Thanks,

The Team and Riley’s Wines of the World

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Ah so!

The “Ah So,” or two prong wine opener, is one the most under-rated and often unheard of tools in the bartender’s toolkit and is something every wine enthusiast should own. Without it, you risk punishing yourself with broken corks and ruined wine experiences. It may look a bit intimidating or confusing to use but we assure you, it’s just as easy to use as a traditional corkscrew and comes with the security of knowing the cork with come out cleanly every time. Check out this video of a bottle of 1986 Ridge Monte Bello being opened, which highlights the process of using an Ah So:

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQXz-SY-3gE[/tube]

Easy, right? And best of all, you won’t have to spend nearly as much as that great vintage because Riley’s sells these wonderful wine openers for just $4.99! You’ll find these handy little devices up at the checkouts and up in our wine loft near some of our cellared wines as a friendly reminder to have an Ah So! moment the next time you uncork a valuable bottle of wine.

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New Holland Spirits

We’re excited to announce another arrival of some unique craft spirits. We’ve picked up two new bottles from New Holland Brewing Company: Hatter Royale Hopquila, and Knickerbocker Gin.

Hatter Royal Hopquilia is a grain-neutral spirit, made from 100% barley, distilled, and then steeped in Centennial hops. One might expect a piney, resinous spirit, reminiscent of an India Pale Ale, but this spirit is mysteriously smokey and possesses just the slightest hint of citrus with an incredibly smooth body and slightly sweet finish. It’s not tequila, not at all. But you would be hard pressed to tell it apart.

“For centuries, cultures all over the world, have celebrated the benefits, aroma and flavor of

Humulus lupulus, a.k.a. “hops.” Their lively aromatics and punctuated bitterness are best known for their most infamous role in brewing. Hatter Royale is the innovative creation, Hopquila which invites the herbaceous perennial to the exciting world of distilled spirits.

A fermented wash of 100% barley is twice distilled, then steeped with Centennial hops. The vivacious spirit features a grain-centric body framed by citrus-laden hop character in the nose and finish. Hoparitas!”

Knickerbocker Gin is another grain-neutral spirit, infused with over a dozen botanical herbs and spices, and given a heavy-handed  dose of juniper berries. Incredibly smooth, this gin is perfectly suited for martinis and other gin-focused cocktails. This might be our new favorite gin!

“Knickerbocker Gin is a vibrant, aromatic spirit twice distilled and infused with flavors from more than a dozen herbs and spices. Generous amounts of juniper-berries contribute a bright citrus and evergreen body, bursting with flavor before a clean, dry finish. Named for the Dutch explorers of a new world, Knickerbocker celebrates modern exploration in the historic realm of distilling.”

Stop in and check out these fine spirits from New Holland, we promise you won’t be disappointed.

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Old Sugar Distillery Ouzo Americanaki - $33.99 750ml

Riley’s is now carrying another fine spirit from Old Sugar Distillery, crafted right here in Madison! To the best of our knowledge, this may also be the only Ouzo crafted in the USA.

Clocking in at 45% ABV, OSD’s Ouzo Americanaki is distilled from beet sugar and flavored with anise. Serve ice cold in a shot glass as an aperitif, or cut with ice or ice water to produce a milky-white companion to an oil-rich meal, or simply as an after-dinner treat.

We hope you’ll take the time to try out another fine Wisconsin-made product and support your local artisanal producers of fine wines, spirits, and beers from our great state!

Old Sugar Distillery Ouzo Americanaki 750ml – $33.99

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Old Sugar Distillery Cane & Abe Freshwater Rum - $33.99 750ml

Old Sugar Distillery Cane & Abe Freshwater Rum has made it’s way to Riley’s and has joined the ranks of other fine Wisconsin spirits, such as Yahara Bay’s Mad Bird Rum.

“Cane & Abe Freshwater Rum is distilled exclusively from domestically-grown cane sugar, fermented and distilled in-house, and aged in a blend of both new and used American oak barrels to achieve its characteristic smooth, robust flavor. Old Abe would be proud. Enjoy neat, on the rocks, or in your favorite cocktail.”

Each bottle is hand marked by batch and bottle number, making each one unique in its own right. Word on the street says that Old Sugar Distillery is also producing an Ouzo, which Riley’s sincerely hopes to get a hold of very soon.

For you Madison residents who are unfamiliar with the works of Old Sugar Distillery should seriously consider visiting their operations and enjoying a sample in their tasting room. OSD is open Thursdays and Fridays from 4-10pm and is located at 921 East Main Street.

Old Sugar Distillery Cane & Abe Freshwater Rum – $33.99 750ml

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B. Nektar Meads - $15.99 750ml / 375ml

Riley’s is happy to announce the re-arrival of B. Nektar Wildflower and Vanilla Cinnamon Meads! While our first shipment sold out quickly, we hope to be able to keep these on the shelf in the future.

B. Nektar, a relatively new addition to the Mead market, hails from Ferndale Michigan. Each bottle of mead represents the painstaking amount of care taken by founder  Brad Dahlhofer to ensure the finest quality mead reaches your glass. Made with a variety of different honeys, additional flavoring components, and even some barrel aging, B. Nektar meads are just about the finest we’ve ever had the opportunity to sample.

Many beer fans may remember B. Nektar from the 2010 Great Taste of the Midwest, where their meads were met with a great deal of enthusiasm by festival-goers. Thankfully, B. Nektar has made it to Wisconsin, where we hope we will get to see the wide array of creative meads that they produce. Riley’s should keep several meads in stock at any given time, including limited releases, as they become available.

