal is bracketed by the Atlantic on two sides, Alentejo&rsquo;s wine-growing zones aren&rsquo;t defined by the ocean. Rather, this is a land of sunshine and heat that radiates from the interior of the Iberian Peninsula. Summers can get toasty, up to 110&deg; F in some places. There are undulating plains, home to much of Portugal&rsquo;s cereal production (corn, wheat, rice). But a significant portion of the region&rsquo;s topography is populated by olive trees, some centuries old, and in the northeast, by steeper, sharper peaks.
Then there are the oaks of various species. The most significant is Quercus suber, better known as the cork oak, a protected species upon which a large portion of the wine world relies. Livestock&mdash;cattle, sheep, pigs&mdash;is an important part of local culture, and a great deal of the country&rsquo;s finest charcuterie comes from here.
<h3 dir="ltr">History, Ancient and Modern</h3>
Viticulture has been practiced in Alentejo for four millennia, beginning around 2000 BCE with the Tartessian civilization of southern Iberia, followed by the Phoenicians and then the Greeks. It was the Romans, however, who left the greatest legacy, leaving behind not only ruins, but technologies and techniques preserved to this day. The most important of these has been the unbroken use in Alentejo of amphoras, or talhas, to both make and store wines.
Alentejo&rsquo;s wine history saw ebbs and flows after the end of Roman rule in the 5th century CE, including a significant decline during the Moorish period (8th to 13th centuries), and a renaissance with Roman Catholic rule.&nbsp;
Alentejo&rsquo;s modern wine story begins in the 1980s. In 1989, national regulations defining quality and viticultural zones were established with the Alentejo Denomina&ccedil;&atilde;o de Origem. Known as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), akin to France&rsquo;s Appellation d&rsquo;Origine Contr&ocirc;l&eacute;e, the regulations set rules regarding production yields, grape varieties, and blends. Approved wines had to submit to technical analysis and approval by a tasting panel.
This system was refined further in 2003 with the creation of eight subregions defined by soil type, topography, and microclimate. These include Portalegre, Borba, Redondo, Reguengos, &Eacute;vora, Vidigueira, Granja-Amareleja, and Moura. In the northeast, Portalegre, skirting the S&atilde;o Mamede mountain range, is marked by vineyard elevations up to 1000 meters and notably cooler temperatures. Vidigueira, Alentejo&rsquo;s most southern and westerly subregion, enjoys a conduit of cooling Atlantic breezes. Wines in both these zones are marked by freshness, higher acidity, and lower alcohol. In contrast, wines from the hotter, dryer subregions are more robust, higher in alcohol, and fuller bodied, but they can offer an indulgent warmth and excellent capacity for aging.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s Grown and Where</h3>
Portugal is second only to Italy in the number of native grape varieties (around 250). Alentejo is home to at least 20 of those, both reds and whites, and many of its winemakers are proud to proclaim their use of them&mdash;particularly those localized in subzones. Vintners in Validigueira, for instance, are fanatical about the white Ant&atilde;o Vaz, acclaiming its freshness and aromatic qualities. In Portalegre and parts of Borba, especially Estremoz, Arinto is a white favored for its acidity, minerality, and structure, much like Chardonnay in France. In searingly hot Granja-Amareleja, the red Moreto is beloved for its charming red cherry flavors and maintaining its acid.&nbsp;
More than other Portuguese regions, however, Alentejo has long been open to grapes from other parts of the Iberian peninsula, as well as so-called international varieties&mdash;even authorizing some for PDO status. Aragonez, known as Tempranillo in Spain, is, in fact, Alentejo&rsquo;s most-widely planted grape.
More notable, however, is the prominence of Alicante-Bouschet, a teinturier grape (red-fleshed&mdash; most red varieties have white flesh) that was bred in the south of France in the mid-19th century. Regarded as little more than utilitarian in France, as well as in most other places it was planted, Alicante-Bouschet found its natural home in the hot, dry environs of Alentejo when it arrived in the 1880s. It was praised for its structure, deep color, and freshness, with sappy, wild berry flavors sometimes topped with a dusting of cacao.
With its varied microclimates, soils, and 82 authorized grape varieties, Alentejo produces a diversity of colors and styles. Though not required, blending grape varieties is the norm, especially true in wines made from old vineyards which were often co-planted with several varieties. Oak-barrel aging is common, particularly with robust red blends, but producers in the region often apply a subtle hand in their use of wood. More prestigious, investment-worthy wines tend to show their spicy, smokey oak side in their youth, but that element usually melts into the wine after a few years.
<h3 dir="ltr">Talhas&ndash;Alentejo&rsquo;s Amphorae See a Resurgence</h3>
While Alentejo&rsquo;s ancient tradition of talha has been passed down from one generation of vintners to the next, the Portuguese government formalized regulations around their production in 2010. For a wine to be classified as a Talha Alentejo wine, the grapes must be harvested from an Alentejo subregion, and be destemmed and fermented on the skins until completion, and finally rest in impermeable clay amphoras until the Saint Martin&rsquo;s Day (November 11) following harvest. Only after then can the talha&rsquo;s contents be tapped for consumption and sale.
Historically speaking, talha wines were sold at tavern-restaurants. Since the size of the amphora (up to 2000 liters) made transport difficult, the wines were often made there as well, ready to be served fresh with seafood or hearty meat dishes from the Alentejo countryside. In comparison to wines made in Georgian amphora (qvevri), talha wines are somewhat lighter, fresher, and less tannic. Another difference&mdash;whereas amphoras are buried in the ground in Georgia for natural temperature control, they&rsquo;re kept above ground in Portugal. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just too lazy to bury them,&rdquo; admits Jo&atilde;o Santos of Mainova winery.
<h3 dir="ltr">The Present and the Future</h3>
The transformation of Alentejo in the past three decades shows that laziness is not one of the region&rsquo;s issues. But one challenge is certainly climate change, as winemakers are forced to strategize about the best ways to deal with it. Growers throughout the region have begun employing regenerative farming methods, and those in Portalegre are planting at higher elevations.
Elsewhere, vignerons are exploring&nbsp; more judicious irrigation systems like subterranean water lines. Still others are revisiting some of the ancient or out of favor varieties like Moreto, Tinta Carvalha, or Tamarez, varieties that can withstand the heat. Regardless, Alentejo&rsquo;s ancient history of winemaking and its ability to remake itself, will certainly bring the region into a positive future.
In our next installment, we&rsquo;ll explore some of the estates that should be on your radar.

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