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750ml
Bottle:
$8.94
On the nose, bright citrus aromas are accented by fresh meringue with a hint of vanilla. On the palate, enjoy the...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.62
$19.60
12 bottles:
$15.83
A bold take on a California classic; flavors of peach, pear, vanilla and crème brûlée; partial bourbon barrel...
750ml
Bottle:
$20.08
12 bottles:
$19.68
Made with organically grown grapes, the wine has a straw yellow color with green hints. On the nose, its elegantly...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.71
$17.59
12 bottles:
$12.35
There's more than meets the eye when it comes to our Chardonnay. A bright twist of lime unfolds into a silky caramel...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.64
$15.41
12 bottles:
$11.52
Bold and strong in character, this deep rich and golden Chardonnay is filled with stone fruit aromas and a sweet...
750ml
Bottle:
$13.87
$15.41
12 bottles:
$11.52
A deft touch with oak gives this medium- to full-bodied wine spicy complexity. It ranges from a toasted baguette...
750ml
Bottle:
$13.87
$15.41
12 bottles:
$11.52
Medium, slightly round entry balanced by firm acid backbone. Oak well integrated. Uniform across palate with a tinge...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$11.52
This wine represents the best of grapes grown in Monterey County. Our Chardonnay exudes flavors with grace and...
750ml
Bottle:
$22.08
A straightforward white, with fruit cocktail flavors and a short finish. Drink now. 6,000 cases made.
750ml
Bottle:
$13.43
12 bottles:
$12.76
Pour a glass and you’ll discover a brilliant golden liquid overflowing with aromas of crisp citrus, green apple,...
750ml
Bottle:
$39.94
12 bottles:
$39.14
Musky apricot pit, peach and spicy vanillin oak on the nose. Densely packed but quite suave and fine-grained in spite...
750ml
Bottle:
$34.69
12 bottles:
$34.00
Bright straw-yellow. Rather wild scents of peach pit, strawberry, lime peel, hazelnut and musky lees. Rich and dense...
750ml
Bottle:
$47.94
12 bottles:
$46.98
A delicate bouquet of white tea, orange blossom and toasted almond build into captivating aromas. Opening with...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.63
$18.48
12 bottles:
$14.25
Fields of exuberant yellow straw come to mind when describing this chardonnay’s color. On the nose, a bouquet of...
750ml
Bottle:
$23.94
12 bottles:
$22.13
Bright and citrusy with a lemon-rind scent and broader, more apple like flavors, this wine’s texture, with its...
750ml
Bottle:
$43.94
6 bottles:
$43.06
Grapefruit pith, flint, roasted almonds and toasted lemons here. It’s medium-bodied, flinty and gently toasty with...
750ml
Bottle:
$40.95
$46.80
The 2017 Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyards opens with aromas of lemon meringue, popcorn, banana chip and stone fruits...
750ml
Bottle:
$49.02
$51.60
6 bottles:
$48.00
Mashed, fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled by the Albany Distilling Company. Made from grain grown in New York...
American Whiskey Chardonnay Ice Wine Mavrodaphne
The United States of America is a country of great cultural diversity, influenced by migrating nations from across the world. As such, its whiskey industry is a fascinating and complex one, which represents the range of regional differences found there.
The Irish were the original pioneers of American whiskey, and when they emigrated in their thousands from the old country, they brought their skills, knowledge and distillation techniques with them, to give them something to remind each other of home in the New World. This is why American whiskey goes by the Irish spelling, with the additional ‘e’, and why many traditional American whiskies closely resemble the original Irish style.
Today, there are several different types of American whiskey, and the styles and production techniques are now set out in US federal law, cementing a set of characteristics and production methods to preserve and protect the industry.
Corn whiskey, which is made from a minimum 80% corn in the mash and aged for a short period, is probably the most historic of the American whiskey styles, but others like rye whiskey, which is made from a minimum of 51% rye and aged in charred barrels, are growing in popularity among a new generation of drinkers looking for something unique, interesting and independently produced. Alongside these styles, we find Tennessee whiskey, which uses maple charcoal for sweeter notes, the softer wheat whiskies, the world-dominating Bourbon whiskies, and others which are peculiar to specific states and regions.
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
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?