Cream Wine and Spirits

09/30/2026

cin cin Antica Torino

09/23/2026

The Raventós family has been making w**e outside Barcelona for more than 500 years. Join legendary w**emaker Pepe Raventós for an intimate 6-course dinner Asador Bastian on October 6th.

Single Seating: 8pm

RSVP LINK IN BIO or contact Asador Bastian

**edinner

09/23/2026

xᴀʀᴇʟ-ʟᴏ + ꜱᴜᴍᴏʟʟ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴇᴀꜱʏ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ɪᴛ

🗓️ monday, october 5 from 6-9pm

What if Xarel-lo and Sunil became as synonymous with Catalunya as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are with Burgundy?

That's the dream of Pepe Raventós, and on 10/5 we're getting a whole bunch of friends together to drink towards it.

Join us Easy Does It for INXS FEST, a celebration of two of Catalunya's most exciting native grapes: XAREL-LO + SUMOLL.

Whether you sell w**e, serve w**e, collect w**e, casually drink w**e, or are wondering what the hell Xarel-lo and Sumoll are, you're invited.

Come curious. leave inXS.

Special guest Pepe Raventós will be pouring alongside Mark Lindzy of Jose Pastor Selections, Steven Alexander of Pyrenees W**e Merchants and Andy Pates of cream.

RSVP LINK IN BIO.

09/21/2026

On September 14th, we drove northeast from Fira to the town of Vourvoulos to visit Vassaltis. Our previous two w**ery visits had taken us to the southern part of Santorini, so this was our first venture north, along the flatter side of the island where the land gently rolls downhill toward the sea.

We arrived at a strikingly modern w**ery with a simple, sleek design. Vassaltis is one of Santorini’s newest w**eries, completed in April 2016, and one of only around 20 active w**eries on the island.

Following Greece’s financial crisis, Yannis Valambous returned to Santorini to revive his family’s vineyards, inherited from his late father. What began as a return home quickly evolved into a larger vision: building a modern, state-of-the-art w**ery that could represent a new generation of Greek w**emaking.

The name Vassaltis comes from the Greek word for basalt, the volcanic rock that speaks directly to Santorini’s geological origins. The angular shape of the rock is also reflected in the w**ery’s labels. Today, Vassaltis owns 20 hectares of vineyards and works with growers throughout the island.

We did not have an official appointment, but Rafaela graciously guided us through a tasting. Afterward, we were able to explore the w**ery, which was hosting an exhibition of photographer Robert McCabe’s work celebrating his new book. Throughout the space were photographs of Santorini taken between 1954 and 1964, an extraordinary glimpse of the island before tourism transformed it. Naturally, we bought the book.

Lucky for us, Vassaltis was also celebrating its 10th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the w**ery was offering rare library flights showcasing how its w**es have evolved over time.

We started with the Assyrtiko Normale, tasting the 2025, 2021, 2019, and 2018 vintages.

Santorini Assyrtiko is famous for its intense acidity, salinity, and mineral character. At Vassaltis, the approach is to temper some of that natural power through lees aging and bâtonnage. Even in the 2025, we found a rounder, smoother expression than at the other w**eries we visited.

As the w**es aged, they became increasingly creamy in texture while maintaining a distinctive mineral and salty

09/20/2026

“Here you meet Santorini. Here you know Santorini.”

Our favorite quote from our guide, Michaela, at Artemis Karamolegos.

Our second w**ery visit in Santorini took us to Artemis Karamolegos on September 13th.

We arrived at Artemis to find what feels like a small world unto itself: Artemis’ home, the w**ery, a restaurant, a garden, and estate vines all gathered together. Artemis lives above the restaurant and, over the years, has expanded both the w**ery and restaurant around him. Vines are planted near the domaine alongside a garden that supplies Aroma Avlis, their farm-to-table restaurant, whose name translates to “the smell of the garden.”

It is a beautiful compound.

A door from the restaurant leads into an expansive tunnel housing the estate’s cellar, with an impressive array of bottles dating back to 2004, when Artemis began this venture. A Santorini native, Artemis continues a family tradition begun by his grandfather in the 1950s, when the family produced w**e for home consumption.

Today, the goal at Artemis Karamolegos is to showcase Assyrtiko through different lenses. Through micro-vinification, lees aging, and fermentation and élevage in clay, concrete, barrel, and stainless steel, the w**ery captures Assyrtiko in all its glory: high-acid and pure, softer and more tempered, structured and savory, and deeply expressive of terroir.

The Single Vineyard series takes that exploration even further, showcasing four distinct areas of the island.

These extremely limited bottlings come from four individual vineyards planted to ancient kouloura-trained vines, some around 150 years old: Louroi in Pyrgos, Ftelos in Fira, Kamaras in Akrotiri, and Papas in Megalochori.

