($44):  Fontodi, one of the great names in Chianti Classico, is located in the heart of that region, in what’s known as the Conca d’Oro (golden shell) because of the amphitheater-like exposure.  It’s a perfect area for bringing Sangiovese, the only grape used for this Chianti Classico, to perfect ripeness. … Read more

($125):   This is Brunello at its best.  Col d’Orcia, one of the leading producers of Brunello, makes fabulous Riserva…but only in the best years.  Vintage after vintage, Col d’Orcia’s Poggio al Vento consistently combines power and elegance.  The 2012, from an excellent vintage in the Montalcino region, is no exception. … Read more

($24):  Carricante, Sicily’s best white grape, is a name to remember because can produce cutting, mineral-infused wines.  Combine this grape with a top producer, Gulfi, and unsurprisingly you wind up with terrific wine.  Clean and bright, you can almost taste the lava of Mt.… Read more

($44):   Although this release is only the third vintage of this wine, Giovanni Manetti, owner/winemaker at Fontodi told me they have been working on the project for 15 years.  The Filetta vineyard, owned by Manetti’s cousin, is only a few miles from Fontodi’s home base near Panzano, but the wine is very different from their usual Chianti Classico because of the extreme elevation of the vineyard. … Read more

($28, Folio Fine Wine Partners):  Bruno Giacosa was best known for his exceptional Barbaresco and Barolo, often produced from purchased grapes.  It turns out that he produced excellent Barbera as well, as this 2015 shows.  There’s an ongoing argument as to which is better:  Barbera from Alba or from Asti? … Read more

($28):  Donnafugata, one of the top producers on that island, makes a floral wine from Frappato, an indigenous Sicilian variety.  Light-bodied, it exudes charm and delicacy, but finishes with an engaging touch of bitterness.  It could easily take a chill in the summer. … Read more

($35, Folio Fine Wine Partners):  You can almost smell and taste the lava-infusion soil of Mount Etna in this wine.  This mid-weight red packs lots of flavor for its weight.  With a lovely firmness, it’s a wine that cries for food as opposed to a stand-alone aperitif.… Read more

($65):  Tenuta Carretta owns a small piece of Cannubi, arguably Barolo’s most famous vineyard.  A youthful Barolo, it delivers a haunting combination of floral elements followed by tarriness.  Paradoxically, it’s delicate, but with a substantial presence.  Its firm tannic structure is appropriate for its age and does not perturb the wine’s harmony and balance. … Read more

($55): Tenuta Marsiliana is Principe Corsini’s estate in the Maremma area of Tuscany.  They refer to this wine, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, as the estate’s “grand vin,” as the French would, presumably because of the Bordeaux blend of grapes. … Read more

 ($30): As much as I liked Principe Corsini’s 2015 annata (standard or regular one) Chianti Classico, their 2015 Riserva is just better.  Riserva should be better than the regular bottling, but that isn’t always the case.  They can be overdone or over-extracted and out of balance. … Read more

($43): With the introduction of Gran Selezione several years ago, Chianti Classico has a quality pyramid with annata (regular or standard bottling) at the bottom, followed by Riserva and then Gran Selezione at the pinnacle.  With Don Tommaso, Principe Corsini shows they can produce a stunning more “modern” style of Chianti Classico that contrasts beautifully with their Riserva. … Read more

($24):  Principe Corsini’s 2015 Chianti Classico exemplifies why Chianti Classico in general is so popular.  Bright and fresh, it delivers the ideal combination of red cherry-like fruitiness with haunting earthy, “not just fruit” flavors that give it complexity and character.  Lively acidity and smooth tannins make it the “go-to” red wine now. … Read more

($60): People who think Barbaresco is a lighter version of Barolo will change their opinion after trying this wine.  A burly and broad-shouldered Barbaresco from the relatively obscure Cascina Bordino vineyard in the southern edge of Treiso, this one combines firm minerality with weight and appropriately prominent tannins. … Read more

($19): Principe Corsini, a great Chianti Classico producer, has an estate in Maremma where the grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, for this wine are grown.  With dark succulent fruit flavors and bright Tuscan acidity, the blend works.  It’s a bold wine, but not over the top because of the energy the acidity provides. … Read more

($15):  The label notes, “Governo all’Uso Toscano,” which means the wine was made using the centuries-old governo method.  With this technique, the winemaker held back some slightly over-ripe or even dried grapes to increase the body of the wine or to re-start a “stuck” fermentation — one that had stopped prematurely.  … Read more

