DECEMBER 2020 Maryland l Washington, DC 30 62 18 60 23 66 FEATURES 30 10 66 SPARKLING WINE THE FIND WHITE WINE 18 IN WARTIME AND TANNINS: HOLIDAY BUYING Despite its reputation as 28 More winemakers are using TRENDS TO WATCH a frivolous luxury, modern BRAND PROFILE: partial skin contact to create From gifting to bubbles sparkling wine has been Sunny Outlook for whites with firmer tannin to ecommerce, trade pros affected profoundly by Colores del Sol structures and greater prepare for an anything-but- combat and has played a complexity normal season surprisingly prominent role 60 in world wars PROPRIETOR PROFILE: 23 Chartley Liquors ... THE MEXICAN CORN DEPARTMENTS A Happy Marriage WHISKEY MOVEMENT How a group of distillers is 62 02 reclaiming Mexico’s ancestral THE NEW PINK grain PUB PAGE COVID-19: Another IN TOWN: Lockdown on the Horizon? As official Prosecco Rosés arrive, will Americans care (or even notice)? 03 NEW PRODUCTS ON THE COVER: & PROMOTIONS Photograph by Mark Swallow / iStock VOLUME82NUMBER12 December 2020 BEVERAGE JOURNAL 1 PUB Maryland l Washington, DC PAGE Published Monthly by The Beverage Journal, Inc. COVID-19: (USPS# PE 783300) ANOTHER LOCKDOWN? Over 80 Years of Continuous Publication As I type this, it is Wednesday November here and now expanding and this leads you 11, just before 5:00 pm. Why is this impor- to a solution of continuing what you have BEVERAGE JOURNAL, INC. President / Publisher Stephen Patten tant? Because Wednesday November 11, been doing for the last six months? I'm pretty [email protected] at 5:00 pm is when Maryland Governor Larry sure that is the definition of something ... 410.796.5455 Hogan dictated a tightening of restrictions on (hint, hint, rhymes with calamity). Board of Directors Lee W. Murray Thomas W. Murray restaurants because of an increase in Corona- Panic drove you and your policy making virus cases … not an increase in deaths (the in March, and frightened businesses ceded Information Technology Peter Williams Director [email protected] case fatality rate at their personal and this point for anyone economic interests on EDITORIAL under the age of 70 a scale unprecedent- Senior Editor Kristen Bieler [email protected] is the same as dying ed in our representa- in a car accident and tive republic, even Managing Editor W. R. Tish [email protected] if you are under the during wartimes. age of 35 its more With eight months of Contributing Editors Alia Akkam, Arielle Albert, likely you’ll die from Keven Danow, Edward Durgin hindsight, it seems David Lincoln Ross, Ed McCarthy, Jack Robertiello a fall down a flight obvious that the lock- of stairs than from downs did more harm ART & DESIGN Covid-19). than good. Not only Creative Director Larry Lee [email protected] According to the did lockdowns throw Senior Designer Jeff Tsui Governor’s dictate, thousands upon thou- [email protected] restaurants must sands of Marylanders TECHNOLOGY & WEB scale back from 75% out of work, decimat- eCommerce Director Ian Griffith capacity to 50% for ing the on-premise [email protected] indoor dining. “We side of the industry, eCommerce Managers Karli Del Rossi, Evan Berube Online Web Programming Vali Balescu have now crossed but the lockdowns over into the danger also triggered waves PRINT & PRODUCTION zone. Too many resi- of secondary medical Print Services Manager Lee Stringham [email protected] dents and businesses problems. Have you 410.519.7034 have ‘COVID fatigue,’ seen the overdose and they are letting death numbers of ADVERTISING & MARKETING their guard down … MD & DC Advertising Sales Stephen Patten late? [email protected] 410.796.5455 Marylanders need to COVID BUSTER We are facing take the virus seri- PRICING a second wave of National Advertising Sales Jody Slone-Spitalnik ously." [email protected] 1 CS-$80 / 3.33 BOTTLE Coronavirus cases, 212.571.3232 Governor, you’ve 3 CS-$70.50 / 2.94 BOTTLE emphasis on cases. given your citizens no Ask your OPICI rep for details: The advice of a grow- other choice than to 800.562.3771 ing majority of medi- take the virus serious- cal experts is to avoid POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ly. A large portion of Case of 24-200 ml 7% ABV lockdowns and focus THE BEVERAGE JOURNAL, INC. the on-premise side instead on protecting P.O. Box 159, Hampstead, MD 21074-0159 of the industry has the most vulnerable. The Maryland Beverage Journal, the Washington, DC Beverage Journal and the been decimated. The establishments that are Letting the disease spread among the young Delaware Beverage Journal are registered trademarks of Beverage Journal, Inc. able to operate adhere to ridiculous stan- and healthy will build population immunity. All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Baltimore, MD and additional dards of spacing and capacity. The public has Heeding this guidance, in the opinion of mailing offices. Subscription rates: MD edition; 1 year $45.00 plus tax, 2 years $75.00 plus tax, 3 years $100.00 plus tax, FedEx Ground delivery $85.00 plus been in masks and