Remember When…

It’s been 12 years of owning Sovereignty Wines and 19 years of being in the liquor industry. The last five years I have seen a world wind of changes.

Twenty years ago in Colorado Springs you didn’t have coffee shops on every corner or drive thru coffee shops open 15 hours a day for that matter. You didn’t carry a water bottle around with you everywhere you went. If you told people you had a “mother” in the cupboard nobody knew what you were talking about. Twenty-five years ago we had made our own kombucha and friends would open the refrigerator at the house and look at the organic kombucha mother and say “what the @#$%# is that thing alive?” Back then I just called it fermented tea and made a batch every week. Today it is has become more popular than soda drinks. If only I saw this future trend years ago I would be making some kombucha bucks today!

More and more people are dazzled by the fancy drinks at the bar and they want to recreate it at home with family and friends. Then when recreating that drink at home they find out that all those ingredients get pricy and most of the mixers are not even alcohol based. Now the fun begins for someone like me, because there are so many different mixers from different parts of the country and world I can help you find which mixer is good for a specific drink. Also, what is the sugar content, how many calories does it have, can it be used for more than one type of mixing? I literally could have a shop filled with nothing but non-alcoholic mixers.

Today we are in the midst of a seltzer, agua fresca, still-fruit pure drink frenzy (many of these seltzer’s are brewed as beer but differently to naturally reduce the sugar and alcohol). At least once a week, I am seeing or hearing about a new cocktail, low calorie drink or even wine in a can. I feel the timing of the products is not only due to millennials being largely wine and spirits consumers but the fact that many people want to have a single serving drink rather than a large bottle of wine.

Even technology has its effects on how people do their shopping at stores. We have begun taking the advice of total strangers on social media and the latest wine app, but sometimes that wine app rating is just too good to be true and you go home with a wine that was dry as a bone when you wanted sweet as candy.

That is why a destination store like Sovereignty Wines has given grace to all the categories. We connect to the fun spectrum of all sprits with stories, ideas, food pairing and personal feelings that is not necessarily the case at big box stores.

We continue to ask how we can expand, create and challenge ourselves and make you, the customer, happy with everything that’s new in the beverage world. We aim for thoughtfulness in the store and everything around it.

Thanks for being our customers all these years!

Ivars

Have you heard about the Grape News at Sovereignty Wines??

More than any other season, summer seems to require drinking crisp white wines such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. However, there are other choices from other places than New Zealand, Italy or California. During the summer, lightness and a refreshing simplicity trump almost any other consideration.
What’s often overlooked are how Pinot Blanc, Vino Verde and other user-friendly whites while also being serious. The wines are often intense without being too acidic or sharp, ripe and fruity but sensitive versus pairing with food.
Selbach Oster, Pinot Blanc 2016
A nice bright, mineral and balanced white wine from Germany. The Selbach family has been making wine in the Mosel Valley for over 400 years, these wine makers have it down. Sweet nose with notes of fruits, pineapple and pears. Apples take the lead on the palate that finish with hints of ginger and salty lemon curds. Grilled fish and fish chowder would pair well this wine.
Nortico, Alvarinho 2018
Really a grape called Alvarinho, say what… did you say Vinho Verde??? It is an Alvarinho grape that is very comparable to Vinho Verde but richer and higher in alcohol. The wine is delicious young, but can age as well. Speaking of age these sustainably grown vines are planted from 1910 – 2005 in granite soil. The wine has a creamy citrus oil, lime, and yellow apple aromatic note that is balanced on the palate with a nicely spiced throat tickler of lychee, orange zest and minerality.

Enjoy sharing the moment with friends and family.
Ivars

Keeping Summer fun and Relaxing
Ah … summertime. With the hot weather comes the usual round of outdoor activities — and that includes picnics, barbecues and backyard parties made better by the longer days and lingering sunlight. After all, you don’t want a drink that’s best served inside a dark, quiet bar. You need a drink that transports you to a shaded veranda overlooking the ocean, or a rooftop patio as the sun sets (Denver Bronco colored skies).

Speaking of fabulous summertime sipper, there’s no better drink than the Italian Aperol Spritz. It’s the perfect drink to sit outside and enjoy the warm Colorado summer nights with friends and family. Aperol is an apertif, bright orange in color. It has a unique taste with infusions of select ingredients including bitter and sweet oranges and many other herbs (including rhubarb) and roots in perfect proportions.

Excuse me but here is an even simpler Italian cocktail and it’s combined into one bottle. Hello party…let’s go party!!!

Everyone please meet the wonderful Giuseppe Cipriani Bellini from the Venzia Italy. The first Bellini created by Giuseppe Cipriani was at the legendary Harry’s Bar where many of the day’s famous guests flocked to for relaxation, comfort and what else good food and drink. The original recipe was a combination of gently stirring two parts Prosecco and one part fresh peach puree into a chilled flute. NOW you can enjoy this world famous cocktail, the hero of leisurely brunches and relaxing afternoon barbecues by simply chilling the bottle and popping the cork!

Have a great summer!
Ivars Spons

As Colorado weather breaks into summer, few things beat a refreshing rosé or classic French white. It’s far too soon to make general pronouncements about France’s 2018 rose vintage. But if this is any indication of what’s to come, then hold on and enjoy a wild ride!

Moulin de Gassac, Guilhem Rose 2018, Organically Grown
As always, this is equal parts Syrah and Carignan, grown and harvested fresh just for rosé. After a few hours of fermentation, the juice is pressed off the black grape skins, giving it a just-right amount of color and structure while allowing the juice to retain all of its natural freshness and vibrancy.

It’s a beautifully transparent salmon pink that sparkles in sunshine. Aromas of fresh picked strawberries and crushed red fruits – raspberries and cherries – get a lift from floral accents and a hint of citrus rind. In the mouth, it’s bright and crisp but also fleshy and rich, with loads of ripe berry fruit, a burst of ripe and round watermelon and just a touch of mineral. It fills your mouth with flavor and fun before the tart berry and lightly citric acidity come up on the finish and make your mouth water, leaving you looking for a little bite to eat or another refreshing sip.

Chateau Mourgues du Gres, Galets Dores 2018
Mourgues du Grès is recognized as one of the very best estates in the Costières de Nimes in the Revue de Vin de France. The Rhône River is just a few miles away, and the vineyards are covered with galets, the same round flat stones that are famous in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The vineyards have been certified organic by EcoCert since the 2011 vintage.

This wine is composed of Roussane 40%, Grenache Blanc 25%, Vermentino 20%, Marsanne 10% and Viognier 5% and is located on North-facing parcels make a “cool” terroir in the Mediterranean climate. The northern exposure is what provides the distinctive freshness and balance to the wine.

Light yellow with golden tints, the wine has citrus flavors mingled with floral aromas (orchid) and a mineral finish. The wine is crisp, fresh and full, the perfect balance between fruit and smooth texture. With its bouquet of white blossoms and citrus fruits, the “Galets Dorés” makes for an excellent aperitif on the patio.