($23):  It seems that everyone wants to get in on the rosé craze.  Here we have a top Tuscan producer, well-known for their stunning Chianti Classico, making a bubbly from Sangiovese.   It works.  This bright and fresh rosé bubbly delivers delicate hints of strawberries.  … Read more

($17, Banfi Vintners): The name, L’Altra Anima, translates literally as “other soul,” presumably in reference to Barbera being the “other” major grape of Piedmont.  It has the engaging spiciness and verve of Barbera with an unusual — and welcome — polished patina. … Read more

($17):  Nero di Troia, a virtually unknown grape outside of Puglia, is capable of making attractively rustic — in a good way — wine.  This one packs a punch, but without the rough tannins that frequently accompany that kind of power. … Read more

($17, Terlato Wines International):  Wines made from the Aglianico grape are often referred to as the Barolo of the South because of their firm tannins, high acidity, overall depth and need for bottle age to bring all the components together.  Feudi San Gregorio has managed to marry these elements in this Aglianico and make it a pleasure to drink now — as long as you select the correct food and time of year. … Read more

($30, Folio Fine Wine Partners):  Donnafugata, one of Sicily’s top producers, has shown consistently what stunningly good wines can come from that Italian island.  Donnafugata’s 2016 Cerasuolo de Vittorio, a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato, is a delicate light to mid-weight floral red wine with charm and vivacity. … Read more

($30):  A seamless blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Merlot (40%) and Syrah, this classy red delivers far more refinement and complexity than you’d expect for the price.  It conveys a touch of everything — black fruit notes, herbal nuances, and spice — and not too much of anything. … Read more

($12, Golden Ram Imports):  Borgaio di Meleto is a second label of Meleto, one of the top Chianti Classico producers.  A value-packed juicy blend of Sangiovese (70%) and Merlot, this mid-weight red delivers both fruity and herbal elements.  Surprising complexity for a wine of this price likely comes from a touch of oak aging in large old barrels. … Read more

($20, Golden Ram Imports):  Castello di Meleto, a top Chianti Classico producer based in Gaiole, has abandoned new French oak barrels for aging their Chianti Classico and eliminated the international varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, in the blend.  Instead, the wine is 100 percent Sangiovese that has been aged in large old Slavonian oak barrels. … Read more

($25, Golden Ram Imports):  The wines from Castello di Meleto need to be re-visited because the current releases deliver extraordinary pleasure for the price.  This marvelous Chianti Classico Reserva from their Vigneti Casi vineyards is both juicy and polished with a gorgeous texture. … Read more

($30):  A seamless blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Merlot (40%) and Syrah, this classy red delivers far more refinement and complexity than you’d expect for the price.  It conveys a touch of everything — black fruit notes, herbal nuances, and spice — and not too much of anything. … Read more

($30):  White wines of Italy are often overlooked because of the stature of the country’s reds.  Schiopetto, one of the top producers in the Collio, shows the heights that white wines can achieve in Italy.  This 2016 Friulano amazes with its lanolin-like texture.… Read more

($18, Angelini Wine, Ltd):  Carpenè Malvolti, a top Prosecco producer, has fashioned this rosé bubbly from Pinot Noir (85%) and Rabosco, grown in the Veneto.  Since rosé is not recognized as Prosecco category, this wine carries no legal designation.  But don’t let that bother you. … Read more

($26, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):  Silvio Nardi is one of Brunello’s top producers.  Always traditionally framed, you’ll never feel or taste a predominance of oak or wood in their wines.  This Rosso comes from grapes grown vineyards some of which are designated for Rosso and some of which are designated for Brunello. … Read more

($58, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):  In addition to their Rosso di Montalcino, Tenuta Silvio Nardi producers three Brunelli, all of which are different and all of which I recommend highly.  Indeed, their two single vineyard bottlings show the diversity of this region. … Read more

($106, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):  Tenuta Silvio Nardi’s Poggio Doria comes from a parcel, Oria, in their Casale del Bosco estate, which is located in the northwest portion of the Brunello zone.  Volcanic soil here helps explain its firmness and tighter profile. … Read more

($98, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):  Silvio Nardi’s Manachiara estate, located in the eastern portion of the Montalcino zones, comprises about 550 acres, of which about 125 are planted.  This Brunello is always explosive and the 2012 is no exception.  Its gorgeous aromatics grab your attention immediately. … Read more

($14, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):  Barbera is often a “go-to” wine for Italian food because its inherent acidity keeps it juicy and lively throughout the meal.  The difficulty is that the spectrum of Barbera is enormous, from astringent and hard to swallow to captivating. … Read more

