Drink the Bottles

  The history behind PEJU Winery is absolutely mesmerizing and one that you will never tire of hearing.  It's a man with a dream, a vision and determination.   Tony Peju moved his family from Los Angeles to Rutherford and began selling his young wines out of a garage.  Throughout the years, a formal tasting room is added, additional vineyards, the iconic tower is built and the adult children join the winery full time.  While Tony passed away in 2023, he leaves a legacy and his footprint on Napa Valley wine.  Tony is often regarded as the father of Direct to Consumer (DTC) Wine Marketing. The 2023 Peju Winery Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is another stunning example of organically farmed fruit from winemaker Sara Fowler.  Fowler is celebrating her 20th vintage with PEJU this year and you can feel the love and terroir in every bottle.   Dark purple-black in color with swelling aromas of blackberry jam, blackcurrant, ...

  About two months ago, Heaven HIll Distillery announced an additiont to their limited edition whiskey lineup - Grain to Glass expressions finished in Chinquapin Oak barrels.  The innaugural release offered a Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and a Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey, all with the Beck's 6225 grain backbone.  Chinquapin Oak is a specific type of American white oak, found primarily in Central and Eastern North America.  We have a bottle of the "normal" HH Grain to Glass Bourbon in our home bar and we really enjoy that one, so we were really stoked to taste the three expressions that were generously provided by Heaven Hill back to back. The Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey has a dark brown, almost aged copper appearance and it carries a mash bill of Rye (63%), Corn (24%) and Malt (13%).  The bottle suggests this is a 7 year age stated whiskey by the bottled and released years, but specific dates aren't provided...

  Jack Daniel’s Launches Limited Edition Tennessee Rye Whiskey Finished in Table Syrup Barrels Jack Daniel’s Distillery Selection #16 brings together rye spice and Southern sweetness in this barrel proof release Lynchburg, Tennessee (December 4, 2025) – The Jack Daniel Distillery introduces Distillery Series #16, a barrel proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey finished in table syrup barrels, as the latest innovation in its Distillery Series line of experimental whiskeys. The new expression begins with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye Whiskey, crafted from a mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley and matured in new charred white oak barrels. The rye whiskey is then finished in barrels that once held a Southern-style table syrup, adding rich layers of sweetness that complement and elevate its bold rye character. “The Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series is all about exploring new ideas, and the complex nature of our Tennessee Rye Whiskey makes a great canvas for experimentation,” said By...