Wine Lovers Brace For The Chill and Thrill of Niagara Icewine Season
January temperatures may be cold, but excitement is heating up across Niagara as the region prepares to celebrate its annual Icewine harvest season in style.
From January 12 through 28, Niagara wine country raises a glass to Canada’s liquid gold with glitzy galas, a wine and culinary touring program at 32 different wineries, a sparkling Niagara-on-the-Lake street festival, and more.
Niagara Icewine Festival fun kicks off on Friday January 12
Niagara Icewine Festival fun kicks off on Friday, January 12, with the return of the popular Discovery Pass Touring Program, sponsored by CAA Travel.
For one low price, passport holders can visit their choice of three or six Niagara wineries on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in January to enjoy delicious wine and food pairings that simply can’t be found anywhere else on the planet. A new optional shuttle service offered this year makes it easier than ever for wine lovers to spend a January day sipping and savouring their way around Niagara wine country.
This year’s 32 winery partners are providing Discovery Pass guests with an extensive range of choices, including red wine, white wine and sparkling wines, Icewines, and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free food pairings. Purchase Discovery Pass Touring Passports.
Wine lovers looking for an experience that embraces Icewine’s luxurious nature won’t want to miss the all-inclusive Cool As Ice Gala at the Niagara Parks Power Station on January 13. Presented by Fallsview Casino Resort, the dazzling evening event will showcase twenty-five of Niagara’s top wineries as they pour a diverse array of fine wines, cocktails, and mocktails.
Eight of wine country’s most buzzed-about restaurants will showcase their skills through bold culinary experiences that will include everything from Indian street food to a decadent oyster bar and Icewine-kissed culinary delights like smoked salmon, pork belly, and wood-fired mushrooms. As Cool As Ice Gala guests savour these flavours, they will enjoy exclusive access to the Niagara Parks Power Station, which will ignite additional Icewine excitement with live music, art installations, show-stopping circus-style performances, and the opportunity to descend 180 feet in a glass-panelled elevator and walk a 2,200-foot-long tunnel for the ultimate sub-zero selfie at the edge of Niagara Falls. Browse the Cool As Ice Gala food pairings.
Last year’s Cool As Ice Gala guests were so wowed by the wine, food, and fun at the Niagara Park Power Station that ticket sales for this year’s event have been brisk. Cool As Ice Gala Tickets are already 85% sold, so those wanting to secure a spot on the guest list for January 13 should act quickly to avoid disappointment. Purchase Cool As Ice Gala tickets.
According to Niagara Wine Festival Executive Director Dorian Anderson, “There is no such thing as post-holiday hibernation in Niagara wine country! With 32 winery partners, three weekends of Discovery Pass touring and one unforgettable Cool As Ice Gala, the Niagara Icewine Festival offers wine lovers countless ways to experience the excitement of the Icewine harvest.”
The Niagara Icewine Festival
The Niagara Icewine Festival is part of the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival and takes place January 12 through 28 across Niagara. This year’s Niagara Icewine Festival includes a weekend Discovery Pass self-guided touring program, the Cool As Ice immersive experience on January 13 and the Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Festival on January 13, 14, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28. The Niagara Grape and Wine Festival is celebrating its 74th year with support from generous sponsors, including VQA Wines of Ontario, the Wine Marketing Association of Ontario, The Grape Growers of Ontario, the City of St. Catharines, Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls Tourism, Niagara College, CAA Travel, The Province of Ontario and the Tourism Partnership of Niagara.
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Why Everyone in L.A. Is Talking About This Bottle from On The Rocks Cocktails —And Dylan Efron’s Got One in Hand
Why Everyone in L.A. Is Talking About This Bottled Cocktail—And Dylan Efron’s Got One in Hand
From Beverly Hills rooftops to the American Music Awards in Vegas, On The Rocks™ Premium Cocktails is becoming the drink of the moment for Los Angeles tastemakers.
If you’ve been to a dinner party in Silver Lake, a pool day in Venice, or a rooftop gathering in West Hollywood lately, chances are you’ve already seen them—sleek bottles, bold labels, and cocktails so good, they taste like they came from a $20-per-drink mixologist.
We’re talking about On The Rocks™ Premium Cocktails, the bartender-crafted ready-to-drink cocktails that have officially made the leap from local favorite to full-blown red carpet royalty.
How big is this brand getting? It just returned for a second year as the official cocktail of the American Music Awards, serving drinks to celebrities, influencers, and VIPs live from the brand-new Fontainebleau Las Vegas. But make no mistake—this is still an L.A. story at heart.
From Westside to Worldwide
On The Rocks™ might be making waves in Vegas, but it was born for places like Los Angeles: where people love a great cocktail but hate waiting in line to get one.
At this year’s AMAs, while the music world’s biggest stars lit up the stage, On The Rocks™ was making headlines of its own. Guests were treated to their full line-up inside the lavish BleauLive Theater lobby, transforming the pre-show cocktail game into something more stylish, accessible, and yes—very L.A.
And backstage? Dylan Efron casually popped open a Margarita, toasted with an Old Fashioned, and showed America how to “Make it a Cocktail”—a moment that aired during the live broadcast and gave fans a peek into the effortless cool the brand is pushing.
You can check out his behind-the-scenes content on Instagram at @otrcocktails, and honestly, it looks more like an Echo Park house party than a backstage award show.
A Campaign Made for L.A. Life
Carol Robert, managing director of U.S. ready-to-drink at Suntory Global Spirits, summed it up perfectly:
“The American Music Awards are all about celebrating the moments that bring people together—and that’s exactly what On The Rocks™ is created to do.”
