($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