Since the Alto Adige region was formerly a part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire until Italy annexed it in 1919 after World War I, it retains a Germanic cultural presence. Hence, the wine labels are both in German and Italian. Kaltern, a highly regarded cooperative in the region, makes a range of wines, including this lively Pinot Noir (also known as Blauburgunder in German).… Read more

Savory herbal notes add intrigue to this refined mid-weight red made from the Schiava grape. While having similarly mild tannins that allow for chilling this summer, it displays more black fruit when compared to Kaltern’s red-fruited Pinot Nero. A smooth texture adds to its overall sense of elegance.… Read more

Mezzacorona, a co-operative established in 1904 with a handful of members, now has more than 1500 of them. Co-ops often get a bad rap, but in my experience, the best of them skillfully separate members’ grapes into tiers, capturing an excellent quality to price ratio.… Read more

Mosnel is one of the great producers of Franciacorta, Italy’s high-end sparkling wine. Though the wines of Franciacorta undergo the traditional secondary fermentation in the bottle, so the so-called “Champagne method,” the blend of grapes can be different. For this Chardonnay-dominant wine, Mosnel blends Pinot Blanc (23 percent), a touch of Pinot Noir (5 percent) and Erbamet (1 percent), a long-forgotten local variety, to achieve a layered complexity.… Read more

Bruno Giacosa, arguably Barolo’s most famous producer, also makes this engaging Arneis from across the Tanaro River in Roero. The intriguing combination of delicate aromas of minerals mixed with white flowers draws you in. Minerals, rather than an overt fruitiness, appear and persist on the palate.… Read more

San Leonardo, an under-the-radar producer of spectacular Bordeaux-blend reds, also makes this fine, racy Sauvignon Blanc. The slightly grassy and piquant nature characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc is apparent, but more as a condiment rather than the main course, imparting a stylish quality to the wine.… Read more

Mosnel, one of the top producers in Franciacorta, seamlessly combines Pinot Nero (also known as Pinot Noir) and Chardonnay with a touch (20%) of Pinot Bianco to produce this splendid Rosé. Though pale in color, it delivers plenty of pleasure with delicate hints of strawberry-like fruitiness coupled with depth, all supported by a fine spine of acidity.… Read more

The thick skins of Gaglioppo, replete with tannins, are responsible for the robust character of the reds from the Cirò DOC. Librandi, still family-run, is one of the leaders in the region. This wine, their flagship red, is made entirely from Gaglioppo grown in the Cirò and Cirò Marina communes, the historic heart of the DOC.… Read more

You might think that a white wine from sun-drenched and hot Calabria would be heavy. Not Librandi’s lively and vibrant Cirò Bianco. Made entirely from Greco Bianco, this fragrant beauty is fermented and aged exclusively in stainless steel tanks to capture it bright melon-y aspect.… Read more

This delightful light red is actually masquerading as a rosé. Made entirely from Cirò’s major red grape, Gaglioppo, it captures your attention with marvelous aromatics. The power and intensity characteristic of Gaglioppo appears in the body of this deliciously chewy wine.… Read more

Traditionally, Librandi’s region of Cirò was a red wine-heavy area, but as Paolo Librandi explains, in the last 30 years the proportion of whites has doubled and now equals that of reds for them. Their Critone typically contains a small (10%) amount of Sauvignon Blanc, a grape rarely seen in these parts because, as Paolo explains, to farm it correctly, “you must live in vineyard at harvest time.”… Read more

Paolo e Noemia d’Amico make wine exclusively from organically grown grapes on their family-run estate that sits on the border of Lazio and Umbria. This 100-percent Grechetto comes from Tuscia, also known as Colli Etruschi Viterbesi, a tiny 220-acre DOC in Lazio.… Read more

Franciacorta, a prestigious DOCG exclusively for sparkling wines, is nestled on the southern shore of Lake Iseo in Lombardy. The wine must be made using the so-called Classical Method, a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The blend includes the usual grapes for Champagne, Chardonnay and Pinot Nero, with the addition of Pinot Bianco.… Read more

Combine Mosnel, one of the DOCG’s top producers, with Franciacorta, Italy’s best DOCG for sparkling wine and the result is, unsurprisingly, delightful. The Satèn designation, always a Blanc de Blancs, indicates that the wine has been bottled with less atmospheric pressure, giving it an added creaminess from less fizz.… Read more

