Archive for February, 2019

Spirits & Wine Award Winners, Top Scoring Products, Beverage Industry Trends and Best Wine and Spirits Lists

Ultimate Wine Challenge

Wine Trend: Serving & Drinking At The Right Temperature

Many consumers are surprised when they learn that they are probably drinking their white wines too cold and their red wines too warm. Many people outside of traditional wine producing regions assume that ‘cellar  temperature’ is room temperature, which is rarely the case. Similarly, many people are drinking white and rosé wines straight from a cold fridge that is designed to keep food at a safe temperature for preserving. One of our wines judges and New York City Sommelier, Vitalii Dascaliuc weighs in with his professional advice:

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Ultimate Spirits Challenge

Spirit Trend: Rye Goes Upmarket

The rye whiskey category has been steadily growing over the past few years. In 2018, Ultimate Spirit Challenge evaluated over 30 ryes, the vast majority scoring 90 Points or above. This resurgence in rye is bringing with it a bigger range of quality and craft spirits, and consumers are willing to pay for it. While rye has largely been considered a value driven category in the past, some of the prices we are seeing on newer bottlings may mean serious competition for other established whiskey categories like Scotch and bourbon.

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Ultimate Wine Challenge

Wine Score: Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin

Zinfandel makes a full bodied and cozy wine for cooler weather. With big juicy flavors and plenty of spice, it can stand up to hearty stews and roasts that hit the spot in winter. What’s better than a delicious Zinfandel? How about a high scoring wine that also won a Great Value award for its incredibly friendly price point. At just $15 per bottle and a score of 92 Points, the Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin from Lodi California wine comes highly recommended by our wine judges.

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Ultimate Spirits Challenge

Spirits Producer: Los Vecinos Del Campo Mezcal

It seems like there’s a new brand of Mezcal entering the United States every week! The opportunity to have your spirits blind tasted alongside other established brands by world class spirits judges has its benefits. Los Vecinos Del Campo submitted two mezcales to the 2018 Ultimate Spirits Challenge and both earned high scores of 94 Points, with the Espadin also winning a Great Value award.

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