Dolin Dry is distinguished by its light, fresh and clean profile, which comes from a delicate wine base and more than thirty Alpine herbs. From its start in 1821, Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry has been the benchmark for fine French Vermouth. Its fresh and elegant nose, subtle and complex palate is the profile that made the 1:1 gin/dry vermouth Martini famous, and so often imitated by others. In the 1930s Chambéry earned France’s only protected designation of origin for Vermouth. Beyond mixed drinks, it is an ideal aperitif or accompaniment to raw shellfish, goat cheese or pesto. In cooking, Dolin Dry adds depth and an herbal character that normal white wine cannot. Full details

The sweet, pale ‘Blanc’ variety of vermouth was first created and made famous by Dolin in Chambéry long before Italian producers replicated the style as ‘Bianco’. The Blanc is traditionally served with a sliced strawberry, a splash of soda and a twist. Dolin blanc’s elegance and slight vanilla edge marry beautifully in the ‘new classic’ Blond Negroni. In other cocktails, Dolin Blanc pairs well with blanco tequila or other flavorful clear spirits. It is ideal for infusions of melon or other fruit, and an appetizing accompaniment to a wide variety of cheeses. Full details

Dolin Rouge imparts lovely spicy notes amid its light and fresh profile, with a clean finish to complement and not overwhelm a drink’s other components. More than fifty herbs flavor Dolin Rouge; its profile is firm and balanced, without the excessive sweet or lingering aftertastes found in large commercial products. It makes for an exceptional Manhattan that does not bury the tastes of rye or bourbon, even at classic 1:1 proportions. Refreshes a Negroni, too. Dolin Rouge and a twist pairs well with charcuterie or black olives and works perfectly in tomato or meat cookery. Full details

Established in 1856, Comoz was the second-oldest of Chambéry vermouth producers after Dolin, and was the first to produce in a crystal-clear style. (Dolin preceded with a sweet pale, rather than crystal clear, blanc vermouth.) Introduced in 1881, Comoz Vermouth Blanc expressed Claudius Comoz’s selection of wines, plants and fruits, many of which come from the hills above Chambéry. Comoz came to fame as the essential vermouth in the El Presidente cocktail in Cuba. Comoz is less sweet than other vermouth blanc, with notes of stone fruits, alpine flowers and a deep, resonant undercurrent of wormwood. This deeper profile marries with whiskey better than any other pale vermouth. Full details

Byrrh Grand Quinquina is made to the original late-19th century recipe that earned worldwide fame and inspired fifty years of evocative poster art. Byrrh combines a generous, port-like wine and mistelle base with a firm backbone of natural quinine to produce a fruity, refreshing aperitif by itself, with tonic and a twist, or paired with blue cheese. In cocktails, Byrrh mixes well with vodka, gin, cognac, tequila, Irish whiskey, and grapefruit. Byrrh is produced in Thuir, in the heart of French Catalan territory, near the coast and border with Spain. Full details

Since 1865, this spicy, earthy aperitif has been known as “ouvre l’appétit” - the key to the appetite. Serious in its role as an aperitif, and then popular with sportsmen, Bonal became an early sponsor of the Tour de France. It is made by an infusion of gentian, cinchona (quinine) and renowned herbs of the Grande Chartreuse mountains in a mistelle base. While tradition is to drink neat with a twist, Bonal also mixes well with fresh or hard cider, sparkling wine, and Scotch or American whiskies. Excellent with hard, salty cheeses, salted nuts, or earthy, spicy foods. Full details

A true Quinquina Blanc, and unique among aperitif wines. The profile of the Cap Corse Mattei BLANC aperitif wine is defined by its distinctly Corsican components. Its all-mistelle base is of Vermentinu and Muscat Petit Grains, lending a terrific minerality, acidity and floral tones. The local Cedrat (aka citron) adds unique citrus aroma and a silky texture. Since its creation in 1872 by Louis-Napoléon Mattei, Cap Corse Mattei is the oldest and best known aperitif of Corsica. Still today family owned, and all macerations, aging and bottling are done in house. Full details

Among the most famous of French Quinquina, enjoyed for generations by visitors and residents of the Island of Corsica. It is composed of a variety of local and exotic spices, walnuts and cinchona bark on a base of Corsican Muscat and Vermentinu mistelles. The result is an aperitif of tremendous depth with a wonderfully dry finish. Traditionally served neat or on ice with tonic or soda. It mixes well with rye whiskey, apple brandy or brandy. Since its creation in 1872 by Louis-Napoléon Mattei, Cap Corse Mattei is the oldest and best known aperitif of Corsica. Still today family owned, and all macerations, aging and bottling are done in house. Full details

