What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Vicki Denig <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/hidden-gems-smithereens-nikita-malhotra">spoke to Nikita Malhotra</a> about her journey into the world of wine, and some of her favorite bottles at her NYC restaurant Smithereens.
🥃 It&rsquo;s almost St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day, so Gina Pace <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review">wrote about the category&rsquo;s comeback</a> and picked some of the best and most collectible bottles to consider.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Lux Row Estate Bourbon ($100)
This is the first estate bourbon from Lux Row, a project that master distiller John Rempe has had in mind for some time now. It&rsquo;s a five-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon made from a mashbill that includes #2 yellow corn (78% corn, 12% malted barley, 10% rye) that was actually grown at the Lux Row estate and bottled at 107 proof. Official tasting notes describe honey on the nose and brown sugar, black cherry, and dark chocolate on the palate and finish.
Barrel Cigar Blend ($85)
This is the first cigar blend from Louisville&rsquo;s Barrell Craft Spirits. The whiskeys in the mix were aged from 7.5 to 18 years and finished in three different types of barrels: Madeira, Armagnac, rum, and Hungarian oak. Like any other cigar blend you can certainly enjoy this without smoking, but the flavors of Boston cream pie, grape soda, cedar, and pecan pie on the palate make this a good whiskey to pair with a stogie.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
High West Bourye ($125)
High West&rsquo;s Bourye isn&rsquo;t the only bourbon-rye blend that you can find on liquor store shelves anymore, but it was one of the first to combine these two distinctive styles of whiskey. The 2026 release just arrived, and there have been some changes this year&mdash;most notably, the ABV is higher at 50.5 percent (101 proof, for all you Wild Turkey fans). But that&rsquo;s not the only thing that makes this excellent whiskey stand out.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/e1ac0ed7-f191-473b-8389-16619413cd79.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="260207 Bourye 9">
The blend changes a bit from year to year, and the details for this year&rsquo;s release are as follows. The mashbill combines two different bourbons and two ryes, three of them sourced and one produced in-house. The bourbons were made at MGP in Indiana from a mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt; and 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley. One rye also comes from MGP&rsquo;s classic mashbill of 95% rye, 5% barley malt; the other is made in-house at High West from its mashbill of 80% rye, 20% malted rye. Each whiskey was aged for a minimum of 10 years and up to 19 years, and the final blend has not been chill filtered. &ldquo;We re-evaluated Bourye in 2026 to better showcase the elegance and complexity of its 10+ year‑old whiskeys,&rdquo; said a rep for the distillery in a statement. &ldquo;With the rich, decadent flavor that emerges in whiskey over long maturation, this blend can boldly embrace a higher proof while maintaining balance, depth, and approachability.&rdquo;
I&rsquo;d say the High West team succeeded in that with this release, which is the best Bourye in recent memory. While the exact proportions are not revealed, there is clearly a balance of bourbon and rye present as you sip, and one style does not overtake the other. That means that sweet maple, honey, and vanilla notes are nicely balanced with dried fruit, black pepper, and a cabinet full of baking spices. And at 101 proof, there&rsquo;s a nice warming heat on the finish.
High West recommends that you sip Bourye neat&mdash;preferably &ldquo;around a campfire while looking at the Milky Way.&rdquo; Please do try it that way, it sounds pretty nice especially as the weather starts to warm up a bit. But the whiskey also happens to work very well in a Manhattan, so give that a try too. However you choose to drink the new Bourye, you won&rsquo;t be disappointed.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
R&eacute;my V ($35&mdash;this week&rsquo;s wine pick is a spirit)
Sometimes it&rsquo;s worth it to go against type. Earlier this month, Cognac house R&eacute;my Martin announced the U.S. debut of a new neutral spirit distilled from grapes called Remy V (35% ABV). It&rsquo;s an un-oaked, unadorned eau-de-vie with a Cognac pedigree.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/50f943f5-698a-4737-96be-605e47dbac64.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Remy">
The Grande Marques house of R&eacute;my Martin has moved steadily in the direction of finer and finer bottlings of Cognac, culminating with Louis XIII Black Pearl, an expression that retails for north of $30,000. Compare that to your basic Louis XIII, one of the finer things that&rsquo;s ever landed on my tongue, which goes for a mere $4,000-$5,000. &nbsp;R&eacute;my Martin is a house known for the balance and finesse of its brandies; to my palate, it&rsquo;s always been a house that emphasizes clarity over concentration or depth of flavor.
Cognac, of course, is a white spirit before it becomes a brown spirit. Distilled from grapes in copper pot stills, the R&eacute;my V bottling draws from what the house does best. There is often a raw phenolic (and not unpleasant) bite to the flavors of un-oaked grape brandy, similar to grappa or other eaux-de-vie concoctions that are made, pretty much, wherever grapes are grown. It may be a neutral spirit, but R&eacute;my V is less neutral than vodka, and much closer to grappa in its character.
As such, it has grappa&rsquo;s gorgeous aromatics. Freed of the influence of oak, the nose is lifted and bright, smelling of toasted lees and ripe pear, with a light topnote of white tea. The palate is rich, round, and slightly sweet (they&rsquo;ve added a pinch of sugar to round out the texture), with a pleasing phenolic bite. It feels like an ideal base for citrus cocktails, or sipped over a single sphere of ice.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: March 13

Wine has always been a part of Nikita Malhotra&rsquo;s life. Born in New York to immigrant parents, Malhotra&rsquo;s family had a rather unique relationship with alcohol. Her great-grandfather was a scotch importer with the British Raj in India, which led her family to embrace the convivial nature of eating and drinking early on. &ldquo;My family was always very open&mdash;even my great-grandmother would ask for a nip of whisky whenever she was sick,&rdquo; she laughed.&nbsp;
Malhotra&rsquo;s father, who had a construction company in India&mdash;along with a bio-physics degree&mdash;sold his company and moved to Cleveland for a lab job, though his dreams of owning something in America held firm. &ldquo;The opportunity to purchase an existing business in New York presented itself, so he grabbed at the chance,&rdquo; she said, and he ended up opening a wine and spirits store on New York&rsquo;s Upper East Side. Using his base knowledge of spirits, Malhotra&rsquo;s father eventually became a self-taught wine connoisseur, taking every opportunity possible to taste and learn&mdash;which eventually trickled down to Malhotra herself.
