Forza Ricasoli

It is the beginning of October. The Castello di Brolio towers over the castle's own vineyards. Baron Francesco Ricasoli rides up to his estate on his Bianchi bicycle. The white gravel of the «Strada Bianca» crackles under his tyres and he pedals hard. But today he is not alone. Around 3000 other daredevils accompany him. For it is not a normal working day for the lord of the castle and winegrower – Francesco is a participant in the «Eroica» on this autumn day. The famous bicycle race leads across country through the beautiful Tuscan landscape. At the start: without exception, historic racing bikes and participants in vintage look. 209 kilometres have to be mastered. And those who manage it will receive a good portion of respect and a bottle of Brolio Bettino Chianti Classico from Ricasoli. Francesco dedicated this wine to his great-great-grandfather, the inventor of Chianti Classico.

Latin American rhythms in the air, a smiling face on every corner and wherever you look: countless colourful vintage cars. Anyone who has ever been to Cuba knows how the pleasurable life works. In the colonial cities of the Caribbean island state, life is celebrated. And that always includes a good cigar. A pleasure that is also loved and lived here. Just lean back, taste the aromas and let time pass with pleasure. «This is exactly how wine should be drunk!», think the people from the Mendoza Club. That's why they have now packaged this relaxed way of life in bottles. With a lot of feeling, grandiose Argentinian Malbecs are combined with Cuban joie de vivre. Buena vista!

Three wines, three tastes, three characters

Siglo, Robusto, Torpedo – the Mendoza Club has something for every taste. Because what applies to the cigar types also applies to these three wines. The «Siglo», for example, is the classic among the cigars: small and fine – just as Fidel Castro loved them. As a wine, it is easy to drink and a Malbec like something out of a picture book. «Robusto» may sound hard, but it smokes and drinks elegantly. We are thrilled by the lush aromas and its powerful note. And the «Torpedo» will blow your mind! Like the cigar of the same name, this red is a strong character with a long finish. Three excellent red wines that have rhythm under the cork and go perfectly with a cigar. We have packed these guarantors of enjoyment in a box – almost like a real cigar chute. So all that's missing is the aromatic scent of cigars.

Cava, the «Champagne of the Spaniard» – it still does not quite manage to step out of the shadow of its big brother from France. Yet it is produced according to the same standards. In other words, like champagne, it undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle. That's why we want to take up the cudgels for this elegant sparkling wine in time for the upcoming turn of the year. And this is particularly easy for us, as we have a very exceptional example up our sleeve for you: the Cava Brut from Villa Conchi. Behind this fresh, light bubbler from Spain is Javier Ruiz de Galarreta. He became famous with his idea of bringing together Spanish family wineries and thus marketing their top wines all over the world as a strong community. For more than 20 years, Javier searched for suitable vineyards in the Catalonian region of Penedès. When he finally found what he was looking for, he named his «somewhat different cava» after his late mother Conchi. «Villa Conchi» is a heartfelt thank-you to the woman who was a source of inspiration for elegance and class for him and is now the most successful cava in our range. A beautiful story, a great sparkling wine – two perfect ingredients for a stylish New Year's Eve.