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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Red 13.5

El Camino, Mendoza, Malbec 2022 75cl £12.00

A perfumed and easy drinking Malbec with spicy, black plum fruit flavours integrated into an inviting vanilla background

Red 14.5

Benguela Cove Cabernet Sauvignon 75cl £18.98 £19.50

'Cab is King', they say, and a cool climate wine region carries that crown with flair. Assertively Benguela Cove Cabernet Sauvignon with those quintessential aromas of dried herbs, salty liquorice, robust dark fruit and astute tannins. The broody fruit is elevated by a youthful acidity that adds to its power with sour cherry and a silky texture that trails behind.

Red 12.5

Quinta Do Crasto Altitude 430 Tinta Francisca and Touriga Nacional 2022 75cl £16.49

Garnet in colour, with an expressive nose of red fruit notes, perfectly balanced by delicate forest and fine spice aromas Easy and approachable from the first sip, the character develops on the palate into a wine of excellent volume and fine texture This embodies all the freshness and elegance that the Tinta Francisca and Touriga Nacional grapes deliver when planted at an altitude of 430 metres, in a vineyard with a north-facing aspect: seductively soft, with restrained alcohol and a fresh, elegant finish

Red 14

Chateau Oumsiyat, Mount Lebanon, Syrah 2020 75cl £16.51

An intense and concentrated wine displaying a depth of black fruits complemented by notes of dark chocolate, textured and full-flavoured

Red 15

Chateau Pont de Guitres, Lalande-de-Pomerol 2020 75cl £24.80

A traditionally styled right bank Bordeaux with full flavours of baked black fruits underpinned by a hint of earthy mushroom and tobacco

White 11

Sospiro Bianco d'Italia NV Sospiro 75cl NV £9.31

White 13

a bottle of Maison Coquard's Saint Veran white wine from Burgundy

Saint Veran - Maison Coquard 75cl £23.21

Experience the finesse of southern Burgundy with Maison Coquard’s Saint Veran, a beautifully balanced Chardonnay that embodies pure sophistication in a bottle. Fresh and elegant, this white opens with fragrant orchard blossom and juicy white peach, followed by layers of citrus and a subtle touch of almond on the finish.This is a wine that feels both timeless and modern, capturing Christophe Coquard’s love for crafting vibrant, expressive whites. Each sip is fresh yet rounded, with delightful minerality that elevates every glass, effortlessly stylish, whether poured with fresh seafood, roast chicken, or a platter of creamy cheeses.

Red 14

Quinta Do Crasto Douro Old Vines Reserva 2022 75cl | Great Wines Direct

Quinta Do Crasto Douro Old Vines Reserva 2022 75cl £28.26

Hugely complex, this wine has concentrated aromas and flavours, married to wonderful freshness. It is lively and juicy – like biting into a just-ripe cherry that bursts in your mouth – and yet is far from straightforward, with intriguing nuances of spices, Mediterranean herbs, olives and well-integrated oak. This is irresistible now – and even better if you decant it first – but if you can, keep some bottles back for 25 or even 10 years, as it has both the guts and the balance to gain even more complexity with time.

White 10

Cintila White, Peninsula de Setubal 2024 75cl £9.12

Cintila White from Peninsula de Setúbal represents a refined expression of Portugal's coastal wine region. This vintage showcases the distinctive character of Setúbal's maritime terroir, where Atlantic influences shape crisp, mineral-driven whites. Expect bright citrus and stone fruit aromatics with a clean, refreshing palate. A versatile addition to any serious wine collection seeking authentic Portuguese quality at an accessible price point. An intense, fruity aroma and a creamy mouthfeel with a hint of peach and ginger

Red 13

Chateau d'Issan Moulin d'Issan, Bordeaux Superieur 2021 75cl £17.94

With a vibrant purple colour, Moulin d'Issan has ripe, expressive mulberry and pomegranate aromas, as well as suggestions of oyster shell, seared steak and toasted oak In the mouth, it is soft, silky and succulent yet dry, savoury and refreshing An absolutely delicious, classic Bordeaux that is ready to drink now and over the next 1-2 years, this is a genuine bargain from the excellent Margaux Grand Cru Classe, Chateau d'Issan It comes from part of d'Issan's land which is contiguous with the Margaux vineyards, but situated closer to the Gironde estuary, which is why (1) it is a Bordeaux Superieur not Margaux and (2) it is such great value It is named for the estate's 17th Century windmill, the ruins of which are still in the middle of the vineyard

White 12.5

Embrujo del Campo Organic Verdejo 2024 75cl | Great Wines Direct

Embrujo del Campo Organic Verdejo 2024 75cl £8.68

This is a dry, restrained Spanish white, with hay and fennel flavours rounded out by plums and pears, and ending on a refined note of citrus

Red 13.5

Boundary Line, Australia, Shiraz 2023 75cl £11.50

Aromas of gentle vanilla spice and white pepper, medium bodied with fresh and minty plum fruit flavours

Red 14.5

Ktima Gerovassiliou 'Avaton', Epanomi 2021 75cl £28.72

This is an intensely flavoured wine with bags of black cherry fruit underlined by dark chocolate and tapinade

Red 13.5

Vina Echeverria, Reserva, Valle de Curico, Merlot 2023 37.5cl £6.73

A medium bodied and fruity Merlot with juicy undertones of cherry jam and fresh herbs

Red 10

Cintila Red, Peninsula de Setubal 2023 75cl £8.89

A juicy, plummy and vanilla wine, soft and easy-drinking

Red 13

Chevanceau, Vin de France, Marselan 2023 75cl £10.86

A characterful and beautifully textured Southern French Marselan, rich in brambly fruit, cassis and heady with the scent of garrigue