1ères soifs (premières soifs) means ‘first thirsts’. This ‘vin de soif’ is 100% organic, made with grapes hand-harvested by the Bourrel family on their old-vine Carginan parcel, Les Flamands. Grown at altitude on the far western flank of the Agly Valley in Roussillon, the combination of warm days and cool nights give the wine its fresh, bright fruit and exuberant character, while its rocky schist soils lend depth and complexity. Full details

A wine of ancient tradition, Abbé Rous ‘Matifoc’ Rancio sec is produced from old-vine Grenache noir and is aged outdoors in old 600-liter Banyuls demi-muids for up to four years before returning to the cellars for continued oxidative aging. The resulting wine is a blend, with an average age of 10-12 years in partially-filled barrels, resulting in its inimitable rancio character. Full details

Terres des Templiers Rancio Sec descends from an ancient tradition preserved by Catalan winemakers of the Côte Vermeille. From old-vine Grenache noir found on its schist-dominated, terraced vineyards overlooking the sea, the wine is first aged out-of-doors in old demi-muids before returning to the cellars of the producer for extended oxidative aging in old Banyuls casks. The wine is a blend with an average age of 10-12 years spent in partially-filled barrels, resulting in its pronounced rancio character. Full details

Tresmontaine ‘Puits aux Souhaits’ Rancio sec is the last produced under the auspice of the late winemaker, Bernard Sapéras, who kept it mainly for family and friends. Made from Grenache noir vines with an average age of 70 years and a yield of just 20 hl/ha, it was fermented in old casks over the course of several years before coming to rest in barrels first used for the domaine’s Banyuls blanc. The average age of the blend is 10 years. Full details

With echoes of single-malt Scotch—perhaps Speyside’s Abelour or Cardhu—the 2012 vintage combines a firmness and understated elegance unique amongst the Rombeau Rancio Sec vintages. Notes of bergamot, peanut brittle, green walnut and heather reveal themselves slowly along its subtly tannic spine. It was vinified in tank with native yeasts, then transferred to an assortment of old barrels and glass demijohns for 12-18 months' aging outdoors. A portion is then returned to the cellars, which rest above ground and lack temperature control, while another portion remained in the "barrel park" until the time of blending and bottling in mid-2022. The wine combines roughly equal parts Grenache blanc, Grenache gris and Macabeu, with a tiny amount of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

It can be enjoyed with all manner of tapas, with cheese; with wood-fired pork or curried lamb, and especially as a digestif. Shelf-stable, it should be served lightly chilled or at cellar temperature. Full details

With its inviting, redolent nose, the 2011 vintage serves as an exemplary invitation to the world of Rancio sec, its notes of caramelized apricot, tamarind and tobacco leaf delivered in a manner that is strictly analog. It was vinified in tank with native yeasts, then transferred to an assortment of old barrels and glass demijohns for 12-18 months' aging outdoors. A portion was then returned to the cellars, which rest above ground and lack temperature control, while another portion remained in the "barrel park" until the time of blending and bottling in mid-2022. The wine combines roughly equal parts Grenache blanc, Grenache gris and Macabeu, with a tiny amount of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

This wine can be enjoyed with all manner of tapas, with cheese; with wood-fired pork or curried lamb, and especially as a digestif. Shelf-stable, it should be served lightly chilled or at cellar temperature. Full details

The lightest of the Rombeau Rancio secs, the 2010 is distinguished by its cepage and its shorter elevage, with an increased percentage of Macabeu and, atypically, a small amount of Muscat à Petits Grains (roughly 10%) added to the foundational Grenache blanc and Grenache gris. It was vinified in tank with native yeasts, then transferred to an assortment of old barrels and glass demijohns for 12-18 months' aging outdoors. A portion is then returned to the cellars, which rest above ground and lack temperature control, while another portion remained in the "barrel park" until the time of blending and bottling in mid-2016. Full details

The 2009 vintage is the most complete and balanced of the Rombeau Rancio secs, combining the pronounced umami funk of 2008 with the lighter touch of 2010. It was vinified in tank with native yeasts, then transferred to an assortment of old barrels and glass demijohns for 12-18 months' aging outdoors. A portion was then returned to the cellars, which rest above ground and lack temperature control, while another portion remained in the "barrel park" until the time of blending and bottling in mid-2016. The wine combines roughly equal parts Grenache blanc, Grenache gris and Macabeu, with a touch of the rare Malvoisie du Roussillon (Tourbat). Full details

