News
Warm Up to 57 Main Street Winter Wine & Spirits
10/01/06
Peter Morales, President and CEO of 57 Main Street Imports, Profiles His Picks For The Season
Garden City, NY – An 18-year wine business veteran and long-time oenophile, Peter Morales, president and CEO of 57 Main Street Imports, has announced his favorite wine and spirit selections for the winter season. “There are wines for all seasons, just as there are wines for all tastes,” says Morales. “At 57 Main Street, we are committed fostering wine appreciation and to educating our consumers on all that our wines have to offer for their lifestyles,” said Morales.
Morales’ suggestions are designed to provide the perfect complement to everything from a cozy evening by the fire to an elaborate holiday feast.
THE LIBRARY COLLECTION
57 Main Street’s exclusive “Library Collection” offers wine enthusiasts limited production, auction-quality wines that compete with the best in the world. These selections not only embody the rich history of winemaking in South Africa, but they are also wines that will reward cellaring, and continue to integrate and evolve gracefully in bottle 10, 15, and 20 years down the line. Morales’ winter “Library Collection” selections include: 
Abraham Perold 1996 – A new style Shiraz with open charm boasts rich aromas of toasted herbs, cloves and cracked black peppercorns backed by sweet berry fruit. There is an excellent follow through giving a rich smoothness to the palate. Well-balanced with acid and tannin components ensures long and further maturation. Served at room temperature, Abraham Perold is best enjoyed with roasted red meats, game and cheese. 
Jean Taillefert 2001 – A deep intense color with strong coffee, toffee, blackberry and cassis flavor define this complex 100 percent Shiraz. It is opulent and complex, with well-integrated fruit and wood flavors and balanced with supple tannins. Grapes grown on the hillsides of Paarl Mountain are transformed into an icon wine as a tribute to Jean Taillefert, the founder of the Laborie estate, and its crowning achievement in 300-years of winemaking. 
Vergelegen Flagship Red Blend 2001 – Vergelegen, named by Wine Enthusiast magazine as “New World Winery of the Year” in 2005, brings forth their flagship red blend with a rich ruby color and almost opaque center. Composed of 70 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 percent Merlot and four percent Cabernet Franc notes of cassis, pencil lead, spice and red berries are abound on the nose while the tannin structure and fine acidity indicate a wine of balance and finesse reflective of the Vergelegen terroir. The body of this wine makes it an excellent complement to winter stews and curries. 
Vergelegen Flagship White Blend 2004 - On the palate the wine is elegant and refined with mineral overtones and a flinty core dominated by black truffle. Eighty percent Semillon and 20 percent Sauvignon Blanc, the wine exhibits a pale yellow-green color with a nose reminiscent of freshly squeezed lime juice. It is an ideal pairing for smoked salmon, as well as rich, savory, chicken and veal dishes.
57 MAIN STREET CORE PORTFOLIO
The 57 Main Street global wine portfolio includes fine wines and spirits from South Africa, Argentina, Spain and Italy, designed to meet diverse tastes of oenophiles everywhere. Morales’ suggestions for this season’s wines are anchored in the South African category. According to Morales, “It has been an exciting challenge to introduce our customers to the wonderful wines, food and culture of South Africa. Our South African selection is as varied as the country’s terroir and diversity of cultures.” Suggestions include: 
Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay 2004 – From the grapes of South Africa’s coastal region, this silky smooth Chardonnay is fermented and matured in French oak barrels for nine months. Ripe fruit and oak flavors integrate well with complex citrus, pear and dried apricot aromas, spicy vanilla notes, and woody flavors that add depth and dimension. The finish is clean and crisp. Perfect pairings include winter favorites such as roast chicken, veal and pork.
Retail Price: $15.99 - $17.99
Tumara Pinotage 2004 – Located on the Bellevue estate at the base of the Bottelary Hills - the original "pantry" for fresh fruits and vegetables to re-stock in port - Tumara's wines benefit from the naturally rich Stellenbosch soil. Notes of vanilla, coconut, plum, and raspberry on the nose are followed by layers of ripe, complex fruit on the palate. This is a big, well-balanced wine with a long, clean finish.
Retail Price: $14.99 - $16.99
KWV Roodeberg 2003 - This red blend is one of South Africa’s most famous wines, recognized worldwide for its consistent quality for more than 50 years. Meaning “Red Mountain,” reflective of the red hues of the Western Cape’s Boland Mountains at sunset, this Bordeaux-style blend is expertly created using Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot. An inviting nose of berries, with hints of green pepper and cinnamon spice are present in this full-bodied wine with excellent tannin structure. Best when served with red meats, stews and casseroles, roasts and steaks or with strong, ripe cheeses.
Retail Price: $10.99-$12.99 
Pearly Bay Celebration - From South Africa’s Cape Winelands region, this semi-sweet sparkling wine has a floral, muscat nose with hints of honey and tropical fruit. It is a classic aperitif for holidays, celebrations, and life’s everyday occasions.
Retail Price: $6.99-$8.99
IMOYA BRANDY, BROGAN’S IRISH CREAM AND KWV PORTS
57 Main Street’s selections of spirits and fortified wines come in an array of styles and flavors. Many are handcrafted, infused with exotic flavors or are modern interpretations of ancient, traditional recipes. Sometimes these are niche products that appeal to small groups of people with particular tastes, and other times their uniqueness has mass appeal. Morales suggests exploration of the following choices: 
Imoya VSOP Cape Alambic Brandy Gift Package – As demonstrated by impressive industry awards like the Beverage Institute’s 2006 Gold Medal “Exceptional” award, and being named “The World’s Best Brandy” at the prestigious International Wine and Spirits Competition in London, Imoya VSOP is an exciting blend of carefully selected 20, 10, 8 and 5 year old double-distilled, potstill brandies, produced in the cognac style, and matured in small French Limousin oak barrels.
Imoya VSOP is a golden amber color lively with fruit flavors and a spicy nutiness. The benefit of the blend is that Imoya has all the prominent flavors of a fine young brandy but instead of being sharp, it has the mellowness of its older brandy components. Presented in an elegant glass bottle depicting an African woman, this brandy embodies the African Renaissance. Add a splash to mulled wine for the sophisticated palate.
Retail price – 750ml: $28.99-$32.99.
Brogans Irish Cream Liqueur Gift Package – Made from Pat Brogan’s secret recipe and inspired by the lush, green pastures of Meath, Ireland. Brogans Irish Cream is a sumptuous marriage of single-malt Irish whiskey and rich cream. The Royal County Meath in central Ireland is home to Slane Castle, the Book of Kells, and Pat Brogan’s family-owned dairy farm, where fresh cream is sourced for his legendary Irish Cream Liqueur. Serving suggestions include pouring over ice, adding to a preferred cognac, coffee or for a bit of nostalgia, hot cocoa.
Retail Price – 750ml: $16.99 - $18.99
KWV Full Tawny Port – The effect of prolonged wood ageing has endowed this port with a deep tawny color, coffee-toffee like fragrant character, an incomparable richness and smoothness, with a strong, nutty flavor. It is an excellent accompaniment to strong cheeses after a meal as well as coffee and chocolates.
Retail Price: $9.99 - $11.99 
KWV Full Ruby Port – Full fruitiness and a natural richness comprise this earthy port. With an attractive ruby color, dried fruit aroma with hints of raisins carries through to the palate with well-integrated, full, fruity flavors. A cheese platter with glazed fruit is an ideal pairing.
Retail Price: $9.99 - $11.99