Issue 17 · April 12, 2026

The Second Act

Theme: Reinvention

Every bottle carries a before and an after — master distillers who started over, shuttered distilleries reborn, vanished gin styles resurrected, and ancient estates transformed by new vision.

Issue No. 17 — April 12, 2026

Your daily discovery of 8 exceptional wines and spirits

Every bottle carries a before and an after. A bourbon born from a master distiller who walked away from the brand he built to start again after retirement. A Scotch distillery left silent for fifteen years, its stills cold and copper oxidizing, before new custodians brought it roaring back. An Irish whiskey distillery rescued from ruin by volunteers who simply would not let it die. These are not origin stories — they are second acts.

Today's eight selections share a common thread: transformation. A tequila family that reinvented itself under a new name. A gin style resurrected from a century of obscurity. A Puerto Rican rum hacienda that survived everything the island could throw at it. A Rioja bodega that reinvented itself by refusing to change. And an Austrian monastery estate, eight hundred years old, brought back to life by a winemaker who studied its ancient records before planting a single vine. The second act, it turns out, is often the one worth watching.

TODAY'S SELECTIONS

Bourbon Scotch Whisky Irish Whiskey Tequila Gin Rum Red Wine White Wine

BOURBON Angel's Envy Rye Finished in Rum Barrels

Louisville, Kentucky — where Lincoln Henderson, the legendary master distiller behind Woodford Reserve, launched a second chapter after retiring from Brown-Forman, proving that reinvention has no expiration date.

Classification: Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (Rum Barrel Finished)

Company: Louisville Distilling Company (Bacardi)

Distillery: Angel's Envy Distillery, Louisville, KY

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: NAS (finished up to 18 months in Caribbean rum barrels)

Mash Bill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley

Color: Deep russet amber with bronze highlights

MSRP: $95–$110

Nose: Candied orange peel, maple sugar, cinnamon bark, dried cherry, warm butterscotch

Palate: Rich caramel, toasted oak, dark honey, baking spices, vanilla custard with a rum-sweet undercurrent

Finish: Long and warming with lingering maple syrup, orange zest, and gentle oak tannins

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Caramel, Maple Syrup, Orange, Oak, Cherry, Brown Spices

The Verdict: Lincoln Henderson spent decades perfecting bourbon at Woodford Reserve. Then, after four decades at Brown-Forman and a brief retirement, he started over. Angel's Envy Rye is the fruit of that audacity — a 95% rye softened and sweetened by Caribbean rum barrels, transforming what could be a fierce, spicy spirit into something layered and approachable. The rum cask finish adds maple and tropical warmth without erasing the rye's backbone. It's proof that the best chapters sometimes come late.

Cocktail — The Second Chapter: 2 oz Angel's Envy Rye · 0.75 oz Averna amaro · 0.5 oz maple syrup · 2 dashes orange bitters · Orange twist garnish. Stir with ice 30 seconds, strain into a rocks glass over a single large cube.

Pair with: Pecan pie with rum-raisin ice cream — the rum barrel notes mirror the dessert's caramelized richness.

Awards: Wine Enthusiast 96 Points; San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold 2023

SCOTCH WHISKY Benromach 10 Year Old

Forres, Speyside — a distillery shuttered in 1983 and left to crumble, then painstakingly rebuilt by Gordon & MacPhail and reopened by Prince Charles in 1998, reborn as Speyside's smallest working distillery.

Classification: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Company: Gordon & MacPhail

Distillery: Benromach Distillery, Forres, Morayshire

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 10 Years

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley (lightly peated to 10-12 PPM)

Distillation: Double distilled in traditional copper pot stills

Maturation: First-fill sherry casks and bourbon barrels

Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Color: Warm amber gold

MSRP: $45–$55

Nose: Sherried fruit, gentle peat smoke, honey drizzle, malt biscuit, hint of dark chocolate

Palate: Toffee, dried apricot, soft peat, oak spice, milk chocolate, orange marmalade

Finish: Medium-long with lingering smoky sweetness and gentle wood spice

Whisky Kit Aromas: Honey, Smoky, Dried Fruit, Malt, Cocoa (Dark), Orange

The Verdict: Benromach sat silent for fifteen years. When Gordon & MacPhail brought it back to life in 1998, they didn't try to copy the old Speyside playbook. Instead, they introduced a light peat — unusual for the region — that gives this 10 Year Old a gentle smokiness most Speyside malts lack. Matured in a combination of sherry and bourbon casks, it delivers honeyed sweetness layered over soft campfire smoke. A distillery reborn, making whisky that didn't exist before.

