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750ml
Bottle:
$21.94
12 bottles:
$21.50
From a 1.5-hectare vineyard planted around 30 years ago. The vines are traditionally pruned in alberello, in other...
750ml
Bottle:
$64.15
6 bottles:
$63.36
A light vanilla scent is echoed on the palate along with gentle hints of banana, coconut and custard, developing into...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.12
6 bottles:
$18.74
Insieme represents our wish to produce a totally natural wine, with absolutely no chemicals, from the grape to the...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.71
$17.59
12 bottles:
$12.36
Soft and velvety. Distinct characteristics of fruitiness come forth. Pairs well with Risotto, first courses of baked...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.94
$15.83
12 bottles:
$14.25
Suavia Soave Classico appears bright and lemon-yellow. Fresh aromas of apple, pear and almond balance clean...
750ml
Bottle:
$26.35
Red volcanic ferrous soils with ample black basalt strewn amidst. Suits the later ripening Garganega, while screw cap...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.57
$18.41
12 bottles:
$14.69
The 2020 Nero d' Avola is darkly inward today, showing only hints of dusty black currant and sage. This is a soft and...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.00
12 bottles:
$17.64
Aromas of white stone fruit, peach peel and almond. Medium-bodied with notes of peach and nectarine on the palate. A...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.94
12 bottles:
$18.56
Moon yellow color. It smell clean and spicy, highlighted by delicious hints of tropical fruit. Medium-bodied taste...
750ml
Bottle:
$21.90
$24.00
• A blend of 60% Nero d’Avola with 40% Frappato from 10 to 25 year old vines.
• Spontaneous fermentation occurs...
750ml
Bottle:
$20.94
12 bottles:
$20.52
Intense ruby red color with aromas of cherry and raspberry, and a nicely balanced spicy background. Full, warm, and...
375ml
Bottle:
$11.94
12 bottles:
$10.94
This traditional grappa has a bright, crystal clear color. The aroma is fresh clean, well-balanced and delicately...
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....
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$108.95
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$79.94
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$86.95
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$81.71
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$89.94
Garganega Grappa Nero D'avola Mencia
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.
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.
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.