That idea is at the heart of their new “Make it a Cocktail” campaign, which made its primetime debut during the AMAs. The campaign flips the script on traditional drinking occasions—showing people ditching wine or beer in favor of a proper cocktail at times you’d never expect it. Think: an Espresso Martini at a backyard movie night, or a Cucumber & Lemongrass Mule at a Dodger game tailgate.
It’s all about elevating everyday moments, something Angelenos know a thing or two about.
The L.A. Factor: Convenience Meets Craft
Founded in 2015 by a group of industry vets who knew the pain of finding a decent cocktail outside of a high-end bar, On The Rocks™ delivers all the flavor and balance of a hand-mixed drink—minus the bartender, the mess, or the Uber ride home.
Their lineup reads like the menu at a trendy cocktail bar on La Brea:
The Aviation, Old Fashioned, Jalapeño Pineapple Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Mai Tai, and more. Limited editions like the Spiced Pear Whiskey Sour and Blue Hawaiian have become collector items for cocktail connoisseurs across town.
And now, with the launch of their sparkling canned line—Sparkling Lime Margarita, Mango & Mint Mojito, and Cucumber & Lemongrass Mule—On The Rocks™ is staking its claim on poolside coolers from Malibu to Marina del Rey.
Where to Sip in L.A.
Whether you’re hosting a movie night in Culver City, planning a beach day in Santa Monica, or pre-gaming for a night out in West Hollywood, On The Rocks™ is the go-to. You can find the full lineup at major retailers around Los Angeles, or just visit ontherockscocktails.com to stock up.
Follow @otrcocktails on Instagram for the latest drops, cocktail inspo, and behind-the-scenes celebrity moments.
Bottom line:
L.A. is a city that doesn’t wait—and now your drink doesn’t have to either. On The Rocks™ Premium Cocktails is delivering mixology-level cocktails without the fuss, and everyone from Dylan Efron to your neighbor in Brentwood is pouring one.
Big Papi’s Ultra-Premium Ozama Rum Just Landed in L.A.—Here’s Why You’ll Want a Bottle
Big Papi’s Next Power Play: David Ortiz Uncorks a Dominican Rum With Soul, Swagger, and Serious Flavor
In a town that thrives on reinvention, where tequila tastings compete with mezcal masterclasses and everyone knows their Negroni from their Paper Plane, the arrival of Ozama Rum might just disrupt L.A.’s sipping scene in the most unexpected—and welcome—way. But this isn’t just another luxury bottle with a celebrity signature. It’s Dominican-born, baseball-bred, and brimming with heart.
Launched by none other than Hall-of-Famer David “Big Papi” Ortiz, Ozama Rum is a lush, premium spirit that pays homage to the rhythms, rituals, and resilience of the Dominican Republic. And while Ortiz may be best known for smashing home runs for the Boston Red Sox, his latest swing connects straight to his roots—and it’s a clean hit.
“To me, Ozama isn’t just about rum, it’s about identity, pride, and progress,” Ortiz says.
“I wanted to build something that celebrates the energy and soul of my people and shows the world what we’re made of. It’s always been important for me to do things the right way, which is why this labor of love has been one of the most rewarding projects of my career. I can’t wait for people to try it! They say that perfection doesn’t exist, but you can get close to it.”
Rum, Reimagined
Named after the Ozama River—the same one Ortiz grew up fishing, swimming, and crabbing along as a boy—Ozama Rum isn’t just Dominican in spirit. It’s 100% Dominican in production. From the locally grown sugarcane to the fermentation, distillation, and
Taraji P. Henson Brings Hollywood Flair to the High Seas with Seven Daughters Moscato and Princess Cruises
Taraji P. Henson Brings Hollywood Flair to the High Seas with Seven Daughters Moscato and Princess Cruises
The Academy Award-nominated actress, entrepreneur, and proud Angeleno has teamed up with Princess Cruises to bring her fan-favorite Seven Daughters Moscato to travelers worldwide. The wine, celebrated for its vibrant, lightly sweet notes of tropical fruit and honeysuckle, is the latest addition to the cruise line’s Love Lines Premium Liquors Collection.
And for L.A. locals who already know Taraji as more than just Cookie Lyon or Melinda Gayle, this new venture is pure Taraji: bold, inviting, and full of heart.
“Seven Daughters is more than just a bottle of wine; it’s a celebration in a glass,” said Henson. “Our Moscato is inviting, refreshing, and perfect for moments of connection which is what makes this partnership with Princess Cruises so amazing. Now we can experience this feeling with people from around the world, whether they’re toasting under the stars or relaxing on the open sea.”
Headquartered right in Santa Clarita, Princess Cruises has long been a part of Southern California’s luxury travel DNA. With its proximity to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro—just a freeway ride away from Taraji’s hometown hustle—this partnership feels especially fitting. L.A. residents looking for a chic weekend escape can now sip on Seven Daughters while cruising down the Pacific Coast or setting out on a Mexican Riviera getaway, glass in hand and ocean breeze in hair.
“Princess Cruises is committed to curating distinctive, high-quality experiences for our guests, and Seven Daughters aligns seamlessly with that vision,” said Sami Kohen, Vice President of Food and Beverage at Princess Cruises. “Taraji’s Moscato reflects a bold yet approachable style that we know our guests will love.”
Seven Daughters isn’t just another celebrity wine—it’s a labor of love and creativity. As Strategic Advisor and Creative Collaborator, Henson has poured her personality into every bottle. For L.A. tastemakers and wine lovers, this means more than a quality drink; it’s a chance to connect with a star who has always stayed rooted in the community.