Cocktail — The Phoenix Sour: 2 oz Benromach 10 · 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice · 0.5 oz honey syrup · 1 egg white · 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Dry shake 15 seconds, add ice, shake hard, strain into a coupe.

Pair with: Smoked salmon with honey-mustard glaze — the whisky's light peat and honey echo the dish perfectly.

Awards: International Wine & Spirit Competition Gold 2022

IRISH WHISKEY Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish Whiskey

Kilbeggan, County Westmeath — home to the Kilbeggan Distillery, which traces its roots to 1757, making it one of the oldest licensed distillery sites in the world, rescued from ruin by local volunteers in the 1980s.

Classification: Single Grain Irish Whiskey

Company: Beam Suntory

Distillery: Kilbeggan Distillery, County Westmeath

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: NAS

Mash Bill: Corn and Malted Barley (column and pot still distillation)

Distillation: Column and pot still distillation

Maturation: Ex-bourbon barrels

Color: Pale straw gold

MSRP: $25–$35

Nose: Fresh cereal grain, light vanilla, green apple, subtle honey, white flowers

Palate: Creamy corn sweetness, toasted oak, gentle spice, pear, light caramel

Finish: Clean and soft with lingering vanilla and grain

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Vanilla, Honey, Green (Cut Grass), Malt, Buttery, Peach

The Verdict: The Kilbeggan distillery nearly vanished. After closing in 1957, it sat derelict until a group of local volunteers began restoring it in 1982 — cleaning pot stills by hand, patching stone walls, keeping the flame alive until commercial production could resume. This Single Grain whiskey is the product of that devotion: light, approachable, and deceptively simple. The corn-driven sweetness and clean grain character make it an ideal introduction to Irish whiskey, but the story behind it gives every sip weight. Sometimes the most remarkable reinventions start with a few people who simply refuse to let something die.

Cocktail — The Volunteer: 2 oz Kilbeggan Single Grain · 1 oz fresh apple juice · 0.5 oz elderflower liqueur · 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice · Apple fan garnish. Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe.

Pair with: Warm apple crumble with vanilla cream — the whiskey's grain sweetness and apple notes are a natural match.

Awards: International Spirits Challenge Silver 2023

TEQUILA Arette Añejo

Tequila, Jalisco — the Orendain family has produced tequila since the 1900s, but Arette was born in 1986 as a deliberate reinvention, named after the horse Arete, who won two Olympic equestrian gold medals for Mexico at the 1948 London Games.

Classification: 100% Agave Añejo Tequila

Company: Tequila Arette de Jalisco S.A. de C.V.

Distillery: Destilería El Llano, Tequila, Jalisco

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: Aged 18 months in American oak barrels

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave, highland and lowland

Production: Brick oven cooked, roller mill extraction, stainless steel fermentation

Color: Rich amber with copper edges

MSRP: $45–$60

Nose: Cooked agave, butterscotch, vanilla bean, cinnamon, dried fruit

Palate: Caramel, roasted agave, oak spice, dark chocolate, hints of coffee and leather

Finish: Long and warming with lingering caramel, spice, and a dry agave note

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Butterscotch, Vanilla, Caramel, Cinnamon, Leather

The Verdict: The Orendain family has been making tequila in Jalisco for generations. Arette was their reinvention — a new brand, a new identity, named after the legendary horse that won double Olympic gold. This Añejo spends 18 months in American oak, developing a butterscotch richness and dark chocolate depth that rival añejos at twice the price. It's a reminder that reinvention doesn't always mean starting from zero — sometimes it means taking everything you've learned and finally doing it your way.

Cocktail — The Gold Medal: 2 oz Arette Añejo · 0.75 oz Grand Marnier · 0.5 oz agave nectar · 0.5 oz fresh lime juice · Cinnamon stick garnish. Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass over ice.

