($15, EDV Esprit du Vin):   Often the line between DOC and DOCG — and IGT, for that matter — is blurred as far as quality is concerned.  Not this time.  For Prosecco that is a cut above the others, reach for the DOCG because it encompasses the original zone where the grapes are grown on less-fertile hillsides, which translates to better wine. … Read more

($10, EDV Esprit du Vin):  There is a lot of inexpensive Prosecco on the market, most of it giving the category a bad name.  Not this one.  Tasted side-by-side with Valdo’s stable mate release from the Veneto’s prime region, Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG (also reviewed this week), it pales in comparison. … Read more

($29, Vinifera Imports):  Prà, like Pieropan, is a benchmark producer of Soave Classico.  The Prà name on a label is as good a guarantee of quality as you can get.  Their flagship Soave Classico bottling is from the well-regarded and well-situated Monte Grande vineyard.  … Read more

($26):   Pieropan is undoubtedly one of great names in Soave.  They have been instrumental in resurrecting the prestige of the area with their consistent production of stellar wines, from their “regular” (though none of their wines are “regular”) Soave Classico to their single vineyard bottlings, such as this one. … Read more

($17):  Prosecco has gained so much popularity worldwide that its name has replaced the word Champagne as the generic term for all sparkling wine. Sadly, much Prosecco is mass-produced and uninteresting.  Typically, the path to finding a more distinctive Prosecco takes the consumer to a difficult to pronounce DOCG, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. … Read more

($85, Kermit Lynch):  Valpolicella originally was an inexpensive delightfully light red wine, not an “important” or prestigious one.  Over the last several decades, many producers have ramped it up by performing a “ripasso,” adding either dried grapes or the leftover must from another fermentation to the fresh pressed juice, which increased the alcohol content and the overall weight of the finished wine. … Read more

($16): Not a single-vineyard wine, San Michele is the name. Cà Rugate’s San Michele bottling is a blend from several of their vineyards located in the Soave Classico subregion, the best area for Soave production.  More fruity than mineraly, it blossoms with air, befitting a young wine. … Read more

($14): Nardello is one of the producers changing the image of Soave. A key to finding top quality Soave is to look for those, such as this one, that comes from the Classico subregion. Fortunately for consumers the price of Soave from these top producers has not caught up to the quality.… Read more

($20): Both the 2015 and 2016 are in some markets simultaneously.  They offer a superb example of the differences between the vintages, with 2015 being riper and 2016 being racier.  Hence, something for everyone.  Cà Rugate opts to use Garganaga exclusively from this 15-acre vineyard that sits about 600 feet above sea level. … Read more

($20): This wine ticks all the right boxes.  Cà Rugate is a top Soave producer. Monte Fiorentine, a single-vineyard bottling from their old vineyards with vines that are approximately 50 years old, according to Francesco Ganci, their Italian commercial direction, is their top Soave. … Read more

($30): Wines like this one will make Lugana a common name.  That Ottella could make a wine this polished in 2014, a “challenging” year, to say the least, shows the dedication of this producer.  It’s floral and elegant, with just the right understated hints of tropical fruit.… Read more

($22): Lugana, a small DOC just south of Lake Garda, is a treasure trove of well-priced white wines.  Le Morette’s single-vineyard Mandolara is just one example.  The grape, formerly thought to be Trebbiano di Soave (and sometimes still referred to that on labels), is Turbiano, a distinctly different variety as determined by DNA analysis. … Read more

($18): The Custoza DOC, formerly known as Bianco di Custoza, has suffered in the past from watered-down versions made by co-ops and other industrial-sized producers.  Cavalchina is trying to change the reputation and certainly will do so as more consumers taste their wines. … Read more

($26): Prosecco has become ubiquitous, which, of course, has made it a marketing challenge for the top producers, such as Nino Franco.  Why should a consumer pay $26 for Prosecco when plenty sell for less than half that?  For this one, the answer is easy:  It’s a far, far superior wine. … Read more

($18): Prà, one of Soave’s top producers and one of those responsible for the region’s renaissance, makes several Soave.  Their top wine is from a single vineyard, Montegrande and is a blend of Garganega (70%) and Trebbiano di Soave.  This one, Otto, named after a border collie, is their basic Soave made entirely from Garganega and aged exclusively in stainless steel tanks. … Read more

($28): It seems as though everything with bubbles is now called Prosecco.  And not just in the U.S.  I’ve ordered Prosecco in Italy, have been poured a glass from a bottle labeled sparkling Soave and have had the sommelier insist that it was “Prosecco.” … Read more

($35): Soave is back.  Wines from this northeastern part of Italy used to rank with Chianti as America’s favorite Italian wine.  Predictably, as popularity rose, quality slipped and Soave was all too often an innocuous white wine.  No longer.  Producers focused on quality have returned Soave to its rightful place in the world of wine. … Read more

($17, Winebow): Lugana, a tiny appellation on the southern side of Lake Garda, is having a renaissance and Zenato, one of the area’s largest and best producers, has been responsible for it.  These zesty white wines are made primarily from the Turbiana grape (a.k.a.… Read more

($20): Pieropan, one of the leading producers in Soave, makes at least two stunning single-vineyard wines.  I remember having a 2005 from their La Rocca vineyard last year that was simply stunning — fresh and mature at once.  So, it’s no surprise to me that their “regular” Soave Classico is delectable. … Read more

