Viticultural heritage

Winemaking thrived and developed in the eastern Mediterranean states of Greece, southern Italy, Turkey, Georgia and the Holy Lands.  It was spread by successive Greek and Roman occupations through much of Central Europe, Spain and Portugal and even reaching the far flung outpost of England.

Today we can return to the cradle of viticulture as an antidote to the international varieties that launched the success of the new world.  A modern interpretation of traditional wines provides a point of difference, original wine styles and unfamiliar grape varieties.  Fiano from Sicily and Assytiko from Greece are excellent examples.

Central European vintners rely on a continental climate of harsh winters and hot summers tempered by mountain ranges, high altitude or river valleys.  Germany, Austria, Hungary, northern Italy and Slovenia all offer sublime, dry and often enticingly aromatic varietals that have quickly become the fashionable restaurant wines to serve by the glass.