&ldquo;By the time I was in my teens, my parents were pouring me glasses of wine and teaching me very basic things; wine had become such a big part of their lives,&rdquo; she recalled, adding that a bottle was always present on her family&rsquo;s dinner table. She studied philosophy, but then pivoted to the hospitality industry. After completing wine courses and various gigs, Malhotra eventually became a sommelier at Tribeca Grill, followed by a stint as wine director at Momofuku Ko. However, she craved the opportunity to expand her knowledge. &ldquo;​​I wanted to go back to being a student,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I love being a mentor, but I think to be a good mentor, you have to acknowledge that there's also more to learn.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Enter Pressoir, the wine experience-focused company behind La Paul&eacute;e, La Tabl&eacute;e, and La F&ecirc;te du Champagne. Malhotra joined the Pressoir team as head sommelier in 2023 and never looked back. Here, she&rsquo;s been able to greatly expand her knowledge of&mdash;and taste thousands of bottles from&mdash;Champagne, Burgundy, and the Rh&ocirc;ne Valley. Eventually, the hospitality bug pulled her back in. In conjunction with her role at Pressoir, Malhotra opened Smithereens, a New England-inspired, seafood-focused restaurant in the East Village, with her business partner, Nick Tamburo. At Smithereens, Malhotra keeps her list tight, but purposefully so. &ldquo;I always knew it would be a small wine program because of the space constraints, but that was exciting for me,&rdquo; she said, describing the restaurant&rsquo;s list as her personal playground.&nbsp;
In addition to the regular list, Malhotra incorporates a rotating theme, which changes every three to four months. Past themes have focused solely on Grenache, Champagne, and other specific regions/varieties. The end goal is to simply open her guests&rsquo; minds to new things. &ldquo;I want to have a wine program that maybe in some ways gets people to think and engage,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s leading the vision at Smithereens.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Below are few of Malhotra&rsquo;s current favorites (edited for clarity and concision):
<h3 dir="ltr">Champagne Etienne Calsac 2021 Avize Grand Cru &lsquo;Clos des Maladries'&nbsp;</h3>
I've enjoyed watching Etienne Calsac grow and progress through the years, and I have had the pleasure of visiting him and hanging out with him and his wife in Los Angeles (I have a great video of [them] singing and dancing). We have the 'Clos des Maladries' Grand Cru Avize 2021 on our list. The label features the illustration of a doctor during the Plague, a reference to the name of the vineyards. &lsquo;Maladries&rsquo; is a term that comes from the Middle Ages, and the fruit here comes from vines that Etienne's grandfather planted in the &lsquo;70s.
<h3 dir="ltr">Lukas Hammelmann 2023 Pfalz 'Z' Zeikam Aus der Dorfen Chardonnay&nbsp;</h3>
Lukas Hammelmann captured my staff's attention when he came in to dine last year, and his Chardonnays have me believing the many promises people have been claiming about German expressions of the grape. At Smithereens, we can't help but champion German wine. I'm glad to report it is not just me that is aligned on this, as the whole staff fully supports our German producers! We have Hammelmann's Chardonnay 'Z' 2023, a the village-level bottling (the &lsquo;Z&rsquo; stands for Lukas&rsquo; hometown village of Zeiksam on loess and sandstone soils). This bottling is delicious. As with most German wine, be it Riesling, Syvaner, or even Chardonnay, there is a sense of energy that is expected, and this delivers.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Domaine Mie Ikeno 2022 Yamanashi &lsquo;Moonlight Harvest&rsquo; Chardonnay&nbsp;</h3>
Mie Ikeno is considered one of the great winemakers in Japan, so of course I am excited to have any of her wines on the list. However, I am especially excited to have the 'Moonlight Harvest' Chardonnay 2022. As the name implies, the team harvests at night for this bottling. Most of us get into wine because it provides us the opportunity to be life-long students, and I certainly get that chance with wine from Japan, and her story of giving up her journalism career to go learn how to make wine in France reinforces the idea that we are constantly learning in the wine world.
<h3 dir="ltr">Perkins-Harter 2024 Eola-Amity Hills Bracken Vineyard Pinot Meunier&nbsp;</h3>
Shelby is a force, and her wines communicate a bit of that personality. I always love sharing her bottles with guests, and her Pinot Meunier offers such a great way to discuss the cool climate in Bracken Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. The wine is vivacious, balanced, and fun&mdash;and for a seafood restaurant, it is the type of red wine that meets any challenge a dish may present.
<h3 dir="ltr">Quinta dos Pesos 1994 Carcavelos Vinho Generoso Fortified Wine (500ml)</h3>
We like to feature a couple of fortified wines at Smithereens, as an ode to how New Englanders drank many years ago in taverns [with] secret toasts against the British. The wines of Quinta dos Pesos present us with the almost lost wines of Carcavelos, Portugal&rsquo;s smallest appellation, located just west of Lisbon. With the passing of Manoel de Boullosa in 2005, operations ceased and there is almost no production left in this region. We usually have a couple of vintages to pour, and at present we have the 1994.&nbsp;

The Hidden Gems on My Wine List: Smithereens' Nikita Malhotra

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Matthew J. Kaner <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/uruguay-wine-collecting">wrote about how Uruguay is becoming just as recognized</a> as its South American neighbors for its high-quality meat and fantastic wines.&nbsp;
🥃 Are you an Old Fitzgerald fan? Susannah Skiver Barton has <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/what-to-drink-next-old-fitzgerald">some other wheated bourbons to recommend</a> if you are interested in trying something that is a little easier to find.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Johnnie Walker Black Cask ($35)&nbsp;
This is the first new release from Johnnie Walker in about 15 years. It&rsquo;s a new blend that is geared towards bourbon drinkers, and to meet that specific flavor profile it&rsquo;s aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks as opposed to the mix of casks that regular Johnnie Walker Black is matured in. That gives this blend stronger notes of vanilla, maple, and honey, and makes it a good choice to use in cocktails.