Cincinnato, a co-op of 130 or so members, controls the majority of vineyard area in Cori, where they are located, 50 miles southeast of Rome. The Cesanese grape ripens well in Cori because it is a warm and sunny locale. Although the Cesanese grape has been grown in Lazio for two millennia, it is now only gaining widespread recognition, which helps explain why this wine, made with organic grapes, is such a bargain.… Read more

Thankfully, not all bubbly wine from Italy is Prosecco. The country can make outstanding sparkling wine using the “Metodo Classico.” (EU regulations prohibit the use of the term “Champagne Method” because it references a protected regional name, but that’s what it means).… Read more

San Leonardo, an outstanding producer in Trentino, makes a stunning Super-Trentino bottling of the same name from the Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère. In the late 90s and early 2000s, about the same time that they realized what they always thought was Cabernet Franc was really Carmenère, they were replanting Cabernet Sauvignon.… Read more

Starting with the 2000 vintage, San Leonardo began another wine called Villa Gresti, a blend of Merlot (90%) and Carmenère. While the 2019 is still Merlot-dominant (60%), the blend has changed, incorporating Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Carmenère. The bolder and riper Villa Gresti is a dramatic counterpoint to the more refined and elegant Terre di San Leonardo, displaying rich mineral-y nuances atop a suave base.… Read more

Bolgheri is not the only locale in Italy for superb wine made from Bordeaux varieties. In the early 1980s, Marquis Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga experimented at his estate in Trentino with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and what he thought was Cabernet Franc, varieties that had been planted in the area since the 19th century.… Read more

The history of the family Beconcini estate is like many in Tuscany. The grandfather liberates the land from the shackles of share-cropping in the 1950s and produces a variety of agricultural products, including grapes. The next generation focuses on viticulture and winemaking, eliminating everything else.… Read more

($19):  New discoveries, interesting wines from place you’ve — or at least I’ve — never heard of, is one of the things I love about Italian wines.  Here is yet another DOC I am unfamiliar with.  You too could be excused if you are unfamiliar with Monreale, a tiny DOC comprising about 70 acres just west of Palermo. … Read more

($30, USA Wine Imports):  In addition to the innumerable DOCs, the Italians use a mind-boggling number of grapes for their wines, which is another reason the wines from that country are so exciting to explore.  Malvasia Aromatica di Candia had me running to Jancis Robinson’s Wine Grapes, which informed me that although Candia is an old name for Crete, there is no genetic evidence that is originated on that Greek Island. … Read more

($25, USA Wine Imports):  One of the exciting and bewildering things about Italian wines is the ever-increasing number of DOCs that sprout like mushrooms after a rain. Gutturnio Superiore is a new one to me.  Formerly a part of the Colli Piacentini, another DOC I’ve heard of but could not find on a map, Gutturnio is the northwest part of Emilia Romagna, bordering both Piedmont and Lombardy, which may explain the grapes, Barbera and Croatina, used in this wine. … Read more

($40):  Petite Arvine, commonly known just as Arvine, is native and almost exclusive to the Valais in Switzerland, but there are a few acres of it planted in the Aosta Valley.  This one has a Viognier-like character, fruity and floral, yet not sweet. … Read more

($64):  The team at Anselmet clearly thinks this is an important wine — heavy bottle, heavy wax seal that makes uncorking difficult.  But this Chardonnay is worth the effort.  It is a remarkably well-balanced of delicate fruitiness and minerality.  There is an uplifting saline-like savoriness in the finish. … Read more

($12):  Lugana, a DOC on the southern shore of Lake Garda in Northern Italy, is a name to remember for white wines.  The primary grape is Turbiana, also known as Trebbiano di Lugana.  Locals prefer Turbiana, the historical name, to dissociate it from the mostly down-market family of varieties and grape strains associated with the Trebbiano name. … Read more

($53):  France meets Italy. Yes, Italy’s Aosta Valley borders France, but it is still a part of Italy.  So, why is the appellation for this wine and the name of the producer in French?  Shouldn’t it be DOC Valle d’Aosta and Tenuta instead of Maison? … Read more

($143, Taub Family Selections):  There is no better Italian sparkling wine producer than Ferrari.  Their entire line-up is Metodo Classico, that is, made with a secondary fermentation performed in the bottle, similar to the process in Champagne.  Everything from their non-vintage blends to their mono-variety Chardonnays (also known as blanc de blancs) is consistently excellent and puts a smile on your face. … Read more