Produced only in exceptional vintages, they offer a remarkable opportunity to experience the differences within Santorini itself, translating four distinct landscapes through Assyrtiko and some of the island’s oldest vines.

Beyond the cellar, the w**ery unfolds into a wonderful maze of rooms, each with its own purpose: fermentation, aging, Vinsanto aging, bottling, and more, eventually leading you right back to the restaurant.

Fun fact: visitors are invited to write messages on the Vinsanto b

09/14/2026

Santorini. Santa Irini. Saint Irene.

The island in the southern Aegean Sea that we know today is a landscape shaped by one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history, which took place around 1600 BCE. It was then that Santorini took on the sunken caldera shape visitors see today.

Known for its breathtaking caldera sunsets and iconic scenery, the island tells a story of beauty, strength, and transformation. And so do the producers we have visited here.

We begin with Hatzidakis W**ery.

This w**ery revolutionized Santorini w**e. In 1997, Haridimos Hatzidakis and Konstantina Chryssou did something few others thought to do: champion single-variety w**es made from the island’s native grapes.

Mavrotragano (mavro = black, tragano = crispy) was on the brink of extinction. It was a grape to be blended, but nothing more. Haridimos bottled it on its own with a philosophy that was as true then as it is today: the w**e is made in the vineyard. No corrections, except minimal sulfites. Indigenous yeasts. This was the first 100% Mavrotragano.

He didn’t stop there, later bottling the first 100% Aidani. His peers took notice. Today, you can find both Aidani and Mavrotragano from other producers on w**e lists throughout Greece and around the world. Mavrotragano remains very rare, accounting for only 2–4% of the island’s plantings, while Aidani represents around 10%.

We arrived at Hatzidakis at 3:30 p.m. on September 12 and stepped into an enormous cave. Their cave w**ery took 16 years to complete, from 2000 to 2016. It is both impressive and practical. Building underground allowed the family to preserve the old vines growing overhead while providing naturally cool temperatures and consistent humidity for fermentation and cellaring.

Vinsanto = Vino di Santorini

Hatzidakis excels at vinsanto produced from sun-dried white grapes (Assyrtiko & Aidani) that are picked and left among the vines to dry for 12-15 days. As the grapes age, they turn a golden brown.

After fermentation, the w**e ages for many years in barrel before release. The end result is a reddish looking dessert w**e with incredible character and flavor. It is quite special. The current release is 200

08/31/2026

08/10/2026

Celebrating Borgo Maragliano and their flagship: La Caliera Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2025, 100% Moscato Bianco from the hills of Canelli in Piedmont, planted at 360 meters with a steep 32% southwest-facing slope. The vineyards are rooted in a mix of tufaceous rock, sandstone, and calcium-rich soils, giving this Moscato d’Asti plenty of lift and mineral energy to balance its naturally sweet, aromatic personality.

The grapes are gently pressed and the juice is chilled to 0°C to preserve freshness and prevent spontaneous fermentation. Fermentation then takes place in pressurized tanks, where the w**e naturally retains its CO₂. Fermentation is stopped at 5.5% alcohol by chilling the w**e back down to 0°C, preserving a touch of natural grape sweetness and a gentle, frothy sparkle.

The result is classic Canelli Moscato with a little extra altitude and texture: intensely aromatic, full and velvety, with candied citrus, ripe peach, acacia blossom, and a distinctive violet perfume. Light on its feet despite the sweetness, with bright acidity and a refreshing finish.

Serve well chilled at 10–12°C. Obviously great with dessert, but don’t stop there. Fresh fruit, fruit salads, salty snacks, brunch, spicy food, or simply a cold glass when you want something fun all work beautifully.
🇪🇺Campaign financed according to EU regulation n. 2021/2115 🇮🇹 Ministry of agriculture, food sovereignty and forests

08/08/2026

Let’s get naked with Gernot & Heike Heinrich via Zev Rovine Selections Founded by Gernot and Heike Heinrich in 1990 with just one hectare of vines, Weingut Heinrich has become one of Austria’s benchmark biodynamic estates. Based in Gols on the shores of Lake Neusiedl, the estate farms vineyards on both sides of the lake, where limestone, schist, gravel, and alluvial soils shape w**es of distinct character.

Certified biodynamic since 2006, the Heinrichs farm with a deep respect for their land, focusing primarily on native Austrian varieties including Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, St. Laurent, Neuburger, and Pinot Blanc, alongside small plantings of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. All fruit is hand harvested and fermented with native yeasts. Whites often see extended skin contact, reds are gently extracted, and every w**e is aged in neutral oak before bottling unfined, unfiltered, and with minimal sulfur. The result is a lineup of expressive, terroir-driven w**es that balance energy, texture, and remarkable aging potential. The naked line up is a great introduction to the family and territory. We are bullish on Austria and excited for this new addition!

07/30/2026

Stagiaire Mark Slo and andy pates thirsty Thursday w Swick W**es