Compass Box Hedonism ($165)
This is the oldest version of this whisky to date, an expression that was originally released back in 2000. It&rsquo;s a blended grain whisky (the brand says it was the first of this style when it came out) that is now a limited annual release. Some of the components in the blend are a 30-year-old whisky from Strathclyde Distillery, and whiskies ranging from 20 to 24 years old that were distilled at Port Dundas and Cameronbridge. This latest version features actress Karen Gillan as the muse on the label, continuing the tradition of keeping women at the center of its visual identity.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey 20th Anniversary Limited Edition ($85)
When&rsquo;s the last time you drank wheat whiskey? The odds are that it&rsquo;s been a while, and that&rsquo;s understandable&mdash;even though some major distilleries produce this category, it&rsquo;s just not nearly as popular as bourbon or rye. One legacy name that has had a wheat whiskey in its lineup for some time now&mdash;two decades, to be precise&mdash;is Heaven Hill, and to celebrate that anniversary it released this new 20th Anniversary Limited Edition.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/045cc555-5027-47cf-bdbb-2ab0d2ecce5d.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Bernheim 20th Anniversary"> 
Bernheim, which first launched in 2005, is made using Heaven Hill&rsquo;s wheat whiskey mashbill: 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley (remember, wheat whiskey must contain at least 51 percent wheat in the mashbill). That makes it a &ldquo;just legal&rdquo; wheat whiskey that still has a lot of sweetness to it due to the large amount of corn in the recipe, so it is something that still appeals to bourbon drinkers (the use of wheat also adds some sweetness, but it doesn't go overboard here). The core expression is a seven-year-old whiskey bottled at 90 proof, but this new 20th Anniversary edition is aged for ten years and bottled at a much higher 115 proof.
Those extra three years in the barrel and that stronger ABV really paid off. The 20th Anniversary expression is a really good whiskey, and one that you should try whether or not you are already a fan of the wheat whiskey category. The higher proof brings some heat to the palate, as you&rsquo;d expect, but there&rsquo;s a lot going on underneath that, with flavors like cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla, almond, oak, and sweet molasses that pop as you sip. Pour this whiskey over a large ice cube and let it dilute a little if you prefer to sip on something less strong&mdash;that brings out some new flavors. Or mix it up in a cocktail like an Old Fashioned&mdash;there's a complexity that will shine through whatever other ingredients you throw at this whiskey.
Some other Heaven Hill releases have come out in the past month that might get more attention, including the new Heritage Collection 22-year-old bourbon. But this is a bottle that will be easier to find (and cheaper when you do), and is definitely worth checking out.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Big Salt 2024 Oregon White Blend ($25)
This week&rsquo;s wine is a personal favorite. It&rsquo;s one of my wife&rsquo;s wines of spring, and it&rsquo;s a wine I always have in the fridge as the temperatures rise. Big Salt is the love child of John and Ksenija Kostic House of the Oregon wine brand Ovum. I was introduced to the Houses through Ovum, one of those rare wineries in Oregon that for years politely declined to make red wine, least of all Pinot Noir.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/ea6647ff-4880-459a-a761-b15d829a7c58.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Big Salt">
Instead, Ovum was responsible for some of the most challenging, complex, and idiosyncratic white wines in the Pacific Northwest. John and Ksenija tracked down and resurrected older vineyards of Riesling and Gewurztraminer, many in Oregon&rsquo;s southern reaches, many planted in the &lsquo;60s and &lsquo;70s. Armed with unique fruit sources, they built a program of exceptional creativity, doing work in the cellar to make their wines as singular as four walls and the odd concrete egg would allow&mdash;Austrian casks, skin contact, late releases, long elevage. They were and remain some of the most challenging and thrilling wines on my tasting table each year.
Then came Big Salt. Established in 2016, Big Salt drew from a similar palette of aromatic varieties, usually Riesling with a healthy dose of Gewurztraminer and Early Muscat, many of which seemed to be hard sells on their own (later vintages included Pinot Blanc, sometimes a bit of Chardonnay). But Big Salt was irresistible&mdash;an unabashedly forward white wine with beautiful aromatics, juicy, mouthwatering fruit, and tangy acidity. It was an unpretentious, thoroughly delicious alternative, and it flew off the shelves. A Big Pink and Big Orange soon followed, and demand far exceeded supply.
Big Salt proved to be irresistible for Jackson Family Wines too, who have been making wine in Oregon for a little over a decade, and whose own creative teams had devoted plenty of research toward wines of a comparable immediacy and deliciousness. One could argue that their original signature success, K-J&rsquo;s Vintner&rsquo;s Reserve Chardonnay, is another version of the same thing, from another era. Big brand or small, the goal is the same&mdash;to give the people something in their glass for spring and summer bashes.
The Houses will continue to make Big Salt, but they now have the resources and fruit sources to increase production and broaden distribution, something they&rsquo;ve been wanting to do for many years. So grab Big Salt whenever you see it.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: March 6

There is a filet mignon-shaped South American country so often overshadowed by its neighbors&mdash;both soccer superpowers, both synonymous with beef and bold red wine&mdash;that even seasoned travelers struggle to articulate its pull. And yet, quietly, confidently, Uruguay has been stepping into the spotlight.
I have always rooted for the underdog. My first trip to Uruguay in 2018 dismantled all the half-formed assumptions I&rsquo;d been carrying. Since then, I&rsquo;ve become an evangelist on behalf of this Atlantic outpost&mdash;a country whose agricultural muscle and vinous ambition far exceed its modest scale.
The story begins, as so many New World wine stories do, in the late 19th century. Pascual Harriague and Francisco Vidiella&mdash;Basque and Catalan immigrants, respectively&mdash;brought European vinifera to Uruguayan soil, importing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and, most consequentially, Tannat. Atlantic breezes and temperate climate reflected the conditions of Bordeaux and France&rsquo;s southwest, and the vines responded in kind. What followed was not imitation, but adaptation.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">A Country for Carnivores</h3>
Carnivores know all about anticipation&mdash;a steak resting on the cutting board while juices redistribute; the faint crackle of its charred exterior; the finishing salt dancing across the meaty surface; the first slice. Now imagine that paired with a red wine from Uruguay made for the moment, its tannins softened into silk, humming with acidity, fruit beginning its slow migration from primary exuberance to tertiary intrigue. This is not indulgence, it is alignment.&nbsp;
Argentina, of course, has long owned the global narrative for South American beef and wine, but Uruguay has a stake to claim. For every one person in the country, there are more than three cows. The population hovers around 3.5 million; the cattle population eclipses that many times over. Compare that with California&rsquo;s nearly 40 million residents and roughly 1.7 million cows, and the scale becomes unmistakable. Beef here is not branding&mdash;it is infrastructure.
Tannat is Uruguay&rsquo;s varietal calling-card. As Nikolas Kozik, export manager of Vi&ntilde;a Progreso, explained: &ldquo;Tannat is probably the most tannic grape in the world, with concentrations four times higher than Merlot. Acidity is also high, but you don&rsquo;t feel it, as it&rsquo;s counterbalanced by the tannins and the alcohol. These three attributes are in natural balance. You can drink the wines young, but they can age for five, 10, 20, even 30 years.&rdquo; The variety&rsquo;s architecture is tailor-made to pair with protein, its tannic spine gripping fat and salt with authority. Yet in Uruguay&rsquo;s maritime climate, the grape retains lift and freshness, avoiding the blunt-force density that can plague it elsewhere. The result is power with poise.
