Do we ship to you?.
750ml
Bottle:
$19.35
$21.60
This is all about minerality and texture, although the crisp acidity accents orchard-fruit notes and makes it quite...
750ml
Bottle:
$27.95
12 bottles:
$27.39
Zweigelt, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Zweigelt and Sauvignon Blanc from high-altitude plots next to a...
750ml
Bottle:
$26.95
12 bottles:
$26.41
Zweigelt and Cabernet Sauvignon. Zweigelt is grown on very cold vineyard site called Tanzer in Langenlois, primarily...
750ml
Bottle:
$22.80
$24.00
12 bottles:
$21.66
Müller Thurgau, Grüner Veltliner, and skins of Sauvignon Blanc. Grown in Merschein and Loiserberg, cold, late...
750ml
Bottle:
$22.80
$24.00
12 bottles:
$21.66
Grüner Veltliner, Gelber Muskateller, and skins of Gelber Muskateller. All grapes are pressed together. After...
750ml
Bottle:
$26.95
12 bottles:
$26.41
Welschriesling and Riesling from clay and crystalline topsoil. Welschriesling is whole bunch pressed, Riesling grapes...
750ml
Bottle:
$24.00
12 bottles:
$23.52
Müller Thurgau and Grüner Veltliner. From cold, late-ripening sites surrounded by forest. 100% skin fermented for...
750ml
Bottle:
$39.20
Here’s a decadent bubbly, as rich and layered as a croissant, with a similar balance of toasty, nutty notes and...
750ml
Bottle:
$115.94
The SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG VINTAGE is only produced in special years. The bottles remain on the lees for at least 10...
750ml
Bottle:
$49.94
The fine elegance of the Schloss Gobelsburg BRUT ROSÉ is a mirror of its originating charming landscape. The soft...
750ml
Bottle:
$20.44
12 bottles:
$19.00
The nose is shy, showing just a few herbal hints reminiscent of yarrow. Frothy bubbles, however, pronounce the...
750ml
Bottle:
$34.94
12 bottles:
$34.24
Yeast, lemon and tart red berry on the nose promise freshness and body in equal measure. The palate adds to the...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$22.80
This Rosé Pet Nat reminds me on strawberries, rhubarb - especially on fresh, red fruits. This sparkling wine makes...
Champagne Blend Primitivo Austria 750ml
The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn't unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as 'blanc de blanc', meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or 'blanc de noir', which is made solely with Pinot Noir.
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.
Archaeological evidence suggests that grapevines have been grown and cultivated in what is today modern Austria for over four thousand years, making it one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world. Over the centuries, relatively little has changed in Austrian wine, with the dominant grape varietals continuing to be Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir and others. Austria is renowned for producing excellent and characterful dry white wines, although in the eastern part of the country, many wineries specialist in sweeter white wines made in a similar style to those of neighboring Hungary. Today, Austria has over fifty thousand hectares under vine, split over four key wine regions. The domestic wine industry remains strong, with Austrians drinking their local produce outside in the summer, and people around the world are beginning to once more rediscover this fascinating and ancient wine culture.