Hello and welcome to Village Wine & Spirits. Send an e-mail to updates@villagewinemillbrook.com to receive updates and offers. Visit us at our store in the Village of Millbrook at 45 Front Street or give us a call at 845-677-3311 and we'll help you find what your palate's been searching for. Thank you.

• Monday — Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Friday & Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.

 

A summer treat pairing preview.

Dinner with two kids can be interesting yet brief. So after our adventure in nutrition and table manners I was still craving something.    On our counter were a couple of now perfectly ripe Asian Pears. I thought to myself that these would be perfect to eat, but what to drink. Laying quietly in my fridge for a while, another benefit of screwcaps, was a bottle of Botter Moscato from Puglia, Italy.    Now when I first tasted this Moscato with a very knowledgable colleague, I began waxing poetic about its balance of sweet and crisp with a soft hint of ginger in the background. "Easy." was the response, because he couldn't quite possibly understand why I was getting somewhat worked up over a $12 bottle of wine.    It was perfect. Fresh, crisp and unpretentious, but with enough subtle complexity to keep anyone interested and it paired perfectly with the sweetness of the Asian Pear. •  Botter Moscato - $12 for a 750ml bottle.

A Bootleggin' tale you can sip along to.

The Year, 1932. A clandestine distillery is established on an unassuming farm in rural Pine Plains. Fast-forward to the present and a descendant of the original farm owners and his college roommate have unearthed this vast complex and hope to one day revive the tradition. So far they've honored the past with two new spirits.    Dutch's Spirits Sugar Wash Moonshine is a Cachaca-like Demerara sugar based clear spirit that has excellent flavor, medium viscosity and a heat that sits way back on your palate but doesn't burn your throat. A nice, neat sipper or, to be explored, as a base for mixed drinks. I'm thinking some kind of local Mojito.    The other spirit is their Peach Brandy. Now don't think sweet, syrupy brandy. Think peach calvados. Simply, distilled peaches aged in charred oak barrels from Minnesota. Wild, fruit alcohol aromas on the nose. Rich, spicy mid-palate with a soft, savory and sweet spice, peachy finish. Almost like a whisky cocktail in itself. Great with a touch of spring or well water. Try not to use tap water if it is treated with chlorine as this will diminish any subtle flavors. •  Sugar Wash Moonshine - $30 for a 750ml bottle. •  Peach Brandy - $48 for a 750ml bottle. >> For more info visit DutchsSpirits.com

The best Rosé in France and now, Millbrook.

How do you make a jaded wine veteran almost jump up and down with excitement? Get a super-small production rosé, until recently only available in Nice and nonchalantly have it on your desk. You'll hear him say things like, "Holy sh*t man, do you know what this is? Where did you get this? This is the best rosé in all of France. How did you get this?"    Now is your chance to get in on this experience. I have secured only four 6-packs of this limited wine. Get yours today. •  Chateau de Bellet 2010 - $42 a bottle.

Peace, Love and Craft Vodka.

So Matt Miller, distiller at Catskill Distilling Company in Bethel, NY, stops in with his spirit Catskill Mountain Peace Vodka. This has been on my radar for some time but never had the chance to taste it. Well, folks, if I was to go back to drinking vodka neat like in my younger days, this would be it. Super-smooth, no burn at all but not forsaking flavor. Creamy and round, the flavors just grab your palate and caress it. I was super impressed and I'm sure you will be, too. Stay tuned for Gin, whiskies and grappa from these talented fellas as well. •  Catskill Mountain Peace Vodka - $33 for a Liter bottle.