<h3 dir="ltr">Varied Cuisine and Cellar-Worthy Wines</h3>
And if you assume Uruguay&rsquo;s culinary identity begins and ends with steak, think again. On my first visit, I traveled as a guest of the National Institute of Viticulture (INAVI) alongside a small group of sommeliers. Among us was a punk rock East Coast restaurateur I had long admired&mdash;Max Kuller, who, as it turned out, was a committed vegetarian. Any concern about his dining prospects evaporated the moment we arrived in Montevideo and discovered a thriving scene of highly-rated vegetarian and vegan restaurants. It felt like being in Los Angeles in the early 2000s. Uruguay&rsquo;s gastronomic identity may be anchored in beef, but its culinary imagination is far broader.
No emerging region ascends without a splash. For Uruguay, a major catalyst has been the behemoth Bodega Garz&oacute;n in the Maldonado department. Alberto Antonini, famed Italian oenologist, was brought in to collaborate with owner and visionary Alejandro Bulgheroni to execute the viticulture for this jewel of a property. &ldquo;We developed the vineyards without changing the environment,&rdquo; said Antonini. &ldquo;We kept all the slopes as mother nature designed them. That resulted in 200 hectares divided into more than 1,000 small lots, many less than an acre. Finding experienced vineyard workers was a challenge&mdash;it required extensive training, time, and resources.&rdquo;
Reds presented fewer unknowns, thanks to Uruguay&rsquo;s existing Tannat tradition and knowledge of Bordeaux varieties in the vineyards. Whites were another matter entirely. Antonini proposed Albari&ntilde;o, drawing parallels to Galicia&rsquo;s granite soils and Atlantic climate. It flourished. &ldquo;From the early days, the results were encouraging,&rdquo; he noted. &ldquo;The enthusiasm was high.&rdquo;
Today, that enthusiasm feels justified. Uruguay is no longer content to be the quiet sibling in South America&rsquo;s wine narrative. For collectors willing to look beyond celebrated wine brands and popular appellations, this small nation offers something rarer than novelty: authenticity forged through scale, climate, and conviction.
The cow capital, it turns out, has been cultivating cellar-worthy secrets.
<h3 dir="ltr">Uruguayan Wines to Watch&nbsp;</h3>
Non-Vintage Bodega Cerro Chapeu Castel Pujol &ldquo;Folklore&rdquo; P&eacute;tillant Naturel &ndash; Rivera ($25)
Rivera sits at the northernmost edge of Uruguay&rsquo;s viticultural frontier, close to the border of Brazil&rsquo;s Campanha region. The Carrau family, Rivera pioneers, first planted here in 1975, and have been methodically expanding the region&rsquo;s quality ceiling ever since. Led by a 10th-generation Carrau, Pia Carrau heads Bodega Cerro Chapeu and makes the wines from fruit that&rsquo;s dry-farmed on sandy soils. Carrau&rsquo;s minimal-intervention winemaking translates into wines of purity and restraint. Case in point, this blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia used to make this P&eacute;t Nat is fermented with native yeasts and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The result preserves texture and aromatic vitality, allowing the site to articulate itself with clarity and energy.
2024 Bodega Bouza Albari&ntilde;o &ndash; Canelones/Montevideo ($30)
In 2000, the Bouza family restored a historic winery just outside Montevideo, originally established in 1942. From that foundation, they&rsquo;ve built one of Uruguay&rsquo;s most respected estates, farming five vineyards across Canelones, Maldonado, and Montevideo.&nbsp;
While Bouza produces benchmark Tannat, their Albari&ntilde;o has become emblematic of Uruguay&rsquo;s maritime expression. The family balances traditional technique with modern precision, crafting wines that are gastronomic without sacrificing tension or freshness. Their estate restaurant reinforces this ethos&mdash;wine conceived with the table in mind.&nbsp;
Fermented primarily in stainless steel, with 10% briefly aged in French oak, the Bouza Albari&ntilde;o starts off bright, while gaining subtle breadth. Four months on the lees build mid-palate texture without diminishing its coastal snap. The clonal material originates from distant family vineyards in R&iacute;as Baixas, preserving a direct genetic link to Albari&ntilde;o&rsquo;s ancestral home.
2011 Vi&ntilde;a Progreso &ldquo;Sue&ntilde;os De Elisa&rdquo; Open Barrel Tannat &ndash; Progreso (Canelones)&nbsp; ($60)
Vi&ntilde;a Progreso is Gabriel Pisano&rsquo;s experimental counterpart to his family&rsquo;s historic estate, Pisano Wines&mdash;an operation rooted in Progreso for over a century. With this second label, Gabriel works with greater latitude, exploring technique and expression beyond inherited convention. The house style leans toward elegance and composure, reframing Tannat through a contemporary lens. Tannat&rsquo;s imposing structure remains, but it is sculpted rather than imposed.&nbsp;
Pisano&rsquo;s open barrel project, &ldquo;Sue&ntilde;os de Elisa&rdquo; is fermented by opening one of the ends of a standing barrel and fermenting the grapes in contact with the wood from the very beginning, an &ldquo;integral vinification,&rdquo; as the bodega explains. After racking, the wine goes back to the barrel and is sealed again. It&rsquo;s a compelling opportunity to experience mature Uruguayan Tannat directly from the source.&nbsp;
2020 Bodega Garz&oacute;n &ldquo;Balasto&rdquo; &ndash; Maldonado ($150)
When Alejandro Bulgheroni first surveyed this sweeping coastal property, he envisioned something ambitious. Today, the 2,200-hectare estate includes Bodega Garz&oacute;n, a Francis Mallmann restaurant, a PGA-level golf course, and an expansive agricultural landscape that reflects the scale of that original vision.