With her inclusion in the Love Lines Premium Liquors Collection, Henson joins a glamorous circle of fellow celebrity spirits makers including Jason Momoa and Blaine Halvorson (Meili Vodka), Camila and Matthew McConaughey (Pantalones Organic Tequila), Blake Lively (Betty Booze and Betty Buzz), Liev Schreiber (Sláinte Irish Whiskey), Jason Aldean (Melarosa Wines), Romero Britto (Love Prosecco), and Kylie Minogue (No Alcohol Sparkling Rosé).
For Angelenos used to spotting stars in Studio City or sipping cocktails in West Hollywood, the idea of toasting with a Taraji-crafted wine while watching the sunset over the Pacific feels just right. Whether you’re heading to Catalina for the weekend or sailing out to Alaska, Seven Daughters is now the perfect local-meets-luxury beverage choice.
The Love Lines Premium Liquors Collection, launched by Princess Cruises to spotlight exclusive, star-powered wines and spirits, is about more than just sipping—it’s about celebrating. And with Taraji P. Henson at the helm of her Moscato, there’s never been a better time to raise a glass to life, love, and L.A. style.
More details and sailing options available at www.princess.com.
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Eve Bushman’s Wine Spectator Grand Tour 2024 Las Vegas
Eve Bushman‘s Wine Spectator Grand Tour 2024 Las Vegas
Last Saturday night, at Resorts World Las Vegas, Eddie and I covered our very first Wine Spectator Grand Tour tasting!
Eyeballing this one for a while, as all the wines scored 90 points or greater – any 90-point and up wine awarded blind by Wine Spectator means a lot in my opinion – and there were 235 wineries represented!
I had some California favorites I wanted to try, and of course dozens from around the world.
But, knowing me, covering the event was going to take most of my time and I would be lucky to hit up just so many tables, with that in mind these were my favorite wines and their numerical scores:
Vina Almaviva Puento Alto 2021, 96.
Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Benchland Select 2019, 91.
Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolas Catena Zapata Mendoza 2009 (Cab and Malbec), 94.
Cesare Amarone Valpolicella Classico, 2018, 91.
Louis Roederer Brut Champagne Collection 244 NV, 93.
Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Signature 2019, 93.
Charles Heidsieck Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne, NV, 93.
Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Family Reserve 2019, 94.
Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2021, 94.
Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2021, 94.
Croft Vintage Port 2017, 97.
Cuvaison Pinot Noir Napa Valley Los Carneros Small Lot Spire 2021, 92.
Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Signature 2018, 92.
Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021, 92.
Frank Family Chardonnay Carneros 2021, 92.
Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Kathryn Hall 2016, 96.
Laurent-Perrier Brut Rose Champagne Cuvee NV, 92.
Marques de Caceres Rioja Gaudium Reserva 2018, 91.
Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Velvet Glove 2019, 94.
Pasqua Amarone Della Valpolicella Mai Dire Mai 2013, 91.
Pio Cesare Barbaresco 2019, 93.
Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019, 91.
Roederer Estate Brut Rose Anderson Valley L’Ermitage 2015, 93.
Sandeman Tawny Port 20 Year Old NV, 92.
Schramsberg Vineyard Brut Rose North Coast 2020, 93.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District S.L.V. 2018, 94.
Taub Family Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Beckstoffer Vyds Georges III 2019, 93.
Tensley Syrah Santa Barbara County OGT 2021, 94.
Torbreck Grenache Barossa Valley Hillside Vineyard 2021, 93.
Trimbach Riesling Alsace Frederic Emile 2016, 94.
Vina Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2021, 96.
Vina Montes Purple Angel Colchagua Valley 2020, 93.
Yalumba Cabernet-Shiraz South Australia The Caley 2018, 95.
Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2018, 92.
Event Notes
You can get there 30 minutes or so in advance to check in, get your wrist band and wine glass voucher.
Lots of people lined up to get in, but once the clocked chimed the appointed hour, we were in the large tasting room within minutes.
The dining room had plenty of seating, with different food options – Italian and Mexican – and a dessert table. We went for the pasta, carbo-loading for our stamina, which we enjoyed after the first hour.
Bathrooms were close by, plenty of water stations, pour out buckets and if there was a line at a table you could just go to the next one.
IMHO there is no reason to wait at a particular table at this event as you know everything they are offering is a top-scoring wine. The winery representatives were extremely knowledgeable about their wines.
View the wineries that participated here.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards.
You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
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Bring Great Flavors to your Los Angeles Thanksgiving with Wine Ideas from Winemaker Brian Cheeseborough
Bring Great Flavors to your Los Angeles Thanksgiving with Wine Ideas from Winemaker Brian Cheeseborough.
Thanksgiving is coming up fast, and you just have a few days left, do not panic just yet.
Most people are not “hosting” a Thanksgiving; instead, they are guests. Whether its family, friends, or you are the plus one, it is always better to make a good impression – and what better way than with an exceptional wine or two?
Wine can be inexpensive; our winemaker suggested a few wines between $15-$45.
Brian Cheesborough has more than 20 vintages of wine experience and made 90+ point wines in 6 different regions worldwide (California, France, New Zealand, Argentina, and more). He is an expert at pairing flavors and (more importantly) how to fix sour or off flavors – think dry turkey. (yikes!)
Winemaker Brian Cheeseborough shares Delicious Wine Pairings for Your Thanksgiving Feast
Take it away, Brian!
Thanks for having me. I’m excited to share these ideas because there are two goals: if the food is incredible, we want a wine that matches it and makes it even better (think like a dancing partner), and secondly, if the food is not great, we want a way to elevate the experience and fix the mistake.
Wine can do that! Most of these wines are from vineyards I have worked with or fellow Fresno State alums, some of whom I sat in a lecture with about all things wine. Can’t find the exact bottle? There are numerous producers for these wines under $50 and some below $20 – follow the varietals.
So, let us get started.