The most evolved of the Rombeau Rancio secs, the 2008 exhibits a pleasing "rancio funk" while nevertheless retaining its complexity and rough good manners. It was vinified in tank with native yeasts, then transferred to an assortment of old barrels and glass demijohns for 12-18 months' aging outdoors. A portion was then returned to the cellars, which rest above ground and lack temperature control, while another portion remained in the "barrel park" until the time of blending and bottling in mid-2016. Full details

A blend of the 2006 and 2007 vintages, the Domaine de Saü Rancio sec is 100% Grenache gris, harvested by hand from a 1.9-hectare plot of 70-year old bush vines. Fermented with native yeasts in epoxy-line steel tanks and left for a week on its skins, its subsequent elevage takes place in one of the most magical places for oxidative wines in all of Roussillon—a former horse barn on the Château de Saü estate. Here, temperatures range from 55–80F and the Tramontana wind blows outside its wooden doors throughout the year, concentrating the wine left to rest in old 225-liter Bordelais fûts. Full details

This is a rare example of what is one of the oldest forms of winemaking, once found throughout the Mediterranean and now preserved by Catalan tradition on both sides of the French-Spanish border. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with native yeasts, without fortification. The youngest vines informing this wine date from 1946; the oldest from 1908. Exposed to the elements and aged for many years in partially filled oak barrels, the resulting wine has what the Roussillon locals call le goût de soleil, the taste of the sun: dry and concentrated, with complex rancio flavors of walnuts, cocoa and curry spices. This wine slumbered in barrels until May 2018. Full details

Manuel Jorel’s first Rancio sec was the result of the scorching 2003 vintage and amongst the most unique in the Sotolon Selections portfolio. His small parcel of Macabeu grapes began to shrivel on the vine; he picked the grapes and set about making an ‘orange wine’ with them, leaving the emerging wine on the skins for 28 days. It began to oxidize and he feared the wine lost, but with the advice of an old-timer, he racked the wine into old Rivesaltes casks in the corner of his second cellar (which then doubled as a garage, or garrique). Full details

The Bourrel family inaugurated this solera of overripe, old-vine Macabeu grapes in 2005. Grapes are harvested by hand at 254 g/l residual sugar and, placed into the first of three barrels, are allowed to slowly ferment to dryness. Subsequent elevage in the partially-filled barrels creates an oxidative environment; bottled at an average of six years of age, the ‘Démon de Midi’ (noonday demon) takes on notes of almond, garrigue honey and leather, with a touch of salt emerging at the finish. Full details

The barrels that winemaker Georges Puig blends to produce ‘Pyror’ were first set down in the early 1960s by his father and grandfather, and have been maintained as "perpetual barrels" ever since, with small amounts withdrawn every few years. The wine—equal parts Grenache blanc, Grenache gris and Macabeu—slowly concentrates in the ancient oak and chestnut barrels, gaining a particular combination of polish and rusticity. Full details

A Catalan tradition, Rancio wines such as this predate the modern conception of wine and viticulture. This wine’s rustic character begins with a full fermentation and evolves first in glass demijohns and then in used oak barrels, which are partially filled and often out in the sun. Owing to the process, the climate, and character of the grapes, the wine is oxidative and rich with earth, smoke and mushroom notes. This wine has aged over 5 years in barrels that formerly housed the eponymous wine of its village, lending a unique depth. Enjoy with cured meats and cheeses, or with rich creamy desserts. Serve either lightly chilled or at cellar temperature. Full details

Tresmontaine ‘Tabacal’ Rancio is the last Rancio produced by legendary Roussillon winemaker Fernand Baixas at Arnaud de Villeneuve, prior to his "retirement." (He can now be found with other raconteurs at nearby Domaine de Rombeau.) The blend is 100% Grenache blanc from the 2002 and 2003 vintages, exposed to the elements in glass demijohns for 18 months, then returned to the cellars to rest in old foudres and barrique for an additional 10 years. Full details