Garz&oacute;n operates at scale, producing around 2.7 million bottles annually, but without sacrificing technical rigor. Over 500 acres of vineyards allow for stylistic range, while the modern, architecturally striking winery underscores the family&rsquo;s global ambition. The approach is expansive, but the execution remains disciplined.&nbsp;
Balasto stands as the estate&rsquo;s flagship expression&mdash;structured, composed, and built for longevity. Managing Director Christian Wylie thinks that the wine&rsquo;s full aging potential is still unfolding. &ldquo;The first vintage dates to 2015,&rdquo; he said. Built on structured varieties such as Tannat, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, it&rsquo;s supported by vibrant natural acidity and refined tannins. &ldquo;The wine has the balance and backbone for long-term evolution,&rdquo; said Wylie, adding that the winery is stocking its library for future vertical tastings. &ldquo;There is strong confidence it will improve for decades.&rdquo;
Non-Vintage Pablo Fallabrino &ldquo;Alcyone&rdquo; &ndash; Atl&aacute;ntida&nbsp; ($38)
Just four kilometers from the Atlantic in Atl&aacute;ntida, Pablo Fallabrino farms vines shaped by salt air and shifting maritime influence. A dedicated surfer and vigneron, he approaches both disciplines with instinct and precision. The ocean is not mere backdrop&mdash;it is the influence.&nbsp;
Sustainable vineyard practices and minimal cellar intervention allow site expression to take precedence. Whites such as Gew&uuml;rztraminer and Moscato Bianco emphasize aromatic purity, while Tannat here reveals both tensile structure and surprising finesse.
The first taste challenges expectations: a dessert wine made from 100% Tannat, rendered in a style inspired by combining both Barolo Chinato and Marsala production techniques. Honeyed in texture, layered with winter florals and dark cherry, the palate moves toward dark chocolate and dried herbs. It is less a reinterpretation than a redefinition&mdash;evidence of Tannat&rsquo;s expansive range within Uruguay&rsquo;s evolving identity.

Uruguay is the Cow Capital Every Serious Wine Collector Is Overlooking

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Vicki Denig <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/hautes-cotes-exciting-part-of-burgundy">wrote about why the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes sub-region of Burgundy</a> is a wine region to watch, and why interest in the area and its grapes has grown over the past decade.
🥃 Chasing down bottles of whiskey to collect can be a daunting task, but <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/modern-guide-collecting-whiskey">Ted Simmons wrote this handy guide</a> on how to navigate this world and the new school of collectible whiskeys to look out for.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Michter&rsquo;s 10 Year Bourbon ($195)
Michter&rsquo;s 10 Year Bourbon is back for 2026. Although it skipped a year in 2022, this whiskey has been an annual (and highly anticipated) release for some time now. The Michter&rsquo;s team always says that it is more focused on the liquid being ready when it&rsquo;s ready over meeting an age statement, and that seems to consistently be the case with each release.
Ardbeg 10 Cask Strength ($90)
Fans of this Islay distillery finally got what they&rsquo;ve been asking for&mdash;a cask-strength version of the core 10-year-old single malt. This whisky is made up of cask-strength single malt aged in ex-bourbon barrels, some of which was entered into casks undiluted as opposed to the slightly proofed down new make spirit that is usually used. It&rsquo;s bottled at 61.7 percent ABV, and is a really good addition to the lineup&mdash;but it&rsquo;s limited, so grab a bottle while you can.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
Frank August CASE STUDY: 06 | LEGACY RESERVE | 6 BARREL BATCH ($125)
The title of this bourbon is lofty. Look at the stylization, all those capped words, the dividing lines, and the whole concept of a &ldquo;case study&rdquo; in terms of whiskey. The thing is, as has been so often the case when it comes to Frank August, it&rsquo;s also a really good bourbon that has been thoughtfully crafted and is arguably worth its elevated price tag. And here&rsquo;s why.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/c51ac40e-c90e-40a2-b565-bf1f638aeccc.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Frank August"> 
Frank August has only been around for a few years, but has impressed whiskey fans in its short life with some really excellent bourbon and rye releases, all of which come in very nicely designed bottles. The sources of the whiskeys are not revealed, but that doesn&rsquo;t really matter because the quality of these small-batch releases is top-notch. And that includes the new Case Study 6, part of an ongoing series that is meant to explore the art of blending. This release combines six-barrel batches of Kentucky bourbon aged for eight, nine, and ten years respectively, sourced from three of the &ldquo;state&rsquo;s most storied legacy distilleries.&rdquo; What are those? We don&rsquo;t know, but given the age of the whiskeys and the language used here, one can make some assumptions.
Wherever they were distilled and whatever the mashbills might be, the resulting blend is excellent. This is clearly a well-aged bourbon from nose to finish, with a depth of flavor and classic notes of vanilla, maple, creme brulee, butterscotch, and burnt orange peel on the palate. There are also layers of spice and some charred wood notes that keep it from becoming overly sweet, and at just over 109 proof there&rsquo;s a richness to the mouthfeel and some heat on the finish.
Based on its name, Legacy Reserve seems like it&rsquo;s focused on where the whiskey originated, or at least the deep history of bourbon distilling that defines the state of Kentucky. But for me this whiskey is all about where it ended up&mdash;in a superb blend from one of the top small non-distiller brands you can find in a very crowded field.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Habit Wines 2024 Santa Ynez Valley Coquelicot Vineyard Cabernet Franc ($35)
Jeff Fischer doesn&rsquo;t really need a wine label. An actor with a background in voiceover work, Fischer has supplied the voice for a cartoon character named Jeff Fischer for more than 20 years on the Fox animated series American Dad. The cartoon Jeff Fischer bears a striking resemblance to the actual Jeff Fischer, but a younger, dimmer version who happens to smoke a lot of weed.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/ab815263-f647-4f39-be72-7508df356251.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Habit Wines">
Fischer has loved wine since he was a teenager, and spent years making it as an amateur before finding his happy place in Happy Canyon. That&rsquo;s located in the Santa Ynez Valley, a sub-region of Santa Barbara County that, in the right hands, can be the source of exuberant wines with a sunny disposition. Fischer founded Habit Wines in 2007 and splits his time between L.A. and an Airstream in Los Alamos for an enviable double life.
Habit Wines are habit-forming. Stripped of brawn or bombast, Fischer&rsquo;s wines stand out for their energy, their lithe structure, and their lively movement on the palate. Usually hovering around 13% ABV, the wines possess a current of acidity that feels like a mild and exhilarating electric charge. In their directness and immediacy, they seem to channel the spirit of the Loire Valley.