Pair with: Mole negro with dark chocolate — the tequila's cocoa and spice notes weave right into the sauce.

Awards: Tequila Matchmaker 89 Points

GIN Hayman's Old Tom Gin

London, England — the Hayman family, direct descendants of James Burrough who created Beefeater in 1863, spent decades reviving Old Tom gin, a style that had all but disappeared, bridging the gap between genever and London Dry.

Classification: Old Tom Gin

Company: Hayman Distillers Ltd

Distillery: Hayman's Distillery, London

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Botanicals: Ten botanicals including juniper, coriander, lemon peel, orange peel, angelica, cassia bark, cinnamon, orris root, nutmeg, and liquorice

Distillation: Traditional copper pot still distillation with post-distillation sweetening

Base: English wheat spirit

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $25–$35

Nose: Juniper, citrus peel, gentle sweetness, warm spice, subtle floral notes

Palate: Balanced juniper, candied lemon, coriander, gentle sweetness, smooth mouthfeel

Finish: Clean and softly sweet with lingering juniper and citrus

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Pine), Lemon, Coriander, Angelica, Cassia Bark, Orange

The Verdict: Old Tom gin was the taste of Victorian London — sweeter than London Dry, the bridge between Dutch genever and the bone-dry gins we know today. It vanished for nearly a century until the Hayman family, direct descendants of James Burrough, who founded Beefeater in 1863, brought it back using an original family recipe. This is reinvention through resurrection: a gin style that cocktail culture had forgotten, restored exactly as it was. The gentle sweetness makes classic cocktails like the Tom Collins and Martinez sing the way they were originally intended.

Cocktail — The Martinez: 1.5 oz Hayman's Old Tom Gin · 1.5 oz sweet vermouth · 0.25 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Lemon twist. Stir with ice 30 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe.

Pair with: Lemon tart with meringue — the gin's gentle sweetness and citrus notes complement the dessert's brightness.

Awards: International Wine & Spirit Competition Gold Outstanding 2023

RUM Ron del Barrilito Three Star Rum

Bayamón, Puerto Rico — the Fernández family has been blending rum in a private hacienda since 1880, surviving Prohibition, hurricanes, and colonial rule, yet never selling to a corporation.

Classification: Aged Puerto Rican Rum

Company: Fernández Family (Private Estate)

Distillery: Hacienda Santa Ana, Bayamón, Puerto Rico

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 6-10 Year Blend (matured in sherry and whiskey casks)

Base: Column-distilled Puerto Rican sugarcane molasses

Distillation: Continuous column distillation

Color: Deep mahogany amber

MSRP: $40–$55

Nose: Dried fruit, sherry sweetness, toasted oak, brown sugar, hints of vanilla and spice

Palate: Rich molasses, dark caramel, leather, tobacco leaf, dried fruit, oak spice

Finish: Long and warming with lingering sherry notes, tobacco, and gentle tannins

Rum Kit Aromas: Sherry, Dried Fruit, Tobacco, Caramel, Leather, Oak

The Verdict: Ron del Barrilito is Puerto Rico's best-kept secret — a rum that has never left family hands since 1880. The Fernández family survived every upheaval the island threw at them and simply kept blending. The Three Star expression, aged 6 to 10 years in a combination of sherry and whiskey casks, has a depth and complexity that places it alongside the finest sipping rums in the world. The sherry cask influence is unmistakable: dried fruit, leather, and a finish that lingers like aged Oloroso. This is reinvention through endurance — the same family, the same hacienda, continuously adapting while never compromising.

Cocktail — The Hacienda Old Fashioned: 2 oz Ron del Barrilito Three Star · 0.25 oz demerara syrup · 3 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Orange peel expressed. Stir with ice 30 seconds, strain into a rocks glass over a single large cube.

Pair with: Aged Manchego with membrillo (quince paste) — the sherry cask notes bridge rum and cheese beautifully.

Awards: Caribbean Journal Best Rums 2023

RED WINE Bodegas Muga Reserva Rioja 2019

Haro, Rioja Alta, Spain — the Muga family has made wine in Haro since 1932, but their reinvention came in the 1990s when they doubled down on traditional oak craftsmanship while the rest of Rioja chased modernization.