Alexander Valley Vineyards – Gewürz, 2021 Mendocino County
Alexander Valley Vineyards – Gewürz, 2021 Mendocino County
This Gewürz can solve many problems. It is a great wine to start the night; It’s also great when you’re eating something dry or bland. Yes, it is on the sweeter side. The aromatics are floral, with enticing notes of apple, grapefruit, and citrus; the mouth is silky and rich. This will pair well with any course. I like it with turkey best!
Buy it here: AVV 2021 Gewürz – Organically Grown
Willamette Valley Vineyards 2021 Estate Chardonnay
Willamette Valley Vineyards 2021 Estate Chardonnay
Another great option to start the party. The nose is a fresh bouquet of apricot, lemon, lime, and honey. The mouth is rich and supple with flavors of golden apple, caramel, and vanilla, with a nice round, refreshing finish. You can easily pair this with rich seafood dishes like shrimp alfredo and crab-stuffed lobster tail. Also, creamy potatoes or spiced pumpkins. (If you end up with pumpkin or squash on your plate and try a glass of this, you will thank me later.)
Buy it here: Willamette Valley Vineyards – Estate Chardonnay
Pine Ridge Vineyards 2021 Chenin Blanc + Viognier White Blend
Pine Ridge Vineyards 2021 Chenin Blanc + Viognier White Blend
One more light suggestion to start off your Los Angeles Thanksgiving!
This is crisp, bright, and full of life. The nose is a bouquet of honeysuckle, and orange blossoms, with a twist of ginger spice. The mouth is full-bodied with refreshing acidity. Flavors of tangerine, lime, and green apple. It’ll pair great with a light salad, goat cheese, and olives.
Buy it here: Chenin Blanc + Viognier White Blend – Pine Ridge Vineyards
Now, let us go to the Reds!
Abacela Tempranillo Fiesta 2019
It has a gorgeous fruit-driven nose with aromas of red fruit, cherry, and plum. The mouth is sleek and silky, medium body with flavors of black currant and blueberry, with lush and velvety tannins. It would pair well with turkey, venison with traditional gravy, or cranberry.
Abacela Tempranillo Fiesta 2019
Buy it here: Abacela Tempranillo Fiesta
Dutton-Goldfield’s 2020 Mendocino Hills Pinot Noir
Dutton-Goldfield’s 2020 Mendocino Hills Pinot Noir
The nose starts telling you this is something extra special; classic rich blackberry, pomegranate, and a touch of vanilla to round out the aromas. The mouth is super juicy and decadent, full of bright red cherry and cola with a baking spice finish. You want this with your main entree – turkey, ham, and stuffing. The people at your party drinking this will be glancing at each other, smiling between bites – they will know why!
Buy it here: Mendocino Hills Pinot Noir
Porter Creek, Estate Pinot Noir, Russian River – 2019
Porter Creek, Estate Pinot Noir, Russian River – 2019
On the nose, red fruit notes with cherry and plum. On the mouth, medium body with moderate oak, black currant, and blueberry, with delicate tannins. This pairs well with lean meat.
Buy it here: Porter Creek, Estate Pinot Noir, Russian River
The critical thing to remember is that regardless of your budget, you can find a great flavor to pair with what you are eating. Also, the wine can “save” the day, just in case it ends up a little (or a lot) dry or bland. You are not the chef du jour for your Los Angeles Thanksgiving, but you can still contribute to the sharing.
Brian Cheeseborough is currently the Director of Winemaking at FermForge in West Texas.
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Napa Wine: Malek Amrani’s The Vice Wine Invites a new Generation of Wine Lovers to Open a Bottle
Napa Wine: Malek Amrani’s The Vice Wine Invites a new Generation of Wine Lovers to Open a Bottle.
Winemaker Malek Amrani’s The Vice Wine is about as personal of a brand as it gets. Each batch is crafted from single grape varietals sourced from hand selected Napa Valley vineyards that best express the grape varietal and the region.
Passionate labor, sustainable farming, a long expertise of the wine industry and a current understanding of the consumer’s wine trend.
The Vice Wine’s Winemaker Malek Amrani
Today I sat down with The Vice Wine’s Malek Amrani for a conversation about luxury sales, Napa Valley’s legendary grapes, following your passion and inspirations and the future of wine for the next generation.
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. The full conversation can be found on our YouTube channel.
I just want people to understand how busy you are sharing your wines with the world. Can you share a little bit about your average calendar week?
Sure, thank you. First of all, thank you so much for having me today. I just literally just walked in three minutes ago I was in Miami. So I landed in San Francisco a couple hours ago and just got in here So speaking about travel, a lot of what we do is travel because you can make the best wine in the world, but it’s really the ability to go out and sell it that makes us successful or not.
It all comes down to sales. On average, for me, for the last eight years, I average about five, six nights a month at home. A lot of my time has been spent on the road. Although this year I’m trying to shift gears a little bit and spend more time here in Napa Valley and less time on the road.
Got it. So what inspired you to get into the world of wine? Any memorable celebrations?
What inspired me to get into wine was my love for it. I was fortunate enough to start tasting wine at an early age with my father. And I graduated high school at 16 in Casablanca, Morocco.
Went to Senegal, West Africa for med school. I did a year there and realized that it wasn’t for me. And speaking of celebration, I really wanted to do something that was quite celebratory on a daily basis and fun. I moved to New York and the first six months in New York I really just tried to survive and bounced around and did all types of jobs.
Winemaker Malek Amrani tasting Vice Wine barrel samples
But then I quickly realized that I needed to get my hands on wine and not have to pay for it and then meet people as well, because I was new to New York and I had no friends, no family. So I wanted to meet people. I realized that working in the wine industry, wine bars, and restaurants would be ideal to fulfill the two needs that I had at the time.
