Travel by Glass: Take a happy-hour trip with these spirits

Old Forester's ready-to-drink mint julep is perfect to sip during this year's Kentucky Derby. Courtesy of Old Forester

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

Old Forester's ready-to-drink mint julep is perfect to sip during this year's Kentucky Derby. Courtesy of Old Forester

The year 2020 has proved to be one of adjustment and adaptation. For many, school is virtual, work is from home, and vacation plans are scrapped. A lot of us are quarantined at home with wanderlust. Until we can travel again, stamp your virtual passport by opening a bottle that will transport you in spirit to faraway places.

Sept. 5 will bring the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby. Since 1875, fans have gathered at Churchill Downs to watch “the greatest two minutes in sports” with the official drink — the mint julep — in hand. There will be no spectators this year, a first. Don a fancy hat and watch at post time (6:50 p.m. EDT) with an easy mint julep in hand.

Old Forester Mint Julep, made with bourbon and real mint oil, is a ready-to-drink cocktail right out of the bottle, and it nails the taste of a mint julep, whether sipped in the stands, on the infield or by your television. Open it up, pour over crushed ice and, voila! Add some of that mint from your quarantine garden for garnish, if you’re feeling fancy.

Find Old Forester Mint Julep at Tower Wine and Spirits, towerwinespirits.com, and at Total Wine & More, totalwine.com.

Adaras Aldea is a bargain house wine — and a taste trip to Spain. Angela Hansberger for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Angela Hansberger

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Credit: Angela Hansberger

A trip to the Almansa region of Spain is unlikely right now, so the Deer and the Dove bar manager Jason Kemp recommends the restaurant’s house wine for a taste trip. The Adaras Aldea Tinto 2017, aged three months in French oak casks, is 80% garnacha and 20% syrah, grown in an organic vineyard.

“A hint of barnyard funk underlines the full-bodied depth of a touch of the sweet from the syrah, with a clean dry finish,” Kemp said. “In better times, I might imagine sipping it in the dappled sunlight of a tranquil afternoon in Barcelona.”

The bright wine, bursting with juicy fruit, pairs well with the Deer and the Dove’s burger, as well as seared venison.

Find Adaras Aldea ($11) at 3 Parks Wine, 3parkswine.com, and at Deer and the Dove, deerdove.com.

Greek Gai'a Moscholfilero has a quiet intensity reminiscent of cool evenings and ocean breezes. Courtesy of Ashley Hall

Credit: Ashley Hall

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Credit: Ashley Hall

Greece seems even farther away these days, but there’s a world of wines waiting to be discovered without getting on a plane. “So often, when I’m talking to wine drinkers, they tell me about that vacation they took to Spain or Italy, and they say something like, ‘All of the wines are just better there,‘” said Winebow Regional Sales Director Ashley Hall.

Gai’a Wines has winery sites on Santorini and in Nemea, on the Peleponnese peninsula. Gai’a Moscholfilero 2019 is from the Monograph line, designed to be an introduction to the winery at a friendly price point.

“This wine makes me feel like I’m eating outside — but, somewhere with less humidity and no mosquitoes,” Hall said. “I imagine cyan ocean, white canvas tents, dramatic cliffs and sunshine. The structure and acidity are bold, but, instead of roses, I smell lemon zest, salty air and woody herbs, like potpourri that lost its high notes.”

The refreshing wine has a quiet intensity, without being overbearing, and pairs well with salads, meatless pasta dishes, and spicy sausages and peppers.

You can find Gai’a Monograph Moscholfilero ($13) at many Atlanta restaurants, as well as Tuxedo Wine & Spirits, 3655 Roswell Road, Atlanta. 404-523-2300.

In marine-shaded glass, Italicus is a 15th century rosolio recipe, ready for your Italian-inspired aperitivo hour. Angela Hansberger for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Angela Hansberger

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Credit: Angela Hansberger

Missing aperitivo hour in Italy? Try a sip of Italy in a glass. Italicus is ancient, dating back to a 15th century rosolio recipe.

It is aromatic, lightly citrus, with honey sweetness and light spice from botanicals — such as lavender, rose petals, chamomile, gentian and melissa balm — macerated together before being married with bergamot and cedarwood essential oils.

“It had been my childhood dream to create the quintessential expression of what makes Italy the most remarkable and unforgettable country in the world,” founder Giuseppe Gallo said of Italicus.

The bottle itself is reminiscent of the Mediterranean; the glass is the shade of the aquamarine waters of the Amalfi Coast.

Find Italicus ($40) at totalwineandmore.com, or sip on the patio at A Mano, amanoatl.com.

Ventisei wines are full of energy, and meant to be savored now. Courtesy of Empire Distributors

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Credit: HANDOUT

Ventisei, which means 26 in Italian, is a winery named for the age that founder Emilie Saverys was when she decided to visit her mom, Virginie Saverys, who runs the iconic winery Avignonesi, in Tuscany. While there, she snuck into a blending session, fell in love with it, and eventually used her mother’s organically farmed grapes to make her own wines.

“Ventisei transports you to Tuscany through the lens of youthful exuberance,” said fine-wine consultant Bobby Labartino. The bottled juice of Ventisei’s rosso is a blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. “Three massive varietals, yet, being made through carbonic maceration, the wine is actually light and refreshing, with notes of fresh red fruit and a mouthwatering finish,” Labartino said.

The wine is full of vacation energy. Saverys’ wines are “meant to be drunk young, and enjoyed,” Labartino said. “I love that this young woman is learning and growing as a winemaker, while taking after her mother.”

Find Ventisei wines at Perrine’s Wine shop, perrineswine.com; Wahoo Wine and Provisions, wahoowine.com; and Hop City, hopcity.com.

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