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OLIVA SERIE V MELANIO

#1 Cigar of 2014, Rated 96 by Cigar Aficionado

One look at the sharply pressed corners and carefully curved head and foot of the Oliva Serie V Melanio tells you this is no ordinary cigar. The Nicaraguan smoke represnts the pinnacle of achievement for Oliva Cigar Co. The Oliva Cigar story began in the late 1800s, when Melanio Oliva started growing cigar tobacco in Cuba. His heirs carried on the family tradition in the fields, but it was with grandson Gilberto Oliva Sr. who began making cigars. As with so many cigar stories, Gilberto Oliva Sr. faced a difficult road. He left his native Ciba in 1964, and eventually started working for the Plasencia family in Honduras. In 1995 he and his son Gilberto Jr. created a cigar within Plasencia's factory of their own, and shortened their brand name to Oliva. Business was tough in those days, and Oliva struggled. Faced with dwindling reserves of cash, in a cost-cutting move they turned to Gilberto Sr.'s robust stocks of Nicaraguan tobacco, which changed the flavor profile of Oliva cigars at a time when the interest in Nicaraguan flavor was increasing. Nicaraguan tobacco helped Oliva survive. The cigar that brough it to the attention of connoisseurs debuted in 2006: Oliva Serie V. Made by a small group of rollers and blended for strength and style, the Serie V line was an immediate hit. In 2012, to pay tribute to the first man in the family to grow cigar tobacco, Oliva added the Melanio version, which is distinguished from the original by its Sumatra-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador. 

The Oliva Serie V Melanio has rich, big notes of leather framed by a range of coffee, caramel and woody intonations. It's a classic smoke.

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RIVERSTAR VINEYARDS

Since 1986, Riverstar Vineyards has been a fixture at the beginning of San Miguel's Pleasant Valley Wine Trail. Family owned and operated, the tradition continues as the second family takes ownership in 2016. Riverstar Winery is careful to carry on the tradition of great red, white, and blended varietal wines that are big, bold and beautifully crafted from the Central Coast's incredible fruit. The vines planted on site have been producing delicious fruit for over 30 years. The Reinertson Family looks forward to sharing their wines with each visitor as they build on traditions and add their own family values and love for wine.