I dove into the wine industry early on at the age of 18. And between 18 and 21, I worked in the restaurant world a lot. I was working 2-3 jobs consistently. I was fortunate that when I was 21, I got a job in distribution representing Diageo and Moet Hennessy Brands in Manhattan to on-premise accounts, basically restaurants, bars, hotels, and whatnot.
And during that time, I also got inspired to start importing small batch boutique wines to New York and selling them too, selling them to people I knew and make a name for myself in the industry through imports as well, beyond the territory that I had at my first job.
Then in my mid twenties, I was doing it. I realized I had done it all in the wine business, except to make wine. The wine region that I’ve always been a big fan of was Napa Valley. So I looked for a brand that kind of was a solution to what I was looking for one, a Napa Valley winery that made wine for that everyday occasion that I can afford accessibly and to a winery that made more than the classic three or four varietals: Cabernet, Sauvignon Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and there aren’t many really.
And lastly a winery that kind of broke down Napa Valley to the sub regions that there are because Napa has such a very diverse terroir and sub regions, 16 in total today. Wow. So I couldn’t find one. So I decided to make one, start one, create one.
You worked at the biggest wine company in the world. How did you go about getting that job?
And then what kind of lessons did you learn while being there?
It was out of luck. I was a buyer for a restaurant on Park Avenue in Manhattan. And I was talking to my sales rep. I asked him if he liked his job and I really didn’t think about applying or anything. He thought that I was interested in a similar position and out of luck, they had open positions and he spoke to my first manager at the company and she called me and she asked me to meet with her.
I honestly didn’t know what she wanted to meet about. I thought she wanted to meet about the restaurant where I was working; and work on some program or something. And in less than 48 hours, I had a job. So I was quite lucky.
But how intense and how it is working at Moet Hennessy or LVMH is a big umbrella.
It’s the number one luxury company in the world. They certainly do a lot of things, they are number one for a reason. And at the same time, I was with the sister company that also owns part of the Moet Hennessy Diageo. Diageo is the biggest liquor supplier in the world and at the time they had wine as well.
So in a way it is easier to walk in anywhere and say I have Johnny Walker or Veuve in my portfolio. But at the same time, from a sales perspective, it was very not aggressive, but very goal-driven. And I found myself that out of 116 months of employment, I was a top quarter performer for 112.
So it was extremely competitive and I wanted to be the best at what I did. All the time. A lot of it really has to do with building relationships and working harder than the competition and doing a lot of things right and never promising something and not delivering.
Is there a major lesson that you learned while working at that global luxury company that has helped the Vice wines?
Yes, I think, many things. My first, probably my most important lesson was to intertwine your personal life and your professional life in this industry. You can’t really separate them and be successful at it. I think it’s just making it work. It is a fun industry, we do go out a lot and get to enjoy a glass of wine during the day or two or three.
At the same time it is work and finding the balance between the personal and the professional and making one feed the other in a sense. It’s one of the biggest advantages that one can do to succeed in this industry.
I think you fulfilled two fantasies that a whole lot of wine people dream about doing. One being rockstar salesman at these amazing companies. The other becoming a winemaker.
Any advice for someone who wants to be who you were a few years ago?
Advice? Yeah, absolutely. One, it takes time. You have to be patient; and persistent and consistent.
To build relationships and establish and build a territory and build certain sales revenue. It doesn’t happen overnight. You first gotta establish relationships and relationships come down to trust. The second thing is it really comes down to being patient and consistent.
Outlasting the competition because there’s such a huge turnover in the industry. So if you trust the process that if you stick around long enough and do certain things right for a long time, people will turn over in the industry and there will be opportunities that will pop up left and right and they will be yours for you to capture.
Personally, one of the things that really made me successful, and a lot of people may not do it, is that for 10 years in Manhattan, I commuted on a motorcycle 12 months a year. The subway was fast, but I never wanted to miss a phone call.
When the average salesperson is probably seeing 5, 6, 7 accounts a day, I was seeing consistently 15 to 20. So I was able to have a bigger territory and see my clients on the regular without appointments. I was on a motorcycle. I was the guy just going to show up and just say hello and I was in and out, just checking on you, see if you need anything versus I have to make an appointment, find parking, all that kind of stuff.
The work ethic definitely, 15 in a day is a very deliberate choice with time and energy.
Your wines are called “Vice”. Was there a “Vice moment” where you knew it was time to move on and become a winemaker?
That moment probably lasted a couple of years. There was a lot of self questioning and self doubt on the daily because I had, at one point, two very successful businesses.
One, I worked my job on a W-2 and the other one, my own business, my imports business. And I was doing pretty well at the time in my mid twenties and, within three, four years, I may have paid a little bit over a million dollars in taxes. How do you let all this go and jump into the vice and, basically not have a revenue?
Especially in the beginning stages, it took me a couple of years to really decide what to do but The Vice, the idea started in 2013.
Winemaker Malek Amrani
We really became a business in 2016. And I let everything go for The Vice in 2018. It took some time. At one point I was having three businesses happening all at once, and it was very stressful.
So that “Vice Moment, it wasn’t like sudden. It wasn’t quick. It was a long vice moment.
Tell us about the regions that The Vice grapes are sourced in and equally important, how the heck did you get grape sourced from these in-demand areas?
So I chose Napa Valley because Napa, one, is their vice to me, hence the name of the Vice Wine, name of the brand. My vice is wine, but their vice is Napa. And I’ve always been a huge fan of Napa.
And Napa is the apex of the American wine industry is what set the tone for us, what opened, it’s what really led this American wine revolution in a sense. It all started really with Napa back in, in the 60s and 70s. So I wanted to shoot for the top because of that aspect.
