The Frog And The Peach

$135 Per Box Set. Each set contains wine descriptions and recommended food pairing. Featuring: Benanti Family, Gai'a Estate And Suertes Del Marques - With fiery molten channels that stretch far below the surface, volcanoes connect us to the very core of the Earth. Active or dormant – they resonate with an energy and beauty beyond that of mere mountains. Their violent origins also tend to create stunning natural landscapes rife with unique and intriguing terroirs stemming from the eclectic layering of mineral rich deposits over their eruptive past. Terroirs are, not only physical locales, but also destinations of the mind. Travel then with these wines. To eruptions and solitude. To passions and grace. Journey to the slopes of Mount Etna and taste what the Benanti Family has been perfecting for the past two hundred years, or explore modern approaches and aromatic expressions of Santorini's Slopes with Gai'a Estate's Assyrtiko, or delve into unique viticulture with Suertes del Marques on the archipelago that is the Canary Islands. Taste the unique character of the soil and cultures which exist under sky and volcano. Where fire delivers flavour awaiting in what only the sheer, raw, unadulterated power of Earth's energy could create.

$165 Per Box Set

$125 Per Box Set

Traditionally, most Champagne has been sold by the "Grand Marquees," the illustrious names we associate with luxury: Moët, Veuve Clicquot, etc. The great houses have always depended on myriad small growers to supply many of their grapes. More and more, the small family growers have begun to bottle and market their own wines. The father of Stephane Coquillette, for example, started his own label in the 1950's, and his son followed his example at 25. Coquillette 1er Cru 'Cuvée Diane' is a study in elegant intensity

Big Table Farm, nestled in an obscure hillsides of the Willamette Valley, Clare Carver and Brian Marcy work a seventy-acre farm, complete with chickens, vegetables, pigs, cows, honey, and wine. A return to an older paradigm, pre-monoculture, each aspect seems to support the other, a kind of fruitful bio-diversity. Brian has an impressive resume. Before moving to Oregon, Brian made wines for Turley, Nyers and Marcassin. The Big Table Farm Pinots are savory, tense, focused. The Chardonnays are further proof that this grape may prove to be Oregon's future. Brian's are outstanding. Clare, in addition to farming makes the really beautiful drawings that become each year's labels

Two not-very-well-known regions in the Loire Valley are the source of some of the best white wines in France: Vouvray and Savennières. Made exclusively with the Chenin Blanc grape, they share a limestone soil that's the key to their finesse and complexity. Both are noted for the beauty of their perfume: peach, white flowers, green apple. Then there is the exquisite balance: an often honeyed fruit set off against the bright, citrus-like acidity. In Vouvray, the limestone is mixed with clay and chalk; the wines are forward and lush. In Savennières, the soil is limestone and slate, producing a more refined, tightly-wound wine with mineral flavors and great ageability

On the Greek island Santorini, bitter winds, volcanic soil and zero (!) rainfall during the growing season combine to inspire a unique farming style. The Assyrtiko vines are trained into little baskets that both shelter from the winds and collect the mist that blows in from the sea. The resulting wines are just as unique, firm-boned, exotic and delicious even with baby lamb

Josh Bergström and his beautifully crafted Chardonnays and Pinots Having been influenced by his Swedish upbringings, Josh's father John founded Bergström Wines, which showcase how grapes can thrive in harsh climates, whether they are grown in Sweden or, in this case, the Pacific Northwest

View of the port of Bordeaux, Edouard Manet, 1870s The Dutch, Germans, British, and Irish all had important roles in both the shipping and creation of Bordeaux wines. This openness to international trade helped to make Bordeaux the benchmark wine of the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, China's thirst for Bordeaux, and their willingness to pay, has pushed the price of the top growths into the stratosphere

Cathy Corison walking through her vineyard A soft spoken woman, Cathy makes one of the most powerful but elegant, food friendly, and aged worthy Cabernet Sauvignons in Napa Valley, like the ones from the 1960s. First generation in America of Seghesio family. The history of California winemaking in a bottle. Eduardo Seghesio emigrated from Piedmont, Italy to work for The Italian Swiss Colony winery. In 1895, he built a house and planted his own vineyards on land given to him by the company to homestead. He chose the spot wisely. Now known as "Home Ranch Vineyard," these vines, which still produce the wine of this name, are an heirloom clone of Zinfandel found almost nowhere else. An extraordinary American wine

