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Native Italian Varietals
Guided recommendations, pairings, and tasting notes.
$29.99
Simply Elegant! Cartizze is the most prestigeous cru in the Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG area. A very small area, approximately 270 acres, these vineyards lying between the steepest hills of San Pietro di Barbozza and Santo Stefano in Valdobbiadene county. In the "Cartizze Alto" vineyards there's a perfect combination...
$24.99
Aldo and Matteo Pola have brilliantly crafted this Langhe white from hand selected Arneis fruit. The result is a crisp, clean medium bodied wine that delivers a floral bouquet of fresh fruit on the nose, and a crisp, clean finish with hints of lemon. Pair this wine with...
$21.99
Carlo crafted this easy drinking rosè from 100% Sangiovese fruit harvested from vines 1000 feet above sea level. After a cold maceration in contact with the skins for only a few hours, the skins and must are removed and fermentation completed at very low temperatures. This Tuscan rosè displays a...
$54.99
2010 has been heralded as one of the best vintages for Brunello di Montalcino in years. The district enjoyed a near perfect growing season allowing for the long maturation of the fruit. Once again, Luca has crafted a classic Brunello style with 100% estate grown Sangiovese grapes. After...
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius (Monte Vesuvio) in AD 79 blanketed the region in volcanic ash and rock, and it also created one of the most unique viniculture regions in Italy known today as Campania. We journeyed into the province of Avellino in Campania in April in search of the "Barolo of the South"- Taurasi- crafted from the ancient varietal Aglianico. After landing at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport and pointing our rented cinquecento south on the E45 for two hours, we were navigating the country roads around Avellino and hill towns of Taurasi and Tufo. Vineyards of the ancient varietals Aglianico, Greco, and Falanghina blanket the hills at remarkable elevations—400-500 meters above sea level. The Irpinia district of Avellino...
Great wine! What am I drinking? I often hear this from clients unfamiliar with Italian wines. They closely inspect the labels but see nothing that they recognize as the name of a grape varietal that has crossed their palate before. Traditional California wine labels prominently place the variety, e.g. Zinfandel, in a grand font where your eyes can instantly lock on. Add the winery name, vintage, perhaps the appellation, and you essentially have a complete brand label. As California winemakers have begun to embrace blending, the varietal name has been replaced with a provocative “fanciful name”, and the labels have become less recognizable. So what makes old world wine labels so intimidating for some? Old World (France, Italy) have tightly...
The 2015 harvest has come to an end; and while it is too early to make any judgments about the quality of the vintage, it appears to have been an excellent growing season and harvest. Nearly all districts in Northern Italy reported experiencing a cold, wet winter and moderately wet spring. As I traveled the small country roads in the Barolo and Barbaresco at the end of March, I was drenched in downpours and remarked at the amount of standing water on the saturated soils. The ample moisture prepared the vines well for the relatively high temperatures in June and July. Flavio Sobrero at Azienda Agricola Sobrero Francesco in the Barolo commune of Castiglione Falletto, reports it was an excellent...
I always considered myself a “red” drinker. You know the type. I drank only reds because whites didn’t offer my palate the depth of character, body, and complexity offered by the reds. You may be a member of the same club. I was a member for decades, that is, until I met some old world Italians. The chance meeting happened in the Langhe in 2013. If you are not familiar with the “Langhe”, it is an area in Italy’s Piemonte region, in the province of Cuneo, and considered as the area south and east of the Tanaro River. The area is known for its spectacular beauty, and famous for its cuisine, especially its cheeses, white truffles, and, of course, its...