His 2024 Cabernet Franc is a textbook example. From the organically farmed Cocquelicot Vineyard, which sits between Happy Canyon and Ballard Canyon in the Santa Ynez Valley, the Habit Cab Franc smells of purple flowers and purple fruit in equal measure, with a hint of green herb that lends an edge. The flavors are, like the vineyard, sunny and warm, with a juicy, plummy core of fruit, like just picked plums warmed by the sun. At 12.7% ABV, there&rsquo;s plenty of acidity to elevate the finish. Chill a bit and serve on your next patio hang.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: February 27

Serious wine collectors are familiar with the treasures of Burgundy, but the area&rsquo;s go-to regions are beginning to change. While coveted bottles have long hailed from the C&ocirc;te de Nuits and C&ocirc;te de Beaune, collectively known as the C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Or, the past decade has seen a growing interest in the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes sub-region, both from local producers and consumers alike.&nbsp;
Situated high above the C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Or, the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes of Burgundy comprise a series of elevated plateaus and soaring hills spanning 275 to 480 meters, planted to Aligot&eacute;, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir vineyards. Significantly cooler than most of the C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Or, the vineyards of the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes had long been overlooked by local and international professionals alike&mdash;that is, until recently. While the cooler temperatures have long corresponded to a lack of ripeness in grapes, in the wake of climate change these vineyards, once deemed second-rate, are now proving to be wildly advantageous.
New York-based wine consultant and educator Raj Vaidya explained that the cooler temperatures that once made the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes a lower-status region are simply gone. &ldquo;In the age of a warming climate, these vineyards are a wonderful source of fresh, old-fashioned wines from Burgundy,&rdquo; he said. Vaidya also noted that the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes is home to a greater diversity of soil types (clay, Bajocian marls, colluvial deposits of sand and flint), beyond the ubiquitous clay-limestone mix found on the C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Or. The result is more diverse, and often interesting, flavors.
According to Vaidya, grapes in the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes regularly achieve phenolic ripeness at the same time as sugar ripeness&mdash;a key component to balance and age-worthiness in wines. By contrast, sugar ripeness on the C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Or now tends to outpace phenolic maturity. &ldquo;This means that there is less acidity and freshness due to higher potential alcohols,&rdquo; he said, noting that Hautes-C&ocirc;tes vineyards now offer more balance and harmony for a fraction of the price of those found in the C&ocirc;te&rsquo;s villages-level and cru-designated appellations.&nbsp;
​​Julia Schwartz, wine director at New York-based Stars, also praised Burgundy wines coming from these higher-elevation areas. &ldquo;Land in the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes that was once difficult to farm is now viable, even thriving and affordable,&rdquo; she said, noting that it's a far cry from the prices demanded by plots on the C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Or. That's made vineyards here accessible to younger and newer producers alike.&nbsp;
Matt Turner, wine director at New York-based Lei, agreed: &ldquo;You get expert farming and winemaking applied directly to more value-driven land,&rdquo; he said. He pointed to Domaine Dandelion, Elodie Roy, Sylvain Cathiard, and Ch&acirc;ntereves as being four standout producers showcasing great sites for great value. And according to Schwartz, long-standing growers from the Cote d&rsquo;Or are equally finding wins here. &ldquo;Even established producers like Pierre Boisson [from the Cotes de Beaune] recognized this potential and planted vines in 2016 to a site that had never seen viticulture,&rdquo; she said. The wine, his Cuvee 'Le Chemin de Pierre,&rsquo; is often priced well under $100 on a list.&nbsp;
The Hautes-C&ocirc;tes has also become a place for authentic, wine-focused tourism. Milena Berman and Lo&iuml;c Lamy founded their experience-focused company, aptly named Hautes C&ocirc;tes, back in 2021. Lamy noted that the majority of Burgundy-bound wine lovers stick to busy, touristy areas, and that he and Berman sought to change that. &ldquo;We find the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes super interesting, as this is where you&rsquo;ll find local artisans, new-generation winemakers, cool innovative projects, and hidden gems&mdash;that is, if you know where to look,&rdquo; he said. That&rsquo;s not to mention its natural beauty, which is characterized by lush forests, towering oak trees, and a variety of local flora (linden, acacia, and wild peony).
Lamy and Berman note that the majority of their international visitors don&rsquo;t know much about the area, save for the fact that it&rsquo;s off the beaten path. Generally, the pair kick off their tours with Burgundy&rsquo;s more famous villages&mdash;Puligny-Montrachet, Vosne-Roman&eacute;e, and Gevrey-Chambertin&mdash;prior to bringing guests up to the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes. By the end of the journey, the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes is generally the most memorable. &ldquo;Guests remember the tiny restaurant with no tourists, the traditional breadmaker, the young couple starting a new winery project after training with the most famous winemakers,&rdquo; he said, describing the area as a true, authentic picture of Burgundy, where relationships matter more. And that same sense of soul can be found within the region&rsquo;s wines.&nbsp;
Turner stated that anyone looking for high-quality winemaking can easily search for Hautes-C&ocirc;tes bottlings from top producers or old-vine parcels and find incredible quality to value ratio. &ldquo;If you are also looking to experience a producer style and they make an Hautes-C&ocirc;tes,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;it can be a good example of how pricier sites may drink.&rdquo; Schwartz agreed. &ldquo;Haute-Cotes wines are an exciting entry for young and curious drinkers who would otherwise ignore Burgundy due to its price point,&rdquo; she said.
Julia Schwartz has observed that experienced collectors, noting their similarities to Old School Burgundy, are also flocking to the wines. &ldquo;The price and increased availability means wines from producers they know and love don't have to be limited to special occasions and &lsquo;serious&rsquo; meals,&rdquo; she said. At the end of the day, Lamy summed it up best: &ldquo;Most people look for an appellation name, leaving the Hautes-C&ocirc;tes overlooked; however, there is so much talent up here.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Four Hautes-C&ocirc;tes Wines to Try Now</h3>
Domaine Pierre Boisson Bourgogne Hautes-C&ocirc;tes de Beaune &lsquo;Le Chemin de Pierre&rsquo; Blanc ($43)
Produced from an organically-farmed plot planted in 2016, this 100% Chardonnay from Pierre Boisson is aged for 15 to 19 months in barrels (mostly used). On the palate, the wine is refreshing and mineral-driven with flavors of lush stone fruit and citrus flavors with harmonious undertones of smoke and baking spice.&nbsp;
Maison Chanter&ecirc;ves Bourgogne Hautes-C&ocirc;tes de Beaune &lsquo;Les Monts de Fussey&rsquo; Blanc ($76)
Fruit for Chanter&ecirc;ves&rsquo; Le Mont de Fussey cuv&eacute;e (100% Chardonnay) comes from a southeast-facing vineyard planted at 400 meters altitude above the village of Echevronne. Here, the soils are mostly stony limestone and marl, with all farming done using organic and biodynamic methods. The wine is vinified with native yeasts and aged for 12 months in 228L and 600L barrels. Lively notes of orchard fruit, bright citrus, and crushed stone lead to a long, persistent finish.
