×
Case only
Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $24.40
Aromas of ripe tropical fruit, spice, and vanilla. Well-balanced and elegant, it pairs excellently with mature...
Case only
Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $24.40
Aromas of ripe tropical fruit, spice, and vanilla. Well-balanced and elegant, it pairs excellently with mature...
Dessert/Fortified Wine
500ml
Bottle: $26.95
6 bottles: $26.41
12 FREE
Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml
Bottle: $40.72
6 bottles: $40.00
COLOR: Intense yellow gold with amber highlights. NOSE: Ample bouquet with notes of candied citrus, apricot and...
12 FREE
Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml
Bottle: $37.92
6 bottles: $37.20
COLOR: Intense yellow gold with amber highlights. NOSE: Ample bouquet with notes of candied citrus, apricot and...
12 FREE
Sale
Dessert/Fortified Wine
500ml
Bottle: $45.60 $48.00
Intense notes of candied fruit and citrus fruit with hints of eucalyptus, sage and apricot. Balanced and lingering,...
12 FREE
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml
Bottle: $25.94
Golden yellow-orange in color. Bouquet is complex and elegant, reminiscent of dried fruit and apricots. Beautifully...
12 FREE
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $176.50
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $160.62
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $158.88
The 2004 Passito Rosso Vino Dolce Vigna Seré (500-mililiter) is a masterpiece that is impossible to repeat. In fact,...
WA
99
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $127.56
The 2004 Passito Rosso Vino Dolce Vigna Seré (500-mililiter) is a masterpiece that is impossible to repeat. In fact,...
WA
99

Passito Mencia Savatiano Zinfandel Italy

Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.

However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.

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?

The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.

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.