Wine Quickie: Burgaska Special Muskatova Grape Brandy Rakia

August is The Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! 

This is my favorite of the three rakias that I've done spirit quickies for this month. Like the Pomorie it's made from Muscat grapes and I believe it's also a grappa, which is a brandy distilled from the must/waste left over from making wine. This one has a fiery pepperiness to it with baked apple, dried banana, vanilla, and other baking spices. It's that fiery pepperiness that I love so much, and why I'll pick a rye over a Bourbon any day of the week. $22 for a 750 ml bottle of this stuff is a good buy! It may not be available on retail shelves where you live but you can buy it on BulgarianWine.com.

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Spirits Quickie: Pomorie Muskatova Grape Brandy Rakia

August is The Fifth Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! 

Aaaah yes! Now we're talking! I've got some Rakia, AKA Bulgarian brandy, right here in front of me... so I've got to be careful because I looooooooove brandy. I don't know if you know this about me but I'm a total lightweight. Spirits will knock me right on my ass. That's probably why I'm a wine guy with an occasional beer hobby. I do believe that this rakia is not just brandy but it's also a grappa, which is a brandy distilled from the must/waste left over from making wine.

So this one is made from the Muscat grape. There's notes of baked apple, dried apricot, vanilla, and other baking spices. It's medium bodied, has a long lasting finish that coats your entire mouth with a thick layer of baked apples and a fiery peppery kick, that then delivers a comforting warmth to your belly. It performs better sipping neat than on the rocks, and for $23 it's a great deal for the quality that you get. If you're interested in trying it yourself than head on over to BulgarianWine.com!

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Valentine's Wine Review: Castello del Poggio Sweet Rosé

Here's a wine that's nice and sweet just like your Valentine... me. Smooches! And I'm putting it out there with plenty of time for you to go out and pick one up for yourself before the actual day.

This is a rosé with a little frizzante sparkle made from Muscat and Pinot Noir out of Acqui in Piedmont, Italy. It has a 7% ABV and that's all I really know about it. But that's okay because this is clearly a wine that is meant for some fun and shouldn't really be taken seriously. Put your snobbery aside, lover.

With this review I do have some "romantic" cocktail recipes that you can make with this wine, too.

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Wine Review: Domaine Boyar Selection Muscat 2015 & Tcherga Thracian Valley Red 2013

August is The Third Annual Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! 

For the third year in a row, it's Bulgarian Wine Month thanks to BulgarianWine.com! Check out the reviews from the first year (2015), the second year (2016), and this year (2017).

To read about the fascinating history of Bulgarian wine, check out Bulgaria - Part 1: Three-Thousand Years of Wine History. To learn about the grapes, wine regions and Bulgarian wine's place in the market, read Part 2: The Current State of Bulgarian Wine. And if you'd like to see what Bulgaria's national drink is all about, find out in Part 3: Invincibility of Rakia.

A few days ago I revisted two new vintages of Domain Boyar varietals that I reviewed a few years ago. One did a little better and one did a lot worse, but in my experience the only thing that Domaine Boyar does really well is Merlot. Today I'll be trying their Muscat, and then moving onto a different brand: Tcherga by Domain Menada.

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