Five Great Beers for an Elite Brands Endless Summer

The mercury is rising, the heat is on, and you are thirsty!  Yes incredibly thirsty!

At this point a hopped-up IPA isn’t going to cut it.  A full bodied stout is going to result straight in nap time.  What you need is a refreshing, delicious drink-able brew that is going to cool you right down.  Instead of bland, indiscernible flavors, ever think of experiencing orange, vanilla and coriander in your beer?  With that in mind we recommend trying these five brews – a new summer  selection that is sure to become a new standard in your beer drinking repertoire.

CISCO SUMMER OF LAGER - 5.6% ABV

A light lager released at the beginning of the summer when Nantucket is just getting it's groove on! It's a classic Bavarian style lager with a delicious malt palate and an assertive noble hop finish. Hints of citrus give this lager a light, refreshing flavor perfect for hot summer nights.

SANKATY LIGHT LAGER 3.9% ABV

This is a light American Golden Lager. This delicious creation is light-bodied with tremendous balance and distinct hop character. At 3.8% alcohol and 126 calories this light beer has true flavor and body while being easy to drink and easier on the waistline.

HITACHINO NEST WHITE ALE - 5.0% ABV

Light golden in color, Hitachino Nest White Ale is a refreshing mildly hopped Belgian styled beer with a complex flavor of coriander, orange peel, and nutmeg.

RAYON VERT BELGIAN-STYLE PALE ALE - 7.0% ABV

A bold layering of hops finds balance from traditional malts. Bottle conditioning with fresh ale yeast and Brettanomyces finishes the beer, adding a delightful effervescence, dryness and continuously evolving character. Rayon Vert is Green Flash.

 SHIPYARD SUMMER ALE 5.1% ABV 

A traditional American Wheat beer.  With its inviting golden color, mellow malted wheat flavor and less hoppy characteristics, it’s sure to please those looking for a clean, cool taste sensation on long, hot summer days.

Elite Brands would like to welcome Local Wine & Spirits!  The State of Colorado will now be privy to some of the most unique, eclectic and original Wine and Spirits on the market.  Our goal at Elite is to provide our clients with a continuous supply of innovative and quality products.  We believe that Local Wine & Spirits shares this vision with us, as they have showcased an incessant desire for perfection that we simply could not ignore!  If you are looking for a truly one-of-a-kind portfolio that will attract your customers, then this is certainly it!

A little Background

With a dream and no money Local Wine and Spirits started the old fashioned way, begged, borrowed and stole until they could get their wings under them and in 2002 they released their first wine, Jigsaw Pinot Noir. With the help of a few friends they expanded their wine production to the Eastern Washington high desert. From there they went south to the volcanic soils and jagged mountains of Northern California. Then a few years later they began producing craft spirits with Tad Seestedt in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA.

Owner: Christophe Bakunas

Christophe Bakunas is at the helm of a juggernaut; a company that focuses on high-quality wines and spirits that are as fun to drink as they are to talk about. Success has not been easy however; his ability to recognize trends in the marketplace and maintain relations with distributors have been the keys to his success.   Christophe stressed price points and packaging in ensuring the marketability of his product along with long-term relationships with his farmers.

Although the long days and weeks on the road are now coming to fruition at this point, the growth of Local Wine & Spirits did not arrive without some initial struggles.  His foray into the Domestic Rosé market was tenuous at best.  In his own words: “The Lindsay Lohan of the Wine World” – Domestic Rosé has notoriously been a difficult niche to exploit.  Named appropriately Murphy’s Law, he decided to take a “George Castanza” approach to marketing, i.e., doing everything opposite of conventional wisdom.  Unfortunately this sort of logic did not fare well in the market, and soon Local Wine & Spirits made a swift exit from the Rosé business.

The Products

Wine: Murphy’s Law Columbia Valley Riesling, Jigsaw Willamette Pinot Noir, Ransom Selection Willamette Pinot Noir, Sweet Spot Cabernet Sauvignon.

Spirits: Small’s American Gin, Ransom Old Tom Gin, Whipper Snapper Oregon Whiskey. 

Spirit Overview:  Small's American Dry Gin,

When discussing Gin with Chistophe he was certainly forthcoming, in fact he threw down handfuls of knowledge!  The intention of Small’s American Gin is to establish a point of entry for creating a Western Gin Standard.  A great concept and an even better product. 

An Oregon spirit handmade in small-pot batches using naturally-farmed and wild-grown botanicals. It is intensely aromatic from a complex infusion of Juniper, orange, lemon, coriander, cardamom, angelica, caraway, star anise, and raspberry. Small's gin brings together a combination of recipes from the 19th century (circa 1840) with obsessive distillation techniques and the finest regional ingredients. The best of tradition, dedication to quality, and innovation come together to create a remarkable, elaborate and unrivaled spirit that is the convincer of all gins.  To those who say they don’t enjoy gin…well they haven’t tried Small’s and “the people have spoken.”

Wine Overview: Sweet Spot

When a vineyard is in harmony with climate and geology, wines of great depth and character are possible.
 Located in the Northeast corner of Sonoma County, Alexander Valley is known for growing intensely structured, balanced Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. We are pleased to be working with passionate and dedicated farmers like the Warnecke family. At 1200ft elevation in the heart of Alexander Valley, the Warnecke Vineyard and its unique fruit are the soul of 2008 Sweet Spot Cabernet Sauvignon.

All fruit for this wine was de-stemmed and cold soaked for 3 days, followed by a 28 day fermentation at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It was then barrel aged in a combination of French
and American oak for 19 months and bottled in May, 2010. 

