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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...
750ml
Bottle:
$13.94
12 bottles:
$13.66
Made from 100% Chardonnay, half of which was fermented in oak giving lovely depth and complexity.
750ml
Bottle:
$14.99
A fresh nose of blueberries, plums, cassis and violets. It’s medium-bodied with velvety tannins. It’s easygoing...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$7.13
The Antico Fuoco Chardonnay exhibits attractive notes of apple butter and poached pears along with a lovely texture....
750ml
Bottle:
$17.56
$18.48
12 bottles:
$13.18
Fruit forward and light-bodied red blend with notes of violet, cherry and earthy undertones
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$28.94
Lovely aromas of freshly cut herbs, raspberry cheesecake, crushed stones and citrus. Medium body, fine and polished...
1.5Ltr
Bottle:
$21.85
$23.00
6 bottles:
$13.87
Straw yellow in color. A bouquet of pineapple and peach aromas, with hints of melon. The palate is fruit forward with...
750ml
Bottle:
$13.58
$14.30
12 bottles:
$11.40
Straw yellow in color. A bouquet of pineapple and peach aromas, with hints of melon. The palate is fruit forward with...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$8.55
Straw yellow in color this Chardonnay has a perfumed, clean, harmonious nose with hints of golden apples. It is dry,...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$13.28
Color: Intense ruby red. Bouquet: Aromas of ripe fruit, spices, vanilla. Taste: Properly fruity on the palate,...
750ml
Bottle:
$39.94
Bradisismo expresses a synthesis between the intense aroma of ripen and concentrated cherry of the Cabernet...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$14.65
A 100% Chardonnay made by Maculan from grapes sourced from trusted growers in the Breganze area. Fermented dry in...
750ml
Bottle:
$64.94
$70.80
Here's an iconic wine from the Veneto made from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot. The Maculan 2017...
Chardonnay Italian Red Blends Lambrusco Italy Veneto
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.
Some grape species are distinct and unique varietals, clearly separate from each of their cousins. Others, like Lambrusco and Muscat, are more like umbrella terms, featuring several subspecies which show slight differences from each other from region to region. Indeed, there are astonishingly more than 60 identified varieties of Lambrusco vines, and they are almost all used in the production of characterful Italian sparkling wines. They are distinguishable by their deep ruby blush, caused by strong pigments present in their skins, and their intensely perfumed character.
Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian regions, although we most closely associate this varietal with Piedmont and Basilicata. It has also been grown successfully in Argentina and Australia. The varietal suffered from a fairly lowly reputation in the late 20th century, due to bulk, low cost production of Lambrusco sparkling wines, aimed at markets across northern Europe and America. However, things are rapidly changing, and the older, more traditional methods of bottle fermentation are returning, along with a higher level of quality and expression, as consumers become more discerning and demanding. Many of the Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own established DOC, such as Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Modena, where new regulations are keeping standards high and methods traditional.
There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.
As historically one of the most important regions in the world regarding trade and experimentation, it comes as no surprise to discover that Veneto has always been a well respected and innovative wine region. This area of north-easterly area of Italy benefits greatly from a continental climate tempered by the Alps, and plenty of influence from the Germanic countries it is near to. Veneto is most commonly associated with beautifully elegant white wines, such as those of Soave, and has over ninety thousand hectares under vine. Impressively, within that area, over a third of the vineyards in the Veneto region have been granted official AOC status, and many of the sub-regions and appellations of Veneto have gone on to be world-famous in regards to quality. One such example is Valpolicella, where some of Italy's finest and most complex red wines are produced.