($12):   Ai Galli also shows their talents with a bargain-priced “entry-level,” as they call it, Pinot Grigio.  Fresh and floral wine, it has a captivating delicacy.  This clean crisp Pinot Grigio finishes with a welcoming hint of bitterness.  And look at the price. … Read more

($34, Enotec Imports, Inc):  Since this DOC is not well-known to most Americans (I had to run to the reference books), a little background.  The DOC is named for a large lake that lies within Alto Adige.  “Classico,” as usual in the Italian DOC nomenclature, refers to the original or heart of the area. … Read more

($20):  The Albana grape is uniquely suited to the Bertinoro subregion of Romagna where Celli is located thanks to the calcium rich soil, locally known as spungone, a vestige of its underwater location 3.5 million years ago.  Celli’s 2019 I Croppi is outstanding. … Read more

($12):   Ai Galli also shows their talents with a bargain-priced “entry-level,” as they call it, Pinot Grigio.  Fresh and floral wine, it has a captivating delicacy.  This clean crisp Pinot Grigio finishes with a welcoming hint of bitterness.  And look at the price. … Read more

($42):  Italy is not known for Pinot Nero (aka Pinot Noir) the way it is for Nebbiolo or Sangiovese.  In the relatively cool Oltrepò Pavese region, the grape does well, as Travaglino shows with this 2015 Riserva.  Nicely concentrated, but certainly nowhere near a New World style, it delivers both fruit flavors and savory character, the latter of which is immediately apparent in the nose and carries onto the palate. … Read more

($17, HB Wine Merchants):  With rare exception, consumers don’t usually think of Italy for distinctive Chardonnay.  More wines like this one could change that perception.  Racy and refined, it’s paradoxically mouth-filling yet not heavy. It’s cutting and spicy profile is refreshing. … Read more

($17, HB Wine Merchants):  There’s Pinot Grigio, and then there’s Pinot Grigio.  One taste of Peter Zemmer’s explains why the category is so popular.  Delicate hints of white flowers greet you when you pull the cork.  A refined and restrained fruitiness follows. … Read more

($38, HB Wine Merchants):  Peter Zemmer’s single-vineyard Giatl is a very different style of Pinot Grigio from his regular (I hate that word to describe that wine, which is anything but regular) bottling.  The Giatl has power and a Burgundian-like weight and to it. … Read more

($30, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant):  Jan Novak, the wine director at Il Capriccio, a wonderful Italian restaurant in Waltham, just west of Boston, suggested this wine, which was unknown to me.  Since she has probably forgotten more about Italian wine than I know, I agreed immediately. … Read more

($22, Winebow):  It’s hard to go wrong with any of the wines from Castellare di Castellina, one of the very best Chianti Classico producers.  This wine, their normale or annata, is their base Chianti Classico and what high base it represents.  … Read more

($22):  Consumers tend to forget that Italy makes a host of sparkling wines in addition to Prosecco.  And though I have nothing against Prosecco, many of Italy’s other bubblies, such as this one, provide a lot more interest.  This one is positively riveting. … Read more

($38, Louis Dressner Selections):  Manzoni Bianco is one of Italy’s botanical “crosses,” in this case a cross of Riesling and Chardonnay, made by Luigi Manzoni in the 1920s and 30s, according to Ian D’Agata (Native Wine Grapes of Italy, University of California Press, 2014). … Read more

($23, Divino International Wine and Spirit):  The name of the wine, “51,151”, refers to a cycling record that Francesco Moser set in Mexico City in 1984, according to their website.  This 100 percent Chardonnay base bubbly is, indeed, racy (pun intended), but the elegance imparted by that grape shows, making for a lovely balance. … Read more

($20):  Cantine Leonardo da Vinci, a large Tuscan-based cooperative, makes this delightful sparkling wine from the Pignoletto grape, not one that is widely known outside of central Italy.  Its inherently high acidity makes it a good choice for bubbly because growers can let it ripen, allowing its exuberant floral and fruity character to shine, without it becoming sappy or flabby. … Read more

($15, HB Wine Merchants):  Pinot Grigio spans the spectrum from innocuous or insipid to charming and noteworthy.  Peter Zemmer’s is definitely in the latter group.  An immediately captivating floral sensation predicts enjoyment.  It has remarkable depth and persistence for a category that is all too often fleeting and bland. … Read more