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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:
$17.59
12 bottles:
$17.24
750ml
Bottle:
$15.83
$17.59
12 bottles:
$12.35
Perfect for an afternoon picnic, an evening of sunset gazing, a night of binge watching your favorite series or any...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.71
$17.59
12 bottles:
$12.35
This fun & light sparkling Unicorn Bubbles offers delicate flavors of fresh green apple and citrus with lively...
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
Bottle:
$14.62
$16.25
12 bottles:
$12.35
19 Crimes is defiant by nature, bold in character, and always uncompromising. We are proud to partner with...
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,...
187ml
Bottle:
$9.99
Aromas of fresh peaches leap from the glass along with hints of ginger and lilac. Once sipped, a shower of foamy...
750ml
Bottle:
$9.53
$10.25
Aromas of fresh peaches leap from the glass along with hints of ginger and lilac. Once sipped, a shower of foamy...
187ml
Bottle:
$9.99
Vivacious and aromatic, this delicate Italian pale pink sparkler Is perfect for enjoying anytime. Notes of...
750ml
Bottle:
$9.99
Vivacious and aromatic, this delicate Italian pale pink sparkler Is perfect for enjoying anytime. Notes of...
750ml
Bottle:
$67.50
The 2019 Gracias Madre, 100% Grenache Noir, is fabulous. Rich, creamy and super-expressive, the 2019 offers notable...
Champagne Blend Chardonnay Mavrodaphne Mencia
The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn't unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as 'blanc de blanc', meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or 'blanc de noir', which is made solely with Pinot Noir.
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?