practicing social distanc- many, would better preserve the economic tax per year per edition, single copies $10.00 plus tax. DC edition; 1 year $36.00 ing since May. It’s been half a year of taking recovery and more quickly end the pandemic plus tax, 2 years $60.00 plus tax, 3 years $83.00 plus tax, FedEx Ground delivery $85.00 plus tax per year per edition, single copies $5.00 plus tax. the virus seriously. This respiratory virus is still rather than another round of lockdowns. n The opinions expressed by guest columnists are their own and not necessarily those of The Beverage Journal, Inc. The Beverage Journal, Inc. is an affirmative action/equal opportunity corporation. Copyright 2020 the Beverage Journal, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Not responsible for unsolicited material or advertising claims. 2 BEVERAGE JOURNAL December 2020 www.BeverageJournalInc.com BeverageJournalInc.com DECANTER JAMES SUCKLING 2020 WORLD WINE AWARDS POINTS93 POINTS95 “A tight, focused “Aromas are red with fresh- intense with notes plum and chocolate of lively red fruits, character. Medium red apples, oral, body, rm and herbs and spices. creamy tannins and Lovely crunchy fruit a avorful nish.” underpinned by fresh acidity. Re ned, ne grained and sophisticated.” Santa Carolina Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2018 • In MD/DC via DOPS Finca el Origen 2019 Malbec Reserva • In MD/DC via DOPS JAMES SUCKLING WINE SPECTATOR POINTS91 POINTS92 “Fruity and “Offers a plush delicious with texture and ripe dried-cherry and avors, yet it remains citrus character. graceful through the Firm, toned spicy nish. Plum, framing to the currant and g notes fruit. Medium are balanced by body. Delicious licorice and graphite nish.” elements, with well- integrated tannins” Pasqua PassioneSentimento Rosso IGT 2017 • In MD/DC via DOPS Baron de Ley 2015 Rioja Reserva • In MD/DC via DOPS © 2020 Carolina Wine Brands USA • carolinawinebrandsusa.com • @carolinawinebrandsusa NEW PRODUCTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 . MEOMI CABERNET SAUVIGNON . BAILEYS ‘RED VELVET’ . CHAMPAGNE BILLECARTSALMON Meomi—best known for Pinot Noir—is adding Back by popular demand, Baileys is ‘CLOS SAINTHILAIRE’ a Cabernet Sauvignon. Sourced from Meiomi’s reintroducing a limited-edition Baileys Champagne Billecart-Salmon is releasing signature tri-appellation regions (Sonoma, Red Velvet, first released last year in the 2003 vintage of Clos Saint-Hilaire, Monterey, and Santa Barbara), the Cabernet collaboration with Georgetown Cupcake a unique blanc de noirs cuvée that bears Sauvignon is aiming to catch the Pinot Noir’s founders and sisters Katherine Berman and the name of the patron saint of the village mojo—quite unusual for a Cabernet, it shares Sophie LaMontagne. The indulgent cream of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. It is made from a single the same slope-shoulder bottle shape as its liqueur’s flavors include fresh chocolate parcel from one enclosed hectare of old popular varietal sibling. The 2019 o ers a deep cake, cream cheese frosting and just a hint Pinot Noir vines planted in 1964, and is ruby color; aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, of cocoa powder. To celebrate the return, 100% vinified in oak, resting on the lees for and toasty vanilla; and juicy flavors highlighted Georgetown Cupcake will be o ering 14 years before release. This cuvée has a by a velvety mouthfeel. nonalcoholic Baileys-infused red velvet cult following in the U.S. cupcakes online through December. SRP: $24.99 SRP: $24.99 SRP: $499 meomi.com baileys.com champagne-billecart.fr | tedwardwines.com . GANCIA CHIANTI & PINOT GRIGIO . EQUIS DOMAINE DES LISES . HIGH WEST BOTTLED COCKTAILS Gancia, maker of Italy's first Italian sparkling CROZESHERMITAGE High West Distillery has launched its wine, is sidestepping into still wines with the Equis is the niche project of Maxime first bottled cocktails: a Manhattan and launch of Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC Graillot (eldest son of Alain Graillot) and an Old Fashioned, both barrel-finished. and Chianti DOCG. Importer Roust Americas his winemaking partner, Thomas Schmittel. Each cocktail is formulated using time- is targeting increased consumer demand for In 2003 Graillot purchased Domaine des tested recipes, high-quality ingredients, high-value comfort wines. Gancia Chianti is Lises in the warmer, dryer southeast sector and a blend of bourbon and rye for added a fruit-forward blend of primarily Sangiovese of Crozes Hermitage. Planted throughout complexity. Finishing in used rye barrels grapes that pairs well with red-sauced pastas the 1980s, the vines are now managed allows the flavors to marry. The Old and grilled meats. The Gancia Pinot Grigio organically. Imported by Europvin, the 2018 Fashioned (86 proof) features a demerara o ers citrus fruit and floral notes; ideal as an shows notes of spice, blackcurrant, and red simple syrup while the Manhattan (74 proof) aperitif or with seafood.