($50, Cru Artisan): Sartori, a top producer based in the Veneto, bottles several Amarone.  This one, Corte Brá, comes from a single vineyard and is, in my experience, always outstanding.  The 2007 is particularly noteworthy because it is still widely available in the retail market and now, at a decade of age, is luscious and captivating. … Read more

($16, Angelini Wine, Ltd): The Italians — and I love them — can be their own worst enemies.  Take Prosecco, for example.  This easy to pronounce, charming wine has taken the world by storm and has practically become a generic term for any sparkling wine. … Read more

($13): Soave, an underappreciated region in Italy, is home to wonderfully satisfying white wines when made by a top producer, such as Prá.  Even this one, one of Prà’s basic bottlings, delivers good intensity offset by characteristic Italian verve.  Round enough to sip on its own, it has sufficient structure to pair well with sushi.… Read more

($25, Vias Imports): Prosecco is all the rage these days and consumers can find them at for $10 a bottle.  So why pay more for Bisol’s?  Because it is a cut above most of them delivering firmness combined with a flowery aspect. … Read more

($20, Pieropan Wines USA): Sadly, Soave has been one of the most abused names in wine, with many examples in the past — and still some today — that are dilute and without character.  What makes it a real shame is how good and exciting authentic Soave, such as this one, can be. … Read more

($15, Banfi): Valpolicella is often considered a not terribly substantial light red wine.  This wine erases that image.  Think of Bolla’s La Poiane as a Valpolicella on steroids.  The grapes come from the best area of Valpolicella (Classico) and have attained better ripeness (Superiore). … Read more

($55, Banfi): This is a beautifully balanced young Amarone showing the potential of this great DOCG.  Not particularly tannic, but youthful because of its tightly wound structure, a hint of its grandeur still peeks out.  This is a serious Amarone with an enticing bitterness in the finish. … Read more

($23): Traditionalists are advised not to read the technical details of this wine before tasting it.  The Cabernet Sauvignon (one-third of the blend), the year’s aging in new French oak and the 15% stated alcohol all have the capacity to obliterate the character of the wine and throw it out of balance. … Read more

($13): Cantina de Soave, a very good cooperative, makes a wide range of wines.  The Rocca Sveva line is one of their upper level ones.  This crisp Soave, clean and fresh, has a touch of fruitiness in the finish.  Not the watery Soave so common decades ago, it has character. … Read more

($15, Cru Artisan Wines): Andrea Sartori refers to their Valpolicella Classico as “the disappearing version” because so many producers are abandoning it for a wine made using the ripasso method, a technique that adds power. One taste and you’re glad this bottling hasn’t disappeared.… Read more

($20, Cru Artisan Wines): Though made entirely from Corvina Veronese, the most prized grape of Valpolicella, and grown in the mandated area, Regolo can not be labeled Valpolicella because Sartori uses the ripasso method — combining the wine with the lees of the prior year’s Amarone, adding yeast and starting another fermentation — which is prohibited by DOC regulations.… Read more

($50, Cru Artisan Wines): As good as Sartori’s Valpolicella and IGT Veronese wines are, this wine shows that Amarone deserves the reputation it has and why it has been awarded DOCG status. From grapes grown in the vineyard, Corte Brà, around the winery, this Amarone has great power without sacrificing elegance or complexity.… Read more

($55, Cru Artisan Wines): This is an easy-to-recommend Amarone from the highly regarded 2007 vintage. It’s appropriately big and concentrated while retaining elegance and balance. The truly appealing character is an invigorating interplay between the sweetness of the fruit and the bitterness from the structure.… Read more

($14, Mionetto USA): Prosecco, the fresh and fruity bubbly from northeastern Italy, is the perfect summertime sparkler.  The designation Treviso indicates that all the grapes came from the Treviso province, which is the historical center of the Prosecco zone.  Mionetto’s Brut, clean and crisp, has a refreshing fruitiness and roundness without obvious sweetness. … Read more

($19, Mionetto USA): Valdobbiadene is a village within the Prosecco zone in northeastern Italy that historically has been recognized as home to better grapes because of its hillside vineyards.  The vineyards of Valdobbiadene escape the humidity of the plains and are cooler at night, which maintains the acidity of the grapes and imparts greater finesse to the wines. … Read more

($18, Banfi Vintners):  Sartori, one of the Veneto’s top producers, owns the I Saltari estate, which helps explain why the wines are so stunning.  Andrea Sartori attributes the exceptional quality of this single-vineyard wine to careful viticulture coupled with low yields. … Read more

($18, Dalla Terra): The oceans of Prosecco on the market combined with the indiscriminate use of that term makes that category of Italian sparkling wine a minefield.  One sure way to avoid an unpleasant experience is to reach for a wine made by Adami, one of the region’s top producers, which bottles a fine range of Prosecco. … Read more

($30, Empson USA): Grapes from La Rocca vineyard are typically riper than from Pieropan’s Calvarino vineyard and explain why his La Rocca bottling is more intense.  In contrast to Pieropan’s Calvarino Soave, La Rocca undergoes a little oak aging, which adds richness, without being obvious.… Read more

($30, Empson USA): After decades of mediocrity, which destroyed Soave’s image, the wines from that region are still struggling to regain their rightful reputation as fine white wines.  Pieropan, one of the leading producers in the region, is one of the reasons why consumers are rediscovering these wines. … Read more