The wines of Etna, the looming still-active volcano on the north east coast of Sicily, have re-established a stellar reputation in the last few years, but a few decades ago, almost none were being produced commercially. Dr. Giuseppe Benanti was instrumental in this revival. In 1988, he began working to revitalize an old family vineyard and also set about intensive research on the indigenous grape varieties of Etna and their clones. Searching out ancient plots of old vine Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio on the volcanic soil, he has created world-class wines with an indelible sense of place. Firm, but not heavy, they age beautifully

Old School Rioja. Many wine lovers are beginning to rediscover the beauty of traditional Rioja, especially the older Reservas and Gran Reservas. Gran Reserva requires 24 months aging in barrel and a further 36 months in bottle before release, though many winemakers allow for additional aging in the bodega. No one is more traditional than Lopez-Heredia, who will not release their wines until they are considered ready. Today, they are still relasing bottles from the 1970s and 1980s! Lopez-Heredia, Pecina, Santurnia, La Rioja Alta, and Marqués de Murrieta are other proud practitioners to one degree or another, of the traditional style. Emphasis is on finesse, delicacy and complexity. Really, no other wines in the world are delivered to you with this much pampering at a comparable price

Priorat is a rugged mountainous region south of Barcelona. For centuries, it had been famous for its "black wine," but with the ravages of the 20th century, found most of its vineyards abandoned. Then in the late 1980s, a group of pioneering winemakers rediscovered the area's potential. The ancient vines of Grenache and Carignan, many over 100 years old, still bore fruit. It was a question of quality over quantity. They produced fewer grapes but those grapes were capable of making profound wine. Today, Priorat is again recognized as making some of the finest wines in Spain

Banyuls, a sweet, port-like fortified wine is made in the hills behind a small fishing village on the French Mediterranean close to the Spanish border. The village was a favorite haunt of painters at the turn of the 20th century. Matisse, Braque and Derain were inspired by the brilliant light of the region to paint in a new way. Called by the press Les Fauves, "The Wild Ones" they helped to create modern painting. It's not hard to imagine them retreating from the heat of the day into the shade of a little café with friends, arguing, eating a bite of cheese, and sipping the local wine. At Left: View of Banyuls, André Derain

700 km off of the coast of West Africa, Madeira produced the wines that fed the trade routes of the 18th century. On the long voyages between Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, the American colonies, and Britain, it was discovered that the wines of Madeira, buried deep in the ship's holds through this long and intense tropical heat, arrived in Baltimore not just good but better. The Estufagem process was developed to age the wine in oven-like rooms on the island for long periods, replicating the effects of a sea voyage. Madeira became the most popular drink of our Founding Fathers. Due to its unique production, Madeira is practically indestructible. Bottles from the 19th century remain perfectly sound. Most great Madeira is not sweet - the caramelized, amazingly complex flavors finish quite dry, delicious with cheese or many savory dishes

The most complex spirit in the world, Mezcal has been produced mainly in the southern states of Mexico for more than two centuries, most prominently in Oaxaca. Recent archeological evidence points to distillation even before the arrival of the Spanish. The word mezcal or mexcalli in Naualt (one of the indigenous languages of southern Mexico) translates to oven-cooked agave. Using only ancient practices, this "Elixio of the Gods" is the most labor intensive spirit made anywhere today. The families of the Palenqueros, village producers, will do everything by hand (or donkey), from harvesting, roasting, grinding, fermentation, and finally distillation. Various types of agave are used, Espadia being the most common, but all take five to fifteen years to reach the necessary maturity. Here is some examples of this mystical and magical spirit. These wild agave bottles come from some of the most remote villages of Oaxaca and Michoacán, made the same way from generation to generation. And remember: sip it, don't shoot it. It's not tequila. Stigibeo!

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