A Little History of Champagne for Mother's Day

A Little History of Champagne for Mothers Day

"Come, for I am drinking stars!"
Dom Perignon

With Mother’s Day fast approaching many find themselves scrambling to make those last-minute Sunday Brunch reservations.  The one day a year we celebrate our adoration to our mother’s with the delicacies of brunch and of course champagne, plenty of champagne.   With that in mind, let’s consider the history, source, and profiles of this wonderful, bubbly drink that has a seat at every brunch table.

The history of Champagne dates back to the 17th century when in the cold, northeastern region of France, bubbles accidentally appeared in bottles of fermenting wine. That's right. This celebrated beverage first began in Champagne, France as a science experiment. The trapped carbon dioxide bubbles were not originally intended to be part of the wine.  Although these magical bubbles were a created via a historical faux pas, it took the visionary Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk and cellar master at the abbey Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers, to master the production of Champagne.

Champagne, we’re talking REAL champagne, comes from the Champagne region of France.   If it’s not from this region it is Sparkling Wine, plain and simple.  Apologies to all the Korbel’s of the world, but in the eyes of the wine drinking world you are not invited to the club.  Sidelined – noses firmly placed against the glass – on the outside looking in on the Champagne world.  The Champagne region includes the major cities of Epernay and Reims. It lies about 90 miles east of Paris. The region is home to such famous labels as: Collet,  Mumm, Mercier, Moet & Chandon, Joseph Perrier, Perrier-Jouet, Taittinger, Veuve Cliquot.

One of the beauties of Champagne is the remarkable diversity of styles that come from such a small corner of the world. Each style and type of Champagne is designed to please the various preferences in taste. The primary types of Champagne include Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rosé.  One must also consider sugar content and of course context.  In terms of sugar content: “brut” or “sec” is going to give you a sweeter champagne, while “dry” is going to give you a less sweeter variety.  The majority of champagne consumed is of these two styles, yet, one must also consider the almighty rose, yes the rose.  This is the key to any womens heart and a perfect opener to any romantic interlude.

In the end champagne may go down as one of the greatest mistakes of all time, but one thing is for sure.  Champagne will always go down as a refreshing delicious way to celebrate a special occasion – or even to celebrate the perfect Sunday.  

Elite Brands Would Like to Welcome Raptor Ridge!

Elite Brands would like to welcome Raptor Ridge Winery to our vast portfolio of brands we represent. Raptor Ridge has created an impressive selection of wines that are high in quality and reasonably priced.  Oregon has earned the distinction of a premier wine-making region in the United States, and Raptor Ridge certainly lends credence to that reputation.

 The Winery was founded in 1995 by Scott Shull.  Scott has been making wines in Oregon since 1989, first as an independent producer, and for the last 17 vintages as a commercial winemaker at Raptor Ridge Winery.  Scott strives to craft wines that are interesting to the palate and the mind- - wines of complexity, finesse, and of place.  Scott’s wife and business partner, Annie Shull, takes on the role of Sales and Marketing Director, her passion and dedication shows through her long stretches on the road and almost daily tastings and wine dinners.  Her most recent trip to Colorado featured a Pinot Noir wine pairing with a chef inspired menu at Jimmy’s in Aspen, an artisanal wine and cheese pairing at Eat! Drink! in Edwards and a wine tasting at Ski Time Wine in Steamboat Springs.

Notable wines include their 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir, which is pleasing to the eye, with saturated crimson and bright purple hues. The palate is structured round and full, revealing rich plum and spice cake flavors cloaked in silky yet meaty tannins.  This is an ideal dinner-time wine to enjoy with friends and family!

For great value and a fantastic wine, the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2010 is highly recommended. The goal for this blend is to provide a balanced, immediately drinkable, crowd-pleasing wine that is perceived as a great value for the price. The 2010 Willamette is an elegant and articulate wine which showcases the care and dedication put into producing this brand.

About The Winery

Raptor Ridge Winery gets its name from the many families of raptors – Red-tailed Hawks, Kestrels, Sharp-shinned Hawks and Owls – that share the winery's 27-acre estate. The vineyard is named "Tuscowallame," the indigenous word for "place where the owls dwell."  Located on the northeast side of the Chehalem Mountains, 10 miles north of Newberg, Oregon, the winery is known for handcrafted Pinot noir and Pinot Gris. The wine continues to be made by Scott Shull and his staff with a threefold philosophy:

 1) Personal involvement with the vines

2)  A working knowledge of every barrel of wine

3) Maintaining a balance of science, tradition, and spirituality.

In addition to production from its own estate vineyard, Raptor Ridge harvests wine grapes from other Willamette Valley growers, currently including:, Bellevue Cross,  Carabella, Gran Moraine, Harbinger, Meredith Mitchell, Olenik, and Shea.

Production

                The Raptor Ridge approach to winemaking focuses as much on the vineyard as the cellar. Winemaker Scott Shull partners with the growers in pruning, trellising, cluster counting and thinning, leaf pulling, quality monitoring, and all harvest decisions. During harvest, Scott is in the field alongside seasonal workers, and often transports the wine grapes back to Raptor Ridge where he oversees the crush.        

                Raptor Ridge produces about 6500 cases of wine per vintage year. Approximately nine different cuvées comprise this case quantity, including Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot noir rosé, several distinct vineyard designates, and consistent blends of Willamette Valley Pinot noir and Reserve Pinot noir. Owners Scott and Annie Shull regularly taste through and segregate every barrel into these select cuvées. Uncompromised quality is the focus, not quantity.