×
Red
750ml
Bottle: $21.94
12 bottles: $21.50
A bright, graceful red, with well-spiced, lightly candied raspberry and cherry fruit flavors, laced with medicinal...
WS
90
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.93
12 bottles: $19.53
Bright purple-red color. Complex, typical bouquet of small berries red fruits, leather and spices (vanilla, pepper,...
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $12.44 $13.09
12 bottles: $9.51
Heady aromas of lychee fruit and peaches play against subtle spiciness. Appealing fruit quialities continue on the...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $32.94
12 bottles: $32.28
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.94
12 bottles: $16.60
The Pinot Nero grape, of French origin, enjoys an ideal habitat in various areas of Trentino. Grown mainly in the...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.94
12 bottles: $25.42
92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The 2019 Naoussa, i.e., the Estate Xinomavro with just Domaine Karydas on...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.94
12 bottles: $15.62
A light- to medium-bodied red, with spice and herb accents lacing baked black plum, smoke and black licorice flavors...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $16.25
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $29.94
12 FREE
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $15.94 $16.66
12 bottles: $15.62
The 2022 Savatiano Old Vines is unoaked and comes in at 12.6% alcohol. This is mightily impressive in its youth....
WA
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.12 $17.91
12 bottles: $15.83
Wild strawberry, cassis, pomegranate; in the mouth great freshness, medium and long persistence.
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.91
12 bottles: $17.55
Intense ruby red color. Distinct, characteristic bouquet with evident notes of raspberry and wild berries. A...

Pinot Nero Savatiano Traminette Xinomavro

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?

Xinomavro is the predominant grape varietal of Macedonia, although it is also grown in many parts of Greece where the climatic conditions are suitable for this particular fruit. The names translates as 'acid black', which gives some clue as to the nature of this varietal. The grapes are renowned for their high tannin content, which is a result of the thick and blue-black skins found on the fruit. This particular characteristic results in a superb aging potential in wines made from the Xinomavro varietal, as time spent in barrels softens these strong, astringent tannins and allows the full range of their flavors to come through in the wine. Most commonly, Xinomavro grapes are associated with aromas of red gooseberry, spices, olives and dried fruit, such as dried tomato.