Argentina
Vine Connections Imports www.vineconnections.com Distributed by Pioneer Wine Company BenMarco Owner and viticulturist Pedro Marchevsky may be one of the most educated, experienced viticulturists in Argentina (if not the world). He has degrees in Agriculture & Enology and Agricultural Engineering, and is a Professor of Irrigation and Drainage at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. He has managed premium vineyards for over 30 years and also owns his own vineyard in the district of Los Campamentos in Eastern Mendoza. He is at the forefront of the transformation of Mendoza into a region of world-class vineyards. His philosophy is a simple one gained from experience: make wines that are true to their place. He feels his wines should express the wonderful, powerful fruit flavors, the ripe tannins, the incredible length and balance that can only come from this one place—Mendoza.
Budini Budini is named after the rare and beautiful wild pampas cat of Argentina, Oncifelis colocolo budini. Great wines at great prices are becoming an endangered species. Budini is a harbinger of a new breed of wine—ripe with fruit character, excellent structure with fine and perfectly mature tannins, easy to enjoy, and easy on the pocketbook.
Crios de Susana Balbo After 22 years of winemaking, Susana Balbo has a strong sense of what she wants from her wines. From every harvest, she creates the grandest possible wines under her Susana Balbo label. To achieve this, she makes a rigorous selection of the finest barrels prior to making her final blends, dividing them into the parents (reserve level wines) and offspring or "crios". Wines under her Crios label display ripe fruit flavors, excellent balance and concentration, and are meant to be enjoyed in their vibrant youth. They are also an incredibly good value. And like Susana’s own crios (a boy & a girl), they are extremely lovable and fun to be around.
La Posta del Vinatero Vine Connections has discovered a handful of grape growers whose results in the vineyards with specific varietals have been truly amazing--year in, year out. Our first encounter with many of these growers was at a posta del vinatero, or "tavern of the grape grower". Here they drank wine and spoke passionately for hours about their soils, their vines, and their quest for superior flavors in their grapes. We salute the hard work and skill of these growers by offering these vineyard-designated releases made solely with their special grapes.
Luca Laura Catena has a vision of creating a new breed of Argentine wines: small quantities, artisan quality, and true to their individual terroirs. She starts with some of Argentina’s best fruit from low-yield, high elevation vineyards. State-of-the-art winemaking and oak aging (primarily French) elevate the wines to a quality level demanded by true wine connoisseurs. The final varietal blends deliver power along with complexity and finesse. They are the ultimate expression of rigorous vineyard management, viticultural experimentation, strict irrigation controls, skilled winemaking, and a quest for quality at any cost.
Mapema Longtime friends and winemakers Pepe Galante and Mariano Di Paola recently banded together to bring well over 40 years of winemaking expertise to their mapema wine. Theirs is a history of rich individual accomplishments; Pepe and Mariano are widely recognized as two of Argentina’s most talented winemakers. They joined forces with one thought in mind: take the expertise and experience of two seasoned winemakers, search out the best possible grape sources (in the "primera zona" or top viticultural area), and make just one super wine from each harvest.
Mendel Mendel Winery embodies the union of Roberto de la Mota - one of Argentina's most respected and experienced winemakers - with a nearly century-old Argentine family, whose sole objective is to produce wine of unquestionable, superior quality that express the character of their very old Malbec and Cabernet vineyards in Lujan de Cuyo.
Dominio del Plato Susana Balbo In a country dominated by male winemakers, Susana Balbo stands out not only for her gender, but for her incredible skill and experience. She has been making wine since she earned her enology degree in 1981, and she has probably produced a wider variety of wines than any other winemaker in Argentina. Susana was the first Argentine winemaker to be hired as a consultant to make wine outside of Argentina.
Tikal Tikal is owned by Ernesto Catena and is named after his son. There are few wine brands that reflect the sensibilities of their owner more than Tikal. A skilled horseman, fashion designer, software developer, and book editor, Ernesto pursues all that gives pleasure in life. This hedonism (in the best sense of the word) shows through in the wines. It is a style meant to provide enormous pleasure rather than provoke contemplation; an expression of emotion rather than intellect. He has named his wines with passion in mind: Patriota (Patriot), Amorio (Love Affair), Jubilo (Rejoice).
