In 1999 Paolo and Allison Domeneghetti departed careers in the fine and culinary arts to focus on a unified passion of bringing the best spirits to market using sustainable partnerships with producers and suppliers. Since then they haven't looked back adhering to their philosophy that culture, art and science are equally expressed through wine and spirits. The craft of production reveals just as much heritage as the way it may taste on the palate. Time honored traditions and just the right ingredients produce wine and spirits that unleash a vast array of aromas, textures and flavors....all the more so when paired with foods.

Paolo and Allison founded Domaine Select Wine Estates (DSWE) to effectively import top-quality wines and spirits that uniquely reflect their origins...both terroir and cultural influences...like the Excellia Blanco in the Spicy Paloma and the Averna Amaro in the Black Manhattan cocktails deftly concocted at the first stop of DSWE's Popup Tour in NYC's Ken & Cook.

Excellia Blanco tequila is mellow yet ripe with fresh agave. By resting a few weeks in grand cru Sauternes wine casks and cognac barrels, it benefits from a light infusion of brandy and sweet wine yielding a faint golden hue. You get a complex mix of spices, vanilla, and fruits on the nose with a finish that’s long on the palate peppered with dried spices and faint jasmine notes.

Averna Amaro, a popular Italian bitter with a deeply complex flavor profile, is still made with all natural ingredients using the original 1868 recipe created by Salvatore Averna. Yes even in this modern world of expiration dates & requisite preservatives, Averna is simply comprised of herbs, roots, and citrus rinds soaked in a base liquor before caramel is added for sweetness. That’s it, no artificial “enhancements”! Enjoy straight either before dinner (apéritif) or after (digéstif). I found that sipping it straight came in handy after a few other cocktails served up at the Ken & Cook bash.

Excellia Tequilas
Spicy Paloma Cocktail