Classification: Rioja DOCa Reserva

Company: Bodegas Muga S.L.

Winery: Bodegas Muga, Haro, Rioja Alta

ABV: 14% ABV

Primary Varietal: Tempranillo (70%), Garnacha (20%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%)

Blend: Tempranillo (70%), Garnacha (20%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%)

Vineyards: Estate vineyards in Rioja Alta, clay-limestone soils at 500m elevation

Maturation: 24 months in a mix of American and French oak barrels (own cooperage), 12 months bottle aging

Color: Deep garnet with ruby rim

MSRP: $25–$35

Nose: Ripe cherry, leather, cedar, vanilla, dried herbs

Palate: Dark berry fruit, silky tannins, toasted oak, baking spice, subtle tobacco

Finish: Long and elegant with lingering cedar, cherry, and gentle earthy notes

Wine Kit Aromas: Cherry, Cedar, Vanilla, Berry (Generic), Toasted, Violet

The Verdict: When the rest of Rioja rushed to modernize in the 1990s — switching to French oak, adopting international varieties, chasing Parker points — Muga went the other way. They built their own cooperage — today they are the only winery in Spain with a master cooper on staff, and committed to traditional oak aging and winemaking. This Reserva is the result: a wine that tastes like Rioja is supposed to taste, with ripe cherry, cedar, and the kind of silky elegance that only comes from decades of knowing exactly what you're doing. Muga's reinvention was refusing to reinvent — choosing tradition when everyone else chose trends.

Cocktail — The Rioja Sangria: 4 oz Bodegas Muga Reserva · 1 oz brandy · 0.5 oz triple sec · 1 oz fresh orange juice · Seasonal fruit · Cinnamon stick. Combine in a pitcher with ice, stir gently, serve in a wine glass.

Pair with: Lamb chops with rosemary and roasted garlic — the wine's cedar and berry fruit stand up to the richness of the lamb.

Awards: James Suckling 93 Points; Wine Spectator 91 Points

WHITE WINE Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner Gobelsburger 2022

Gobelsburg, Kamptal, Austria — a 12th-century Cistercian monastery estate that fell into neglect before winemaker Michael Moosbrugger took over in 1996 and transformed it into one of Austria's most respected wineries.

Classification: Kamptal DAC

Company: Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg

Winery: Schloss Gobelsburg, Kamptal, Niedersterreich

ABV: 12.5% ABV

Primary Varietal: 100% Grüner Veltliner

Blend: 100% Grüner Veltliner

Vinification: Stainless steel fermentation, lees contact, no malolactic conversion

Color: Pale straw with green-gold tints

MSRP: $18–$25

Nose: White pepper, green apple, lime zest, fresh herbs, subtle mineral notes

Palate: Crisp green apple, white pepper spice, lemon-lime citrus, flinty minerality, clean acidity

Finish: Brisk and refreshing with lingering pepper and citrus

Wine Kit Aromas: Apple (Green), Citrus (Generic), Green Peppers, Mint, Green (Cut Grass), Gooseberry

The Verdict: Schloss Gobelsburg is an 800-year-old estate that was slowly fading when Michael Moosbrugger arrived in 1996. He didn't bulldoze the past — he studied the monastery's ancient records, revived abandoned vineyard parcels, and applied modern precision to centuries-old terroir. This Grüner Veltliner is the calling card: peppery, mineral, crackling with energy, and unmistakably Austrian. It's a masterclass in reinvention through respect — honoring what was there all along while bringing it into sharp modern focus.

Cocktail — The Kamptal Spritz: 3 oz Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner · 2 oz elderflower tonic water · 0.5 oz fresh lime juice · Cucumber ribbon and mint sprig garnish. Build over ice in a large wine glass, stir gently.

Pair with: Wiener Schnitzel with a squeeze of lemon — the wine's acidity and pepper cut through the crispy coating perfectly.

Awards: Falstaff 92 Points; Wine & Spirits 91 Points

Train Your Nose: Today's Aroma Spotlight

Eight Exercises in Transformation

Reinvention shows up in the glass. Today's exercises focus on how transformation — of process, barrel, or philosophy — reveals itself through aroma. Use your School of Wine and Spirits aroma kits to compare these notes side by side.