California Colgin Cellars www.colgincellars.com Napa Valley, Distributed by Pioneer Wine Company Davis Family Vineyards www.davisfamilyvineyards.com Sonoma, Distributed by Pioneer Wine Company
Duchamp Winery www.duchampwinery.com Dry Creek, Distributed by Avante Beverages Estate Syrah & Slaughterhouse Syrah Fort Ross Vineyards and Winery www.fortrossvineyards.com Sonoma County, Distributed by Avante Beverages Fort Ross Vineyard is a necklace of 28 small mountain vineyard blocks (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinotage) that cling to a sunny coastal mountain ridge overlooking the ocean. Less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean, Fort Ross Vineyard is one of the closest, if not the closest vineyard to the ocean in all of California.
Handley Cellars www.handleycellars.com Anderson Valley, Distributed by Avante Beverages In the last two decades, Milla Handley has emerged as a champion of Anderson Valley as a winemaking region. She is committed to producing Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, sparkling wines, and other varietals that are elegant depictions of her valley and her art.
Lewelling www.lewellingvineyards.com Distributed by Pioneer Wine Company The vineyards of the historic Lewelling Estate were established in 1864 near the western foothills in St. Helena by the Wight Brothers' great-great-grandfather, pioneer winegrower John Lewelling. They are a regular grape source for some of the valley’s top names (like Caymus, Viader, Beaulieu Vineyards). With the encouragement of friends, they have set their sites on making more of their own wines in quantities that make it possible to offer the wines outside of California. Brothers Dave & Doug Wight team up to grow and produce some of the Napa Valley's finest Cabernet Sauvignon.
LIOCO www.liocowine.com California, Distributed by Avante Beverages. LIOCO (pronounced lee-oko) is a collaboration between Matt Licklider, a seasoned wine import specialist and Kevin O'Connor, wine director at the esteemed Spago-Beverly Hills. Stainless Steele Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Indica (Carignan and Petite Sirah). Medlock Ames www.medlockames.com Sonoma, California Distributed by Pioneer Wine Company Organic Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and RED. Pellegrini Family Vineyards www.pellegrinisonoma.comSonoma, Distributed by Pioneer Wine Company For four generations, the Pellegrini name has stood behind a family of award-winning, handcrafted California wines produced from grapes grown on our estate vineyards in Sonoma County.
Storrs Wines www.storrswines.com , Santa Cruz, California Distributed by Avante Beverages Storrs is the creation of two people who firmly believed in the potential that the Santa Cruz Mountains held for truly great wine. Using their knowledge gleaned in years of winemaking at other operations and in their studies at UC Davis, Stephen Storrs and Pamela Bianchini-Storrs began their winery with the vintage of 1988.
Teira www.teirawines.com Dry Creek, Distributed by Avante Beverages Founded in 2002 and named after our two daughters, Thea and Keira, Teira™ Wines strives to produce high-quality, limited-production wines from the best appellations in California.
France Veritas Imports – Beverly Hills, CA www.veritaswine.com Distributed by Pioneer Wine Company ALSACE Domaine Stirn
CHAMPAGNE & Sparkling
LOIRE
PROVENCE
RED BURGUNDY
SAUTERNES & BARSAC
Pithon, Domaine Olivier
WHITE BURGUNDY Château de Puligny-Montrachet
Deux Montille Soeur et Frère
Thévenin, Roland Premier Cru
Château de Puligny-Montrachet Blancs 2004
Rouges
Jean Fillioux Cognac
Laberdolive
Japan – Premium Ginjo Sake Imported By Vine Connections Distributed by Pioneer Wine Company
Oregon Lange Estate www.langeestate.com Dundee Hills, Distributed by Avante Beverages Driven by a passion for Pinot Noir and a love of the land, Don and Wendy Lange founded their winery in the Dundee Hills of Oregon's northern Willamette Valley. The year 1987 marked the Langes' first vintage and consisted of the three varietals they embrace today: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay.
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