Domaine Hudelot-Baillet Bourgogne Hautes-C&ocirc;tes de Nuits Rouge ($45)
From the celebrated Chambolle-Musigny based Hudelot-Baillet, this Hautes-C&ocirc;tes de Nuits Rouge packs a serious punch. Vinified with a low-intervention mentality and entirely destemmed fruit, the wine ages for 12-18 months in barrels prior to release. Notes of dark fruits, plum, and damp earth are balanced by juicy acidity and grippy, well-integrated tannins.
Domaine de Cassiop&eacute;e Bourgogne Hautes-C&ocirc;tes de Beaune &lsquo;Les C&ocirc;tes&rsquo; Rouge ($65)
From up-and-coming duo Hugo Mathurin and Talloulah Dubourg, who formerly trained with Jean-Marc Roulot and Benjamin Leroux, this structured and high-toned Pinot Noir is drawn&nbsp; from 50-year-old vines rooted in granitic bedrock. In the cellar, the wine is fermented with native yeasts and aged for one year in used barrels prior to bottling without fining or filtration. Fragrant and energetic, the wine offers flavors of red cherry, cranberry, rose petal, and wet granite.

Why the Hautes-Côtes Is the Most Exciting Part of Burgundy Right Now

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Chicago sommelier Thomas Kakalios <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/thomas-kakalios-wine-list">spoke to Gina Pace</a> about his career in the wine world, and offered some of his top wine picks from the various restaurants he oversees.
🥃 LA might be better known for celeb sightings, palm trees, and great Mexican food, but it's also a thriving whiskey city with some top-notch bars that cater to all tastes. Andy Vasoyan <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/los-angeles-whiskey-city">listed some of the best spots to visit</a> to order a dram or two.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Woodford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Finish ($65)
This new bourbon, part of Woodford&rsquo;s limited-edition Distillery Series, is the first Cabernet Sauvignon finish that the distillery has released (other wine cask finishes include Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). Bottled at the same 90.4 proof as classic Woodford bourbon, this is a really well done cask finish that is worth checking out.
Proper No. Twelve Black Reserve ($35)
Proper No. Twelve has its many fans, and just as many detractors. Thankfully, the brand is no longer associated with its celebrity founder, Conor McGregor, and it continues to release some new additions to its small lineup. The latest is called Black Reserve, a blended Irish whiskey that was aged for four years in heavily charred bourbon barrels to bring extra flavors of toasted oak and vanilla to the palate.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
Uncharted ($40)
The Ingram Distillery has a gimmick, just like so many other whiskey brands, but apparently it&rsquo;s one that works well. The whiskey is all &ldquo;river aged,&rdquo; meaning that the liquid is matured in a floating rickhouse on the Mississippi River in Columbus, Kentucky, a nod to the way that barrels used to be transported to different parts of the country. The point is to increase interaction between wood and whiskey&mdash;in this case, the distillery says that the motion of the river keeps the liquid churning and thereby exposes more surface area to the barrel, and the humidity from the river keeps the casks moist and slows down the angel&rsquo;s share.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/00deb9bd-b74e-45fe-95ad-c076a96fc4c9.png?width=717&amp;height=403" alt="Uncharted Bourbon"> 
This is not an entirely new concept&mdash;Jefferson&rsquo;s has released its Ocean Aged at Sea whiskeys for years now, sending barrels on container ships across the ocean where they are exposed to different temperatures and humidity levels. There is some science to this, of course, but it's also a good story and marketing technique. And in the case of this new wheated bourbon, Uncharted, the result is actually a really good new whiskey.
Like all of Ingram&rsquo;s whiskey, Uncharted was distilled elsewhere in Kentucky (the brand does not operate its own distillery, but past releases have been produced at Green River in Owensboro). The mashbill for Uncharted is not revealed, but as mentioned before it is a wheated bourbon, meaning that wheat is used as the secondary flavoring grain (this could be instead of rye, or this could be in addition to a small amount of rye grain). It was aged for a minimum of four years in the river rickhouse.
Overall, Uncharted is a very solid and affordable wheated bourbon. It does not taste green or young at all (perhaps it&rsquo;s that river magic at work), and there are notes of vanilla, maple, honey, toasted oak, cinnamon, and caramel on the palate. Each bottle is made of 100 percent recycled glass, which is a nice environmental touch, and it comes in two sizes&mdash;standard 750 ml and 1 liter (which is just slightly more expensive at $45). If you&rsquo;re looking for an alternative to Maker&rsquo;s Mark, or you love wheaters but don&rsquo;t want to splurge on a bottle of Weller, give Uncharted a try&mdash;you won&rsquo;t be disappointed.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Hermann J. Wiemer 2022 Seneca Lake HJW Bio Riesling ($45)
Having written about <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/chardonnay-wine-guide">Chardonnay</a> last week, I&rsquo;ve decided to change course. I&rsquo;d like to recommend one of my favorite Rieslings from&nbsp; the team at Hermann Wiemer in the Finger Lakes, New York. When it comes to Riesling, the FLX is ascendant, easily the most exciting source for the variety in this country (though Oregon and Washington can lay claim). In fact, it was just announced that this June the region will host its fourth <a href="https://flxcursion2026.com/">FLXcursion</a>, an international Riesling celebration that draws producers from all over the world.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/aa3c047f-bfc1-43f4-984e-f7f0e70089ca.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Hjw">
Meanwhile&mdash;Wiemer. If you don&rsquo;t know this brand (it was <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/new-york-finger-lakes-wine">covered</a> by Maiah Dunn),&nbsp;you should get acquainted. Wiemer founded his winery in the early &lsquo;70s and became one of the great early craftsmen of vinifera wines in the Finger Lakes, specializing in Riesling. In 2007, he passed the winery onto his assistant winemaker, Fred Merwarth and wife Maressa, along with Oskar Bynke. No winemaker in the FLX is more dedicated to exploring the terroirs of Seneca Lake.
This is especially true of the home vineyards, Josef, Magdalena, and HJW. This last was named for Hermann and planted by him originally in 1977 (it has been expanded to 33 acres in ensuing years). Merwarth has since converted the vineyard to biodynamics, a long and painstaking process in the Finger Lakes where frost, freezing, hail, and rainstorms, as well as various pest pressures, can present daunting challenges to any regenerative approach. And yet, in 2023 HJW was Demeter certified.