And also, it’s just part of the American dream. As an immigrant, there is nowhere on the planet, I can’t imagine myself going to France, Italy, or Spain, and walking right into their top wine region and say, I’m going to do what I do today. I have no doubt I wouldn’t be welcomed.
Napa did just the opposite and welcomed me and gave me an opportunity, not just as a wine region, but as a community.
The second thing, how I got into having access to these grapes, a lot of it is street work. Putting in the time, coming a lot to Napa and hanging out at a lot of places where winemakers hang out for lunch or dinner and talking to the bartenders and doing my due diligence and investigating on my own and really networking and knocking on doors. Not being afraid to knock on doors and introduce myself to people and tell them about what my plans are and see if they’re willing to sell me some grapes.
In this industry, when you buy, when you contract to somebody, you pay a little bit of what the grapes are worth when you first pick the grapes and then the rest within time in the new year or so.
A lot of what I’ve done in the beginning was pre paying. So I pre paid for the grapes while they were still hanging on the vines. It’s almost like buying the fish while it’s still swimming in the ocean. So in that sense, they owed me versus I was at the mercy of a lot of the growers to sell me grapes. They already had the money, they already got paid.
So they had to work with me in a sense and again, being honest, not being late on payments and having good relationships with the growers goes a very long way.
Can you share your Napa Dream with us that you put on your bottles and let us know what that means to your family?
Yeah, so I’m sipping right now batch number 100, the Napa Dream. So we make our wines in batches. Every single wine, and I made a little bit over 130 wines to date. Every single wine has a number.
It started with number one, which was a Chardonnay 2013 vintage. And when I first started The Vice, I had this long term vision, but I didn’t envision myself to be here today with batch number 100. So batch number 100 is an homage to batch number 1.
I named it The Vice and not my last name. As you see, most of the wine industry, it’s someone’s name on the label. I didn’t want to do that. The Vice to me is what wine is: a Vice. Napa is my vice. So it’s very personal.
But at the same time, the craft beer industry really had a boom in 2008 – 2020. What made it really successful were the names. Craft beer has some really wild names. You look at the name and packaging, and it’s what probably draws you to open the can, you buy it and try it.
At the time in 2013, there weren’t many un-conservative names in the wine business. It was still very conservative names and people’s last names. There was 19 crimes and there was The Prisoner.
I thought The Vice would be a very good name, One, because it meant something to me and Two, it’s very edgy and it’s borderline bad.
It’s not bad. It’s not bad unless you do too much of it. That’s what vices are. If you overdo it, then they become bad. They become addictions, a lot of things, and it’s an easy name to remember.
I’m going to assume almost every wine lover knows Napa Valley. Touch a little bit on the region of Napa, the soil your vineyards are using, and how that influences your aromas and your tastes as we actually get into the bottles themselves.
When people talk about Napa Valley, most of the time we talk about how this perfect Mediterranean climate that we have here, its location about 35 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, the Bay, San Pablo Bay, which is an extension of San Francisco Bay, the microclimate.
We talk a lot about the microclimate, but one thing that I think makes Napa the best wine region in the world, in my opinion, is that Napa has half of the world’s recognized soil.
It’s a paradise for someone who is really into soil because there’s so much diversity here. More than anywhere else when it comes to soil diversity, we make wine from 14 out of 16 sub regions of Napa, but within the same AVA. Within the same sub region, we have different soils.
So a lot of the wines that we make are single vineyard wine You do get to taste the purity of the terroir from a specific soil type. It’s something honestly that we can talk about for days and it’s fun for most people.
Going a little deeper in that for a moment.
We picture you in Manhattan, probably very well-dressed at that old job. Now you’re working a farm. What was it like the first time you stepped onto that vineyard.
What that experience was like for you?
For me, honestly, I always felt that my calling was to be in the countryside. Although while Napa is the countryside, it’s like the Hamptons of the West. It’s still probably the most expensive agricultural land in the world.
It’s very beautiful. But being in touch with nature and being a little isolated from the hustle and bustle of civilization, which is usually in the cities. I find a balance when I’m here in Napa because I do travel a lot. I’m on the road and I’m back to the cities trying to sell wine across the U S and also across the world.
Vineyard life, farm life, it’s my balance. It’s my happy place being in the vineyard. I’m sure you can’t picture me, but I do wear a lot now. I never thought I would ever be wearing cowboy hats a lot. But I do wear them because it covers my head pretty well from the sun.
Walk us through your favorite wines. Let’s talk about aromas and flavors and color and what you love about them so much.
First thing, I don’t have favorites. All my batches are equal to me. Every single batch has a story; is a labor of love. But the wine of the moment right now is my orange wine.
So I started making orange wines in 2020. Orange wine is the oldest winemaking style in the world. Five, six thousand years ago, when they started fermenting grapes to my knowledge, they were white wine grapes.
Today, all white wine, we take the varietals, we press or break the skin of the grape and capture the juice immediately, discard the skin. Orange wine is basically pretending to make red wine with white wine grapes. So there’s skin contact.
So we basically ferment the juice out of the grapes with their own skins and what you get in return, you get some type of orange hue in the wine. The wine I’m opening right now is my Orange of Gewurztraminer and it’s called Brooklynites because that’s where I got the inspiration out of Brooklyn. And we’re doing really well with it. It’s just been very successful for us. It’s up and coming.
This wine, Orange Wine, reminds me of Rosé of 15 years ago when Rosé just started to make a comeback or just started to grow in sales and popularity.
I also feel like with orange wine, I feel like it’s a generational thing.
If you look at Sauvignon Blanc, for example one of the top white wine varieties right now, 20 years ago, no one was really drinking Sauvignon Blanc, but it was really the Gen X that made it popular.
