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At some time toward the end of the 16th Century, a worker in one of the cellars in the Cognac region of France made the mistake of putting some newly made wine into a barrel already containing a small amount of Cognac. The result of this error has come to be known as Pineau de Charentes and has been a staple of France ever since. The outstanding quality is the result of exceptional soil conditions & the classic low yield grape varieties: Semillion and Sauvignon through a lengthy aging in oak casks and above all the devotion to the tradition of excellence. The classic aperitif, the ideal partners to desserts and indeed the perfect companion to every happy occasion.

Here we have a delicious Solera Sherry. The most interesting thing about Sherry is the system by which it is kept at its best. A very old, very fine Sherry has the power to educate and improve a younger one, like this one. The oldest great wines are kept in the oldest barrels, which the growers call a solera, a series of casks graduated by age. The older wines are added to the younger, creating the finest Sherry available.

The sub-regions of Cognac form concentric circles of different soil types, forming a "target" around the town of Cognac itself. In the center of this target is the finest area, called Grande Fine Champagne. Our Lormin XO COGNAC is created from a blend of older barrels, with a minimum of 7 years of age. Although the producers have tried substitutes, the only wood that yields the classical Cognac flavors is expensive oak from Limousin. This cognac is warm, soft and rich with aromatic oak tones. Absolutely excellent.

In the world of Port wine there is nothing better than the pure and simple classification of VINTAGE. When this word stands alone it means that the producer has "declared" the wine of that year as qualifying for vintage status. The ripe, raw red wine is partially fermented and then blended with brandy to stop the fermentation, leaving natural grape sugars in the mixture. This young wine is then bottled and sealed awaiting a long life in the cellar. These wines take decades to reach their true potential. Get it now and you can hold it for...well, for practically forever!

Not wine and not liqueur, Pineau is actually a "mistake"! At one time in the Cognac region someone used the wrong barrel to ferment the new wine. The barrel had some Cognac left in it, which did not allow the juice to ferment. However the mixture of fresh grape must and Cognac became famous as a sweet aperitif we know as Pineau des Charentes. Delicious!

We welcome the addition of the Himbeerlikoer to our collection of German fruit liqueurs from Josef Friedrich. The dark, earthy, flavor of ripe raspberries makes this a true delight. Try a drop or two in your Champagne for an unusual Kir Royal!

Germain-Robin produces only 80 barrels of various brandies each year. One of these is made for the White House, where it is used at state functions such as the Reagan-Gorbachev summit in 1987 and Clinton inaugural in 1993. The distributor has worked closely with Mr. Germain-Robin to create a unique "XO" style brandy ...elegant, rich and smooth. Distilled from premium grape varieties, including Pinot noir and blended with some of the oldest brandies in the Germain-Robin stock, this brandy will hold its own with the finest French XO Cognac.

Montilla-Moriles is a region in the south of Spain that is known best for its own interpretation of the wine we know as "Sherry". The wines here are made according to the same solera system used in Jerez. In fact, before the appellation restriction came into law, most of these wines made their way to Jerez, where they were sold as Sherry, although they have their own character. This sweet "Cream" is an oloroso style that will compare with any commercial Sherry on the market. Rich and warm with wonderful roasted hazelnut overtones.