Wine

Wine online from Great Wines Direct

Wine is typically a fermented grape-based alcoholic beverage. The sugar in the grapes is consumed by yeast, which then breaks it down into ethanol and carbon dioxide while also producing heat.

Different kinds of wine are mostly influenced by various yeast strains and grape varieties. These variations are the result of intricate interactions between the biological growth of the grape, the fermentation reactions, the terroir (growing region) of the grape, and the wine-making process.

Legal appellations are established in many nations to specify wine styles and quality. These often place limitations on the allowable grape types, geographical origin, and other characteristics of wine production.

Since ancient times, wine has been made. The Caucasus region in what is now Georgia (6000 BCE), Persia (5000 BCE), Italy, and Armenia (4000 BCE) has the earliest wine artefacts.

While there are some similarities between New World wine and alcoholic beverages manufactured by native Americans, these connections relate mostly to later Spanish practises in New Spain.

Later, as viticulture methods for Old World wine advanced, Europe would have three of the greatest wine-producing regions. Today, Italy, Spain, France, the United States, and China are the five nations with the largest wine-producing regions.

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White 13.5

Creation Wines, Cape South Coast, Chardonnay 2023 75cl £24.96

A chic, cool-climate Chardonnay, with glorious layers of sun kissed pear and peach enhanced by fresh minerality and hints of spice Full of finesse and elegance

White 14

Creation Wines, Cape South Coast, Viognier 2023 75cl £19.56

Joyful and vivacious Viognier with succulent peach complemented by the subtleties of ripe pear, in a deliciously refreshing, zesty and classic style

Red 13.5

Roccafiore, Il Roccafiore, Umbria, Sangiovese 2020 75cl £21.78

An elegant and refined Sangiovese brimming with ripe plum, red berried fruit and overtones of liquorice and tobacco

Red 14.5

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Mountain Red 2021 75cl £11.23

A rich, spicy Rhone-style red, brimming with mulberries and plums, seasoned by a scattering of black pepper and sun-baked fynbos herbs The high quality of both fruit and winemaking shine through in the finesse of its silky tannins and the harmony and balance on the sustained finish This is exceptional value for money

White 12.5

Anton Finkenauer, Kreuznacher, Nahe, Riesling Trocken 2023 75cl £13.66

Peach fruit and floral spice through to a dry and refreshing finish Light bodied and fresh German style

White 15

Trimbach Gewurztraminer 2020 75cl £20.56

Finely balanced and very aromatic with notes of lychee, rose and ginger This is dry and with classic restraint, while at the same time expressing beautifully the variety's exotic and spicy character

Red 13.5

Frescobaldi Nipozzano Vecchie Viti 2021 75cl £24.70

A radiant ruby-red colour Among the main descriptors, fruity notes begin with red and black berries, including raspberry, wild strawberry, black cherry, blackcurrant and blackberry These are supported by sweet vanilla and rounded off with balsamic notes, pepper and cinnamon The palate is well-rounded and sumptuously elegant; the alcohol and acidic content balance out perfectly The after-taste is fruity with a hint of juniper berry The mineral finish is long and juicy

White 13.5

Raymond Vineyards, 'R Collection', California, Chardonnay 2023 75cl £22.21

Bright aromas of pear, pineapple and tropical fruit are followed by creamy notes of vanilla and honeysuckle, rich and smooth

Red 14.5

Saint Cosme, Cotes du Rhone 2023 75cl £18.46

An exceptional Cotes du Rhone imbued with charm and finesse with notes of blackcurrant, truffle, liquorice and wild raspberry through to a long, satisfying finish

White 13

Meinert White Merlot 'The Italian Job' 2020 75cl £26.65

This is an utterly delicious white that tastes very much like barrel-fermented Chardonnay - perhaps from Burgundy It is rich and sumptuous, with creme anglaise, pineapple, butter and delicate wood character Intense, with a sustained, flavoursome finish The wine's story makes it even more fascinating When visiting friends in Zurich, Martin Meinert was introduced to a white wine made with Merlot grapes from Ticino - the southern, Italian, part of Switzerland He loved it so much that he resolved to make one himself, with fantastic results (How to make a white wine with black grapes? Press promptly, and keep the juice and the skins separate to prevent the latter from tinting the former)

Red 12.5

Trapiche Melodias Malbec 2024 75cl £9.14

Selected vineyards in the high area of the Mendoza River and in the east region of Mendoza A rich wine with violet hues, redolent of plums and cherries Round in the mouth with a touch of truffle, cocoa and vanilla Deliciously soft and easy drinking

Red 14

Pegoes, Adega de Pegoes 'Selected Harvest Red', Peninsula de Setubal 2021 75cl £17.35

A richly flavoured wine with a velvety texture, full of spicy chocolate and herbal savoury flavours

White 13

Akriotou, 'Orivatis Wild' Old Vine Savatiano, Sterea Ellada 2021 75cl £18.47

A wildly expressive and complex wine, full of lemon, honeysuckle, peach, melon and buttery notes Textured and full-flavoured with a mineral note on the finish

White 12.5

Lake Chalice 'The Nest', Marlborough, Pinot Gris 2023 75cl £16.46

Aromas of freshly-cut pear mingle with bruised apple undertones on this softly textured Pinot Gris

Red 15

La Collina dei Ciliegi, Amarone della Valpolicella 2020 75cl £44.80

Sumptuous notes of Morello cherry are enveloped by spice and delicate leathery nuances Full-bodied, with enveloping tannins and a long, balanced finish

Red 13.5

La Collina dei Ciliegi, Peratara, Valpolicella Superiore 2019 75cl £38.38

A full, rich and velvety wine with beautifully integrated tannins, mineral tones and complex aromas of cherry and violet layered with herbals notes and delicate spice