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750ml
Bottle:
$16.95
12 bottles:
$16.61
100% Montepulciano from a 0.5ha parcel planted in 1985, facing west at 250m, on silty clay with gypsum outcroppings....
![Caffo Grappa Vecchia [Barrique] 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/27/27b3f764d9c6078ff71534c6397be9ef.jpg)
750ml
Bottle:
$26.40
12 bottles:
$22.80
Aged in oak for 12 months, this golden grappa edges close to aged brandy territory—although one sip and that grappa...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.94
$20.88
12 bottles:
$14.25
This 100% Montepulciano is ruby red with a garnet rim. Intense, persistent and fruity (red fruits, plum) with hints...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$24.33
Testacalda is a pure Lambrusco di Sorbara Spumante Metodo Classico made with the ancient and traditional method of...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$13.00
Slightly sparkling ruby red wine, semi dry, vinous and intense bouquet, with a characteristically fruity scent,...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.41
12 bottles:
$13.99
Color: Dark ruby red, for an even impenetrable tract.
Nose: Sensations of ripe fruits like cherry and blackberry....
750ml
Bottle:
$12.94
12 bottles:
$12.68
Color: Garnet red with a frothy fragrance, brilliant. Nose: Clean, distinctive with hints of violet and raspberry....
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle:
$17.94
A tangy red, with an earthy overtone to the steeped blackberry and herb flavors. Chewy. Drink now. 8,000 cases made,...
750ml
Bottle:
$11.23
$12.48
12 bottles:
$11.12
COLOR: Deep ruby red color, little transparency.
NOSE: Intense, clean and pleasing aromas of black cherry, blueberry,...
750ml
Bottle:
$17.90
12 bottles:
$17.54
COLOR: Ruby red with violet hints.
NOSE: Intense with notes of dark fruit such as currants and blackberries with...
375ml
Bottle:
$13.93
12 bottles:
$13.65
A tasty red, with currant, passion fruit and fig, with a hint of spicy vanilla. Medium-bodied, with fine,...
375ml
Bottle:
$12.94
$13.91
12 bottles:
$11.12
The crackling, astringent nose features aromas of cranberries, plums, pepper, herbs and cocoa. On the palate, an...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.99
The crackling, astringent nose features aromas of cranberries, plums, pepper, herbs and cocoa. On the palate, an...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.08
12 bottles:
$17.72
Intense ruby-red with purple hues, with characteristic flavors of the montepulciano grape. Full-bodied with tannic...
1.5Ltr
Bottle:
$28.84
$30.36
6 bottles:
$19.20
It is red in color and has bold inviting aromas of cherries and spices that explode from the glass to offer a fine,...
750ml
Bottle:
$9.99
It is red in color and has bold inviting aromas of cherries and spices that explode from the glass to offer a fine,...
Grappa Lambrusco Montepulciano Sherry
Like so many of the great spirits of Europe, Grappa was born from a need to make resources go that little bit further, to eke out the last drop of flavor and potential from the crops of winemakers. Indeed, Italian vintners invented Grappa as a way to make use of the pomace - leftover grape skins, stems, pulp and seeds - which remained after the juice was extracted from the fruit needed to make wine. Over the centuries, the process was refined, and the distillation of Grappa became an art in itself. Today, top Grappa producers use a range of state of the art equipment, from continuous stills to pot stills, to manufacture a wide variety of Grappas, each with their own distinct characteristics.
Most of us know Grappa from our local Italian restaurants, where it is commonly served as a digestif. However, in the twenty first century, there is a high interest in unique, boutique Grappas, which showcase the talent of the distillers through a range of interesting qualities. Grappa can be aged in oak, in which case it takes on a beautiful golden color, quite different from the clear Grappas we are most familiar with. The high end Grappas are a world away from the harsh spirit many of us have encountered, and have a smooth, gentle quality which can be nothing short of a revelation.
Some grape species are distinct and unique varietals, clearly separate from each of their cousins. Others, like Lambrusco and Muscat, are more like umbrella terms, featuring several subspecies which show slight differences from each other from region to region. Indeed, there are astonishingly more than 60 identified varieties of Lambrusco vines, and they are almost all used in the production of characterful Italian sparkling wines. They are distinguishable by their deep ruby blush, caused by strong pigments present in their skins, and their intensely perfumed character.
Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian regions, although we most closely associate this varietal with Piedmont and Basilicata. It has also been grown successfully in Argentina and Australia. The varietal suffered from a fairly lowly reputation in the late 20th century, due to bulk, low cost production of Lambrusco sparkling wines, aimed at markets across northern Europe and America. However, things are rapidly changing, and the older, more traditional methods of bottle fermentation are returning, along with a higher level of quality and expression, as consumers become more discerning and demanding. Many of the Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own established DOC, such as Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Modena, where new regulations are keeping standards high and methods traditional.
Montepulciano grapes are one of the most widely cultivated varietals in Italy, with vines growing in twenty of Italy's ninety five provinces. This varietal is renowned for producing high yields, making it popular with vintners looking for a relatively easy varietal to grow. Whilst the grapes tend to have a low skin to juice ratio, the skins themselves are remarkably high in tannins with a lot of pigmentation, which means they often produce rather well bodied wines with a beautiful deep, dark color The wines of Montepulciano grapes are most commonly associated with soft, rounded characteristics, with plenty of juicy, plummy flavors The wines are known for being very smooth and drinkable, and easy to match with a wide range of foods.
Sherry is made in a unique way using the solera system, which blends fractional shares of young wine from oak barrels with older, more mature wines. Sherry has no vintage date because it is blended from a variety of years. Rare, old sherries can contain wine that dates back 25 to 50 years or more, the date the solera was begun. If a bottle has a date on it, it probably refers to the date the company was founded.
Most sherries begin with the Palomino grape, which enjoys a generally mild climate in and around the triad of towns known as the "Sherry Triangle" and grows in white, limestone and clay soils that look like beach sand. The Pedro Ximenez type of sweet sherry comes from the Pedro Ximenez grape.
Sherry is a "fortified" wine, which means that distilled, neutral spirits are used to fortify the sherry. The added liquor means that the final sherry will be 16 to 20 percent alcohol (higher than table wines) and that it will have a longer shelf life than table wines.