Welcome To Rush Wines

Welcome to Rush Wines

Rush Wines is a small, Birmingham-based distributor of limited-production wines from independently owned wineries around the world. Founded in August of 2002 by entrepreneur Rush Garner, Rush Wines seeks to promote wine awareness in Alabama by bringing some of the world’s finest wines to its local markets, as well as by introducing consumers to the people behind the wines. The company is also involved in the production of its own private-label series of wines, which embody our focus on higher-quality, handcrafted wines made by small-scale, family-owned wineries.

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Rush Wines is excited to be representing renowned winemaker Jamey Whetstone's MANIFESTO! label in Alabama. A native of South Carolina, Jamey is best known for the critically acclaimed pinot noirs and Syrahs that he produces under the Whetstone label. Before founding Whetstone Wine Cellars, he spent almost seven years at Turley Wine Cellars, planting 30 acres of hillside vineyard, managing over 200 organically farmed acres of grapes, and eventually becoming assistant winemaker. Jamey founded the Manifesto! label with his long-time friend Henri Gabriel, on the premise that they would identify and work with a handful of growers to produce great wine without charging a lot of money. Recently featured on NBC's Today Show, the vibrant, guava-imbued Manifesto! Sauvignon Blanc (Suisun Valley) and the currant- and tobacco-laden Manifesto! Cabernet Sauvignon (North Coast) are both available in many retail shops and independent restaurants across the state. Please inquire about about these fabulous, quality-driven wines at your local retail shop. For additional information about Manisfesto!, visit www.manifestowines.com.

On the morning of Thursday, August 6, the latest bottlings of the Rush private-label wine arrived on a truck from California! After picking up and putting down 900 35-lb. boxes of wine (with the help of a trusty pallet-jack), Rush popped open the first bottles. And the verdict is...

"I’ve heard winemakers say this before, and it was always met in my mind with skepticism, but to hear one say 'This vintage is better,' I always felt that it was in the best interest of their business to say that. After segueing into the production side myself, however, I find myself with a similar mindset. The new vintage of Rush Chardonnay and Cabernet I honestly feel are better than the last, and the pinot noir, of which this is the first vintage, is a classically styled wine. By that, I mean it is varietally correct. Having an excellent balance of soft, subtle, red fruit coupled with light oak flavor, this pinot noir has surprising length for its price. As for the chardonnay, what this vintage has that the others lacked is a body weight and viscosity that will make this wine not only fun to drink by itself, but also a more-than-adequate food partner. The previous vintages all had Burgundian character, such as pronounced citrus fruit while being lean with abundant acidity. In addition to the viscosity and body weight, this new vintage offers a wide range of floral aromas. As far as the cabernet is concerned, there is more mid-palate structure while not sacrificing vibrant fruit on the front. Each of these wines represents an outstanding value, which is the reason I started this project in the first place."

Each of these new releases was produced in limited quantities of only 300 cases. Please call your local retailer to place a special order for any or all of them (they come in very cool boxes!). Click here to view photographs of the arrival, unloading, and tasting of the new Rush wines.