($51):  This marvelous Barolo comes from grapes grown in the Cerequio and Sarmassa vineyards.  It’s classically proportioned, with a Burgundian-like sensibility of “flavor without weight.”  Elegant and refined, it packs plenty of flavor without a trace of heaviness.  Substantial, yet not aggressive tannins, in the finish remind you it’s a youthful Barolo. … Read more

($103, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):  With the trio of producer, vintage and vineyard going for it, it’s not surprising that Chiarlo’s Cerequio is outstanding.  The 2013 vintage in Barolo was very successful.  Chiarlo is a top producer and Cerequio is a great vineyard. … Read more

($100, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):  OMG, as good as Chiarlo’s 2013 Cerequio is, their Cannubi is just better.  It stops you in your tracks.  Chiarlo owns about 3 acres of Cannubi, which is Barolo’s most famous vineyard.  They are so selective and quality-oriented that they usually wind up using only half of their Cannubi crop for this wine. … Read more

($13):  With a lot of producers taking advantage of the popularity of Prosecco and producing vapid characterless swill, it’s a pleasure to find a bottle of the real thing.   Clean and refreshing, this one has a welcome hint of bitterness in the finish that actually amplifies the wine’s fruitiness.… Read more

($23):  Pinot Grigio has become so popular that, for many, it is a commodity, as in “I’ll have a glass of Pinot Grigio…” with no sense of site or producer.  The result is that a bevy of innocuous watery Pinot Grigio have diluted (no pun intended) the wine’s reputation. … Read more

($25):  I love the sound — ree-bow-la jala — when ordering this wine.  The only problem is the plethora or styles — barrel fermented, orange or this beautifully fresh and vibrant version by Collavini.  There is no warning on the label alerting the consumer to the style, so once again, it’s producer, producer, producer. … Read more

($20):  You’re excused if you’ve never heard of the Ribolla Gialla grape, which is unique to the Fruili region in northeastern Italy and adjacent Slovenia.  Even most of those who have heard of the grape don’t realize that it can be used for sparkling wine as well as still. … Read more

($14, Terlato Wines International):  Floral and fruity with mouth-cleansing zestiness, this Falanghina is ideal for summer sipping — and drinking.   Enhanced by a hint of an almost white pepper-like spice, it is a tremendous value to cut through August’s humidity and accompany light pasta dishes or simply grilled fish.… Read more

($18):  Wines, such as this one, explain the popularity of Soave.  Sadly, Soave’s image tarnished over the years as industrial producers capitalized on the name’s popularity sacrificing quality along the way.  Fortunately, a few producers, such as Pieropan, never wavered in their focus on producing distinctive, high-quality wines reflective of the unique volcanic soil in the hilly heart, or Classico, subzone.  … Read more

($18):  Allegrini, a top-tier producer, is one of the locomotives in the Valpolicella area, introducing many consumers to the joys of the wines from that part of Italy.  They make an outstanding line-up of wines across the board.  Their Palazzo della Torre, a kind of a baby Amarone, is a blend of Corvina and Rondinella whose body has been pumped up with a portion of dried grapes that they add to the newly made wine. … Read more

($20):  Argiano, a top Brunello producer, has, liked many other producers in the region, branched out from producing Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino.  Non Confunditur, which in Latin means unique or unmistakable, is a balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese that works very nicely. … Read more

($18):  Full disclosure: I love Barbera.  Mild tannins and bright acidity allow you to chill it in the summer, which amplifies its spicy fruity nature.  Its bold flavors hold up to hearty pasta dishes and even grilled meat.  The problem is that there is a lot of mediocre — or worse — Barbera in the market. … Read more

($50):  Consumers mistakenly believe that all bubbly coming from Italy is Prosecco.  Not so.  There’s fine sparkling wine from Franciacorta and this stunning one reminds us not to forget Trento.  A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the traditional grapes of Champagne, it has a fine bead of acidity that gives it a great spine.… Read more

($24, Marc de Grazia Selections):  Prosecco has replaced “Champagne” in the U.S. as the new default name for any sparkling wine.  And with its popularity has come an extraordinary range of quality from insipid to extraordinary.  The best Proseccos, such as this one, come from hillside vineyards, which carry their own DOCG, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, as opposed to those that come from the flat lands. … Read more

($12, Montcalm Wine Importers):  Vignamaggio makes excellent Chianti Classico, so it comes as no surprise that this simple IGT Toscana delivers more than you’d expect for the price.  Fruitier with far fewer savory notes compared to Chianti Classico, it’s a cheery fresh wine, full of cherry-like notes. … Read more