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Spirits
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...
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92
White
750ml
Bottle: $19.12
12 bottles: $18.74
COLOR: Straw yellow with green accents. NOSE: Characteristic nose of fruit and floral notes. FLAVOR: Medium structure...
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $12.35
APPEARANCE: Clear, bright purple red. TASTING NOTE: A quintessential South African Pinotage offering a bounty of...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $21.94
12 bottles: $21.50
Aromas of red fruits with flavors of fragrant cherry, black pepper, and notes of wood. Hints of raspberry and lead...
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Spirits
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...
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Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $109.95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White

Grappa Nosiola Mencia Pinotage

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.

Pinotage is the signature grape varietal of South Africa, and is the most widely grown grape in the country, as well as being common in several other countries around the world. It is a viticultural cross of two fine grape varietals, the Pinot Noir and the Cinsaut (known as Hermitage in South Africa, hence the portmanteau name), and is notable for the fact that it produces excellent and flavorful wines of a deep red color The flavors most commonly associated with Pinotage wines are generally smoky in nature, with notes ranging from dark bramble fruits, to plum, mulberry and earthy characteristics. However, it often also includes quite tropical flavors of stewed banana. The Pinotage varietal is a versatile one, and is often used for producing fortified and sparkling wines, as well as the more common still red wines.