All well and good, but the proof is in the glass. Merwarth remains one of the most thoughtful and meticulous winemakers in the FLX&mdash;and indeed, in the country. Among other things, this bottling reflects the care that went into it after an erratic, at times difficult vintage. The wine has an elusive quality&mdash;one of my favorite traits in Merwarth&rsquo;s Rieslings&mdash;it&rsquo;s youthful, attractive, but also a touch diffident, with haunting aromas of honey and Cara Cara orange, golden clarity of flavor, and uncanny, haunting length. Delicious now, it seems to be leaning toward the future, and will age beautifully.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: February 20

Thomas Kakalios approaches wine in a philosophical way&mdash;by asking better questions. Before he became the beverage director overseeing three of <a href="https://www.eatwellhospitality.com">Eat Well Hospitality</a>&rsquo;s restaurants, he was in fact a philosophy student learning how to examine ideas, trace meaning, and build narratives from a set of facts.
That instinct now shapes everything he does, from constructing wine lists to training his team. In his hands, a bottle isn&rsquo;t just for pairing; it&rsquo;s a story about place and the people behind it. And this clarity of thought has made him one of Chicago&rsquo;s most compelling voices in the beverage world, as well as a recent James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service.
Kakalios started as a barback in a downtown Chicago basement bar before taking his first major step at Daisies, where he helped open the restaurant and build its wine list from the ground up. The role gave him an early window into how a beverage program functions from both the guest and staff perspectives, experience he carried into increasingly demanding positions.
He moved to the Alinea Group&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.nextrestaurant.com">NEXT</a>, joining during its French Nouvelle menu period, a meaningful moment for someone who had studied abroad in France and carried a deep affection for the cuisine. At NEXT, he absorbed a level of discipline and attention to detail that still guides his work. &ldquo;Everything is done for a reason,&rdquo; he says.
His next chapter, at the now‑closed Yūgen, expanded his lens even further. Immersing himself in sake added another dimension to his beverage vocabulary, one that would later inform the breadth he brings to Eat Well Hospitality&rsquo;s concepts.
He carried that broadened perspective into <a href="https://www.smythandtheloyalist.com">Smyth and The Loyalist</a>, where his palate sharpened and his sense of narrative deepened. Working closely with chef John Shields and wine director Kevin Goldsmith, he gained a deeper understanding of how wine can carry a narrative through a meal. &ldquo;People connect with stories,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;My job is often to translate a list into terms they can understand.&rdquo;
In 2023, he joined Asador Bastian shortly after its opening, helping to shape its systems and build out its wine program under chef Doug Psaltis. Within a year, his role expanded to overseeing beverage operations across all three Eat Well Hospitality restaurants&mdash;Asador Bastian, Andros Taverna, and Mano a Mano. Across all three restaurants, the lists stay anchored in the cuisine&rsquo;s landscape, leaning into regional depth rather than global breadth.&nbsp;
&ldquo;These cuisines and wines evolved hand in hand,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Owning that identity lets us explore their potential to the fullest.&rdquo;
<h3 dir="ltr">Thomas Kakalios&rsquo;s Wine List</h3>
Kakalios&rsquo;s selections reflect the landscapes and traditions behind each concept, but they also reveal how he guides guests: meet them where they are, then offer something that expands their sense of what a wine can do. These five bottles&mdash;spanning Spain, Italy, Greece, and Champagne&mdash;illustrate the range of his thinking.
Champagne Coessens &ldquo;Largillier&rdquo; Extra Brut (Multi‑Vintage) - $300 (Asador Bastian)
Champagne is one of Kakalios&rsquo;s favorite tools at a steakhouse because he believes it&rsquo;s unexpected. Coessens, a Pinot Noir&ndash;dominant bottling from a single clay‑rich vineyard, is a standout. &ldquo;People are surprised by how well Champagne works in this setting,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It can move from seafood to richer courses without losing its footing.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a bottle with enough structure and acidity to cut through marbling while still carrying the elegance guests expect from Champagne.
Bodegas Muga &ldquo;Torre Muga&rdquo; Rioja 2005 - $285 (Asador Bastian)
This Tempranillo from Rioja Alta hits what Kakalios calls a &ldquo;Goldilocks&rdquo; balance&mdash;dark fruit at the core, grounded by earthy, savory notes and fine tannins. The 2005 vintage, acquired by one of his team members, brings two decades of evolution without losing its fruit. He also appreciates the personal connection&mdash;the winemaker&rsquo;s family roots in the Basque region echo Asador Bastian&rsquo;s culinary identity. &ldquo;The complexity that&rsquo;s developed over time is remarkable,&rdquo; he says.
C&agrave; Nova Colline Novarese Nebbiolo &ldquo;Bocciolo&rdquo; 2020 - $95 (Mano a Mano)
At Mano a Mano, the goal is to make wine feel democratic, encompassing thoughtful bottles at prices that encourage exploration. This Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte embodies that philosophy. Higher elevation and volcanic soils give it clarity and precision, while several years of age and a proper decant bring out its more savory tones. &ldquo;Nebbiolo is a great transmitter of terroir,&rdquo; he says, and this bottling shows exactly why. It&rsquo;s a natural fit for the restaurant&rsquo;s richer dishes and a compelling alternative for guests who love Piedmont but want something outside the Barolo/Barbaresco lane.
Oenos Mittas Naoussa Xinomavro 2022 - $115 (Andros Taverna)
Greek wines are a personal passion for Kakalios, and this Xinomavro from Macedonia is one of the bottles he&rsquo;s most excited about. The grape is notoriously difficult to work with, but this winemaker handles it with finesse. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s one of the most compelling examples I&rsquo;ve seen of the grape,&rdquo; he says. The wine&rsquo;s prominent acidity and elevated tannins make it ideal for hearty, mountain‑inspired dishes &mdash; lamb, mutton, stews &mdash; and its flavor profile stands entirely on its own. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not trying to be Nebbiolo or Burgundy,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It has its own identity.&rdquo;
Estate Argyros Santorini Assyrtiko &ldquo;Cuvee Palatia&rdquo; 2022 - $35 by the glass (Andros Taverna)
Offering a bottle‑worthy wine by the glass is a signature across all three restaurants, and this Assyrtiko from Santorini is the standout. The vines, many between 200 and 400 years old, grow in volcanic ash on an island that&rsquo;s essentially a desert. The result is a white wine with tension, precision, and a distinctly Greek character. &ldquo;It would go toe to toe with some of the great wines of the world,&rdquo; Kakalios says.&nbsp;

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