“Whisper” refers to a soft whisper of herbs in wine, a delicate rendition of Vya Vermouth. Whisper Dry is Extra Dry’s understated sibling, appropriate when looking for a lighter style of aperitif wine, used alone or to soothe the edges of your favorite subtle spirit. The herbs and wine melt into the spirit without overpowering the drink. Created ten years after the release of Vya Extra Dry, the Whisper Dry is softer, less herbaceous, and formulated to pair especially well with subtle spirits like vodka in a martini. Gin martinis work well too. Try Vya Whisper Dry chilled on its own with appetizers, or on the rocks with a twist of lemon. It’s like white wine, with a little something extra. Over fifteen different herbs are used in the Whisper Dry, a few of these include: linden, orris, elecampane, and needles from a certain fir tree that contribute a soft forest-like character.
Bright golden amber color. Lively, fruity aromas and flavors of dried apricot, golden raisin, lemon-orange sorbet, and suede with a lively, sweet medium-to-full body and a tingling, charming, breezy spiced oranges, sautéed almonds, and white maple fudge finish with fine, fruit tannins and no oak. A delicious, zesty and flavor packed dessert wine. - See more at: http://www.tastings.com/Wine-Review/Quady-2014-Essensia-Orange-Muscat-California-USA-01-03-2016.aspx#sthash.Ns4BBQLS.dpuf
In 1983, a nearby grower brought Andrew Quady some Black Muscat grapes that were previously destined for sacramental wine at a local church. When the church ceased operations, the grower was left with truckloads of ripe, unwanted Black Muscat. The grower heard through the grapevine that newcomer Quady had some success with Orange Muscat, so he knocked on Quady’s door, and the rest is history. Quady handled the Black Muscat in the same manner as Essensia: crushing, chilling and allowing the grapes to macerate. He added wine spirits to arrest the fermentation. On draining the tank the winery began to smell of roses! In his amazement he held a naming contest and selected Elysium, “state of eternal bliss” in Greek, as a name for this exciting muscat wine. Elysium’s violet-crimson color and litchi-rose aroma develop after the fruit attains full maturity. This requires a warm climate. In warmer years the color is darker and the aroma is more intense. Elysium is wonderful with cheeses, especially goat cheese or Gorgonzola; with desserts containing red fruits, such as English Summer Pudding; with dark chocolate and with cream desserts and cheesecake. Elysium poured onto vanilla ice cream is an effortless favorite. Elysium makes stunning spritzers and cocktails. Try the Elysium spritzer in the summertime as a light patio pleaser. Or mix it up with whiskey, lemon, and sweetener for an Elysium Sour. Add it to sparkling wine in place of creme de cassis to make a black muscat rendition of the popular French ‘kir royale.’
Batch 88 is an easy drinking port-style wine with ripe fruit and nutty elements, that place it somewhere between a ruby and a tawny. It is warm, smooth and rich with a chocolate raisin character. Delightfully warming by itself, Batch 88 also pairs well with cheeses or with chocolates. Why do we call our “port” Starboard? Port is a geographic term for fortified wines that come from the Douro River Valley in Portugal. Starboard, the nautical term for right, (as opposed to port – left) is unique to our place, the San Joaquin Valley, California, on the other side of the world from Portugal. We use the same grape varieties and similar methods as in the Douro, but our climate is warmer and the soils different. Instead of 140 proof fortifying brandy, we use a neutral grape spirit of 190 proof. We use 60 gallon barrels instead of the 140 gallon pipes used in Portugal. Starboard matures earlier and has a riper more voluptuous flavor. The grapes in Batch 88 are primarily Tinta Roriz. The vineyard is managed to give loose bunches and a small crop. Several different vintages aged an average of five years are used in the blend. In the port business this type of blend is called “Vintage Character.” The first year we made wine in this style was 1988, thus the nickname Batch 88.
Made in California's Central Valley from a blend of dry white wines and Orange Muscat wines, Vya Extra Dry is carefully hand infused at Quady Winery with a selection of over fifteen dried herbs. In Vya Extra Dry the flowers and leaves of the plants are used for the infusion, whereas in the Vya Sweet, the roots and seeds of different plants are used. The flowers and leaves of different plants make Vya Extra Dry powerfully herbaceous, crisp, and refreshing. Fresh and aromatic, Vya Extra Dry wakes up the taste buds, and makes a wet martini or an aperitif on the rocks that livens up the end of the day. To make a delicious Vya Extra Dry Wet Martini - a martini like you've never experienced before - select a flavorful gin with a balance of components: Gin 209, Tanqueray 10 or Citadel for example. Combine 2 parts gin with 1 part Vya Extra Dry and a dash of orange bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake or stir, strain into a martini glass and garnish with a cocktail olive.
Drinking a Vya Sweet Manhattan conjures a vision of holiday baking in a cozy home on a cold winter's day. Vya Sweet is a blend of Tinta Roriz and Orange Muscat, and is hand infused at Quady Winery with a selection of over seventeen herbs and spices. The botanicals in Vya Sweet come from those parts of plants where energy is concentrated: seeds, bark, and roots. These components tend to have bitter elements which in the taste of Vya Sweet are balanced with sweetness. The balance of bitter and sweet, and the warm energy from the botanicals pair fantastically with whiskey, especially with rye. Vya Sweet makes a brilliant Manhattan. The Manhattan cocktail was traditionally made with rye whiskey but Manhattans made today are very popular with bourbon. Both types of whiskey will work with Vya Sweet. The classic proportion of sweet vermouth to whiskey in a Manhattan is 1 part vermouth to 3 parts whiskey. Selecting Vya Sweet as your vermouth will increase the spice and aromatics of your Manhattan, making a big difference in the quality of your drink. Be sure to add three good shakes of bitters to balance it out.
This garnet colored wine has a soft floral character of rose petals, violets, honeysuckle and black tea. The flavors are similar with a potent note of raspberry on the palate. The overall impression is bright, crisp, and spicy. The perfect companion to chocolate or fruit.
Soft bubbles float over flavors of sweet citrus, peach and melon. A bouquet of wildflowers refreshes the senses. Electra is a Moscato d'Asti style picnic wine for drinking outside, in warm weather, chilled or on the rocks. Pair it with fresh fruit, salads, spicy Asian and Indian foods, burgers with sweet sauce, light desserts, blue skies and fresh air. And with only 4.5% alcohol, you can still play volleyball after the picnic. Electra makes sublime sangria and sorbet. To make sorbet: pour into covered container, freeze overnight, spoon into chilled glassware. Compared to other moscatos, Electra is more aromatic, crisp and refreshing. Whereas most moscatos are made from Muscat of Alexandria, Electra is over 75% Orange Muscat and the balance is Muscat Canelli. These varieties are more difficult to grow and have smaller yields, but their aromas and flavors are more refined. To make Electra, free run juice is fermented for more than a month at low temperature after which it is chilled, sterile filtered, and bottled. This process preserves its delicate flavors and slight fizz.