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White
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $25.81 $27.17
6 bottles: $16.68
The Basics This wine is meant to be enjoyed with a variety of foods, ranging from Asian to Mexican dishes. The Taste...
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $12.43 $13.08
The Basics This wine is meant to be enjoyed with a variety of foods, ranging from Asian to Mexican dishes. The Taste...
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $25.84 $28.80
100% Chenin Blanc. From 10-15-year-old, certified-organic vines on clay-limestone soils. Fermented to dryness (2...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $28.94
Lovely aromas of freshly cut herbs, raspberry cheesecake, crushed stones and citrus. Medium body, fine and polished...
12 FREE
JS
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.94 $17.49
12 bottles: $15.83
Fresh and bright cherry aromas and flavors. Medium body, light tannins and a bright finish. Lemony undertone. Drink now.
JS
90
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.95
12 bottles: $29.35
The 2020 Cerasuolo di Vitoria is peppery and perfumed, with a dusting of autumnal spices giving way to red currants...
12 FREE
VM
89
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $21.85 $23.00
6 bottles: $13.87
White
750ml
Bottle: $32.94
12 bottles: $32.28
Rated 96 - Intense, stony and layered, it's a wine that builds on the palate, with effortless concentration, Loire...
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $36.87
Deep purple in color with violets and clove on the nose. Round and plush on the palate with plum, black pepper and...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.92
6 bottles: $25.40
COLOR: Red Ruby. NOSE: Black small ripe fruit. FLAVOR: Balsamic notes and silky tannins.
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.94
12 bottles: $14.64
Color: Purple color with ruby reflections. Bouquet: Tart fruity nose of cranberries with hints of vanilla and...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $93.94
12 bottles: $92.06
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.50
12 bottles: $13.23
The choice of this name is linked to a word used in Ancient Rome, “Giomelle”, which signifies “the union of two...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $39.90
12 bottles: $39.10
Crispness and admirable balance are the hallmarks of Aria di Caiarossa, a blend of four noble varieties that mirrors...
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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $58.95 $60.00
#68 TOP 100 ITALIAN WINES OF 2019 - Very complex aromas of crushed berries, yet the fresh herbs, dried berries,...
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JS
97
WA
96
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $48.80
A fresh, chewy red with brightness and coolness for this ripe vintage. Medium body. Pretty fruit. Dark-berry,...
12 FREE
JS
94
WA
93
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $47.92
This is an intense, full-bodied yet very well-balanced and polished red with velvety, firm and caressing tannins....
12 FREE
JS
96
WA
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $53.93 $56.70
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.10 $18.00
Savory and soulful, this lithe red opens with earthy aromas of tilled earth, eucalyptus oil, blue flower, game and...
WE
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $28.94 $32.00
Dynamite example of old vines from Etna. Structured and intense without being too tight to drink young. Bouquet of...

Chenin Blanc Italian Red Blends Mavrodaphne

Originating in France yet now grown in many parts of the New World, Chenin Blanc is one of the most versatile and highly regarded white wine grape varietals on earth. These green skinned grapes hold a relatively high acid content, and as such can be used for making still white wines of exceptional quality, as well as superb sparkling wines (such as the Crémant wines of the Loire Valley) and extremely aromatic dessert wines. Their natural transparency means that they are a fine grape for expressing their terroir in the bottle, and winemakers often experiment with this varietal to coax unusual and intense flavors from the grapes, such as allowing the development of noble rot on the fruit in order to make sweet and viscous wines of a unique character.

In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.

Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.

Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.

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?