Exercise 1 — The Rum Barrel Shift: Bourbon Aroma Masterclass Kit — Pull the Caramel and Maple Syrup vials from your bourbon kit and nose them together. Notice how the Angel's Envy Rye's rum barrel finish pushes the aroma profile from sharp rye spice toward a sweeter, rounder character — that shift is the reinvention in action. Now compare with the Honey and Smoky vials from the Scotch kit: Benromach's unusual light peat for a Speyside malt is a different kind of transformation, adding depth where you'd normally expect pure sweetness.

Exercise 2 — Tradition vs. Rediscovery: For wine, compare the Cherry and Cedar vials from your wine kit — these define the Muga Reserva's traditional Rioja character. Then nose the Apple (Green) and Green Peppers vials: the Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner is a study in Austrian terroir revived from centuries of neglect. The contrast between these two wines — one reborn through tradition, the other through rediscovery — tells you everything about how reinvention can take opposite forms and still produce excellence.

Aroma Training Kit Quick Reference

Today's Product	Key Aromas	Train With
Angel's Envy Rye Finished in Rum Barrels	Caramel, Maple Syrup, Orange, Oak, Cherry, Brown Spices	Pull the Caramel and Maple Syrup vials. The rum barrel finish pushes Angel's Envy Rye from sharp grain spice toward candied sweetness — that shift is the transformation on your nose.
Benromach 10 Year Old	Honey, Smoky, Dried Fruit, Malt, Cocoa (Dark), Orange	Whisky Aroma Masterclass Kit — Compare your Honey and Smoky vials. Benromach's light peat is unusual for Speyside, and that gentle smoke-over-honey combination is how you smell reinvention in a region known for fruit-forward sweetness.
Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish Whiskey	Vanilla, Honey, Green (Cut Grass), Malt, Buttery, Peach	Whiskey Aroma Masterclass Kit — Nose the Vanilla and Green (Cut Grass) vials side by side. Kilbeggan's grain-forward character gives a clean, grassy freshness that most pot still Irish whiskeys lack — the signature of its column-still reinvention.
Arette Añejo	Agave (Cooked), Butterscotch, Vanilla, Caramel, Cinnamon, Leather	Tequila & Mezcal Aroma Masterclass Kit — Hold the Agave (Cooked) and Butterscotch vials together. The Arette Añejo's 18 months in oak transform raw agave intensity into caramelized richness — a lesson in how barrel aging reinvents a spirit's personality.
Hayman's Old Tom Gin	Juniper (Pine), Lemon, Coriander, Angelica, Cassia Bark, Orange	Gin Aroma Masterclass Kit — Compare Juniper (Pine) and Cassia Bark. Old Tom's gentle sweetness lets the warm spice notes breathe alongside the juniper instead of hiding behind it — the defining difference from London Dry.
Ron del Barrilito Three Star Rum	Sherry, Dried Fruit, Tobacco, Caramel, Leather, Oak	Rum Aroma Masterclass Kit — Nose the Sherry and Dried Fruit vials. Ron del Barrilito's sherry cask maturation is immediately apparent — that sherried dried fruit character is what separates this from standard Caribbean rum profiles.
Bodegas Muga Reserva Rioja 2019	Cherry, Cedar, Vanilla, Berry (Generic), Toasted, Violet	Wine Aroma Masterclass Kit — Pull Cherry and Cedar. The Muga Reserva's traditional Rioja character is built on this exact pairing — ripe fruit married to oak in the classic style that modernizers abandoned and Muga preserved.
Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner Gobelsburger 2022	Apple (Green), Citrus (Generic), Green Peppers, Mint, Green (Cut Grass), Gooseberry	Wine Aroma Masterclass Kit — Compare Apple (Green) and Green Peppers. These two aromas define Grüner Veltliner's peppery, fruit-driven personality — the calling card of an Austrian variety that went from obscurity to international acclaim.

Explore the School of Wine and Spirits

Today's selections prove that transformation is its own form of mastery. Our books on Amazon take you deeper into those places — from the limestone hollows of Kentucky in America's Spirit, the misty distilleries of Scotland's Spirit and Ireland's Spirit, the volcanic highlands of The Tequila y Mezcal Revolution, the ancient vineyards of The Ultimate Northern Italian Wine Journey, and the fossilized seabeds of Burgundy in our Chablis and Cte d'Or pocket guides.

