Shipping Information

All persons purchasing and accepting shipments of wine must be at least the age of 21, provide identification, and sign for their deliveries at the time of receipt.

  

Shipping Within the San Francisco Bay Area
In most cases our customers will find the best method for local delivery will be by Golden State Overnight.  EWR can personally deliver purchases in their original containers to locations within the Bay Area at a discounted rate.  There is a 3 case minimum for personal deliveries.  Pick-ups from our location are welcomed but are strictly by appointment only.

Shipping Within California
Golden State Overnight will make shipments to California residents unless instructed otherwise by the customer.

Shipping Outside of California
Shipping is available to most states within the USA, however due to individual state law, customers located outside of California should contact us to ensure our ability to ship to your state.  In some places it’s illegal to accept shipments of wine.  In such situations we recommend that the customer provide us with an alternative address that accepts shipments of wine.

Shipping Insurance
EWR offers insurance at a fee of 1% of the total value of the parcel for any shipment of wine completed by FedEx. Shipping insurance is optional and covers breakage by courier only.   
In The Event of a Insured Damaged Shipment
EWR will refund insured purchases only for the breakage of wine while in transit.  EWR and our carriers will not refund shipments for any other types of damages, such as, the defacing of labels, the failure or damage to corks and capsules, spoilage, and all other forms of damage. If you receive wine that has been broken during shipping, do not contact your carrier, they will not issue refunds, please contact EWR directly within 24 hours of receiving the parcel.
 
Preserving the Integrity of Your Wine During Shipment
It’s important to understand that wine is perishable and very sensitive to temperature.  This should be taken into consideration especially while wine is in transit.  Therefore, we strongly recommend that our customers select overnight shipping for their purchases.
EWR does not recommend shipping wine during times of extreme temperatures.  In some cases even during overnight shipping wine can spoil from such exposure.  Under these circumstances, EWR can hold purchases for up to a period of one year, until the customer feels it’s safe to complete shipping.  Purchased wine held for over one year will accrue storage charges at specified monthly rate thereafter.

 

Please contact us prior to placing an order if you have any questions regarding our shipping policies.        

 

      

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NEWS

The Super-Tuscans
What are they?
     A Super-Tuscan wine can be any Tuscan red wine that does not adhere to traditional blending laws established  by the DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controlla e Garantita). Chianti Classico, for example, is guaranteed to be made only be from specified quantities of  Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca, grapes typically found in Tuscany. Super-Tuscan wines, on the other hand, are usually made from grape varietals found outside of Italy, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. The Super-Tuscan wine movement began in the 1940s at the estate of Marchese Mario Incisa (della Rocchetta), who settled on a horse ranch in Bolgheri, a small region south of Florence near the Mediterranean Sea. Mario Incisa was not interested in making wines for the market. His desire was to make unique wines of the highest quality, only for his family and friends. He imported Cabernet Sauvignon vines from Chateau Lafite Rothschild in Bordeaux, France and aged his wine in French oak casks. Incisa worked for several decades to perfect his wine making skills. In 1968, the wine had reached such remarkable proportions that Piero Antinori, his cousin, persuaded Incisa to give the distribution  rights to the Antinori's. The wine was called Sassicaia and became an immediate success. In a blind tasting in London in 1974, it was chosen as the  "stand-out favorite" over the world  best Cabernets, including those from Bordeaux.  The wine is made from at least 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and up to 15% Cabernet Franc.
     Even before the competition, Piero Antinori began to understand the potential of the terroir and climate of the  Bolgheri, previously known for anonymous white wines and rose. He believed that he could make a better wine than the Chianti he was already producing and began eliminating the white Malvasia grapes from the blend, replacing it with a number of French varietals he was testing. In 1971, Antinori released a new wine called Tignanello. Since 1975 this wine has included about 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 80% Sangiovese, and stands head and shoulders above the DOCG hierarchy. Another commercial success for the Antinori family was Solaia. It was introduced in 1978, and is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 20% Sangiovese. It can also rival the finest French Bordeaux.
      Other notable contributors to the world of Super-Tuscan wines include Lodovico Antinori, Piero Antinori’s older brother, who introduced Ornellaia in 1985. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (30%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). In addition to Ornellaia, Lodovico uses grapes from the Masseto vineyard to produce a wine of the same name,  featuring Merlot, which has reached cult status.  Vigna L'Apparita, is another Italian Merlot, produced at Castello di Ama. It is made in very small quantities and aged in French oak barriques. Castello dei Rampola's Super-Tuscan super star is Sammarco, which is made from 80% Cabernet and 20% Sangiovese. Some vintages of Sammarco rival Sassicaia and Solaia, but cost substantially less. And last , but not least, are producers who have tried to incorporate modern wine making techniques and traditional Italian varietals. I Sodi di San Nicolo is produced by the Castellare estate and is made from 85% Sangiovese and 15% Malvasia Nera. After a maceration period of 18-25 days, the wine is transferred to new French oak barriques and aged for 24 months. It is a noteworthy effort. A broad (and historical) collection of these wines is available from our cellars. Please contact us for further information and assistance.