Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 10

FINED&

filtered
Sherry + Vermouth

Maestros in America

It's common these days to find cocktail bars stocked with a
range of Sherries and vermouths, but soon, you might also
see drinks featuring Sherry vermouth. González Byass recently
drew on house recipes dating back to 1896 to create a Sherrybased vermouth for the modern era, macerating wormwood,
clove, orange peel, nutmeg, angelica, quinine and savory in
Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherries. The result is a sweet,
tawny vermouth with a distinct orange-peel scent that slowly
gives way to the long, nutty finish of an aged Sherry. It's a
bit too sweet to work as an aperitif, but that also makes it
remarkably versatile in cocktails. Replace the simple syrup in
an Old-Fashioned with this stuff and you can imagine you're
drinking a cocktail that Hemingway himself might have juryrigged during a trip to the bullring in Sevilla. -LUKE SYKORA
González Byass La Copa Vermouth, imported by González Byass
USA, Chicago, IL; 15.5% abv, $23

Wine-Os
Keep track of your glass with
these bright felt rings; made from
merino wool, they'll also prevent
drips from pooling at the foot of the
glass. Holger Graf and Daniel Lantz
make them in LA, along with sturdy
felted coasters and wine totes in
saturated colors. A set of 12 rings
runs $18 at graf-lantz.com.
-TARA. Q. THOMAS

In June 2017, Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) will offer its certification
course in the US for the first time. The VIA initiative launched in 2014 to
provide a comprehensive training program for wine professionals on the
native grape varieties and wines of Italy. Managing Director Stevie Kim runs
the program with Dr. Ian d'Agata, author of Native Wine Grapes of Italy. To
date, six people have attained the program's top level qualification of Italian
Wine Expert and 55 have achieved the status of Italian Wine Ambassador.
Simultaneously, VIA is launching a new entry-level course called "Italian
Wine Maestro" that will be open to nonprofessionals who want to learn
more about Italian wines. vinitalyinternational.com -STEPHANIE JOHNSON

Room for Two
Designed in collaboration with
Sonoma's Scribe Winery, the Apolis
Wine Tote is handcrafted by a
cooperative of female artisans in
Bangladesh. The tote is waterproof,
with durable leather straps, and
accommodates two bottles of
wine in separate interior pockets
with room in between for picnic
essentials. Profits from the bags
($88 at apolisglobal.com) go
towards supporting members of the
cooperative in Saidpur and local
educational and social initiatives.
-DEANNA GONNELLA

LA: 71ABOVE
At 71Above, you'd be forgiven for looking up from your meal. On the 71st
floor of the US Bank Tower, you're privy to a nearly 360-degree view of LA,
from downtown landmarks to the San Gabriel Mountains. The interior (if you
care) is sleek and modern, the restaurant's wines illuminated in see-through
columns, like museum displays filled with liquid treasures. Chef Vartan
Abgaryan's prix-fixe menu slants toward the eastern Mediterranean, with
dishes like grilled octopus dusted with sumac and Aleppo pepper, or roasted
striped bass with harissa, raisins, pine nuts and preserved lemon. Catherine
Morel surmounts the site's logistical and storage hurdles to present a list
with impressive breadth, strong in pinot noir and chardonnay from both the
US and Burgundy, as well as rieslings, like Ostertag's Muenchberg 2005,
and rare domestic reds like Pax Mahle's 2007 Agharta Red Label Syrah.
-PATRICK J. COMISKEY
71Above, 633 W. 5th St., Los Angeles; 213-712-2683, 71above.com

WINE & SPIRITS JUNE 2017

Goat Sheep Cow is one of the best
cheese-and-wine shops in the South.
Goat Sheep Cow North offers the
same impressive wine and cheese
selections in its retail shop, but adds
an airy, bright restaurant and outdoor
patio. Take a seat at the wine bar and
choose from 30 wines by the glass,
the focus on small-production and
organic wines like Omero Pinot Noir
from Oregon, Heidi Schröck rosé from
Austria and i Clivi Ribolla Gialla from
Friuli. To match, order a cheese-andcharcuterie board, a sandwich or a
salad. On your way out, grab a wedge
of your favorite cheese to go, along
with a bottle from the wine wall.
-NOAH SINGERMAN
Goat Sheep Cow North, 804 Meeting
St., Charleston, SC; 843-203-3118,
goatsheepcow.com

photo of 71 Above by Bradley Tuck

CHARLESTON, SC: GOAT SHEEP
COW NORTH

http://www.vinitalyinternational.com http://www.apolisglobal.com http://www.graf-lantz.com http://www.goatsheepcow.com http://www.71above.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - June 2017