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 14

Michele Chiarlo 'Reyna', Barbaresco 2021 75cl £45.12

Rivalling Barolo as Piedmont's best red wine, this wine has delicate, refined savoury aromas with baked sour cherry and earthy tones

Red 13.5

Basilisco 'Teodosio', Aglianico del Vulture 2021 75cl £20.11

A full bodied and concentrated wine with aromas of raisined plum and Morello cherry together with black liquorice Intense and full bodied

Red 13.5

Feudi di San Gregorio, Taurasi, Campania 2020 75cl £30.18

Savoury, sauvage notes of leather with hints of black liquorice enlivened by a deep minerality culminating in a firm and robust finish

White 11.5

Sacchetto Vini 'Fili', Veneto, Prosecco Extra Dry NV 150cl £35.81

Red 13.5

Domaine de la Janasse Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2023 75cl £14.12

Run by the astonishingly talented Isabelle and Christophe Sabon, Domaine de la Janasse is one of the finest estates in the southern Rhone valley Their top Chateauneuf du Pape cuvees are among the region's most sought-after (and expensive), however even their lowly Cotes du Rhone is of exceptional quality, and it is both affordable and much easier to obtain This velvety, succulent red is full of vibrant, spicy complexity A bargain!

Red 15.5

Pago de Carraovejas El Anejon 2020 75cl £82.50

This has really fine, delicate, spiced aromas, with beautifully-integrated oak notes adorning a wealth of intense yet subtle fruit character It's incredibly supple and silky, with mouthfilling, super-soft tannins Utterly wonderful, with truffley, foresty complex nuances emerging with time in the glass Rare in Ribera del Duero, El Anejon is a steeply-sloping site - so much so that it had to be terraced in order to be planted with vines, which are around 80% Tinto Fino with the remainder Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon It is one of the region's higher sites, at 870m elevation

Red 13.5

Frescobaldi Perano Chianti Classico 2022 75cl £21.36

Beautiful, bright ruby-red colour, simultaneously elegant and rich in depth a distinctive sour cherry fragrance Red and black berries are accompanied by floral notes such as sweet violet and asubtle, delicate spice Finally, splendid freshness Harmonic, dry, pleasant and with good tannins that improve over time, the wine finishes like velvet

White 13.5

Antonio Caggiano Greco di Tufo DOCG Devon 2024 75cl £18.08

Fantastic aroma of peach, lemon, fresh herbs and pear, becoming increasingly honeyed as it sits in the glass Lovely rounded texture, cut-across with lively acidity Distinctive - fresh, yet gentler and richer-textured than Riesling while crisper and livelier than white Burgundy - just plain delicious

White 14

Colterenzio Sauvignon Blanc La Foa 2023 75cl £33.89

Sourced exclusively from the single estate 'La Foa', near Girlan, this exceptional wine is reminiscent of a fine white Bordeaux from Pessac-Leognan Delicate yet complex scents of pink grapefruit, elderflower, honeydew melon lead to a palate that is at once crisp, fresh and satisfyingly creamy in texture Beautifully refined, lingering finish

White 13.5

Domaine de Belle Mare Picpoul de Pinet 2024 75cl £11.74

Brilliant, pale yellow tint with green hues; very fresh nose, delicate and floral, white flowers; lively and fresh with a lemon touch and a mineral and salty finish A fantastic representation of new-style Languedoc wines from the vine-growing area of the Belle Mare estate, which stretches for 45 hectares around the crystal clear waters of Lake Thau, a key area for the cultivation of oysters and mussels This intense blue inland sea extends over 20 km from Balaruc to Marseillan, passing through Meze and Sete, and is the largest and deepest of the Languedoc lakes The vineyard enjoys a Mediterranean climate with a prominent northerly wind, which helps maintain vineyard health and enables perfect ripening

Red 14.5

Trapiche Terroir Series Malbec Finca Ambrosia 2021 75cl £31.12

Intense aromas of dark fruits with notes of smoke, mint, spices, thyme and liquorice enhanced by firm tannins and a lingering finish

Red 14.5

Planeta Merlot Sito dell'Ulmo 2020 75cl £24.05

Immediate bilberry notes followed by a floral bouquet, vanilla and a toasty finish on the nose The palate shows a lovely texture and velvety richness in the mouth, and is well supported by acidity and creamy, elegant tannins Very persistent with a fresh and pleasant length

Red 13

Domaine Albert Morot, Beaune 1er Cru Marconnets 2022 75cl £71.57

Smooth and silky with red fruits, delicate spice and a long, elegant finish

White 13

Prosper Maufoux, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Clos du Chateau 2022 75cl £73.40

White 13

Thomas Labille, Chablis 1er Cru Vosgros 2021 75cl £35.20

A textured and elegant 1er Cru Chablis, with floral and herbaceous aromas and a rich palate defined by layers of pear, peach and distinctive Chablis minerality

Red 14

Saint Cosme, Cote Rotie 2020 75cl £69.80

An ample and beautifully structured Cote Rotie with lovely complexity, notes of smoked ham, violet, graphite, and liquorice unfurl through to a long-lasting finish