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This is Rivesaltes as God—or whatever gods may be—intended: Topaz, with a lifted nose. Deep and rich, but without weight. Café miel, with every autumnal spice. Grenache blanc, Grenache gris and Macabeu were co-fermented in tank with native yeasts, then aged up in the rafters for more than a decade in old barrique, without temperature control and with minimal ‘topping up’. Bottled after thirteen years in mid-2022, it can be enjoyed on its own, with a variety of cheeses (especially Bleu d’Auvergne), with roasted nuts, and desserts including crème brûlée and apple pie. Shelf-stable, it should be served lightly chilled or at cellar temperature. Full details

A smoldering wine of great intensity and persistence, the 2007 Rivesaltes Rancio is marked by notes of torched Seville orange, walnut, chestnut honey and garam masala. Grenache blanc, Grenache gris and Macabeu were co-fermented in tank with native yeasts, then aged up in the rafters for more than a decade in old barrique, without temperature control and with minimal ‘topping up’. Bottled after thirteen years in mid-2022, it can be enjoyed on its own, with a variety of cheeses, with roasted nuts, and desserts including crème brûlée and apple pie. Shelf-stable, it should be served lightly chilled or at cellar temperature. Full details

First established in 2003, this singular Maury solera was augmented with small lots each year until 2008, then rested quietly in barrel until bottling in late 2016. 100% Grenache noir, the name ‘Rage du Soleil’ alludes to the heat of Roussillon and the enduring nature of its old vines. Oxidative, yet still primary, this deft wine boasts notes of cherry compote, spice cake and cocoa powder; tobacco leaf, bitter orange and rose pepper. With lightly drying tannins balancing the wine’s inherent richness, expect a continued graceful evolution in the bottle. Enjoy with creamy blue-veined cow’s milk cheeses, with nuts and dark chocolates. Serve slightly chilled or at cellar temperature. Full details

Produced only in exceptional vintages, the Domaine du Dernier Bastion Maury Rancio is pure Grenache noir, selected from the estate’s oldest vines. Fermented in a 200-year-old concrete tank, the wine was aged in a 1,000-liter tonneau for eight years, then placed on the rooftop under glass and exposed to the elements for a final year prior to bottling. The resulting wine exhibits warming complexity and reverberative depth, its mellow rancio character embroidered on flavors of spiced cherry, caramelized orange, fruit cake, fig, walnut, coffee and cocoa. Full details

Produced only in exceptional vintages, the Domaine du Dernier Bastion Maury Rancio is pure Grenache noir, selected from the estate’s oldest vines. Fermented in a 200-year-old concrete tank, the wine was aged in a 1,000-liter tonneau for nine years, then placed on the rooftop under glass and exposed to the elements for a final year prior to bottling. The resulting wine exhibits warming complexity and reverberative depth, its mellow rancio character embroidered on flavors of spiced cherry, caramelized orange, fruit cake, fig, walnut, coffee and cocoa. Full details

One of the most classic French aperitifs is a pour of gentiane liqueur on the rocks with a squeeze of lemon. Salers is the oldest gentian liqueur of the Massif Central, birthplace to this style of product. It distinguishes itself with a pure, firm, rustic earthy profile. Unlike its larger rivals, Salers is less sweet and does not add artificial yellow color, revealing a beautiful natural straw color. Enjoy with ice and lemon, lemonade, in the Blond Negroni with gin and Dolin blanc, or as an earthy base note in a variety of cocktails. With the addition of a pinch of salt, Salers takes on herbal, tequila-like flavors. Full details

High in the French Alps, sensations are more intense and the mountain air is dry and pure. And so it is with this legendary alpine herbal liqueur, associated with this mountain region for centuries, its expression marked by local herbs and a subtle sweetness. Principal among these is génépy (sometime spelled ‘génépi), a variety of petite artemisia, or mountain sage, found in the high mountains of Isère, Savoie and the Haut-Savoie. Its fresh, bright floral and herbal flavors have long been associated with the mountain air and adventure. Today, it remains a darling of fine dining and Alpine ski resorts, served on the rocks or with tonic, and the house founded more than 200 years ago by Charles Meunier remains one of its chief exemplars. Full details

Génépy (sometimes spelled Génépi) is a legendary alpine herbal liqueur that dates back many hundreds of years. While comprised of a multitude of alpine herbs, the most prominent is Génépy, a petite variety of artemesia (often translated into English as “mountain sage”) found principally in the high mountains of the Savoy. Its bright herbal and fresh flavors have long been associated with the mountain air and adventure. Today it is still the darling of French ski resorts and fine dining, served on the rocks or with tonic water, and very welcome after a fondue. Using its own alembic still, Dolin has made this Génépy from local farmers’ herbs since 1821. Full details