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Fall is upon us, and so are cozy blankets, crackling fires, and for me, goblets of big, fruity red wines. I love a red wine that has lots of different flavors from fruit to tannin to chocolate!
Lucky for me, I was recently invited to try Apothic Dark, the new limited edition wine from Apothic, who you might remember from this summer's Orange & Chile Apothic Rose Spritz.
The Apothic Dark is my favorite of the Apothic wines - it is big, moody, and full of flavor. On the nose it has flavors of black currant, prune, dark berries, with a slightly sour note. On the palate it starts out dry with a nice level of tannins, and then opens up with more fruit forward notes of jammy blackberry, currant, blueberry, and fig, with a subtle vegetal note, and baritone earthiness with flavors of coffee dark chocolate. I love this wine served with a marinated skirt steak and a lemony kale salad - it pairs beautifully with red meat, and because of all of the fruit notes it also works well with acids.
No meal is complete without a cocktail (this is Gastronomista, after all) and one of the great things about this wine is that it performs beautifully in a classic New York Sour! I open the bottle when I start cooking to let it breathe, make a few cocktails to enjoy with my hubs in the kitchen, and then enjoy the rest of the bottle at the table! Perfection!
But this is not your typical New York Sour - I wanted to bring out that amazing vegetal note in the wine, so I've used a wine based Absinthe. I've also used a Raspberry Liqueur to build on the all of the dark berries in the wine, and to add a bit of sweetness. Rye whiskey adds a layer of spiciness, and fresh lemon juice cuts through it all - the bright acidic flavors act like an apéritif, a perfect introduction to your evening meal!
Apothic Dark Sour
Created by Gastronomista
2 oz Rye Whiskey
1 oz Raspberry Liqueur
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Wine based Absinthe
1/2 oz Apothic Dark
Fresh Mint to Garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the whiskey, the fresh lemon juice, the Absinthe, and the raspberry liqueur. Shake for 30 seconds, and strain into a low tumbler. Using a bar spoon, slowly layer the Apothic Dark onto the top of the cocktail. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.
The best part about Apothic Dark is that it is a very nice wine and yet it won't break the bank. At $14 a bottle you can keep your home stocked so you're always ready for company - just be prepared for the oohs and ahhs when you make this gorgeous layered cocktail for your guests!
Buy Apothic Dark here>>
Cheers!
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