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Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.08
12 bottles: $17.72
COLOR: Wine of very elegant red color. BOUQUET: Intense aroma, with fruity hints of ripe plums, cherry jam and notes...
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $22.94 $23.60
6 bottles: $20.00
Among the better expressions from this vast, somewhat sclerotic Lugana region, evidencing many styles and...
JS
91
DC
90
Instore only
White
5.0Ltr
Bottle: $20.99
Delicate strawberry aromas and flavors. Crisp, drinkable wine with a pleasing, easy finish. Serve Chilled.
White
750ml
Bottle: $32.39
6 bottles: $31.74
In the 1930s Manzoni Bianco was created by Prof. Luigi Manzoni, director of the renowned Conegliano Research Center,...
12 FREE
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $21.93 $22.80
12 bottles: $21.49
The 1st vintage of Bianco di Ampeleia was 2016. A neighbor's vineyard had old vines of a local biotype of Trebbiano...
White
750ml
Bottle: $25.20
12 bottles: $24.70
White
750ml
Bottle: $36.72
6 bottles: $36.00
COLOR: Intense yellow in color. NOSE: Elderflower, citrus, musk, and almond. Floral fragrances gradually give way to...
12 FREE
Case only
White
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $18.68
Color: Pale-straw. Bouquet: Fruity. Taste: Crisp, fresh, refreshing.
Instore only
White
187ml
Bottle: $6.99
Fruity and friendly, aromas of bubblegum and berry candy are light and fresh. Juicy watermelon, cherry candy and pink...
UBC
89
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $11.94 $12.57
12 bottles: $9.51
Fruity and friendly, aromas of bubblegum and berry candy are light and fresh. Juicy watermelon, cherry candy and pink...
UBC
89
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $12.76 $13.43
12 bottles: $10.45
Very well balanced wine with low level of alcohol. Very aromatic, cotton candy and strawberry aromas. Light in the...
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $24.85 $27.60
12 bottles: $22.80
White
750ml
Bottle: $18.95
12 bottles: $18.57
Arneis/Cortese/Sauvignon Blanc/Favorita/Vermentino. The name "Arcese" is a whimsical mash-up of Arneis and Cortese,...
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $26.95
12 bottles: $26.41
100% Moscato. From organically farmed estate vines averaging 30 years old, planted on south-southeast-facing slopes...
12 FREE
Sale
White
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $25.81 $27.17
6 bottles: $16.68
The Basics Our signature varietal, this wine is always a crowd pleaser. The Taste In making White Zinfandel, the...
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $12.43 $13.08
The Basics Our signature varietal, this wine is always a crowd pleaser. The Taste In making White Zinfandel, the...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $15.94
The typical aromas of the Sauvignon are tangy on the nose; sage, ripe peach, elderflower and green pepper. The Pinot...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $16.68
The typical aromas of the Sauvignon are tangy on the nose; sage, ripe peach, elderflower and green pepper. The Pinot...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $5.89
White
750ml
Bottle: $81.00
6 bottles: $79.80
This is another fantastic white and continues to be one of the best from Tuscany. It’s so perfumed with sliced...
12 FREE
JS
98
WA
95

Italian White Blends Primitivo Savatiano White Zinfandel

As with many European grape varietals, there is some debate regarding the precise origins of the Primitivo grape. Most people now agree that it probably came from Croatia, where it is still used widely in the production of red wine, and it known as Tribidrag. However, today it is a grape most commonly associated with the powerful red wines of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, where the intense sunshine and brisk Mediterranean breezes produce grapes of remarkable character and balance. Primitivo is a dark grape, known for producing intense, inky, highly tannic wines, most notably the naturally sweet Dolce Naturale and the heavy and complex Primitivo di Manduria wines. Primitivo tends to be naturally very high in both tannin and alcohol, making it ideal for both barrel and cellar ageing, which brings out its more rounded and interesting features.


Primitivo is not the easiest grape to grow or manage, and it has had something of a difficult century. Indeed, by the 1990s, there was little interest in Puglian wines in general, and winemakers were neglecting their Primitivo vineyards and looking to other, more commercially viable varietals. However, the last decade has seen this grape come well and truly back into fashion, with new techniques and a heightened interest in native Italian grape varietals bringing Primitivo back into the spotlight. It is now widely loved for its intensity and ability to be paired with strongly flavored foods.

Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.

However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.

Additional Information on Greek Wines


Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?