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Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.90
12 bottles: $17.54
Sweet berry and orange peel with peach undertones as well as lemon blossom. Medium body, with crunchy fruit and a...
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92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.00
12 bottles: $14.70
Ruchè has a particular organoleptic profile, characterized by a ruby ??red color with violet reflections. Raised in...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $11.71 $13.01
12 bottles: $10.93
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.27 $28.08
6 bottles: $24.00
Well-balanced and appealing, this medium-bodied red features a core of ripe and baked black cherry fruit, with light...
WS
89
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.13
12 bottles: $11.52
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $19.50
The bouquet opens up to candied fruit, lemon curd, dried apricot and pressed rose. Fresh floral notes complement...
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $14.64
Fresh and intense on the nose with aromas of cherry, plum, and tobacco. Supple on the palate with concentrated fruit...
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $19.50
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.90
A heady dose of sweet spices grace the nose, with baked black-cherry and plum tones at the core. This is ultrasoft...
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $29.40
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $58.50
12 bottles: $57.33
100% Teroldego. Teroldego is a close relative of Lagrein, both being native Südtirol varieties. Nusserhof only has...
12 FREE
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $64.22
The Schola Sarmenti 2013 Primitivo Diciotto is the proverbial "big boy" wine from Puglia. If you don't get that from...
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91
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91

Mencia Mencia Primitivo Italy

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.

There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.