Same thing with Rosé I feel like Orange is just at its infancy stages right now, and it’s having it’s moment. Driven by millennials and Gen Z’s also Gen X and boomers when they see it on a wine list and they see it in the store, they get curious, maybe a little embarrassed that they haven’t had an orange wine.
They’ve been drinking wine for decades already. So there is a little sense of curiosity when it comes to orange. So it’s doing really well for us. It’s 3,000 case production right now. Our total production of The Vice is 27,000.
And Gewurztraminer, the varietal means spicy. I won’t call it spicy. I’ll call it flamboyant. Because it just pops out of the glass with so much roses, lychee, peach, apricot.
It’s a really pretty varietal and this orange wine of Gewürztraminer is certainly a treat. Very well said.
The 2020 Chardonnay. The mouthfeel, the balance, when you were creating it, how did you decide what it was going to be like?
It is an homage to batch number one, Chardonnay.
So I really wanted to create something almost like there’s a legacy and a celebration for reaching that milestone of making a hundred wines. I wanted to go back to very traditional winemaking. The birthplace perhaps of Chardonnay is Burgundy. And in Burgundy, a hundred years ago, they were not bottling every single year.
They bottled when they needed to. They had good vintages, bad vintages. So it wasn’t this cycle.
Now, the majority of the industry doesn’t age Chardonnay for more than 12 months in oak. Most people have a misunderstanding of oak and malolactic fermentation in wine.
I hear it all the time, people saying, I hate oaky chardonnays because they’re too buttery, too oaky. There’s two different things. Oaky and buttery are two different things. So the malolactic fermentation, the conversion of malic acid into lactic acid, is what gives you that creaminess in Chardonnay.
And predominantly, all red wines go through it. But in white wines, Chardonnay is the only one that goes through malo. And it is a style that’s fading. It’s boomers who love the buttery Chardonnays.
But when it comes to oak you really don’t find anybody aging Chardonnay for 30 months.
It’s a little bit crazy to do, but this was my vision as a celebration. And the funny thing is that I just came back from Miami and the joke, everybody that tasted it. They’re like, wow, what a delicious wine and how did you get the idea? And I was like the joke here in the cellar in Napa was when I was making this wine, everybody here was like, who’s going to drink this wine?
And the joke was Florida will drink it because they love big oaky Chardonnay. But the reality now in the valley and other markets too. The younger consumer is actually loving this wine because it doesn’t have much malolactic fermentation. Only 25% of the wine went through malo. So there is a little kiss of butter.
Almost like buttered popcorn, but without being too buttery, without having greasy hands. And then the oak flavor here is just amazing. Because it just pops with butterscotch and vanilla and full spices and it’s a super long finish. You take a sip and five minutes later, it’s still sitting in your palate which is quite unique for a Chardonnay.
You had a vision before you produced the bottle. How close to reality did it become, and what were the challenges to get it there?
To explain that I have to give you the background. Everything I do is not out of just because I decide to.
Everything I do is it backed by the marketplace. Most winemakers, they have an idea, they go apply it. I have so many ideas. All my ideas actually are based on creating demand that’s already in the marketplace or about to be. So a lot of what I do is research and development.
I’m not going to wait to get a market watch article last year to tell me that this varietal or this segment is trendy. I’m seeing it live in the marketplace. I’m seeing it live with the consumer. I am doing tastings in stores. I’m doing tastings at restaurants, hosting dinners, and seeing what the consumer wants.
So I’m seeing it before the rest of the industry. Everything I do is based on where the trend is going before it even becomes a trend. And it is a gamble because not everything comes to fruition. But that’s the basis of what I do is based on the wine enthusiasts, people that drink wine, their interests and what they want to have in the, what they wanna see.
Let’s talk about your Pinot Noir.
This is my house Pinot Noir. We call it the house because this is what I envision to be the house Pinot, basically a Pinot Noir that you open and whether you drink a glass or finish the bottle. If you drink a glass, you can put the cork back on it and it will be good for at least four or five days.
All our wines are made in a traditional style and they’re exposed early on to oxygen. So they’re oxygen resistant compared to conventional wines. When you open the wine; conventional wine by the second or third day, they already flatten out and turn into vinegar cooking wine. The Pinot Noir here is for the everyday occasion and it doesn’t require any food, although this pairs well with everything.
This is the only red I’ll probably pair with any type of fish. It really is a very good wine on its own. Doesn’t really require food. I make a lot of big Cabernets and big heavy varietals like Petite Syrah and certain Malbecs. Very good. You drink a glass and you start begging for food because some wines really require that.
The House Pinot is my go to wine for that everyday, anytime occasion. It is from Carneros, so it’s Southern Napa, and it’s made in a traditional Burgundian style.
What makes this wine actually unique is that a huge amount of of Pinot Noirs now in California are laced with something else to be a varietal on the label, like Pinot Noir or Cabernet. All you have to be is 75% to 85% based on the county. So there is a lot of blending and we’ve seen a lot during the past few years.
The emergence of jammy Pinot’s. It’s all cut with something big and heavy. Pinot is supposed to be lean. A beautiful aromatic varietal with high acidity. It’s supposed to age really well. So we’re going back to that traditional burgundy style.
The wine next to it is a red wine blend.
We make 14 different cabs, so many different red wine varietals. All these wines I make are 100% single varietal. I don’t like to blend. I just love to showcase the true expression of the varietal from the terroir that it comes from of Napa Valley.
