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750ml
Bottle:
$39.94
$42.00
6 bottles:
$39.60
Dark, inky brown, with a savory, herbaceous scent. The flavor surprises with a spicy burst up front, with leads to...
750ml
Bottle:
$39.94
$42.00
6 bottles:
$39.60
Olive leaf liqueur has an ancient history—it was given as a tonic to the visitors of a famous Umbrian temple and...
750ml
Bottle:
$39.94
$42.00
6 bottles:
$39.60
Historically, quinine extract was made with chinchona bark to ward against malaria and other ailments. Named after...
750ml
Bottle:
$39.94
$42.00
6 bottles:
$39.60
Visciole di Cantiano, an antique variety of wild sour cherry, grows wild on Vicario’s family farm property at Villa...
750ml
Bottle:
$26.94
$28.40
Rich and creamy, full of chocolate, vanilla and caramel flavour like a traditional Irish cream liqueur, Wild-Arbor is...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.49
$15.25
12 bottles:
$11.88
Fragrant bouquet of therapeutic herbs and spices. The palate has a delightful blend of angelica root, fennel seed,...
750ml
Bottle:
$46.27
$48.71
6 bottles:
$40.93
Natural flavor of a Mango is slowly introduced to YaVe Blanco Tequila, bringing an unparalleled ripe mango aroma and...
700ml
Bottle:
$30.78
$32.40
12 bottles:
$22.80
Raki is a distinct category with production process specific to itself, in Turkey. Raki is produced with suma...
750ml
Bottle:
$44.46
$46.80
6 bottles:
$38.40
The “craft” technique highlights knowledge, mastery, and patience in drink production and Yeni Rak? is proudly...
750ml
Bottle:
$42.64
$44.88
6 bottles:
$36.00
An elegant combination of Kristen's favorite fruit and cocktail flavors. The raw heat from ginger perfectly...
750ml
Bottle:
$42.64
$44.88
6 bottles:
$36.00
A unique and inviting flavor profile that delivers a true umami experience. The robust savoriness of mushroom grounds...
750ml
Bottle:
$28.55
12 bottles:
$18.23
The original recipe. Untamed, fearless and boldly flavored.
750ml
Bottle:
$16.25
12 bottles:
$15.93
Straw yellow color with a greenish tinge. The bouquet is intense and delicate, with hints of elder and vine flower....
Garganega Liqueur Nero D'avola Savatiano
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.
Italy’s largest island, Sicily, has a wine producing history that can put most other European regions to shame. It was producing quality wines before the days of the Roman empire, and even the Ancient Greeks were not the first to cultivate vines on the island. For as long as anyone knows, the key grape varietal of Sicily has been Nero d’Avola, the beautiful, deep blue skinned grape which produces the region’s characterful, powerful red wines. While in the past, Nero d’Avola was mainly used as a blending grape, due to its deep color and intensely full body, it is today being increasingly celebrated as a single varietal wine grape, and is perfect for those who like their wines boisterous, loud and strong.
Nero d’Avola is grown pretty much everywhere on Sicily, as demand for wines made from this grape have never been higher. Despite its power and body, it is quite a versatile grape - it can be aged in oak barrels, which produces a dense and dark wine which puts its intense characteristics to good use, but it is also often drunk quite young, which allows its jammy, plummy character to come forward. It is also used to make rose wines in some appellations of Sicily, demonstrating a softer side to this otherwise heavy, deeply flavorful grape.
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?