We started in Cyprus. We got to see the incredible Freez Soda and Christos Halloumi factories in action, as well as 3 wineries: Vinea Ardua, Keo, and Tsiakkas. Being the only liquor store in the U.S. specializing in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Wines & Spirits, we carefully curate our selection, bottle by bottle. One of the ways we do that is by visiting these wineries to witness their craft firsthand. We met with the owners, heard their passion for their wine, and tasted wine right from the source. As soon as we got back to NYC I went to work to see how many of these wines I could get into our shop.  Reminiscing on our travels, I thought of the winding mountainous ride to get to Vinea Ardua, where the winemaker Daniel welcomed us with open arms. Now, we have (honey and dried apricot) and (very light with light tannins and bright red berries) available in Sahadi Spirits. 

Our next visit was to Keo -- maker of the #1 selling beer in Cyprus (also called Keo). Keo is similar to a Pilsner, and we now sell it at our bar and in our grocery store! This was Bob Sahadi’s favorite. Christos and the Keo team were incredible and let us try wine right from the tank. Keo makes beer, wine and St. John Commandaria. is a sweet dessert wine traditionally made to be communion wine, and is now available at Sahadi Spirits. It's great as an after dinner finish with its notes of oakwood, dried fruit and spices.

Our last winery visit in Cyprus was to Tsiakkas winery, where we learned the history of winemaking in Cyprus from the Tsiakkas family themselves: Orestis and Costas. Overlooking the vineyards from family business to family business, we tried many of their beautiful wines, bringing in an orange called as well as their white.  We already had stocked a white wine and a bubbly from them, and they are staff favorites. 

It is difficult to get Cypriot wines in the U.S. and some are not available quite yet. Demand is still growing and the market needs to be bigger for the distributors to bring in these wines. We are hoping to introduce the U.S. market to excellent Cypriot wines so the distributors can bring in even more! 

I then went on to visit Santorini, where I visited Gaia and Artemis Karamolegos wineries. Like the Cypriots, they were so hospitable and welcoming, everyone greeting us with a smile. Gaia winery is right on the ocean with incredible views and the cleanest air. We tried so many wines and learned from Leto herself, Chief of Production in Santorini. We stocked two Gaia wines already at Sahadi Spirits, but we have now added a and , Santorini’s classic dessert wine.

Lastly, we went to Artemis Karamolegos, where we tasted their wines at their beautiful courtyard restaurant.  We were shown the cellars, where their Vinsanto stays for 10 years to age (and can stay up to 100). We brought in their , their , and .

Overall, an incredible trip with so many new suppliers and friends made along the way.  I am so excited to show our community the new items we are bringing in. to take home a bottle of Mediterranean sunshine.

Mulled Wine

1 c pomegranate juice

3 cinnamon sticks

4 star aniseÌý±è´Ç»å²õ

6 whole cardamon pods

6 whole cloves

1 blood orange sliced, thin peel and all

¼ c pomegranate molassas all natural

plus, two 750 ml bottles of red wine (such as )

Simmer all the ingredients for 10 minutes or until fragrant. Add your medium-bodied red wine. Warm and let the flavors meld for ~1 hour. Gently reheat to serve. Garnish to your liking, pictured here with fresh citrus and cinnamon sticks.

A while back my family and I had the luxury of visiting Chateau Ksara in the Bekka Valley. It is one of the oldest wineries in Lebanon. It was wonderful to see the vineyard and taste familiar and unfamiliar varieties. Hearing their longstanding traditions and seeing the caves was a great experience. We are delighted to have  and  stocked in our shop and available to ship.

For years we have been asked to sell the beautiful Lebanese bottles we are featuring in our wine bar, but regulations prevented those sales, so we decided to branch out with Sahadi Spirits.  The best part of this for us is being able to pair wines with our amazing snack selections as well as our impressive cheese department.  The curation alone brings a smile to my face when customers get the perfect pairing. 

Hope to see you at the Grand Opening on April 23rd () when quite a few of our favorite producers and importers will be pouring and speaking about their wines -- and of course, we will be passing appetizers. Cheers!