B. Nektar Meads (Wildflower Mead, Vanilla Cinnamon, Orange Blossom, Wildberry Pyment, Pineapple Coconut Melomel*, Bourbon Barrel Mead*, Margarita-Style Melome*l, Yo Mamma’s Strawberry Pizzaz*) – all $15.99 in 750ml (regular line-up) and 375ml (*limited releases) sizes.

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Del Maguey Mezcals

Riley’s has great selection of Mezcal. Our best is Del Maguey (pronounced: ma-gay) Village Selections. These are a collection of fine, rare, unblended mezcals made by individual family producers in tiny remote villages scattered throughout the state of Oaxaca (prounced: wah-ha-kah), Mexico. Each Del Maguey Mezcal bears the name of the village where it is produced. The highest level of integrity is maintained in order to preserve this art which is revered by the peoples of the mountains, plains and fertile valleys of this magical region.

Using natural processes over four hundred years old, the village palenquero (maker) captures the true body and spirit of mezcal with only two ingredients: water and the heart of the maguey (agave). The hearts of maguey are roasted over hot stones in a pit in the ground for three to five days covered with earth. They are then ground to a mash using horse-powered stone mills, followed by a long period of natural fermentation in wooden vats and finally distilled twice, very slowly, in wood-fired clay or copper stills.

These mezcals are truly unlike any others. They are the most rare, pure and fine available in the world. Their flavor has been described as smokey, true, deep and warm. The production is only available in exclusive quantities, for each different village’s mezcal, to preserve 16th century style and quality.

Del Maguey selections includes the four villages; Chichicapa, San Luis del Rio, Minero (San Catherina de Minas) and Santo Domingo Albarradas; Crema de Mezcal, Tobala (from wild mountain agave), and Pechuga (a special holiday distillation). We also carry Sombre Mezcal and Mezcal Vida, both sourced from the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico.

These distinctive spirits are meant to sipped at room temperature for the best flavor. The quality and purity of these artisanal spirits is unbelievable.

Del Maguey Mezcals:

• Crema de Mezcal – $42.95
• Mezcal Vida – $43.95
• Chichicapa Single Village – $66.95
• Santo Domingo Albarradas Single Village – $66.95
• Minero (Santa Caterina Minas) Single Village – $66.95
• San Luis del Rio Single Village – $66.95
• Pechuga (Chicken Breast) – 199.95
• Tobala – $143.95

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Viña Montes - Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua Valley

Some of the best values in wine today come from Chile—and don’t mistake “value” to just mean “good for the price,” no, the wines coming out of Chile today are world-class. Many of these wines, if not most, can be purchased for under $30. Today, we will be focusing on a few wines ranging from $10-$24 in price.

Montes Alpha Pinot Noir - $23.99

Montes is arguably one of Chile’s finest producers with wines ranging in price from $12 – $100+. Montes has vineyards across Chile’s growing regions, but their finest products come out of their Apalta Vineyard in the Colchagua valley. The grapes are hoisted to the rooftop of the estate, where they are hand picked and sorted, then destemmed and sent to be crushed in one of the most unique methods imaginable—gravity.

Grapes are sent through this opening on the roof and plummet 3 stories where they naturally crush

All the grapes harvested at the Apalta vineyard are undergo this processing, which the vineyard’s owners claim helps their wines to reach their ultimate natural potential. At the very least, the gravity-fed system that the vineyard strictly adheres to saves a great deal of energy and reduces the vineyard’s carbon footprint. The wines that result are wonderfully defined and speak highly of Chile’s wine producing ability.

Montes Alpha Syrah - $23.99

Montes Alpha Syrah: $23.99

“Beautiful and delicate ruby red color. Intense and elegant nose with predominance of strawberries and flowery hints that all together makes this Pinot Noir a very lively, harmonious and generous wine. In the palate is clean, well balanced, with soft rounded tannins and a good level of acidity. The wine is lengthy in the mouth showing a well integrated and balanced oak. Due to the very intense microbiologic control this wine is very lightly filtered, what makes the aromas and color very expressive of Pinot Noir.”

Montes Alpha Pinot Noir: $23.99

“In the purest of Rhône styles, Aurelio has added a percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, also originating from Apalta, and some Viognier to the final mixture. Of intense ruby red color, it has a great aroma with floral, tobacco and leathery notes. Strong and full bodied to the palate, with soft and mature tannins. A very long, elegant and satisfying after taste. A superb Syrah.”

Cono Sur Wines - $9.99

The wines from Cono Sur offer a great opportunity to sample Chile’s potential at a low price point.  The Bicycle series wines deliver a great deal of quality, making them a great value for the thrifty consumer.

Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc: $9.99

Elegant, expressive and dressed in a green-yellow shade of colour, this Sauvignon Blanc impresses with its citrus notes of grapefruit and green apple, which mingle in with herbal hints. In mouth, its freshness and balance specially stand out, along with its citric notes and pleasant mineral ending. It’s a great wine for an aperitif.

Apaltagua Carmenère Reserva 2007 - $9.99

Lastly we have Apaltagua, of the Tutunjian family vineyards, which also hails from the Apalta region of the Colchagua valley, one of Chile’s premiere growing regions. Their Reserva Carmenère is an excellent example of a varietal that was all but lost until the 1990′s, as it had been misidentified as Merlot. Now, Carmenère is Chile’s national pride, and the wine features a great deal of the mineral qualities from the soils in which the grapes are grown.

Apaltagua Carmenère Reserva: $9.99

“Apaltagua Reserva Carmenère is an intense wine whit a wild purple in color. From start to finish the touches of tobacco, red and black cherries intermingle producing a great potency in the mouth. It possesses a generous body with smooth and friendly tannins. Juicy and persistent finish.”

We hope you’ll take the time to check out our selection of Chilean wines, and give them the attention they deserve.

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