Do we ship to you?.
750ml
Bottle:
$17.35
$18.40
This dry and attractive sparkler tastes crisp and tangy, lifting light citrus and green apple notes with a fine bead...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.94
$22.00
A sense of elegance and gracefulness singles this wine out. Light floral and cinnamon aromas merge into crisp but...
750ml
Bottle:
$12.99
Colour straw yellow. Bouquet pleasant, light, fine and delicate, fruity, with a characteristic bouquet of apple....
750ml
Bottle:
$21.94
12 bottles:
$21.50
• 100% Alvarinho.
• From the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço.
• Traditional method sparkler, aged 9 months...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$71.80
Intense yellow with highlights veering towards gold reflexes in color. Notes of fine tropical fruit with so, delicate...
375ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$20.52
Pale yellow in color with greenish highlights and a rich tropical bouquet. Medium bodied on the palate with a...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$26.89
Pale yellow in color with greenish highlights and a rich tropical bouquet. Medium bodied on the palate with a...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$44.04
So pink, reflections veering towards salmon pink. Intense red berry and fruit compote aromas. Delicate but...
750ml
Bottle:
$22.94
12 bottles:
$22.48
This sparkling Loureiro has a floral nose with hints of stone fruits that lead to flavors of peach, pear and citrus...
375ml
Bottle:
$28.90
12 bottles:
$28.32
White cherry, almond biscotti and mandarin orange peel notes are set in this bright Champagne, framed by firm acidity...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.83
$17.50
Taut and linear in profile, this red delivers black currant, black cherry, vanilla and peppery spices. Tightens up on...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.34
$20.40
12 bottles:
$18.95
Lively ruby red colour with intense aromas or red fruits like plums, cherries with raspberry, blackcurrant and green...
750ml
Bottle:
$69.90
$75.60
Fascinating aromas of blackcurrants, orange peel, stone, minerals and blanched walnuts follow through to a medium to...
750ml
Bottle:
$17.41
12 bottles:
$17.06
COLOR: Dark ruby red color with purple highlights.
NOSE: On the nose it shows a broad and complex bouquet with notes...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.00
$16.66
A juicy but umami nose on this wine begins with black cherries, blackberries and plums. Aromas then turn to soy sauce...
750ml
Bottle:
$36.90
$40.79
I love the aromas of blackberries, graphite and walnut with cedar. Full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that run the...
750ml
Bottle:
$68.55
A beautifully curated and polished young red with black berry, violet, and bark. Full and velvety with creamy...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.94
$15.59
12 bottles:
$13.99
Balanced and fresh, this white offers a creamy mix of melon, Meyer lemon peel, pineapple and lime blossom aromas and...
750ml
Bottle:
$24.90
12 bottles:
$24.40
The 2019 sparkling wine vintage in the Willamette Valley was precise, full of beautiful natural acidity and tension...
750ml
Bottle:
$26.94
12 bottles:
$26.40
Planted in 1990, at 850 feet of elevation, the Dijon clone chardonnay planted in Julia Lee's Block furnishes this...
Champagne Blend Garganega Italian Red Blends Savatiano
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.
Italy is a fine country for white grape varietals, and white wines have been produced in this ancient country for thousands of years. One of the more popular varietals in the modern age is Garganega, which is currently the 5th most planted white grape across Italy. This grape is most closely associated with the Veneto region of Italy, although it is also grown in Sicily, where it is known as Grecanico Dorato. Garganega is a rigorous, hardy grape, which can grow in huge yields - explaining its popularity in the past. Today, winemakers must be careful to keep yields as low as possible, as this a varietal which can easily lose its distinctive characteristics and fine qualities when grown in bulk.
We know Garganega most commonly from the Soave wines which have been consistently popular over the past few decades. Indeed, the Soave Classico wines which still sell in large quantities across the globe are made from 70%-100% Garganega varietal grapes, and these wines showcase the varietal’s fresh and delicate qualities. The most common flavors present in Garganega wines are delicate, citrus notes, balanced by a hint of almond, and the best examples have remarkable balance and length, with wonderful aromatic notes.
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?