Explore our Aroma Masterclass kits and books at schoolofwineandspirits.com

Explore our Aroma Masterclass kits and books at schoolofwineandspirits.com

Join the School of Wine and Spirits Community

Connect with fellow connoisseurs, share tasting notes, and go deeper into every pour. Sign up at skool.com/schoolofwineandspirits
Sign up at skool.com/schoolofwineandspirits

Our kits make the perfect gift for the curious drinker in your life — because once you learn to identify aromas, you never taste the same way again.

Know someone who would enjoy The Still & The Vine? Forward this issue to a fellow enthusiast — or share it on social media and tag @SchoolofWineandSpirits. We grow by word of mouth.

Until tomorrow's pour — cheers.

Robert R. Mohr, CPA, CGMA, WSET Level 3, WSG Certified Spirits Specialist — author of America's Spirit, Scotland's Spirit, Ireland's Spirit, The Ultimate Northern Italian Wine Journey, The Tequila y Mezcal Revolution, The Definitive Pocket Guide to Chablis, The Definitive Pocket Guide to the Cte d'Or, and Strategic Tuning. Published author of the Aroma Academy Tequila/Mezcal and Distiller's training kits.

The Still & The Vine is a daily publication of the School of Wine and Spirits.

schoolofwineandspirits.com · Amazon Author Page

In This Issue

Bourbon

Angel's Envy Rye Finished in Rum Barrels

Louisville Distilling Company (Bacardi)

Lincoln Henderson spent decades perfecting bourbon at Woodford Reserve. Then, after four decades at Brown-Forman and a brief retirement, he started over. Angel's Envy Rye is the fruit of that second act — a rye finished in Caribbean rum barrels that adds layers of tropical sweetness to the grain's natural spice.

$95100 (50% ABV) proof

Scotch Whisky

Benromach 10 Year Old

Gordon & MacPhail

Benromach sat silent for fifteen years. When Gordon & MacPhail brought it back to life in 1998, they didn't try to copy the old Speyside playbook. Instead, they introduced a light peat — unusual for the region — creating something that didn't exist before.

$4586 (43% ABV) proof

Irish Whiskey

Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish Whiskey

Beam Suntory

The Kilbeggan distillery nearly vanished. After closing in 1957, it sat derelict until a group of local volunteers began restoring it in 1982 — cleaning pot stills by hand, patching stone walls, preserving equipment.

$2586 (43% ABV) proof

Tequila

Arette Añejo

Tequila Arette de Jalisco S.A. de C.V.

Arette is one of those brands that connoisseurs pass around like a secret. The Orendain family has been in the tequila business for generations, but Arette was their deliberate reinvention.

$4580 (40% ABV) proof

Gin

Hayman's Old Tom Gin

Hayman Distillers Ltd

Old Tom gin was the taste of Victorian London — sweeter than London Dry, the bridge between Dutch genever and the bone-dry gins we know today. It vanished for nearly a century until the Hayman family resurrected it.

$2580 (40% ABV) proof

Rum

Ron del Barrilito Three Star Rum

Fernández Family (Private Estate)

Ron del Barrilito is Puerto Rico's best-kept secret — a rum that has never left family hands since 1880. The Fernández family survived every upheaval the island threw at them and simply kept blending.

$4086 (43% ABV) proof

Red Wine

Bodegas Muga Reserva Rioja 2019

Bodegas Muga S.L.

When the rest of Rioja rushed to modernize in the 1990s — switching to French oak, adopting international varieties, chasing Parker points — Muga went the other way. They built their own cooperage and committed to traditional methods.

$2514% ABV proof

White Wine

Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner Gobelsburger 2022

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg

Schloss Gobelsburg is an 800-year-old estate that was slowly fading when Michael Moosbrugger arrived in 1996. He didn't bulldoze the past — he studied the monastery's ancient records, revived forgotten vineyard practices, and transformed neglect into one of Austria's finest expressions of Grüner Veltliner.

$1812.5% ABV proof

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