Darren’s Winter Picks
Sella & Mosca Monteoro Vermentino Di Gallura
Beautiful bright yellow in the glass, Vermentino combines full bodied boldness with elegant subtlety. The nose is yellow fruited with white flowers and light herbs. On the palate it has a pleasing medium acidity mixed with tart stonefruit and a seaspray minerality. Fantastic food wine, best with fatty fish, roasted white meats, and vegetable dishes with dripping in olive oil.
Ring Bolt Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
The fruit for this wine comes mainly from the Wilyabrup region of Margaret River. This is a cabernet with mulberry, cassis, menthol and chocolate notes. On the palate it is full bodied with ample tannic structure and pleasurable medium acidity. Juicy, packed with flavour and richly textured, a fantastic everyday Cabernet.
Groom Barossa Valley Shiraz
Produced across the road from the Penfold’s Kalimna vineyards responsible for the renowned Penfold’s Grange. This small family run winery began in the 1990’s and have been producing stellar wines under the “Groom” label ever since. Matured in a combination of French and American oak, with 30% new. high intensity phenolics of dark berry fruit, liquorice, and a touch of oak. The body is full with spicy berry and some caramel vanilla notes brought on by the oak aging.
Bowmore 12 Year Old Scotch
Hailing from Islay. Subtle citrus notes dance between whiffs of peat smoke with a pleasingly sweet heather honey note. Striking a rare balance between power and finesse, Bowmore’s complex palate will please the most ardent scotch connoisseur.
Marques De Caceres Rioja Crianza
MDC is a quality oriented producer of Temperanillo. The Harvest is 100% manual and each plot within the vineyard is treated differently according to microclimate. Their Crianza spends 12 months in a combination of American and French oak. It displays notes of toasted wood and spice and red candied fruit. A pleasing mouthfeel and gorgeous balance on the palate really make this a stand out wine. Pair with charcuterie (mild or slightly spicy), medium cheeses, or a pasta with garlic and chorizo.
Elyx Single Estate Vodka by Absolute
Master distiller Krister Asplund created Elyx in the hopes of creating a clean, pure vodka that had standout character and also traceablility. Using copper pot distillation and winter wheat sourced from one small farm very close to the grounds, every element used in the making of Elyx is sourced within 15 km’s of the distillary. All of the care taken into the production of Elyx shows, it has a clean refreshing taste and gorgeously drying finish with a viscous mouthfeel that resists the tongue. Perfect on the rocks or as a premium base for your martini.
Elyx Martini Recipe
- 2 oz Elyx Vodka
- 1/4 oz Dry White Vermouth
- Lemon Twist or Olive
- Shaker 1/3 to 1/2 filled with ice
- Martini glass
Fill your martini glass with ice and a spritz of water (to chill the glass) and set aside. Combine in shaker ice & 2oz of Elyx Vodka. Shake until the outside of shaker is frosted. Dump ice and water from martini glass, pour in the Dry Vermouth, move martini glass around until inside is covered in vermouth, discard the excess by flicking the glass, place lemon twist or cocktail olive in base of glass. Strain ice cold Vodka into pre-vermouth pre-chilled glass. Finally, strike your favorite pose and hope someone is watching you be so hedonistic and luxurious!