I made this wine and I called it Millennial. This is batch number 96 Millennial. And this wine is a blend of different varietals. It’s like a world blend almost. It’s 63% Petite Syrah, 22% Malbec. 8% Tempranillo, Spanish varietal, 7% Primitivo, an Italian varietal, and 1% Charbonneau which is a very rare varietal that we have here in Napa. So multiple varietals, I called it the Millennial because, I found that the millennial consumer is looking more for a style when it comes to a red wine, something that’s medium body, fruit forward, softer tannins. And they’re not really much into what vintage is it, what’s the region, what’s the AVA, they are still very price conscious.
So the retail price for is $29. It’s our least expensive red wine that we make. And it’s a really mouthful of a wine. It’s very juicy. It’s like lava cake in a glass. Although it’s dry, it’s got no residual sugar. It’s still so fruit forward. And there are so many flavors from lava cake to blueberry compote to raspberry jam.
We did not put anything. No vintage, no AVA, no nothing. We just wanted to focus on the blend itself and, that’s a red wine, it tells you exactly who it’s made for.
I’m not sure if you see yourself as a foodie. Any food pairings that you recommend with your wines?
Yeah, I certainly consider myself a foodie. Half of my time alive is spent going from one restaurant to another. Granted, I don’t eat at each one of them all the time, but I do try to eat a small dish everywhere I go and try different things, different cuisines, and I love, as someone that was born in Morocco, I love flavor.
Maybe part of my success in winemaking has to do with my palate. And my taste for my open mind, the taste for food also, and being willing to try different flavors.
When you say Napa, people think Cabernet right away. No one would ever think of orange wine first. Maybe not anytime soon, hopefully one day, but as of now, everybody thinks Cabernet. And. Cabernet to me or some red, big red varietals I think the best friend for our big wines.
My favorite pairing right now is this orange wine. I find myself drinking a lot of Orange lately. And this orange gewurztraminer, favorite companion to Southeast Asian cuisines like Thai, Vietnamese does really well with it. I’ll say Indian cuisine with curries and or even Middle Eastern cuisines. The orange gewurztraminer does really well with them.
I really like to keep it simple. I love to cook with a lot of herbs and spices.
You don’t want to overwhelm it. You don’t want to ruin the taste. You want to enjoy it by keeping actually the food that goes with it simple. Just 1, 2, 3, 4 herbs or spices just to enhance the dish. and bring out the flavors of the wine.
Talking about the Vice team, you have a world class CMO and you have a genuine superhero. Can you talk a little bit about your team?
We met in 2008. We actually worked together and we’ve been together now since 2008. We’ve been married 10 years. Tori is my partner, but life partner and business partner, of course.
Her background is fashion. So she was a creative director at her last job. And she went to Parsons in New York for fashion. Her entire life she knew she wanted to be in fashion.
I wouldn’t be here today, The Vice would not exist if it wasn’t for Tori. She was crucial, especially for the creation of The Vice, the label, the marketing aspects of it. And today she’s 100% on board with The Vice. She has no other job. She’s the CMO of The Vice.
My assistant winemaker; he’s the joy of every day life. His name is Bruce Wayne and he’s an eight year old Tibetan Terrier. He’s got a better nose than any of us. He loves to be in the cellar because of the cool temperature. And as I said probably in the beginning, intertwining personal and the professional. Having him around most of the day when I’m here in the Valley, or just having him come with me, he’s a very good boy. It certainly adds a lot of happiness to what we do and it, it helps with the craft of The Vice.
You mentioned that Tori has a fashion background. What was the transition from fashion to to wine like?
Her transition was similar to mine. It was more of a hobby, part time fashion project and part time helping The Vice. And then last year, we had a baby, our first baby. After she went back to work after her maternity leave, she realized that she wanted to focus on the baby a little bit and also full time on The Vice.
Where do you see The Vice in 5 years? What can we look forward to?
Thank you for asking. The vision since day one was to be an international brand. Today we are in four international markets and 14 states in the U. S. But this secret fantasy that I’ve had since day one about creating The Vice was for the French to drink The Vice.
The French don’t drink American wine. In fact, if you are from Burgundy, you probably don’t even drink Bordeaux, or you don’t drink Sancerre, or you don’t drink Provence. They’re into their own wine regions.
Globally where we will be 5, 10, 20 years, I don’t like to really put deadlines and time limits because the passage of time does things that, it’s very subjective.
The last three years were great for our business. If anything, it spurred us to grow more than we expected. Our long term goal with The Vice is to leave a legacy in the valley and for the brand to inspire the next generation of people to be the voice for a fresh voice in Napa.
From a sales perspective, we are at 27,000 cases. We want to be at 100,000 cases. We want to be in a million cases. But most importantly, we want to maintain the quality and the integrity of the wine that we make.
Younger audiences are booking for healthier wines
There is a lot of formula wine. Wine that has probably 30 ingredients you and I can’t pronounce because it’s not FDA regulated and you know they make it taste consistent year after year and there’s a lot of chemistry that goes into it.
Our wines are very simple. There are two ingredients, grapes and a little bit of CO2 to maintain stability. So long term for us is to continue to be a true craft wine, real wine that’s good for you if you drink it in moderation.
How can we shop your wines? How can we find you?
Thank you for asking how you can help. I see myself as an ambassador of Napa Valley, so I encourage you to please discover Napa and keep it as the leading wine region in the world. We are a one stop shop for Napa Valley. We have the most diverse portfolio of Napa Valley wines at a great price point.
Please check us out, www.TheVice.com. Please follow us. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. Fun fact is that our corks have my phone number on them. You can text me, call me, DM me, FaceTime me. If I’m not in an awkward situation, I’ll pick up. But I’m very accessible. I’d love to I’d love to hear from you.
I’d love to answer your questions. I’d love to help you discover the wine industry, but specifically Napa. I’d love to help you not only discover it and enjoy it as well.
That is incredible. So thank you. I really appreciate your time.
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