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Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.20
12 bottles: $18.82
A new wine for 'A Vita (although it was made once before, in the 2012 vintage), the 'il Rosso' is Gaglioppo (from the...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $9.99
Red plum, currants and cedar aromas with a touch of earthy goodness. This wine is medium to full-bodied and...
White
750ml
Bottle: $18.95
12 bottles: $18.57
Abacela was the first to plant, produce and bottle Albariño in the Pacific Northwest, thus paving the way for...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $39.69
12 bottles: $38.90
Aromas of currants, cedar and violets follow through to a medium body and fine tannins with a lovely, light velvety...
12 FREE
VM
92
JS
92
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $17.50
Typical Albarino from the Salnés Valley, in Rías Baixas, to enjoy now and for the next 5 years.
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $23.66
Lovely and fresh with aromas of crunchy red berries, red plum, tomato, and leather. The palate has a touch of spice,...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $32.89 $35.20
In the glass, the wine shows colors of red garnet accompanied by a bouquet of cherries, menthol and a hint of...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.15 $17.08
12 bottles: $15.44
In the glass, the wine is deep ruby with purple hues. On the nose, the wine is delicate with notes of cherry,...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $16.51
Clean and fresh with delicate citrus notes on the nose and a palate packed with green apple, orange peel and lime...
White
750ml
Bottle: $41.94
12 bottles: $41.10
"Alma de Mar" is one of Xurxo's top wines, and comes from a single plot of 100% Albariño very close to the sea. The...
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $43.94
12 bottles: $43.06
Xurxo makes this wine from 100% Albariño from a tiny 1 ha vineyard of 35 year old vines grown organically on clay...
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $46.50
12 bottles: $45.57
A very special wine made in honor of Xurxo's brother from a few small parcels of older 40-45 year old vines Albariño...
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $23.20
12 bottles: $22.04
Clean and fresh with lively floral and tropical notes and hints of citric aromas. Balanced and fresh on the palate,...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.44 $21.60
12 bottles: $17.10
Beautiful, broad and plush, this structured but charming wine overflows with red fruits and baking spices, with a...
WE
93
DC
90
Red
375ml
Bottle: $13.22
12 bottles: $12.96
This wine impresses red wine lovers immediately with spicy aromas of cassis, black cherry, plum, vanilla, oak and...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.80
12 bottles: $18.24
This blend of 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese is a smooth, full-bodied cru made in an...
Instore only
Red
5.0Ltr
Bottle: $19.94
Flavors of blackberry aromas and raspberry. Soft, medium-bodied wine with a smooth finish. Serve at room temperature.
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.99
A fresh nose of blueberries, plums, cassis and violets. It’s medium-bodied with velvety tannins. It’s easygoing...
12 FREE
JS
89
Rapid Ship
Red
1.0Ltr
Bottle: $17.90
12 bottles: $17.54
This wine is a blend of varieties originating from the Mediterranean Basin— 40% Alicante Nero (aka Grenache), 25%...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.20
12 bottles: $22.80

Albarino Italian Red Blends Mavrodaphne Merlot

The pale skinned grapes of the Albarino varietal have been grown in and around Spain and Portugal for almost a thousand years, where they are highly enjoyed and prized by the locals for their distinctive aroma, and sharp, tart acidity levels. Over the past century, their influence has spread to the New World, and many vineyards keen to emulate the white wines of Spain have had considerable success with this varietal. The light bodied wines which are produced from the Albarino grapes have wonderfully aromatic properties, and carry ripe flavors of soft summer fruits, apricot and peach, with a mild and pleasantly bitter after taste brought on by their thick skins. Because of their acidic nature, they are a fantastic match for many Spanish foods, and are best served chilled on a hot day.

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?

With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.